I recently was invited to give a presentation with my slides to a secular high school class. I was surprised at the depth of their remarks and questions. Here are some of them:
“That must be dangerous. Aren’t you afraid?” I responded, “Yes, it is dangerous, and it is something you need to feel called to.” They then asked, “How can you tell whether you are called?” I told them this story. “Four years ago in January I sensed a call upon reading a CPT email request for more help in Colombia, which included a note that it was very dangerous. And when the feeling did not go away in June I finally started talking to my Pastor, family, and church to test whether it was the Lord. And to my surprise they all affirmed it. And here I am.”
I told the story about the first ever mass in the Opon last year and how grateful the people were for it. The Baptist teacher friend who had arranged the presentation said, “You know, here in the city we have churches in every neighborhood. How many of us take the time to go to church? It is so easy to take this privilege for granted.”
A number of them expressed interest in going on a visit to the Opon with us sometime. We will see where this goes. Probably about half the boys will go into the armed forces. I see this as way to plant seeds that there are ways to bring peace to this country that use the ways of Jesus.
We have been having a prayer vigil every Friday where we pray for peace on a church steps across from the Mayor’s office. A few people join us, including a woman who tearfully shared that the night before her husband did not come home. We then prayed for her and her husband. The next week she joyfully told us that her husband had been found. That week we prayed for jobs, and health needs and peace.
Ten or twelve others joined us that second Friday, and they all wanted to get our brochure and a copy of the Peace Pilgrim pamphlet. Even though some of them could not read, they all joined us in singing. One of them asked to join us in worship if we had a church. I was sorry I had to say that we just worship in the local churches. They seem to appreciate that we were praying for peace.
“That must be dangerous. Aren’t you afraid?” I responded, “Yes, it is dangerous, and it is something you need to feel called to.” They then asked, “How can you tell whether you are called?” I told them this story. “Four years ago in January I sensed a call upon reading a CPT email request for more help in Colombia, which included a note that it was very dangerous. And when the feeling did not go away in June I finally started talking to my Pastor, family, and church to test whether it was the Lord. And to my surprise they all affirmed it. And here I am.”
I told the story about the first ever mass in the Opon last year and how grateful the people were for it. The Baptist teacher friend who had arranged the presentation said, “You know, here in the city we have churches in every neighborhood. How many of us take the time to go to church? It is so easy to take this privilege for granted.”
A number of them expressed interest in going on a visit to the Opon with us sometime. We will see where this goes. Probably about half the boys will go into the armed forces. I see this as way to plant seeds that there are ways to bring peace to this country that use the ways of Jesus.
We have been having a prayer vigil every Friday where we pray for peace on a church steps across from the Mayor’s office. A few people join us, including a woman who tearfully shared that the night before her husband did not come home. We then prayed for her and her husband. The next week she joyfully told us that her husband had been found. That week we prayed for jobs, and health needs and peace.
Ten or twelve others joined us that second Friday, and they all wanted to get our brochure and a copy of the Peace Pilgrim pamphlet. Even though some of them could not read, they all joined us in singing. One of them asked to join us in worship if we had a church. I was sorry I had to say that we just worship in the local churches. They seem to appreciate that we were praying for peace.
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