Story of the Shepherd Boy
Our expedition arrived at a Siberian outpost of 3,000 people. While we were there, the leaders asked me if I would travel deep into the Taiga to a remote village which was located another 8 hours from this outpost. Many of the people, they said, had never seen a doctor.
I agreed. The next morning we loaded a jeep with medicines and left just as the sun was coming up. We had to travel through 7 mountain passes, in a riverbed, and then up the steep river banks and through a few snow drifts. The journey would have been impossible in winter. After about 6 hours, we saw a white “yurt” in the distance. During all this time, we never saw another living human being, no cars, no houses, no airplanes overhead, no electric lines, nothing, but forest and small trails. We drove up to the yurt and the dogs announced our arrival with non-stop barking. Most likely, they had not seen another person in weeks, if not months.
The people were glad to see us and were very friendly. They offered us traditional Asian tea, which is about half salt and no sugar. When they found out I was an American doctor, they asked if I would examine their baby. I examined the young child and explained the problem and what to do. Next they asked me to examine the other children; then mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandmother, and grandfather. As I was examining the grandfather, a young man came inside. He sat down near the door and waited. When I finished, he asked if I would examine him. He was a healthy male about 25-30 years old.
After we finished the exam, I started talking with him. Try to imagine the scene. This is a round house, and I am in the middle with this young man and all the family is looking at us, and everyone is listening to our conversation. I asked him, “What is your job out here? What do you do for a living?” He said, “I am a Shepherd.” I replied, “Wow! You are so lucky!” He looked at me like I was the dumbest thing that ever crawled out from under a rock. Then I said, “Did you know that the very first people to ever hear about the Birth of God’s Son were Shepherds?” He looked at me with a blank, puzzled expression on his face and asked, “Who is God’s Son?” I said, “Have you never heard about Jesus?” He said, “No.” I said, “Well, it’s a story that comes from the Bible. Would you like me to tell you about it?” And he answered “Yes.”
I started with how God had first announced the birth of His Son Jesus to the Shepherds. Then I shared how Jesus had come to die for our sins. Then I asked him if he would like to accept Christ as his Savior. With watery eyes and big tears rolling down his cheeks he said, “Yes.” So in front of all his family, he prayed with me to accept Christ. At the end of the prayer, and still sniffling from his tears, he looked at me and said, “All my life, I have sat on these mountains and looked at the stars at night and wondered IF there was a God…Did He know 'me'? Did he care anything about me?” And then he said the most amazing thing, “I can’t believe He sent you here to tell me about Him.”
So, what do you think? Was it a coincidence or an accident that I just happened to be traveling across this part of Siberia on that particulate day to share Christ with a young man who had been searching for God for years? After living in Russia for over 20 years, I have seen God’s hand at work many times. God is always in control, down to the smallest detail of our lives “if” we are in obedience to Him.
I gave the young man a Bible and prayed with him to be bold and share God’s Love with the people in his area. Then our team left to continue on towards the village that was our final destination. There are millions of “unreached” people in Russia who want to know about God but have no way to learn about Him and His love, unless we GO and tell them - Matthew 5:16.
Our expedition arrived at a Siberian outpost of 3,000 people. While we were there, the leaders asked me if I would travel deep into the Taiga to a remote village which was located another 8 hours from this outpost. Many of the people, they said, had never seen a doctor.
I agreed. The next morning we loaded a jeep with medicines and left just as the sun was coming up. We had to travel through 7 mountain passes, in a riverbed, and then up the steep river banks and through a few snow drifts. The journey would have been impossible in winter. After about 6 hours, we saw a white “yurt” in the distance. During all this time, we never saw another living human being, no cars, no houses, no airplanes overhead, no electric lines, nothing, but forest and small trails. We drove up to the yurt and the dogs announced our arrival with non-stop barking. Most likely, they had not seen another person in weeks, if not months.
The people were glad to see us and were very friendly. They offered us traditional Asian tea, which is about half salt and no sugar. When they found out I was an American doctor, they asked if I would examine their baby. I examined the young child and explained the problem and what to do. Next they asked me to examine the other children; then mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandmother, and grandfather. As I was examining the grandfather, a young man came inside. He sat down near the door and waited. When I finished, he asked if I would examine him. He was a healthy male about 25-30 years old.
After we finished the exam, I started talking with him. Try to imagine the scene. This is a round house, and I am in the middle with this young man and all the family is looking at us, and everyone is listening to our conversation. I asked him, “What is your job out here? What do you do for a living?” He said, “I am a Shepherd.” I replied, “Wow! You are so lucky!” He looked at me like I was the dumbest thing that ever crawled out from under a rock. Then I said, “Did you know that the very first people to ever hear about the Birth of God’s Son were Shepherds?” He looked at me with a blank, puzzled expression on his face and asked, “Who is God’s Son?” I said, “Have you never heard about Jesus?” He said, “No.” I said, “Well, it’s a story that comes from the Bible. Would you like me to tell you about it?” And he answered “Yes.”
I started with how God had first announced the birth of His Son Jesus to the Shepherds. Then I shared how Jesus had come to die for our sins. Then I asked him if he would like to accept Christ as his Savior. With watery eyes and big tears rolling down his cheeks he said, “Yes.” So in front of all his family, he prayed with me to accept Christ. At the end of the prayer, and still sniffling from his tears, he looked at me and said, “All my life, I have sat on these mountains and looked at the stars at night and wondered IF there was a God…Did He know 'me'? Did he care anything about me?” And then he said the most amazing thing, “I can’t believe He sent you here to tell me about Him.”
So, what do you think? Was it a coincidence or an accident that I just happened to be traveling across this part of Siberia on that particulate day to share Christ with a young man who had been searching for God for years? After living in Russia for over 20 years, I have seen God’s hand at work many times. God is always in control, down to the smallest detail of our lives “if” we are in obedience to Him.
I gave the young man a Bible and prayed with him to be bold and share God’s Love with the people in his area. Then our team left to continue on towards the village that was our final destination. There are millions of “unreached” people in Russia who want to know about God but have no way to learn about Him and His love, unless we GO and tell them - Matthew 5:16.
