Tonight was a pretty good night. We had a small, intimate meeting of students to pray for the movement here and just our lives. We were really hoping for the best, which means about 10 students, since about 99% of students go home as soon as their classes are done on either Thursday or Friday. I invited most of my guys and had two show up: Ivan and Jozo.
It was such a blessing because I was able to pair up with Jozo and his girlfriend, Baska. Since Jozo is pretty new to SHPK, our movement, he had the chance to see what we're about and even hear about our mission trip to Serbia this summer. You can be praying that the Lord would challenge Jozo and Baska to come to Serbia with us this summer. We're trusting God to use this summer project to radically change some students lives, and challenge some students to step up and lead the movement next year.
Afterwards we got some ice cream and just laughed at all the drunk people yelling in the streets about the hockey game their team just lost. All in all, a good night.
Oh yeah, tonight there was a thunderstorm while we were praying. But it was so refreshing because I don't think I have heard thunder since being here in Slovakia. And it was like God was saying, "I'm listening!" It feels so great when you have those moments that you just connect with God and feel like you are so personally close to Him. For me, that's thunder.
best wishes and thunderstorms for you,
Matt
Friday, April 11
Tuesday, April 1
Me and Aaron walk up to three students sitting at a table in the school's corridor. It looks like they are studying, but I ask the Lord for His power and presence and then ask them, in Slovak, if they speak English. I seem to recognize one of the guys from before but he doesn't seem to recognize me. I ask them if they have time to take a survey. They answer yes with some reluctance, but that has never stopped me before. I hand the pictures to the guy across the table who seems to be most interested. I ask him the first question, "Which three pictures describe your life right now?"
Soularium is a great evangelistic tool we have been using on campus the past few months. It involves fifty pictures of all types and categories, and five questions to engage the person in spiritual conversation. Things like "which picture describes God?" and "what picture depicts what you wish were true about your spiritual life." That last question is sometimes very hard to translate, but it's amazing how many times the Holy Spirit steps in an does the work.
As I'm asking Stanley these questions I can tell he is thinking about them a lot. He's taking his time to make sure his answer is the right one. His classmates begin to leave and I'm afraid he's going to leave also, but he continues to engage with the pictures.
I move a little closer so I can try to understand his Slovak. At this point I can tell this is going to be a good conversation because of the way he is reacting. He's getting a little fidgety, a little unsettled. He picks out a picture of a girl playing with balloons on green grass. I ask him what that means and he says he wants to be happier with God. The last picture he picked was of a dark scene with no hope in sight. I asked him, "How do you plan to get from here to here?" He thinks for a few minutes and then says, "By praying more and going to church. I want someone in my life who is above and can help me become a better person."
"If I could explain to you how you can be happy with God and have a relationship with Him, would you want to hear about it?"
He is very skeptical, like most Slovaks who don't trust just any ol' stranger who walks up to him. But he says yes!
I had him the "Knowing God Personally" booklet and flip open to law one. I can tell he is on the verge of saying no and walking away. So I pray that the Lord would keep him right there and allow me to get through the booklet. Stanley is distracted by things around him; his friends passing by, a woman who sits down across from us, his own sinful nature.
Suddenly, the woman across from me says, "Excuse me, what are you talking about?" I'm a little thrown back by the fact this Slovak woman, who is probably a professor, just asked me THAT question in perfect English. I stumble and make a few noises and then say, "We're talking about God."
She's a little taken back herself.
So I refocus my attention on sharing with Stanley and we make it to the part that talks about Christ being on the throne of your life, or self being on the throne. I ask Stanley which one he is and he says, "the one without Jesus."
Wow, a Slovak who will actually admit that he's NOT a Christian. So many students grow up in a Catholic society and they think being born into the church makes them a believer.
I read the prayer to Stanley and ask him if he wants to do this. I can tell he is having a very hard time with all this, and the HS is busy at work in his heart. I ask what's holding him back but he still doesn't answer. I ask if he's afraid and he slowly nods his head. "Afraid of losing you friends?" I ask. "Yes," he says. I talk with him a little bit more about what it means to truly be a believer and encourage him to think about it some more. I ask him if we can meet up again but he is hesitant. So many thoughts must be rushing through his head. "I want this but it means I have to give up my job, my friends," he says. I leave Stanley my email and mobil number and tell him to please call me after the holidays.
It was hard to let it go without any solid follow-up contact info, but I just have to trust God. Well, that's not a surprise since faith has been the theme of my STINT year.
Soularium is a great evangelistic tool we have been using on campus the past few months. It involves fifty pictures of all types and categories, and five questions to engage the person in spiritual conversation. Things like "which picture describes God?" and "what picture depicts what you wish were true about your spiritual life." That last question is sometimes very hard to translate, but it's amazing how many times the Holy Spirit steps in an does the work.
As I'm asking Stanley these questions I can tell he is thinking about them a lot. He's taking his time to make sure his answer is the right one. His classmates begin to leave and I'm afraid he's going to leave also, but he continues to engage with the pictures.
I move a little closer so I can try to understand his Slovak. At this point I can tell this is going to be a good conversation because of the way he is reacting. He's getting a little fidgety, a little unsettled. He picks out a picture of a girl playing with balloons on green grass. I ask him what that means and he says he wants to be happier with God. The last picture he picked was of a dark scene with no hope in sight. I asked him, "How do you plan to get from here to here?" He thinks for a few minutes and then says, "By praying more and going to church. I want someone in my life who is above and can help me become a better person."
"If I could explain to you how you can be happy with God and have a relationship with Him, would you want to hear about it?"
He is very skeptical, like most Slovaks who don't trust just any ol' stranger who walks up to him. But he says yes!
I had him the "Knowing God Personally" booklet and flip open to law one. I can tell he is on the verge of saying no and walking away. So I pray that the Lord would keep him right there and allow me to get through the booklet. Stanley is distracted by things around him; his friends passing by, a woman who sits down across from us, his own sinful nature.
Suddenly, the woman across from me says, "Excuse me, what are you talking about?" I'm a little thrown back by the fact this Slovak woman, who is probably a professor, just asked me THAT question in perfect English. I stumble and make a few noises and then say, "We're talking about God."
She's a little taken back herself.
So I refocus my attention on sharing with Stanley and we make it to the part that talks about Christ being on the throne of your life, or self being on the throne. I ask Stanley which one he is and he says, "the one without Jesus."
Wow, a Slovak who will actually admit that he's NOT a Christian. So many students grow up in a Catholic society and they think being born into the church makes them a believer.
I read the prayer to Stanley and ask him if he wants to do this. I can tell he is having a very hard time with all this, and the HS is busy at work in his heart. I ask what's holding him back but he still doesn't answer. I ask if he's afraid and he slowly nods his head. "Afraid of losing you friends?" I ask. "Yes," he says. I talk with him a little bit more about what it means to truly be a believer and encourage him to think about it some more. I ask him if we can meet up again but he is hesitant. So many thoughts must be rushing through his head. "I want this but it means I have to give up my job, my friends," he says. I leave Stanley my email and mobil number and tell him to please call me after the holidays.
It was hard to let it go without any solid follow-up contact info, but I just have to trust God. Well, that's not a surprise since faith has been the theme of my STINT year.
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