FRANCE — The final notes from the choir rang out and Bill, a Crossworld worker, finished the concert with his fellow orchestra players. Now he wanted to properly thank Yves. A few days before, Bill realized he was booked to play two concerts the same evening, but through a mutual friend he found Yves, a local percussion teacher, who agreed to be his replacement.

“I want to thank you for filling in for me tonight,” Bill said when he met Yves later that evening. They chatted for a few minutes, then Yves asked, “Would you help me practice English? I’m traveling to Canada and I need to know English to get a visa.”

A few weeks later, Bill and Yves met at a restaurant for English conversation. Over fried chicken and biscuits, Bill told Yves how Jesus had changed his life. Yves listened politely but seemed unmoved. Still, he took the New Testament Bill gave him as they left.

The next week they met again, and Yves pulled out the New Testament with notes jotted in the margins.

“I’ve been reading the Gospel of John,” Yves said. “Can you help me understand its meaning?”

Bill sat shocked, then readily shared grammatical as well as spiritual explanations of the passages.

The two continued to meet each week, reading from the Bible, watching movies and talking. The morning of their last lesson before Yves’ trip, Yves attended a funeral for a coworker. That afternoon, Bill recognized God’s perfect timing as he told Yves, “Today our scheduled reading is John 11, where Jesus tells us that He is the resurrection and the life.”

Though Yves has not yet trusted in Christ, Bill continues to share truth with his friend. “He hasn’t shown a desire for more, but neither has he shown that he wants to close the door,” Bill said.

With God as the perfect conductor, Yves’ life symphony is far from over.

What would the world look like if all believers looked for every opportunity to disciple? Not just at church, not just at work, but also when you’re off the clock doing things you love. Whom might you meet?

Italicized names were changed to protect identities.