FRANCE — In art class, Jae-hun filled his canvases with vibrant colors, yet his own life seemed hopelessly dark. Each day after class he returned to his dorm room alone because, as an international student, he spoke very little French and had no friends. But soon, even his “Asian artist persona” of thick-rimmed glasses and a black ponytail couldn’t hide his growing loneliness.

At the invitation of a fellow classmate, Jae-hun left his dorm room one Sunday to go to church. There he met Ray, a Crossworld worker.

“Every Sunday we have students over for a meal at our house after church,” Ray said. “Why don’t you come too?”

Jae-hun agreed, and one dinner turned into many as week after week he and Ray became friends. They talked, hiked, ate and even began to study the Bible together. I can’t believe he would take time to be my friend, Jae-hun thought.

One week as they were reading the Bible, Ray asked him, “Have you ever trusted Christ for forgiveness of your sin?” Jae-hun shook his head. “This week, think about what we’ve studied in the Bible and whether you want to give your life to Christ.”

The next week they met again and Jae-hun’s eyes were visibly brighter. “Ray, I trust the Lord as Savior!” he said, a smile breaking across his face. “Thank you, thank you for reaching out to me.”

Since trusting Christ, Jae-hun exudes joy, making friends wherever he goes and reaching out to other students the way Ray reached out to him. He has now returned to his home country, where he is attending church and growing in his new faith.

Jae-hun understood God’s love after Ray took the time to be his friend. Is there someone in your life who needs Christ but may need a friend first?

Italicized names were changed to protect identity.