Through grief, a life spurs us on

ABOVE PHOTO BY ZEKE DU PLESSIS

When our colleague Andrew Sav died, we could hardly believe it.

After all his work in such a difficult, hostile area of the world, we just couldn’t take it in. What was God thinking? Why now? A simple elective surgery had resulted in death. We were overwhelmed with grief.

At his funeral, it was clear that Andrew had made so many people feel special. It was one of his gifts; the ability to truly love others. God used his one short life to affect so many others.

When I was out on the small remote island where we live and work, I questioned some women about the use of the New Testament in Sunday school. It was so disappointing to hear it was not being used. With Andrew’s death fresh in my mind I thought, ‘How desperately we need the Sunday school teachers to catch the vision for using the recently dedicated New Testament with the children.’

We have been praying constantly, ‘Lord, how do we inspire people to use the New Testament in their own language instead of the English one that they can hardly understand?’ It is the continual prayer of our hearts.

It is such a challenge. Whenever I think of Andrew I am reminded again that each of us has a role to play but we don’t know for how long. So I keep praying for these Sunday school teachers, that they would pick up their New Testaments and read them with their children. The Word of God could make a difference to a whole generation.

I keep praying. Andrew’s impact spurs me on.

This story is from Wycliffe Today – July 2017 Edition (PDF)

About the Author: Sue Healey, Translation Advisor (Vanuatu). Find out more