Twenty people from the North Pacific Union (plus a few others) took a vacation from traffic, busy phones, bills and appointments. But they weren’t headed for beach chairs and palm trees. They left all the comforts of home and traveled to the other side of the globe to India, where they shared the story of Jesus!
Merlin and Jo Ann Fjarli from Medford, Ore., have been going to India with Maranatha Volunteers International since 2001. They have brought hundreds of volunteers with them to experience the mission they are so passionate about.
This February, the Fjarlis led a group of six volunteer teams to participate in the first 100-village project with Maranatha. Each team held evangelistic meetings at a prepared site. During the day they visited surrounding villages, praying with the people, telling Bible stories to the children, providing basic medical attention and inviting them to the meetings.
On this trip, the Fjarlis dedicated their 500th church, and Maranatha dedicated their 1,000th church built in India! That represents hundreds of thousands of individuals who are meeting every day to learn about Jesus Christ.
The results are truly staggering! On this last trip alone, more than 62,000 people attended the last meeting, and more than 31,000 people joined the Adventist Church. And that’s not the end! A year from now there will be thousands more in that area who will give their lives to Christ!
Why do the Fjarlis keep going back? Merlin’s reply is a simple one. “Jesus said, ‘Go ye.’ And I’m a ‘ye.’” Then he added, “Every time I go, I think it’s the last time. But how can you quit when you see the results? It’s the results that keep us coming back!”
Many believers fill new churches built by Maranatha and Northwest Adventsts.
There are thousands of people in India who have decided to give their lives to Christ as a result of Northwest Adventists and others who have traveled there to share the gospel.
