A door of Utterance

This past week we had no class. After our time with the language helpers in the mornings, we had plenty of time to get out and practice language. On Thursday, I went bus hopping just to familiarize myself with areas of town that are unfamiliar and new. If you want to practice language, utilize public transportation. You will get plenty of opportunity to listen and speak. Sometimes being a gringo brings many opportunities for conversation. Everyone wants to know where I’m from, what I’m doing here, and how long I’m here, etc. While on a bus, the Lord opened a door for me to give the gospel to a guy my age. His name was Johny. He has lived his whole life in downtown Lima. Although he has a Catholic background he is more interested in evangelicalism—even though he didn’t know anything about evangelicals. When I gave him Scripture passages dealing with eternal security and eternal life, he was thrilled and dumbfounded. He had never heard the gospel before. When he arrived at his destination, he took a gospel tract with much appreciation and determination. While witnessing to Johny, others were leaning in to listen. It is common to have singers, beggars, and candy sellers on the buses, but the gospel . . . now that is uncommon.

An opportunity to witness is always a blessing. An opportunity to witness in Spanish is a miracle. Although language learning seems to go by very slowly, the progress is consistent. Thank you for being faithful in your prayers—I’d pack up and come home tomorrow if I knew there wasn’t any praying going on.

Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 4:3-6