“I’ve been waiting years for these!” Ida shouted over her shoulder, glancing back at me. At literally half my height, she easily climbed the steep trail at twice my speed while still having enough breath left over to talk. “I’ve been a Christian for years,” she continued. “I’ve always wanted to teach people about Jesus, but I could never remember enough. Now that you’ve brought these new lessons, I can teach anyone!”

I shook my head in wonder as sweat dripped off my eyebrows, and my breath came in gasps. Ida’s husband is in prison for sexually abusing their daughter. She raises their six children by herself, including the infant who was born just after her husband’s arrest. Ida has a dramatically deformed back from spinal tuberculosis. Yet, despite all of this, she is consistently the most active church member in reaching out to unbelieving Tawbuid.

“I wasn’t sure about trying a new type of Bible study when you asked me to translate them last month,” Ida said, putting on a fresh burst of speed in her excitement. “I was glad to help, though. As we worked, I realized that these were what I had been waiting for. They are so simple! Even someone without an education can help people learn from the Bible! I’m so excited to start using them in this new village!”

Putting her sentiment into action, Ida added another incredible burst of speed and disappeared out of sight. Her disembodied voice floated back to me. “I think I might just move my family to this village and plant a church here!”

“Lord,” I prayed, stopping for a moment to stave off cardiac arrest, “thank you for Ida! Please keep her strong, and reward her faithfulness with many children in Your kingdom!”

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