Today, we woke up and felt mostly adjusted to the time zone. With that, we started the day with breakfast and team time. We sang a few songs accompanied by Alicia on the piano and prayed for the day; Sarah had an activity to help us share our testimony in 15 seconds. It was a super easy one with only five steps! Even the kids had it down after a couple of times practicing with one another. This proved to be very helpful later in the day. We wrapped up team time and headed for prayer walking, prayer parkour, and lunch. After lunch, Brent had the opportunity to pray for the new restaurant owner we had just eaten at. After this, we returned to Sarah’s place to prepare for the afternoon activities.
For the afternoon, we split into two teams, one at the coffee table in Tenstra Centrum and the other at the park nearby. For those of us at the coffee table, we served coffee to passersby in an attempt to start conversations that would lead to gospel opportunities.
Not long after we set up, we had takers not just of coffee but many conversations that led to gospel conversations. I want to share one that touched my heart. It was a couple, a man from Iraq and a female from Germany. Initially, I began speaking with the man and learned that he is a practicing Muslim (think Jack Mormon). He expressed his hatred for America (not Americans) and Israel; in the same breath, he also boasted about having read the whole Bible! I took this opportunity to talk about Jesus and ask who Jesus said he was. With a reiteration of his knowledge of the Bible, I challenged him to read the Bible and read who Jesus says He is: God. At this point, I decided to use my 15-second testimony (that we had practiced earlier) to wrap up the conversation and invite him into a relationship with Christ. We shook hands, and another gentleman from Sweden who had met us there began talking with him more.
I took this opportunity to engage the female who was with him. She is from Germany and was raised in a household that taught her to believe whatever she felt was right. After she moved to Sweden, she joined an interfaith church choir and was exposed to Christianity. During our conversation, I noticed that she had a deformed hand and some compulsive habits. I shared with her that God created and loved her dearly. Scott, who was with me, encouraged her to read the gospel of John as she admitted to reading the Bible from time to time. Eventually, we asked if she would like to meet with Sarah, and, to our surprise, she said yes! We gave her the contact info and are praying she reaches out.
We ended it again with our 15-second testimony and shared a gospel presentation. There were around ten gospel conversations in about an hour and a half. It was such an encouragement to the team! The second team at the park also saw some opportunities for the children to engage and share God’s love for them. They met a boy named George, who is looking forward to seeing them tomorrow, and Alicia is getting her makeup and nails done by a woman from Iran in the park!
As we settled in for the evening, Sarah had home church tonight, so we helped with the meal and partook in communion together. It was a time of worship, prayer, and sharing what God had done today. What a blessing it was to be together and be encouraged. Please pray for the people we had gospel conversations with, that George would show up tomorrow, and that Alicia would have an opportunity to share the gospel with the lady from Iran. You can also pray for our coffee table tomorrow as we step up our game with more coffee and Bibles to hand out! As I head to bed tonight, I want to share a verse that was part of my quiet time on my way out to Sweden.
“I waited patiently for the Lord, He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them yet they are more than can be told.” – Psalm 40:1-5
-Nate Beldock
Posted in Missions