MIDDLE EAST: “The Greatest Gift I’ve Ever Given”

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The Voice of the Martyrs

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4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2023

⏱️ 25 minutes

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Summary

Last week we heard Gary Witherall talk about how God called him and his wife, Bonnie, to evangelize Muslims in the Middle East. In this second part of our conversation, Gary describes the day Christian persecution hit home as his wife, Bonnie, was martyred in the clinic where she served Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Gary talks about hearing God’s voice in that time of grief as he sat on the floor; in the next room was the body of his martyred wife. Faced with the choice of bitterness and hatred or forgiveness and love, Gary chose forgiveness. In that moment, Gary prayed, “Lord, you have forgiven me of all things. Today I forgive whoever killed my wife.” Gary calls that forgiveness the greatest gift he’s ever given anybody.

Listen as he shares the responses of friends and neighbors when they saw that forgiveness in action; his wife had just been martyred for her faith yet Gary still loved the Lebanese people.

You’ll also hear about how God has brought fruit from Gary and Bonnie’s sacrifice, and how God is still using Gary today to share His love around the world as he continues to serve with Operation Mobilization. You can learn more about Gary’s story by reading his book, Total Abandon (affiliate link).

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Last week here on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio, we heard about a woman who loved life.
0:04.9	Her husband Gary told us about her. One day it was raining in Chicago. It was one of my good memories.
0:11.2	She ran out into the middle of the street and started dancing. She was like, I'm just happy. I'm
0:16.5	celebrating life. Gary and Bonnie moved to Lebanon where Bonnie served as a nurse among Palestinian
0:23.2	refugees. They were there on September 11th, 2001, and they stayed among the people they loved
0:30.4	in Lebanon, even as things in that region of the world got more and more complicated with wars
0:37.7	in Iraq and Afghanistan heating up. When Gary and Bonnie decided to stay, they were consciously
0:45.3	choosing to lay down their lives. And I think we were martyred on that day. Eventually, Bonnie
0:51.4	with her all literally did give her life for the sake of the gospel.
0:57.9	Jesus never promised his followers an easy path. In fact, he told his disciples that the world
1:03.6	would hate them. He sent them out as sheep among wolves. Jesus' words came true in the life of
1:09.5	the apostles, and they're still coming true today in the lives of his followers around the world.
1:14.7	Join host Todd Nettletons. We hear their inspiring stories and learn how we can help. Right now,
1:20.1	on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network. Last week, we heard part one of my conversation with
1:26.3	Gary with her all. If you missed it, I hope you'll go to vomradio.net and listen to that part of our
1:33.2	conversation. Again, vomradio.net. It was riveting to hear what it was like to be in Lebanon.
1:41.7	On September 11th, 2001, Gary and Bonnie had many close friendships in Lebanon. But in the aftermath
1:49.3	of the September 11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that ensued, their ministry
1:55.2	became a lot more difficult and complicated. Gary remembers the fateful day when he received news
2:02.0	that would change his life forever. Before eight in the morning, I got a phone call.
2:07.9	Bonnie had already gone to the clinic. She would go early that day. I was actually taking day off.
2:13.2	It was a Thursday, I think. I got a phone call from one of our team. It sounded like she was laughing
	...

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