Around the World in One Afternoon!

David shares this story....I had a chance to go to a new park in Elmhurst, Queens with the team that came from North Carolina in May.  I was praying as we set up games. Then a young girl named Lameha came by and I invited her to get her face painted but she declined.  A few minutes later, she came back after getting permission from her mom and said YES! We talked a little and she played some games and then I invited her to read a book that we brought. I asked her to read it to me and she began to read.  

The book shared the Gospel and Lameha was reading it aloud and hearing about God's love for her as she spoke the words from this story! It was so wonderful. As she read about how much God loves her, this little girl from Bangladesh was declaring the Word over herself.  What an opportunity! Her mom also allowed her to take the book home, which I’m praying she’ll continue to read and even share with her brothers and sisters since they knew nothing of Jesus! 

Another young boy came by who also was a little fearful at first but then he came back and we had a wonderful opportunity to talk.  He played some games and then he said “I want to do something for you.  I'm gonna make hopscotch and you and I are going to do it."  I responded with, "OK it’s been a long time since I’ve done that". He just smiled and with the chalk, made a big hopscotch.  Proudly, he went first and then he told me that it’s time for you to do it. 

So here I am, nearly 61 years old, playing hopscotch in the park with Tenzin who was from Tibet.  I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and even did a couple extra moves to make him laugh a little! Except for a few friends, he shared that he was typically alone in the park so, in the short amount of time we spent together, he felt loved, valued, and cared for.

Just before we left I  had seen a young girl so I went up to her.  I felt led to let her know I cared about her, and she told me her name was Archana, and she was from Nepal. I began to share my story of teaching in a Bible school in Northern India.  There was a man that I met who had left his family in the mountains of Nepal, to come to learn the Bible so he could go back home to Nepal and preach the gospel and win his people to Jesus! I shared with her how much the Lord loves her as well as all the people of Nepal!

It is so amazing living here in Queens, New York with nearly 200 languages/people groups. The opportunities are at our doorstep to minister to people from all over the earth that God has brought here (Ps107) in order to know Him, love Him, and worship Him above all other gods! There truly is no greater place on earth to share the great news of the king of all kings who loved us so much that he gave his only son that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life!