Helen has a six year old daughter and holds a management position in a company here. She started coming to the coffee shop about the time I arrived in April. Since I was the only westerner working there on certain days, it didn’t take long for us to become friends. For a period of time her husband has given her time away from home to improve her English. After work he goes home to care for their daughter and she, after her work, comes to the coffee shop.
At first she didn’t talk much because her English was not that good, but she faithfully came every day and gradually it improved to where we can now easily carry on a conversation. Some of those conversations were answering spiritual questions from the groups she was in with me. She seemed interested in my answers, but I felt little progress was being made with her understanding.
After some time had passed, I felt led to ask if she had a Bible and if not would she be interested in one. She did not have one and wanted one in English so she could practice her English. I have several for that purpose and arranged to give her one and suggested where she should start reading. After a few days she said that she had started, but it was too difficult to read. After about a week she felt led to try again and this time she simply skipped over names of people and places to try to understanding the general story.
Early Tuesday evening she returned to the coffee shop and found me working with a parent of one of my students and sat down at the table and listened to her read for me. After we finished Helen told me that she had been reading the Bible and started to explain, with good understanding, what she had read. This opened a great conversation with her asking several good questions. I could tell that something was taking place inside and we were both feeling the excitement. She said she wanted to go home and read more and then talk more about it later. Of all the students I have talked with on this trip, this is the one I really want to see make a decision.
The more I study the scriptures and work with students and think about the culture Christianity came out of, the more and more convinced I become that a person will not come to Christ unless the Father has chosen that person (1 Peter 1:1). Under the Law all have been sentenced to death. That is what justice demands; that is what is fair. But God in his mercy brings his Son into the picture and provides a way of escaping the death sentence. I believe God the Father is Sovereign and, since in fairness all deserve to die, he has the right to choose the bride for his Son. As each person is chosen, like Paul, each is free to say no, or are they? That is a question I don’t believe we can answer. I am going to watch Helen very closely and see what God does and how he might choose to use me in the process.
At first she didn’t talk much because her English was not that good, but she faithfully came every day and gradually it improved to where we can now easily carry on a conversation. Some of those conversations were answering spiritual questions from the groups she was in with me. She seemed interested in my answers, but I felt little progress was being made with her understanding.
After some time had passed, I felt led to ask if she had a Bible and if not would she be interested in one. She did not have one and wanted one in English so she could practice her English. I have several for that purpose and arranged to give her one and suggested where she should start reading. After a few days she said that she had started, but it was too difficult to read. After about a week she felt led to try again and this time she simply skipped over names of people and places to try to understanding the general story.
Early Tuesday evening she returned to the coffee shop and found me working with a parent of one of my students and sat down at the table and listened to her read for me. After we finished Helen told me that she had been reading the Bible and started to explain, with good understanding, what she had read. This opened a great conversation with her asking several good questions. I could tell that something was taking place inside and we were both feeling the excitement. She said she wanted to go home and read more and then talk more about it later. Of all the students I have talked with on this trip, this is the one I really want to see make a decision.
The more I study the scriptures and work with students and think about the culture Christianity came out of, the more and more convinced I become that a person will not come to Christ unless the Father has chosen that person (1 Peter 1:1). Under the Law all have been sentenced to death. That is what justice demands; that is what is fair. But God in his mercy brings his Son into the picture and provides a way of escaping the death sentence. I believe God the Father is Sovereign and, since in fairness all deserve to die, he has the right to choose the bride for his Son. As each person is chosen, like Paul, each is free to say no, or are they? That is a question I don’t believe we can answer. I am going to watch Helen very closely and see what God does and how he might choose to use me in the process.
