Hey guys! So I wanted to update you in what is happening in my life currently. So after 2.5 days of traveling we finally made it to our ministry site in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. My team is staying at a compound called “Mission Ephrata” with 4 other teams.
The travel days were long and felt more like 10 days than 2, but they also gave us opportunities for ministry and squad bonding, which I was incredibly thankful for.
For example, on our last plan ride from Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, I met a girl named Hind Kennav. She is 21 years old and from Algeria. She was with her team traveling for a competition for a Vietnamese sport similar to our version of karate. When we were talking the communication barrier was pretty difficult a lot of the time, but we were able to communicate enough to get to know each other a bit. I taught her some English phrases and she taught me some Arabic phrases… which I have already forgotten…
Throughout our time talking I learned that Hind is Muslim and I was able to share the gospel with her. I told her about Christ and how he died on the cross to save us. I told her that our God is almighty and powerful. That he loves us more than anyone could. I told her that He longs for us to know Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven. I told her that He longs for her to be His daughter. A daughter of the King.
The best part of all of this was that Hind wanted to know more. She was interested in hearing about my beliefs and the God I love. And I was able to ask her about her beliefs. We had mutual understanding and respect for what each other was saying. In the end, I asked her if she would like my bible. She said she would get in trouble for having it, so instead I asked her if she would like to read it. She said yes if I would listen to the Koran. So I did. For about 20 minutes, she was reading the gospel and I was listening to the Koran.
I never expected to have a conversation with a stranger on a plane and it lead to being able to evangelize to them. Although she didn’t accept Christ on that plane, I can rest knowing that I might have planted a seed of hope in her heart. My prayer is that God will make that seed grow one day. I may never see it, but the way God works is crazy awesome.
