From drugs to elders

When I moved to Papua New Guinea with my family, I met a young man called Raimund who was still living in the city at the time. He was always taking drugs and one day he walked around town naked and told everyone that he was the king. For fear of being murdered, he was then taken to the island where we worked as a missionary family. He was often so high that we were afraid for our children. But the effects of the drugs wore off because he couldn't get marijuana so easily on the island.

Then came the day when Raimund was chosen by his clan for a writing class. Later, we started the chronological Bible class and Raimund joined regularly. Although he had a family on the island, he smoked pot whenever there was something to smoke on the island. 
During the chronological lessons, we then included him in our drama team. In the crucifixion scene, he played the "good criminal" next to Jesus. Hanging on the cross, he actually converted to Jesus Christ in this important lesson.

That was Raimund's new start. He put his heart and soul into it, but he also had many weak points. He was often far too quick with his mouth and kept getting into trouble. Nevertheless, he kept coming back to us and became one of our loyal translation assistants.

Today, he is someone who can put himself in people's shoes and is very compassionate. He is not afraid to intervene when fellow believers get into physical altercations and gets them out of the conflict. The local believers accept him. He has developed a real heart for the Lord. Raimund is the one in whom the Lord's change has been most visible, considering where he came from and where he is today.

He has now become one of the five elders of a local church in Papua New Guinea.

Thomas Depner, Papua New Guinea