Every Gift Has a Story: Gifts of God’s Word

Oakseed does this through strategic partnerships with existing indigenous ministries. Having been born and raised in the communities they serve, these ministry leaders are uniquely equipped to understand their people’s needs. They know that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can change their way of life, and they seek to meet physical needs while bringing this good news to the people around them.

Oakseed’s ministry partners know that to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to their people, they must have the Word of God. God’s Word is powerful to save souls and sanctify believers. God’s Word teaches what man must believe about God and what God requires of man (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The writer of Hebrews explains that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Beatriz was an 18-year-old girl in a detention center in São Paulo, Brazil. Incarcerated over Christmas, she felt alone, without hope, and no longer wanted to live. JEAME went into the prison, shared the gospel with her, and gave her gifts, including a Bible, which she now treasures. Inside the Bible was a sticker with the contact information for JEAME. As Beatriz finished her stay at the detention center, she read her Bible and looked forward to reaching out to JEAME once released. Beatriz now finds her hope in Christ and thanks JEAME for showing her love when she desperately needed it.

Oto is a 16-year-old in São José dos Campos, Brazil. While playing baseball with Brazilian Baseball Association , he, like all the children and young people who come to ABBS, was given a new Bible of his own. The kids quickly write their names and positions on the inside covers and bring them to the weekly Bible studies. While attending a summer Bible and baseball camp through ABBS and its local church, Oto came to know the Lord.

He says, “I was a boy of the world: a boy who didn’t know the word, the path, or the truth. I had no idea what it was like to know the true love that only God can provide us through Jesus and his Holy Spirit. I was someone who walked in complete darkness, without God’s direction…. I had a true encounter with the Lord. And that changed my life. The more time I spend with God, the more and more God shows me new paths, new goals, and new dreams.”