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December 30, 2015
Not Just Another Day at the Market
By Crossworld
EAST ASIA — Bright colors and friendly faces welcomed Crossworld worker Joanna to the neighborhood market. Entering the clothing shop, she exchanged greetings with the seamstress, then pulled out a dress that needed a repair. They chatted for a few minutes, until another woman walking past overheard their conversation and stopped to listen. As Joanna got ready to leave, the woman called her aside.
“You’re a foreigner here, like me!” the woman said. “My name is Kamala and I’m from central Asia. How is it that you know the local language?”
Joanna explained that she and her husband had lived in Asia for many years and studied the language and culture in order to love and serve the people.
Kamala asked several more questions and then whispered, “Do you follow Christianity?”
“A lot of people have picked up strange ideas about what Christianity means, and I don’t know what it means to you,” Joanna replied. “But if you’re asking if I’m a follower of Jesus and of the Bible, then yes!”
Kamala’s eyes lit up. “My mother came to know Jesus many years ago in our country, and now my whole family follows Christ. Come to dinner at our house tonight!”
That night Joanna and her husband listened to this family’s story of encountering Jesus and telling others about Him.
“It’s difficult here, though,” Kamala said. “Many people don’t want to hear about Him. Can you teach us how to share Jesus with the people in this country?”
Joanna looked at her husband and smiled. An invitation to help disciples make disciples? “We’d love to.”
Italicized names were changed to protect identity.
“You’re a foreigner here, like me!” the woman said. “My name is Kamala and I’m from central Asia. How is it that you know the local language?”
Joanna explained that she and her husband had lived in Asia for many years and studied the language and culture in order to love and serve the people.
Kamala asked several more questions and then whispered, “Do you follow Christianity?”
“A lot of people have picked up strange ideas about what Christianity means, and I don’t know what it means to you,” Joanna replied. “But if you’re asking if I’m a follower of Jesus and of the Bible, then yes!”
Kamala’s eyes lit up. “My mother came to know Jesus many years ago in our country, and now my whole family follows Christ. Come to dinner at our house tonight!”
That night Joanna and her husband listened to this family’s story of encountering Jesus and telling others about Him.
“It’s difficult here, though,” Kamala said. “Many people don’t want to hear about Him. Can you teach us how to share Jesus with the people in this country?”
Joanna looked at her husband and smiled. An invitation to help disciples make disciples? “We’d love to.”
Italicized names were changed to protect identity.
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