This month’s ministry is all about building relationships. Yes, something I love, getting to know new people is fascinating to me, I love to love other people.
This month’s ministry is also all about evangelizing and sharing the word of God with others. Okay, good stuff, important stuff, but also completely scary stuff.
After a couple days of ministry we are still learning the best way to go about ministering to people. Should we talk about Jesus right from the beginning? Will this scare people off? Will they think we are part of a cult? Should we just talk with people and get to know them, maybe meet for coffee sometime, and after they know us a little better talk about Jesus and the church we go to?
Normally I wouldn’t worry this much about it, I kinda actually really like street evangelism. You get to talk with totally random people hear all about their lives, tell them about your life, and tie Jesus and our need for a savior into the whole mess of it.
Here in Montenegro it’s different; most people here are Serbian Orthodox Christians, but it is more of a culture thing and not a relationship at all. In fact many believe that anything besides Serbian Orthodox is a cult. So the Church of Christ, the church we are serving at, many believe it is a cult. Let me tell you it is not! We just really want to share how Jesus didn’t stay on the cross that he was raised from the dead and is so alive and with us today, and that you can pray to him anywhere and have an actual relationship with him.
Anyhow, back to what I had really wanted to talk about. So it was one of our first days of ministry and we were praying before we went out to talk with people. I was asking God to show me a picture so I would know who to talk to. I wanted to be intentional, not random; to talk with someone the Holy Spirit was already working in. Well of course I see something black with a floral pattern on it, and I’m like okay Lord show me something else because I probably thought that into my mind. So I think I see a blue and white striped dress on a woman…okay too specific lets call it just blue and white strips.
So we start walking down the street and see two men right after each other both in blue and white stripes! I don’t talk to them because I still am quite sure God didn’t actually show me these pictures and that instead it is my own thoughts.
Well we make it to this park and me and two other girls on my team, Bethany and AnnaKate form a group to kinda stick together. We had more of challenge because we were the only group without a translator. So we first decide to sit down and pray about all of this and ask for God’s direction. NO lie, while we were still on the bench, a woman in a blue and white dress walked passed. I told my team what I had seen and decided to go talk with her. It didn’t amount to much but her and her husband were very nice and I hope to see them again so we can continue to build a friendship.
But God decided to get real, real with me. Now I had already seen this lady walk past wearing a black shirt with flowers on it, and made the choice to completely ignore her. As time went on, we had met at the fountain with some of the others from my team. I was going to walk over and throw my gum in the trash when I saw her, Gorica, a lady with a black and floral shirt who was sitting alone up against the gate in the shade. Now I knew God was telling me to go talk with her. So I walked on over and said hello, and guess what she knew English SOOOO well. We talked; you know the kind of conversation almost like we had been friends for years, but meeting for the first time. She gave me her number and address and really wants to get coffee and would like to hear more about our church. So cool, God is so good. I am so excited to meet with her throughout this month, and watch this friendship grow into something beautiful.
I was really excited for this experience on one of our first days, but I also have to remember that it is okay when I don’t really get to talk with anyone or only say hello in Serbian to a handful of people and don’t actually have real conversation with any of them. To remember that this takes time, and that God has many divine appointments lined up and we have to patiently wait for them, and be ready to act when He shows it is time.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. –Galatians 6:9
