Matthew 17:20-21 quotes Jesus as saying, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  And, sometimes we need to have faith in small things.

This is the true story of Swedish missionaries David and Svea Flood and their daughter Aggie Hurst. I read the story in a Bible study class using the book “Grace Is Greater” by Kyle Idleman.

David and Svea went as missionaries to the N’dolera area of the Belgian Congo. The local chief wouldn’t let them have contact with any of the local people except for a boy who sold them food. Svea converted him, and he was to be the only convert they had in the years they were there.

In what should have been a joyous time, Svea gave birth to a baby girl, but unfortunately died a few days after giving birth. David was shattered, and depressed over her death and his lack of success, he went back to Sweden. He gave the baby to the care of an American missionary couple, who adopted her, named her Aggie, and raised her in the United States.

As an adult Aggie traveled to Sweden and made contact with her natural father. He had lived a less than happy life suffering from alcoholism, and was very ill. He apologized for giving her up explaining that he was depressed over Svea’s death and his failure as a missionary; he stressed that there had only been one convert. Aggie, though, had a surprise for him; she knew what had happened to that one convert. In a few years his witness had led to the conversion of almost everyone in the N’dolera region. Later, as an adult he had become the leader of a Christian association in the Congo with over 100,000 members. With the aid of Aggie’s love and message, David returned to his faith.

I love this story. I love the way this very small success, the conversion of a little boy, led to something greater. Please remember that God sometimes speaks to us through small things and that often that message is that He loves YOU and me unconditionally.

Adapted from a blog by Jim in November 2018