In the back pocket of Liverpool South lives a community of Mandaeans. If you Google them, you won’t find much, and nothing clear beyond them being pretty keen on John the Baptist. This morning our team sat down for a church event with a handful of parishioners to hear George’s story. George had been a Mandaean, and through a story of adoption, came to be adopted into Christ’s family too.
George shared his insider knowledge with us in detail; how they live under the constant threat of defilement, baptising in the hope that washing might cleanse them from sin. Pray we might take opportunities tomorrow and the rest of this week to gently and faithfully engage with the locals who hold these beliefs.
In the afternoon, some of us headed out to the local shops to complete some Cultural Observation exercises. Liverpool is fascinating as it doesn’t seem to have a predominant culture, in contrast to a lot of other Sydney suburbs. It’s a safe bet to say they love natural yoghurt though.
Our day began with pastor Matt Bales taking us through Luke 10 and Jesus’ sending of the seventy-two. We raised the question of when to persevere with people who don’t accept the message of Jesus. Praise God for the pastor who faithfully read the bible with George for four years before he came to trust Jesus. Pray for the parts of the world with hard soil, that God might keep a spirit of perseverance in those who are there, and that he might save even the most stubborn for Jesus’ glory.
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