The feeling of fear and anticipation of what could potentially come was knocking at my door. The person on the other end of the phone was giving me results from some medical exams I had undergone earlier that week. The doctor was concerned about the results and wanted me to see a specialist.
I had decided to surrender this to the Lord and not run ahead of myself, for which I am thankful. When I saw the specialist, she told me not to worry and that she wanted more testing for precaution. After saying that, we took time to get to know each other, exchanged phone numbers and had a wonderful visit, which I wrote about in my newsletter.
After exchanging some friendly text messages, we scheduled a time to get to know each other’s family at a coffee shop by the hospital where she works. Her children are the same age as ours, and her husband speaks perfect English. I was impressed to bring some table games at the last minute, and soon we were all having a wonderful time getting to know each other. When we got home that evening, we received a text message from our new friends telling us their children would love to meet up again.
Sometime later, our families gathered at her house to visit—the children were certainly happy about that. I am so thankful to have met my doctor friend. Not only have we developed a great relationship, but she has been able to explain to me in English what was happening to my body and assure me not to worry—I was ok.
Ninety percent of our friends here are not Christians, so it is a blessing to have Christian friends whose like-minded influence will be a blessing to our children’s lives.
Though we are here to share Jesus with those who do not know Him, we still have so much to learn about this culture to effectively share the gospel. Our friends were able to teach us much about their culture during our last get-together, especially because they understand American culture, having done their medical specialties in America. The husband also studied English in America for a while as a teenager, so he definitely gets us.
When God calls us to do something, He will empower us and bring the tools and people to help us. He will also help us to be proactive, thinking ahead. The Holy Spirit inspired me to bring table games to our get-together. We should think ahead, looking for ways to connect with people, so the first meetings are not awkward but opportunities to build relationships. Every day, ask the Lord to put someone in your way to be friends. Sometimes we think evangelism is giving a Bible study or passing out a track. We forget to do evangelism in Jesus’ way. He first mingled with people and befriended them. He cared for them. Then He invited the people to follow Him.
I thank God for bringing this beautiful couple into our lives. They are not only blessing us with their friendship and teaching us many things about culture but also help in the medical field. We are truly blessed and pray that we can be a blessing too.
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