Normally, first meetings with new friends are sort of fun; they're filled with lots of getting-to-know you questions, semi-awkward and hilarious moments, and the seeds for deeper conversations. But my first meeting with Marie was rough; it was centered on Snooker, the English version of pool. There are more obstacles, all of the balls are solid colors, and it took me, Mae, and Marie an hour and forty five minutes to clear the over-sized table. There was very little time for conversation, and eventually, the only thing on my mind during the game was getting to the end of it. I tried everything. I tried lining up balls for Mae when no one was looking. I tried shooting multiple times in a row before one of the others caught on. I even tried praying.
After we finished, we had 10 minutes left for some tea. We walked in the rain to this little cafe on campus, and as we sat down, Mae asked Marie if she'd ever been to this place before. Marie then proceeded to tell us that she used to come to this café all the time to study the Bible. (Um, hello!?) That response encouraged Mae to ask Marie if is she is saved. Marie said that she wasn't, but added, “I like your Jesus. I just don't really understand what I'm reading sometimes.” So, despite a little nervousness, I took the opportunity to ask her if she would like to study the Bible with us sometime. And she said yes!
And then just a few days later, I had dinner with Yoyo. After I prayed for the meal, she told me that she was saved. Furthermore, she doesn't quite know how, Yoyo wants to tell her friends that “the Bible isn't just a Book; it's life,” and that “God is not just a person. He is love.” Yoyo also told me that she goes to a house church twice a week, has been fasting from 6pm – 6am for the last ten days for discernment about a decision she has to make concerning her future, has quiet time every morning, and is being discipled by an older woman in her church.
I simply could not stop smiling. After both meetings, I realized more clearly than ever that God is doing everything He promised He would. And you know what? Our Father really is in control – He
really does have a plan – and He really is working through and around us, whether we see it or not. It's awesome to be able to witness the plan in action!
Marie is our first friend to agree to study the Bible with us. Please pray for her and for me and Mae as we begin taking deeper steps in our friends lives. Lift up my friendship with Yoyo as I try to figure out what role I have in her life, and please pray too that Mae and I can really listen to and trust our Father as He guides us.