Stories from all over our city & beyond

I posted last week (I think) that I was having spiritual conversations with the receptionist at my doctor’s office. I texted her over the weekend to tell her I was watching the TV series on the Spanish channel that she recommended about Moses and the 10 Commandments. She was so excited that I was watching and enjoying it. I had ordered her a Spanish Bible and yesterday I took it to her. I put a bookmark in Exodus 2 to mark where the story of Moses begins. She asked if she could give me a hug and said she is so thankful for the Bible and started crying. At my last appointment she and I talked about Lent and I told her how I was observing Lent. She said yesterday that she had been reading about fasting so we talked about it for a few minutes. I told her I continue to pray for her and that I’ll see her next week at my next appointment.

I’ve been having easy to start conversations with the receptionist at my doctor’s office for several months. Today, Ash Wednesday, she asked if I was going to attend Mass tonight (she’s Catholic). We had a great conversation about observing Lent. I shared with her that I am fasting from online shopping and social media and that I am adding contemplative prayer and more time reading something that edifies me in my extra available time that i would have spent scrolling. She said she is going to put a positive message on her phone lock screen to remind her of good things. I suggested a Bible verse instead of a positive message and she liked that idea. I also encouraged her to read through the book of John and watch The Chosen
because both have been powerful in my life, making Jesus more real to me. She said she does not have a Bible so I ordered one for her today and will take it to my next appointment. She said she recently watched a tv series about Moses and was struck that his sister has the same name as hers. I’m going to watch that series so we can continue our conversations.

I had two conversations at the Vickery Christmas Market! First, I spoke with an 18 year old Rhoyingan girl from Myanmar, and realized quickly she could understand and speak better than others I had tried to talk to, apparently from learning on YouTube. I told her about the English class on Tuesday at the NCC. She was told when they moved to the US she would just stay home and help her mother with her younger sisters, and no go to school. I felt sympathy for her at a market with toys for kids and opportunities to care for parents, she was stuck in the middle. She can’t afford college, and too young to participate in public school education – or even in this instance too “old” to receive a gift from the Christmas Market.

I also asked her if she knew Jesus. She said yes her younger sisters watch you tube videos, and she likes it. But she said she is a Muslim and she worships only Allah. I told her, “oh but did you know, Jesus is in the Qaran?” She said, “really!?” and was
genuinely very excited. I told her, “Oh yes, he is known as Isa in the Qaran. There are stories of him there, and in the bible. You can read those stories too, have you read them?” She replied, “But I am a Muslim, I can be a Muslim and read stories about Jesus?” And I responded, “Oh yes!” She was really excited and said she want to do that. In my American context I wanted to know the reference point and where to send her directly for where to find Isa, but I felt a little comfort from the Holy Spirit to just let Him move in her life, as i know He will. I also felt an encouragement as I left that day, while she didn’t get a gift from the market, she did get a greater gift, I hope discovering an opportunity to learn more about Jesus. I left her with a handwritten note of when & where the English classes were next, and praying she gets to stay connected to the NCC.

Later that day I also spoke with two young girls (Maybe 8-10 years old) from Eritrea. I asked them about Christmas Trees, and if they worship Jesus (knowing most Eritreans are Christians) and they said oh yes, we love Jesus! I challenged them and asked, “What makes Jesus so important.” I got to watch them wrestle with that question, and the finally they said, “Oh yes because he died for us!” It was really fun to see them speak about their faith. They left shortly after to return home and gave me lots of African-Christian phrases they had obviously learned from their parents, “Blessings to you and your family!” It was really sweet encouragement to see them living out their own faith as kids.

As we drove along Trans-Canada Highway 1, we noticed a cyclist that we had seen at Tim Hortons earlier in the morning. We drove up the mountain then pulled off the side of the road to wait for the cyclist to catch up to us. We gave Tom, from Australia, a water bottle and a plastic sandwich bags of the fresh blueberries we had picked with Laurie and Sheldon. He appreciated the water and fresh blueberries. We learned that Tom was cycling across Canada and had left Vancouver just seven days earlier. Glenn share with Tom about the 2019 Neil Tomba ride we were apart of, the YouTube Listening Road series and then Glenn’s 1976 bicyclist to South America.

While on vacation, I shared some things about my faith, including how Jesus changed my life, with a fellow vacationer. He grew up attending a Roman Catholic church but not, or maybe never was, walking with Jesus. I will keep in touch with him. He is also from Dallas and I will keep in touch with him and hopefully have more conversations with him about Jesus.

I discussed my Christian faith in the office building where I work with a maintenance worker in the building who was doing some work in our suite. I shared some of my story and how Jesus changed my life. I came to find out the maintenance worker was also a Christian.

We were having dinner, afterwards we had a conspiracy theory conversation. I briefly threw out how Watergate had convinced someone that Jesus did come back to life. If those 12 men couldn’t keep THAT secret for even a couple of weeks, then 12 men couldn’t have kept the secret for THE REST OF THEIR LIVES that Jesus DIDN’T die and come back to life. SO He must be the Messiah!

We invited my wife’s coworker to church. Afterwards we all had lunch at this park. I probed to see if he understood the gospel. And only had a short conversation about it before we were interrupted. We don’t think he is saved, and hope for more
opportunities to talk to him.

Today marks 9 months since my husband died, and today I was able to share with someone about the healing that God has done in my heart in the last few months. It was a complete stranger online in a local Facebook group who was loudly protesting another believers post about Easter. He stated more than once that God hates him, and asking for proof of God at the same time. After going multiple rounds of replies, I finally told them that the best proof I can provide is the change in my own heart. How God met me in my deepest grief and dispare. How He only asked for my surrender and when I did, willingly, wholeheartedly surrender to Him, He HEALED my broken heart! He took my pain and in its place, He gave me joy, His joy! I continue to pray for this person, that God will show them unequivocally how much He loves them too and desires to make them whole again, in Him!! 

I am in a show called Godspell and it’s a musical based on the book of Matthew. On opening night I invited my cast to pray with me. The company I work with is not a Christian based theatre. After we prayed, I got into a conversation with two little girls in my cast and one of them asked what is Good Friday and I got into a short conversation with them about prayer as well. However, that night I could see the blindness that they are under in. It was very sad to see. It was definitely a spiritual battle. I’m just thankful I got to be a seed and I just want to be kind and love others like Jesus.