Evangelism at the playground
by Kristen
We recently went to Brookside park for a Cub Scout meeting for Wayne. While he was doing his Scout stuff the other kids and I went to the nearby playground. And, of course there were other parents there with their kids. Generally it is pretty easy to get into a conversation with people, the hard part is that as parents we are usually running around after the kids- making sure they haven't wandered off or gotten hurt.
On this day, though, I had Nina to watch the other two and I struck up a conversation with another mother. It turns out that this lady's mother-in-law was with her and she was the one running around after her young son. So our conversation was fairly undistracted. We talked about the usual- our kids, where we're from... She is from Kazakhstan and her husband is from Italy, she knows 4 languages and they are teaching their son 2 of them. After a little while I asked her if they went to church- she said yes, they were Catholic. She asked where we went to church and if it was a Catholic church. I explained to her what our church was like. We talked more about Stonebrook and I told her that Tim and I were both raised Catholic. To this she asked why we left the Catholic church (which is the response I get from most Catholics). This made it very easy to share my testimony with her, how I started a personal relationship with Jesus/God and thus shared some of the gospel. She willingly listened until it was time to go. Perhaps we will see each other again, I pray that she ponders the things I shared with her and that a seed was planted. Thank God for his saving grace.
Comments
We've been enjoying getting into conversations with people at the park near our house, too. Nothing too directly spiritual yet, but I am hoping for more opportunities. Some evenings Tony and I have been both going to the park with the kids, and that works well...because like you said, one of us is free to keep talking to someone while the other keeps track of Madeline.
The park near our house is really neat because it is almost always pretty busy in the evenings, and it's a really diverse group of people of various ethnic backgrounds. It's quite a different scene than Ames! :)
Posted by: Kirsten at April 20, 2007 09:58 AMWow... Kristin... you are an amazing woman! God is using you everywhere you go! How cool is that! It is so encouraging that you have the Gospel ready on your lips... Praise God for that great conversation! I hope you cross paths again!
Posted by: Holly at April 20, 2007 01:56 PMThat is an encouraging story Kristen! Keep em coming!
Posted by: Dana at April 20, 2007 02:02 PMCatholics have a personal relationship with God too, even though that may not have been your experience as a Catholic. It's a dangerous assumption to think that all Catholics aren't saved and are unhappy with their church.
Posted by: A. Non Ymous at April 20, 2007 03:41 PMI am sorry Kristen's comments came across that way, "A. Non." Having grown up semi-Catholic*, and having met a few born again Catholics, I do not think that was what Kristen was implying and why I feel bad.
Just like the people living in the remote jungle or like the Baptist next door neighbor or like the Catholic mom at the playground, it is not about what denomination a person is, or what church they attend, it all boils down to what have with done with God's only Son, Jesus? Did they realize they are a sinner in need of a Saviour? Kristen's heart was to make sure this woman, and subsequently her whole family, knew Jesus or will come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
Posted by: Dana at April 20, 2007 04:54 PMOops, forgot my *...
Semi-Catholic since we went to Catholic church to make my grandma happy. That was really the only reason we went.
And "few" because I have met 3 born again Catholics, not to say there aren't more, just that is all I have met and I don't know everyone, :)!
Posted by: Dana at April 20, 2007 04:57 PM