Encouragement And Things To Pray

God has been showering us with blessings over the past few weeks. He has opened doors to conversations that we never saw coming. He has brought encouragement when we least expected it, and reminded us time and time again that we're not in control,

That He's sovereign,

And that He's in love with every heart we talk to.

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One quick story: David and I met three students (one girl and two guys) one day at Linguistics who were anything but spiritually interested. As I held my breath to refrain from inhaling their cigarette smoke, we looked to initiate a deep conversation, but it didn't happen. They simply cared to discuss was how to get into clubs, how to woo girls with crude language, etc.

Nevertheless, we exchange numbers! As we walked away David and I prayed for their hearts, that they might feel a need to ask questions about life. We prayed that God might generate some sort of desire within themselves to know Him, because there wasn't anything we could do. It was one of the most discouraging conversations we'd had.

Saturday morning the girl of the group texted David to find out if we were still going to the park. David arranged for them to meet us on the platform at 1:30pm. I communicated to David that I hoped it was a good idea. Honestly, I thought it might be disruptive for the ministry as a whole. I wasn't too thrilled to have a group so disinterested in spiritual things. Who knows, maybe they'd continue to express a "too cool" mentality, preventing spiritually-thirsty students from hearing the gospel? (Deep down I knew that I could not see what God had planned, and I had to trust Him. But that's hard sometimes, ya know?)

At the platform we met two girls and one guy. One less guy and one more girl than eхpected. And as the afternoon progressed, I quickly learned that the negative attitudes I had attributed to the whole group only stemmed from the one guy who didn't come! The other guy, Alex, and I spent most of the afternoon together. We played catch with the baseball, played a board game with a big group, and then ended with one of the most encouraging spiritual conversations I'd had on the trip yet. He prays because he thinks it works, and he thinks that if the gospel is in fact true, that it is an "amazing" thing. We talked about hope, and how we put it in fleeting things, rather than satisfying truth.

Then it started to rain. We all ran for the trees and covered ourselves as quickly as possible. But I knew God was at work. In the conversation Alex agreed to meet and talk more. After the rain I asked him if we could continue the conversation we'd started. He agreed assuredly.

We're hanging out on Friday. I'm confident that he doesn't have a bible, and hope to give him one and encourage him in his budding faith.

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Stories like this have been prevalent. God shows up even when we have low expectations. Why? Paul would say, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves" 2 Cor. 4:7.

We carry the gospel around in our limited human selves. We can't see the future. We can't see the hearts He wants to change. We sin, sometime hurting the feelings of others even when that's our last desire. We lack faith in the glory His power and the weight of His love.

And IN THAT, the gospel points clearly to a God that so furiously cares. In our limitedness, people see His unlimited love and mercy.

How beautiful.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) -- the reality we carry with ourselves as speak to students. We have hope to offer, truth to encourage with, and power that only comes from God changing hearts.

We wait patiently for Him to show Himself. And He is. In small ways time and time again He is showing His faithfulness. Thank you for your prayers, they are powerful.

Hearts to pray for:

Max
Mark
Erik
Igor
Alex
Irina
Michael
Azar
Andrew
Ilya
Dasha
Sasha
Aljona
Ignat
Katya
Kristina
Dimitri
Dimitri
Susha
Max

I know there are more, but those are the students that are closest to our ministry team. Please pray for amazing conversations this week, for continually flourishing relationships (even when we get back to the States), and that the hearts of these students would be opened to the sweetness of the gospel.

Thanks for all your love and support.
Stephen