In the Transcaucasia region, many are thirsty for the truth, no matter how difficult it is to search for, find and accept. George’s story, which follows, took place in a country where people are certain their religion is the only true one, are confident their religious leaders guide them on the right path and are convinced that the cross is a sacred object that one must venerate or else be cursed. Here, Bibles are often printed in an archaic language that regular people do not understand. Instead, people use the Bible as a holy amulet to protect them from evil inside their homes.

“I was a very devoted believer, used to attend church every Sunday, celebrated all holidays, revered the saints and often confessed my sins to the priest. My family and I were living our lives following the rules and beliefs of our religion in every aspect until I started to compare our lives to those of the religious leaders. They were not living up to the standards they were preaching, and I felt my world fall apart. I realized that I spent my entire life living in a lie that included not just me but everyone around me. So I decided to talk to my friend. He said he was also uncomfortable with all the traditional stories and that he had started studying the Bible with a group of friends; he invited me to join him. I hesitated at the beginning; however, a voice inside insistently told me, ‘Go and join them,’ and I did.

“From that moment, my life completely changed. I discovered that God can hear me and wants to talk to me and that I could talk to Him in my own language, not only by saying prayers in a language I couldn’t understand. One day, we studied about the Holy Day. Of course, I thought that was Sunday. However, I found out it was the seventh-day Sabbath and that the church fathers used to keep it holy! How could I have never heard about it?

“I was amazed at finding the truth, and to continue, I needed a Bible, one without apocryphal books and small enough that I could carry it with me. The day arrived when I received my new Bible. It became my treasure. I started to read it every day—until something happened. My parents discovered I was studying the Bible. I was in trouble. They got so angry that I cannot describe it. For them, I was betraying our country and family. My dad took my Bible to burn it, but because a cross was on the cover, he couldn’t damage it and not be cursed, so he hid it.

“Somehow, other people discovered my situation, and I ended up losing my job. But nothing would stop me because God was with me, protecting and guiding me. The only thing I wanted was my Bible back. I started to search every corner of my house. I found it and hid it from my parents so they would never hide it from me again. After this occasion, I spent three more weeks searching for my Bible because I hid it so well that I could not remember where.”

George’s story and others similar to his are happening now in the Transcaucasia region; the people are desperate for the truth, and it is our responsibility to go and preach to them. My wife and I decided to dedicate our lives to sharing the gospel among the Georgians. Please prayerfully consider partnering with us in this project of reaching the unreached of Georgia. Thank you to those who have donated generously for the purchase of 5,000 Georgian Bibles.

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