Buying the Pearl of Great Price

I have just got back from my first trip to an Asian country that it is not safe to name. It was very exciting. What a country of contrasts. I have been met with everything from the huge traffic jams and the very unique driving style to the quiet of the public gardens in the city center and yet another contrast with the hustle and bustle of the old town with its coulourful markets and tiny streets. The local food is very tasty, although I did avoid some of the strongest dishes.

I was not there as a tourist, however. My colleague Svein and I were there to help start Agenda1. Over the last two years we have been working closely with a team of local leaders training them to lead Agenda1. They have travelled for training to other Asian countries where we already have established Agenda1. We have gotten to know each other very well by spending several weeks together and for me, that in itself is a real joy. Hearing their powerful testimonies has been such an inspiration to me too.

The team really is amazing, they have taken time and unpaid leave because they see what Agenda1 can mean for bringing the Gospel to their people. There are all sorts of difficulties for new believers here. The price of following Jesus here is very high. Converts can lose their friends and family, their job and even their home, yet the churches are growing, and people are prepared to pay the price for what Jesus in his parable calls the “pearl of great price.” I am very excited to see how God will use us and Agenda1 here in the coming years.