I lay in the place I call my bed every night honored. Blown away. I get to do this. I am laying in bed in La Paz, Bolivia, dreaming of our next adventure, Chile.
I had the chance to share Jesus with a new friend named Ben tonight. Ben is from Liverpool, England and is the manager of the bar that isn’t far from where I lay my head tonight.
It started out so ordinary: one of my best friends on the race, Chelsea and I were slowly walking around our hostel here looking for a place to journal and process. We had just come off of a two and a half day bus ride from Peru that left us longing for something simple: a quiet conversation between friends who will be separated for a month.
While we were walking and almost walked into the smoking bar, Ben warned us of our foolishness and started a conversation.
We have the same start to many a conversations when 57 people show up anywhere. Who are you? Where are you from? And what are you doing?
And the answers to those questions make us different. Yes, we are mostly in our 20s, but instead of taking a year and just traveling around the world, we are missionaries. We live to love the people around us and share Jesus with them. Our conversation with Ben was a lot of hard questions: why do bad things happen to good people? What about Hindus? What if I just live a good life?
As this conversation went on, The Lord clearly said to me, “you don’t have to have the answers. Point him to me.” And over my conversation with Ben and Chelsea, I think we did that. We let Ben see the fact that we are human without the answers who simply wanted to point him to the God who pursues him relentlessly.
Ben told me that he isn’t sure that Jesus would come anywhere near him. I told him that was a lie and that I would ask Jesus to reveal himself clearly to Ben. And to let me know when that happened. (Minor side note that this isn’t how I usually end a gospel conversation but one that I think Jesus clearly said that was how I was supposed to this time.)
Would you pray for God to reveal himself to Ben in a way that is undeniably God?
A challenge for all: what intentional gospel conversations have you had lately? Are you listening to the Holy Spirit when he asks you to present the Gospel?
A specific challenge to present and future WRs: You might have heard before that there are times that your ministry isn’t handed to you on a sheet but is put in front of you. Ben was the ministry that was put in front of Chelsea and I tonight. Choose to minister in the times where you have nothing to offer. Choose to buy in even when you just want to journal and chat with your friends. Your hostel might be your ministry. The guy who runs the bar might be the one who you need to pray for. Opportunity is around you; seek it out, be intentional. Live with purpose. The World has a lot of Bens out there who just want to know the truth that will set them free. And you have that truth. Will you share?
Fundraising update: I am about $984 away from my next goal! Please support me by praying and/or making a donation. Thank you for helping me get to 62%!
