I hate missing phone calls - my mobile phone is where I store all my contacts, friends, and follow-ups for church. So whenever I miss a call, or receive quick calls from people I’m supposed to know, or met once - but have no idea who they might be - they end up in my phone directory with names like “I’m Not Sure Who This Is?” or “Called Me On Friday,” or even just “WHO?”…
So that’s what happened two years ago, just before our anniversary service. The phone rang at about 9:30 am, from an unknown number, half an hour or so before church was to begin, and we were running late.
Me: “Hello?”
Person: “Hello, good morning! Are you having church this morning?”
Me: “Yes, we are! Same time, same place, 10 am at the building…”
Person: “Ok, great!” (hang up!)
I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but quickly saved the contact as “Sunday Visitor?” and headed off to church, hoping I would figure it out when we got there. Of course, we had lots of visitors that day, and finding out who my new contact was quickly disappeared from my mind. We had a wonderful time of celebration with our friends, having lunch together, and looking forward to what God would do with our small church during our second year of being in Grenada. And there were lots of people to follow-up with. It was a good day!
One couple that came to church on that day, Nigel and Fayola, stood out in my mind. They had actually attended once before, at the official re-launch of the church! Exactly one year before this service, when our mission team had just landed in Grenada to re-launch the St. George's International Church of Christ, we had gone out sharing in the community together, and our sister LouAnn from Trinidad met and invited them to join us for our special service. But, as I remembered, they had hurried out right after church, and although I ran out after them, they had refused to give me a contact number, saying they would return on their own, when they felt like it. And so they did, exactly one year later, and what a difference! They had recently married, and were laughing and smiling, even staying after service to fellowship! What was more, they willingly shared their contact information with us, and promised to come to our married’s workshops.
Over the next year and a half, our families became close friends. They attended our special activities, were regular attendees at our married events, Fayola hung out with the sisters, and even invited her sister and mom to our Women’s Day! They had become warm and receptive, and were encouraged by our community activities. They regularly attended another local church, where Fayola often participated, and so they would only visit our services every couple of weeks. We also spent time together, just hanging out as friends.
I soon found out that Nigel works on the university campus (SGU) where I work part-time, so it was great popping in on him to say hello. We eventually started talking about the Bible, and of course, Nigel had many, many questions. He eventually agreed that we should study the Bible together, but they were just too busy to find the time. However, God opened the way during this past summer, and Nigel began visiting our midweek group Bible study sessions. It was after one of these sessions that he agreed to personal Bible studies, so he could grow in his relationship with God, and try to find answers to some burning questions.
From the beginning, Nigel was eager for the Word of God, and showed a selfless heart, willingness to serve others, and a longing to grow spiritually. With his wife’s support and encouragement, he dove into the scriptures. Soon after examining his past experiences in light of what he learned, he decided that he needed to repent of his sins, and be baptised into the family of God! It was a joyous, emotional occasion, as disciples gathered together with a few of our friends, along with Nigel and his wife, to witness his rebirth into Christ earlier this month.
A few days later, my phone rang one Saturday afternoon. It was from my contact, “Sunday Visitor?” I realised I had missed a few calls from this number over the last couple of weeks, and I wondered who it could be, vaguely remembering that first phone call two years before.
Me: “Hello?”
Person: “Hey bro! How are you doing? I was wondering if I could come and help the brothers this afternoon set up the building for church tomorrow…” The voice was unmistakable, it was Nigel!
Me: “NIGEL!” I shouted into the phone, surprised but excited at the same time. “Hey, bro, that would be great! See you later.”
As I found out later that day, the phone number was Nigel and Fayola’s home number, which they had used to call me on that morning two years earlier. Nigel and I had a good laugh about it, as I shared with him how I saved the number, and never knew who it was, until his call earlier that day.
“Don’t change it in your phone,” Nigel quipped, “Keep it as a reminder of how God can work!”
It was an amazing feeling, finding out that my “Sunday Visitor?” contact was now my brother is Christ! And I think I will follow my young brother’s advice!
You can check out more pics from Nigel's baptism, and moving video here!
Ministry Contact: Richard & Romania Beadle
St. Georges International Church of Christ
St. Georges, Grenada
Mobile/ Whatsapp: 1-473-420-1306
Skype: r2beadles
See latest ministry news at: https://www.facebook.com/stgeorgesicoc/