The people of Macedonia and Achaia knew all about the conversions among the Thessalonians, what sort of inroad the gospel had. Everyone was against it.
Salvation is a miracle. ‘… how ye turned’, turned from one extreme to Christ. This is conversion. You are turned. In your mind, you see your need, you see Christ in your mind’s eye. You believe in his death and his resurrection and his saving power. In your mind, you know your need of him and you long for him. You repent before him, and you find him, and you love him. Your whole mind is changed.
How uplifting for Paul and for Silas and for Timothy after the sufferings of their previous port of call to come among the Thessalonians and to have so many converts.