“The government’s suggestion to take preventive measures against the pandemic while carrying on our daily lives does not mean that we are returning to the lifestyle before COVID-19. We might not be able to return to the lifestyle we had before the pandemic.”
What I heard on the news gave me many thoughts. The nationwide restrictions, which started from March as the COVID-19 pandemic began, seemed to have no end, and it became hard to even see the faces of the brothers and sisters, to say nothing of everybody gathering together for worship. As a missionary who carries out God’s will, I wondered how I should carry out the gospel work in such a situation. Right around that time, Mother said, “Let us not feel discouraged in these difficult times, but preach the truth of salvation and God’s love to our loving family members.” This earnest request from Mother touched my heart.
It was not only the members of our Zion who engraved Mother’s words on their hearts and realized the new direction and vision of the gospel clearly, but all the brothers and sisters throughout Argentina did, too. So all the members in Argentina and in Uruguay, which is a neighboring country, made a resolution to save many souls by the love of Mother who only thinks of Her children’s salvation in every moment. This is when our “Happy Home” Preaching Festival began. Hearing about this, Mother encouraged us, saying, “Bear many good fruits with love that shares even a piece of bean with others.”
Our preaching festival wasn’t like the ones where we hear about the birth of new lives here and there from Day 1. It was quiet. I am not saying that nothing was happening. The brothers and sisters made efforts to give heartfelt comfort to their family members who are trembling in fear and loneliness caused by restrictions and financial difficulties, and share God’s blessing with them. They also tried to share love with people they had not been caring for as much as they wanted to because of their busy schedule or long distances between them, by sending them encouraging messages, video letters, handwritten letters, and homemade snacks, or helping them with their housework, or expressing gratitude to them, etc.
Although the brothers and sisters constantly prayed and made efforts with one accord, many fruits of the gospel were not borne until it was halfway through the preaching festival. The visible result could have made them feel discouraged. Nevertheless, the brothers and sisters prayed to God even more earnestly, and knocked on the hearts of their beloved ones without giving up.
In order to practice “love that shares even a piece of bean with others” as Mother told us, we made an effort to help our neighbors who were suffering from financial difficulties due to the COVID-19. From Jujuy the northernmost part all the way to Ushuaia the southernmost tip of Argentina known as the gateway to Antarctica, all the brothers and sisters in Argentina and Uruguay sowed strength and courage in the neighbors in need by collecting food for them in unity although they live on a tight budget too.
While doing that, we felt that people’s view on our church was changing little by little.
“The Church of God members do good deeds with their action, not only with their lips.”
“I like worshiping all together at home. It feels great that my family is becoming more harmonious.”
“Your conduct makes me think that your church’s teachings must be good. I want to study the Bible when I get a chance.”
“I want to join your church’s volunteer services. I am sure it’s a good church because it does good deeds.”
Their friends and colleagues who weren’t so interested in our church before, and even their family members who shook their heads or argued with them whenever they tried to preach the truth began to give ear to the words. Some of them even brought some relief goods to the church, asking to use them for volunteer services.
As there was a twist at the end of the preaching festival, the brothers and sisters became busier than ever before. We had to make efforts twice as much as before for everything because we had to follow the preventive measures against the pandemic, but we had such a fruitful time every day, feeling the need of God’s help even more keenly than before.
Checking the gospel result after the preaching festival, we were all surprised. More than 170 souls were reborn into a new life in Argentina and Uruguay. It was over our goal. We felt more joyful and thankful because most of the new brothers and sisters were those who had shown no interest in the truth or opposed it although they knew it for a long time.
Although it is difficult to go to another city or another country to preach the gospel like we did before, the doors that are shut open and the frozen hearts melt, and God’s work is accomplished without fail when we keep spreading love diligently to people around us. This is what we realized through the “Happy Home” Preaching Festival.
Some lament for the gloomy reality and say, “We can’t do anything now. We have no hope.” People need comfort and hope more than ever before. That is why we want to preach and put into practice Father and Mother’s love even more diligently. Now we are careful even about giving heartwarming words of comfort to people, but nothing is impossible as long as we have love. It’s because people are to feel sincere hearts eventually, and God helps with His power those who preach love. I believe that the news of salvation will be preached in Samaria and to the ends of the earth in no time if we continue to spread love diligently little by little.