One evening in Sombor, Serbia a few of the girls from the team I was with and myself were at the grocery store picking out some food for the week.
I was hanging out especially long in the produce department and began to try and converse with one of the employees. He didn’t speak much English but his co-worker, Sofija spoke nearly perfect English.
She asked me why we were there and we chatted a bit. She asked if we could meet up and hang out and of course I said, Yes!
I had no idea in that moment what God had in store for us.
Sofija began to come over nearly everyday.
She quickly became one of our dearest Serbian friends.
The more she came over the deeper our understanding and love for her grew.
Sofija shared with us that she had known the Lord at one point in her life but had turned away from Him for about 15 years.
Her grandmother passed away when she was a child and she spent many years angry with God and blaming Him for her death.
Her mom and her sisters are very resistant to the Lord and her whole family professes to either not believe in Him or not want anything to do with Him.
Sofija had spent most of her life speaking against the Lord and his existence.
However, God was pursuing her the whole time.
We invited her to church one evening and she came!
During that service she was moved to tears and said she felt the presence of the Lord. Something she had not felt since she was a little girl.
She ended up leaving early but had plenty of questions for us.
We had very fruitful conversations about God’s grace, his everlasting love for us and about true forgiveness.
I could relate to Sofija with the loss of my oldest sister Joanna. I knew all too well how deceptive the voice is that says God is not good and doesn’t care for us.
I was able to share how I actively choose to believe in the Hope of Jesus. He says we will face troubles in this world. However, understanding that our suffering here is only temporary and that we have an eternity of joyous bliss is an incredible realization.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
At the beginning of the month our host told us that Serbia is a hard country to share the gospel in and that we will likely not see anyone come to Christ.
Well by the Lord’s mercy, after many fruitful conversations, Sofija decided to surrender her life to Jesus and make Him Lord of her life!
We were able to give her a Bible and she says she reads it often and finds hope in the Word of God!
Praise Jesus that He does not give up on us.
Sofija’s family is still very resistant to her faith so please keep her in your prayers.
She has a hard time believing they will see the change in her. However, I know that a relationship with Jesus transforms your whole life.
Pray for strength, endurance, and that the Lord would continue to speak to Sofija daily as she learns what it looks like to represent Jesus to her family.
Thank you friends!
