Face to Face or Facebook to Facebook?

“Hi! My name is Kris. Would you like to hear about a miracle?” Thus begins the witness of a church member in the Twin Falls Church.

Kris Klemmetson shared his story with me earlier this year, at the suggestion of David Prest Jr., Idaho Conference president. Kris said after a diagnosis of cancer, “I got back with Jesus. Before, I might have prayed before meals. I didn’t study the Sabbath School lesson. Now I have reconnected with Jesus. I built a prayer room in my cabin. And I share my story.” Following is the testimony he shares with those who respond to his query with a "yes."

“Thank you for taking the time with me, and hopefully this will bless you as it has blessed me. I have been blessed since birth, as I was born three months premature. Back in 1952, many premature babies became blind as a result of receiving too much oxygen. My doctor was smart, and I did not receive that treatment. I am not blind," Kris shares.

“In December 2015, I was in the hospital for cancer treatment, for surgery," he explains. He also adds, "‘I got a huge pile of gold! One gold nugget is that my nurses and doctors were like angels. I was only in the hospital for three days: Friday, Sabbath and Sunday. I spent Sunday walking 8 miles around the nurses’ station. The doctor sent me home on Monday. Three months later after a scan, my wife and I met with him for a report on my cancer. He said there wasn’t any cancer left and that I was a miracle. The doctor continued that he had never had this happen with any patient. I was told about chemotherapy, but declined and said, ‘Let’s do scans every three months.’”

Kris continues, “Never be afraid to go to a hospital. And please share my story as far as you can.”

Kris impressed me with the trust he has in God, which is the reason for not being afraid. One wouldn’t consider Kris to be a “man of the world.” He has an uncomplicated faith relationship with God. The other thing that impressed me is that Kris is so willing to share his story — with strangers.

Not only does he share it, he offers a GLOW (Giving Light to Our World) tract to the person he’s talking with, as God impresses him. He carries a supply of various topics wherever he goes.

In this age of smartphones, tablets, the internet and social media, face-to-face communication can be forgotten. The fact that miracles happen can be overlooked or rationalized as coincidence or the wonders of medical science.

We work hard as a church to share the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection via print, podcasts, live streaming, DVDs, and radio and television communication. That’s a good thing. Jesus didn’t use such tools when He walked on the Earth. Instead, He spoke face to face, touched people and spent time with them ... kind of like Kris does when sharing his story.

Featured in: November 2016

Author

Eve Rusk

Idaho Conference communication director