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Devoted donor spreads God’s Word round the world
NORWAY — “It’s crucial to offer humanitarian assistance, but giving people access to the Word of God is even more important,” says Haakon Skøien. Now 100 years old, Mr Skøien has been donating to the Norwegian Bible Society for many years. He is still full of enthusiasm for Bible work, particularly for bringing the Scriptures to young people. To escape Norway’s challenging winter climate, Mr Skøien now spends the winter months in Tenerife. Here the former teacher keeps his mind active by studying Spanish and corresponding with friends around the world. And it was in Tenerife that he met a young woman through whom he was able to bring the Bible to a lady on the other side of the world. Fruitful friendship One day, sitting in the restaurant of his hotel in Tenerife, Mr Skøien was struggling to zip up his coat. A young member of the restaurant staff, Ximena, came to his assistance. This was to be the beginning of a very fruitful friendship. She told him that she was studying in Tenerife and working part-time in the restaurant, where she often acted as an interpreter for the various international guests. But her home was in Montevideo, Uruguay. He invited her to have dinner with him, and after that evening together he wrote to her. He put a Spanish New Testament in the envelope along with the letter. Next time they met, she asked him why he had sent her a New Testament. How to get to Heaven “I explained that I would like to meet her again in heaven,” he explains. “I told her that she would find out how to get to heaven if she read the New Testament. I also told her that I would like to send a Spanish Bible to her mother.” In August, Mr Skøien sent a gift to the Norwegian Bible Society from his home in Jevnaker, 50 kms outside Oslo. He enclosed a letter asking if it would be possible to send a Spanish Bible to Elsa García Spinelli, his young friend’s mother. What he could not have known was that General Secretary the Rev Stein Mydske was due to travel to Uruguay in September to participate in the Bible Society of Uruguay’s Bible Month celebrations (see Latest News #371). Great surprise On his arrival in Uruguay, Mr Mydske made some inquiries and discovered that Mrs Spinelli’s home was not far from Bible House. So, along with the Rev José Beltrami, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Uruguay, he visited her and, to her great surprise, handed over a Spanish Bible in person on behalf of Mr Skøien. The following Sunday, Mrs Spinelli attended the Bible Month celebration at the main Methodist church in Montevideo and heard both Mr Mydske and the Catholic bishop preach. On his return to Norway, Mr Mydske visited Mr Skøien and brought him a gift from Mrs Spinelli. He also showed him photographs of Mrs Spinelli receiving her new Bible. When Mr Skøien heard that Mrs Spinelli had attended church, tears began to roll down his cheeks. “Your visit confirms that God was behind all this!” he told Mr Mydske. (WR 407/33 - 12.06) [2 photos] |
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