sharing the gospel with people of other religions. I don’t like confrontation,
and I don’t like telling people that they are wrong. Because we serve a God who
calls us to strive to live in peace with those around us, I could never really
find the balance of sharing this life of freedom with those who have beliefs in
other gods. However, this past month, the Lord has not only helped me find that
balance, but He has brought me this opportunity with such simplicity and
grace.
In order to reach out to more of the students at the University,
part of our ministry has been setting up some volleyball games every Monday
afternoon. Lets be honest, the Albanians are pretty much professionals at
volleyball, so they never allow me play. Sad, I know. However, the first day
we “played”, it was freezing outside; thus, the girls sat on the sidelines and
cuddled under blankets to keep each other warm. Two students were sitting on a
bench next to me, and I asked them if they wanted to come sit with me to keep
warm. To my surprise, one of the girls spoke English almost perfectly, and we
quickly became friends. Lona and Donika are my closet friends here at the
University in Albania, and I constantly thank the Lord for them!
Lona’s father is a Muslim, while her mother is Orthodox, so she
has grown up accustomed to praying to Muhammad. After the first of many coffee
dates, Lona became incredibly interested about this God that I had a
relationship with. She couldn’t imagine that I had experienced revelations from
a Heavenly Father, and she longs to have a relationship with Him as well. I
told her stories of how I have seen God move in my life and we have explored
the Bible together as Lindsey and I have answered her questions about Christ,
his sacrifice, and his desire to have a personal relationship with Lona as well.
She has one of the sweetest hearts I have ever met, and her hunger for the Lord
encourages me daily. She craves intimacy with her Creator and desires knowledge
and wisdom from Him. She has an incredibly giving heart and I know the Lord is
going to use her to do great things here at this University!
understanding of the Lord and what the Word says about Him. However, she too
has a strong desire to know more about the Lord and have a personal relationship
with Him. Donika doesn’t speak English, but we are surprisingly blessed to be
able to communicate in Spanish. Imagine a few Americans and Albanians hanging
out at a coffee shop, bibles opened, and conversations flowing in English,
Albanian, and Spanish. This is the good work the Lord is doing here! Yesterday
the girls came to church with us and they really enjoyed learning more about
scripture and communion. Donika also has a sweet and gentle spirit and I look
forward to seeing how the Lord will use her!
that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a
full
understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philemon 1:6
the goodness of Christ after sharing my faith. I feel blessed to be an instrument of the Lord and I pray that you too can experience such greatness. So as Paul encouraged Timothy, I encourage you now to speak up as
well. Whether you are at work, at the store, or the doctors office, let the Lord
use your voice to make a difference in someone else’s life. You have a voice, so get up and use it!
“So do
not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…but join with me in suffering for the
gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not
because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace.” 2
Timothy 1:8-9
