After Mariano's life was transformed by Jesus, he made it his mission to share the gospel with others. Let's see how he and a group of volunteers are impacting their community in Dili, Timor Leste!
[Subtitle] “Compassion is to show God’s love in a practical way. It’s not only words but it’s also practice. So we do acts of kindness and we help people to be happy. And also to recognize God’s love in their lives.”
Mariano and Lola are full-time volunteers in the city of Dili, Timor Leste. They have set aside a year of their lives to serve God through mission activity.
Today, Mariano, Lola, and the Compassion group are using colorful paper cards to write encouraging Bible verses for the people they will meet. The participants take time to search the Bible for special passages. They think long and hard, searching for words that might uplift someone in a special way.
Mariano mentors the Compassion participants and explains how people might feel when they see that someone thought about them.
Mariano gives the group final instruction and they pray together that the Holy Spirit will touch those they meet with a sense of God’s love. Then, the team splits up and walks down the promenade. As they hand out cards and greet the people warmly, some passersby share their burdens and sorrows. This is an opportunity for Compassion volunteers to pause and pray--interceding for the people.
Exercise, fitness, and health are important concerns here. So Lola walks around with a blood pressure monitor to offer basic health assessments as she shares tips for forming healthy habits. The sight is one we might expect from Jesus’ time: street children being taught Bible stories through song, the homeless receiving care and attention after long, lonely hours living on the streets. The Adventist youth set a worthy example in this city and they leave the recipients amazed by helping the people any way they can.
[Subtitle] “Here, we train the youth to actively engage in leadership. But we also do some activities to reach people here in Dili. I really like Compassion’s activity and community services, because through this we can have more friends and get closer to many people as we serve the Lord.”
Adventist members in Dili are praying that God will assist them in establishing the Seventh-day Adventist Church in meaningful ways. Please pray that the Lord will open doors to people’s hearts!
