After inviting everyone we met on Tuesday, Wednesday nights have been dedicated to a coffee house ministry run by Teen Challenge. An inviting atmosphere (even if the building has been freezing the last few weeks!) where coffee, tea and cookies are served to warm you up. Lots of the Teen Challenge staff and the visiting Americans are there to greet any of the drug addicted who come in to join the fellowship. We have more conversations to get to know each other and encourage them to get to know Jesus. We share with them lessons we’ve learned in life and how much our relationship with God means to us.
The coffee house then turns into 4 small discussion groups. Every table asks a couple thought provoking questions like, “how do you view God?” or “Do you believe people can be freed from addiction on their own? why or why not?” Everyone, the addicted and the staff, are encouraged to participate in the discussions and share their opinions. Most of them do. It is a blessing to be able to hear their stories and share mine with them. To encourage and be encouraged. To teach and to learn.
After another coffee and tea break the small groups come together for one final large group session. In this part of the program, we worship God together with singing and sharing of testimonies and Bible lessons. Sergey has given us the opportunities to share and lead in this time, and also the privilege to hear others lead and share what’s on their hearts. The gospel is presented in a way that is not forceful, but gentle and loving. Sergey always ends by encouraging those who haven’t accepted Christ to consider it and to seek God out. He makes himself available to talk and answer questions. He makes it clear that Teen Challenge is there to give them hope and to help them find the right path.
The night ends in prayer and everyone hangs around finishing the last of the cookies and coffee. They say their goodbyes and many of the people who have come for the first time leave saying they were so glad they came and would be coming again. It has been such a privilege to be a part of this ministry and to see some of the fruit and the impact that Teen Challenge is having here in Kiev.
