While in Burgos one morning, me and a few of my squadmates went looking for a cute cafe to relax for a little while and enjoy a cafe con leche. Once we got settled at our table, Tamara asked me how I decided to do the World Race, and I began to share my story.
At the same time, there was a young lady sitting by herself at the table next to ours. Nashiely (aka “Najelly“) noticed her watching us with a look of longing in her eyes. Najelly invited her to sit with us as I began my testimony.
I began to get emotional as I continued with my story, and the tears flowed. When I looked up, I noticed that several of the girls also had tears in their eyes.
After I finished, Najelly led the conversation with our new acquaintance.
Dang, Najelly is a powerhouse of a woman. She is an incredible prayer warrior. She possesses such a gift for prayer and evangelism. When she talks about the gospel, you can feel her passion. She has done and will continue to do such great things for the Kingdom.
We learned that the hiker’s name is Irene and she is from Italy. She is hiking the Camino by herself, and her plan is to walk all the way to Santiago. The conversation led to us asking about her beliefs, and to telling her about our beliefs. Irene is Catholic and believes in Jesus, but she sometimes feels so far from Him. Najelly let her know that she was beautifully and wonderfully made by the God of the Universe. She told Irene about how much He loves her and longs for an intimate, personal relationship with her.
Shela asked Irene if we could pray for her, and Irene gladly agreed. Najelly and I held each of Irene’s hands while Shela led us in prayer. Irene looked like a weight had been lifted from her. Her eyes seemed to light up after this brief interaction with some fellow travelers.
Irene was continuing on the Camino, so she had to leave in order to get an early enough start. She had sat with us maybe a total of 10 short minutes, but she was so reluctant to leave. She said, “I don’t want to leave… I love you guys.” It was so tender.
I remember thanking God that Najelly obeyed the prompting to invite Irene to our table, and to initiate conversation with her.
A couple days later, Najelly abruptly turned to me. She said, “That day in the cafe, with Irene… When you were crying while sharing your testimony… that was so impactful. Know that you planted a seed in her that day.” She told me to keep being vulnerable.
I recognized Najelly’s part in the way that encounter played out, but I didn’t realize that I also may have had a part in it, until Najelly brought it to my attention.
I was also reminded of a saying we have at Adventures in Missions:
Life is ministry, and ministry is life.
We were just some friends talking in a cafe, who invited a stranger to join us, and something divine happened.
Storytelling is a form of ministry— Storytelling is an act of worship.
We give God glory when we share stories of the ways we see Him moving in our lives. Our testimonies are incredibly powerful.
People are all longing to connect with one another. Sometimes, the thing that may break down the walls of a person’s heart, is when they see the tears running down our faces, and hear about what broke our hearts wide open.
Ann Voskamp says, “A miracle happens in the breaking… Don’t be afraid of being a broken thing (The Broken Way).”
Sometimes, our influence on a person will be really obvious; but most times, we may never know the the ways we have affected people’s lives.
Sharing the Kingdom with others could be as simple as inviting a stranger to sit at your table, and sharing a piece of yourself with them.
Something I heard at Launch has really stuck with me over these last few weeks:
The Kingdom will spread like wildfire if we share stories.
Your story could be the spark in someone’s life.
