“WOW . . . . . I feel like I’m watching a movie!!!”
Ilita looked at me with wide eyes, and I had to laugh. I had never before had this response when sharing the gospel and the truth of the Bible. Ten minutes earlier, I had been lying on the train bench exhausted and dizzy, and now I was on fire!!
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We were on a day trip to Moldova, a country that borders Ukraine, for Bethany’s 25th birthday. I should have been a bit more excited, but transportation is the death of me. I just wanted to sleep and let the time on the train pass quickly.
But everything changed when Ilita approached me.
“Where are you from?” she asked.
“What are you doing in Ukraine?”
I told her about myself and my trip around the world. She told me about herself, her job, her family, and her vacation with her mom to Odessa. I told her about the dump and all the different ministries I had experienced. I told her how I love to tell people about Jesus.
“Do you believe in Jesus?” I asked her.
She told me she remembers Him more in the hard times but forgets in the good times. She told me she doesn’t necessarily believe in Jesus but in a higher power.
It was then that I started to share with her my experiences of the man who was blind but then could see and the woman who was paralyzed but then could move.
She was left in AWE.
AND, she relayed most of what I said to her mom in Romanian.
I told her how Jesus is a God of power and how He hears our prayers. He loves us so much and listens to all the requests we bring to Him.
“If God is so good, why does He let so many bad things happen?”
I told her about sin and how all these bad things came into the world. I told her how we are all sinners and that without Jesus, we deserve death. I told her about Satan and how he wants to lead as many astray as he can. I told her how he doesn’t want us to have true life but wants us to rot in Hell with him.
“But what if I don’t do bad things?”
I told her that even if she had only committed one small sin in her whole life, she was still a sinner. I told her that hatred was just as bad as murder and lust just as bad as actually sleeping with that person. I told her how sin is sin, and sin cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God.
I then went into the gospel story.
I don’t remember half of what I said. It was like the words were just flowing.
That is when she said it: “WOW . . . . . I feel like I’m watching a movie!!!”
I had to kind of giggle.
“You remind me of one of those people. You know those people . . um I don’t know the word?”
“You mean a preacher?” I questioned.
“Yeah!! A preacher!”
She told me that my words were powerful.
Inside, I just thanked Jesus.
She told me that she had Christian friends who now live in America. She said they had tried to tell her about Jesus before, but she never wanted to listen. She said she didn’t think she committed sins and totally would tune them out.
But now, she was listening, TRULY LISTENING!
She said that she wasn’t ready to accept Jesus, but she had heard that I had to say. She heard the truth, and she SOAKED it all in with awe and wonder.
I told her to think about all that I had said, and before we parted ways, we exchanged email addresses and took a picture together.
A seed was sown, and I pray that it is one day planted in her heart.
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No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, no matter how you are feeling, GOD CAN USE YOU!! He can bring people to you when you least expect it, and in His perfect timing, you will see hearts come alive!
Oh, and you may even see people respond to you like you are a live movie God has sent their way.
Grab the popcorn, friends, and keep shining for Jesus! 🙂
