Our friend on location
A few weeks ago some friends and I met for an evening of prayer walking through the city streets, asking God to guide our steps and lead us to specific people to talk to. We eventually came to a small cafe, where we decided to stop for a glass of tea, to warm our hands in the cold evening air. From where we sat, we began to quietly pray over the various people sitting at the tables around us at the cafe. As we prayed, I noticed that at the table next to us two young ladies had turned their coffee cups upside down, and were getting ready to read their fortunes in the coffee grounds. We began to pray for these two ladies, asking God if He might have anything specific for us to share with them. Soon we started talking to them, and began to share the things God had put on our hearts to share. They listened intently as we spoke, amazed at the idea that God might have directed us specifically to them that evening. When the waiter stopped by their table, they asked him to take away their coffee cups. “We can’t read our coffee grounds after this!” they said, “God must have seen us!” They invited us to join them at their table, and they ordered tea as we talked for another hour, sharing about our faith. At the end, before we parted ways, one of the ladies, H____, asked me, “You don’t walk up and talk to everyone like this, do you? We’d like to think that we’re special because you chose to share these things with us!”
Two weeks after this happened, I was in a different part of the city, waiting for my bus home. I had been standing there in the rain for 30 minutes already, and it was getting late. As I waited on the side of the road, I saw three people get off a bus right in front of me. One of them was H____! I looked closely to be sure, and then walked up to her. She was shocked to see me, and I introduced myself to her friends, who were teachers at the school where she works. When I told them I had met H____ a few weeks ago, they nodded, smiling. “We know,” they said. “She already told us all about it!” They had just a few minutes before they needed to catch their bus. “I don’t think this is a coincidence, seeing you here,” H____ said. “Can we exchange numbers and meet up soon?” We exchanged numbers quickly before she ran off to catch her bus.
As I took the bus home that night, I was so in awe of our God, and His pursuit of the lost. Not only did He lead us to these two girls once, but He allowed our paths to cross again so soon, in a city of 14 million people! He desires that all would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4), and He is far more committed to this end than we are! I’m reminded again and again that this is His work—we just get the joy of being a part of it.
Praises & Prayer requests
God has given me opportunities to grow in boldness in sharing my faith. A small group of us meet each week to pray and go out into the neighborhood to have conversations with people. Pray that this time would be fruitful and that God would continue to give us His burden for the lost.
Pray for B____, a freshman university student we met on the ferry. She and I had a great conversation the last time we met. Ask that God would reveal Himself to her.
I’ve been able to meet many young people through a weekly English conversational class we have for students and young professionals. Pray that God would direct me to specific people who are spiritually open.
As you pray for this nation, ask God to open eyes to see Jesus not just as another prophet, but as the Son of God.
Thank you for praying and partnering with God’s work here!!
In Him,
Your friend in Southwest Asia