A Middle East University student experiences divine guidance while canvassing in Lebanon, helping a business owner deepen his faith and share God’s Word with employees and family.
Gamila, a student at the Middle East University in Lebanon, was embarking on her first canvassing adventure on a sweltering Thursday in the countryside. It was one of the toughest weeks she had faced since beginning the program, and the previous day had been especially challenging, with no sales to speak of. Desperate for a breakthrough, Gamila earnestly prayed for divine assistance and blessings before setting out for the day.
Her morning canvassing session brought a ray of hope, and after lunch, her leader dropped her off on a designated street, instructing her to start there and promising to return later for pickup. She ventured into a local business and requested to speak with the manager. As she presented her collection of books, one title, The Great Controversy, immediately captured the manager’s interest.
The manager shared his remarkable story with Gamila. He explained that his family had followed a unique spiritual path for generations, blending various beliefs and traditions. However, a sense of emptiness had led him to search for something deeper. In his quest, he discovered a Bible at his parents' house and began reading it out of desperation.
One evening, as he read, he felt an overwhelming sense of being caught in a cosmic struggle between good and evil. Distraught, he stopped reading and tried to sleep. That night, he experienced a vivid and intense dream in which two assailants attacked him with such ferocity that he feared for his life. At that critical moment, Jesus appeared and rescued him. Shocked and invigorated, he awoke and began devouring the Bible, likening his newfound hunger for the Word to someone who has found water after a long thirst or food after starvation.
Since that transformative night, he has dedicated himself to studying the Bible, memorizing large portions of it, and his newfound faith has become the cornerstone of his life. His business has become a vehicle for sharing God’s Word, and he has already introduced this new found faith to six family members, with three of his sisters exploring this path as well. His entire staff is also engaged in Bible study.
The manager had been praying for someone to help him better understand the Bible and to assist in spreading its teachings among his employees. “And today, you show up here with these books,” he told Gamila. Besides purchasing all the books she had with her, he requested, “Please, I need more copies of this book,” pointing to The Great Controversy. “I want to give a copy to each of my employees.” However, Gamila had only one copy left. He inquired about how he could get more, and Gamila began to pray silently, hoping her leader would arrive soon. Just then, she saw her leader’s minivan pulling up in front of the business.
Miraculously, at the very moment Gamila was praying, her leader felt a strong urge to find her. Upon arriving, one of the employees greeted him and asked if he had more copies of The Great Controversy. Not fully understanding the situation, her leader confirmed he did and promptly brought more books for Gamila. The manager was able to obtain five additional copies, one for each of his employees.
Ellen G. White once said, “We need to recognize the critical importance of canvassing as a vital tool for identifying those in spiritual danger and guiding them to Christ.” (CM 36.1) The dedicated work of student canvassers is essential in reaching out to those who are searching for truth.
In the remote mountains of Lebanon, about an hour and a half from Beirut, people were yearning for a place to worship God. Feeling disconnected from their previous worship experiences, they reached out to the program leader with a heartfelt request: “I wish you could come here and use my house for worship.”
God answered Gamila’s prayers, not only blessing her in her sales but, more importantly, using her as an instrument to connect these individuals with the truth.
*Names have been changed