As the missionaries presented a lesson about the Ten Commandments, the people started questioning some of their rituals. Bill and Daniel gently but firmly turned them to the reason for the Law.
"The Law is like a mirror which shows you the sin," they said. "It says, 'Yep! You're covered up. You're dirty. You need help. You can't do it on your own.'"
Markus, who worked with Daniel to prepare Bible lessons, began showing some understanding -- and despair.
"There is no road to God for us," he said. "Our sin has us hemmed in on the east and the west, on the north and on the south. This is heavy."
But the message of deliverance was not far off.
The people began asking a lot of question about the Deliverer they were hearing about. With two months of Old Testament teaching behind them, the 300 people who had been coming to the teaching had a clearer understanding of who God is. Now they were ready to hear about the coming and ministry of Christ.
Two weeks before the climax of presenting the Gospel another death hit the area, in a neighboring language group. Several of the Inapangs attended the woman's funeral.
"I stood by her grave as they were putting the earth on it," Awarampagam told Kelley, "and I knew it was just her body. Her spirit was in the place of fire."
The next day, Kelley appeared at the teaching with a bright, shiny pot and talked about how nice the pot looked and how the food inside must be good too. She asked if anyone wanted some of the food. Several indicated they would like some. But when she opened it the contents were stinky, moldy, nasty leftovers that were starting to sprout.
The missionaries emphasized how it resembled people. "We often look at the outside, take a bath, comb our hair, get a good job, and get an education -- things that make other people look at us and say, 'Wow! Now that's a nice pot.' The problem is that our soul and our sin and our motives and all the other yucky stuff is on the inside and only God can see what is really going on down there. Only He can see it, so only He can get to it to fix it. We can't do it."
The illustration struck home with many of the Inapangs.
One of Kelley's friends came to discuss it with her later that afternoon.
"Kelley," Kawangenam said, "I keep thinking about that pot. I am like that. My sin is down on the inside and I can't see it. I can't straighten it at all. I’m really scared about that. I am going to go like that to the place of fire if God doesn't help me. I don't want to go there. I want to get off this road so that when I die I can see God and be at His place with Him."
"The Holy Spirit continues to work in hearts," Bill wrote. "Each day we pray the words of the hymn, 'Lord lead me to some soul today and teach me Lord just what to say.' Each day we thank the Lord for directing us to those who need to talk. Some are just thrilled with what they have been hearing and want to recount it. Others have serious questions."
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