Street Smarts

 

But I’m on this pilgrimage to grow. When I return home in July, I don’t want to be the same person I am right now. I want to be a few steps closer to the man God intended me to be. So, one day before finding out what our ministry would be in Galway, Ireland, I asked God to take me outside of my comfort zone and stretch me.

 

Well, God took that request and ran with it. So we’ve spent the last week-and-a-half doing street evangelism with Abundant Life Christian Centre. Each day, we walk about a mile from the church to Eyre Square (a cool park in the center of the city) with a goal of sharing the message of salvation to the people of Galway.

 

I’ll admit some days are frustrating, but others are encouraging. The first day, I approached an elderly man on a bench and struck up a good conversation. Turns out he loves Americans, the NFL, and old school cartoons like Tom and Jerry. I’ve been able to speak with him three times in the past week, and a big smile crosses his face every time he sees me in the park. He explained to me that many Irish folk don’t trust the church anymore because of the abuse that went on and was covered up years ago. The younger generation sees the church as a joke. He called himself a Catholic Christian … I didn’t understand his explanation, but I’m hoping to dig a little deeper if we meet up again.

 

 I’ve also tried a more forward approach by asking people their thoughts on the church. Everybody has an opinion on God whether they believe in Him or not, and Abundant Life and my teammates have taught me good questions to ask people, which frequently lead to good discussions about our faith.

 

I was frustrated the first few days because I was considering anything less than a miraculous conversion to be a failure. But it’s all about planting seeds. Just because a person doesn’t become a Christian right in front of us doesn’t mean it didn’t impact them. Our job is to obey God, share our faith, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Maybe one of these people will hit some rough patches down the line, remember our message, and look for hope at the church. Or maybe we’re setting the table for someone else to lead them to Christ in the future.

 

I’m not going to say I’m a pro at street evangelism … because I’m not. I’m still not comfortable doing it, and I don’t have the drive to hit the streets like some of my teammates. But I’m learning how to share my faith, and I’m thankful to have this training at the beginning of my trip, because it is something I will lean on for the next 10 months and for the rest of my life.