Tuesday night we had several friends over to share dinner. We originally planned dinner with Melissa, then Fernando asked if we could have dinner with him and his friend Mohammed. So we just had them all over together. Melissa, a sister from Texas, has been in BJ for a couple of years teaching English while living with her brother's family. Fernando, a brother from Brazil, first came to China to study Mandarin, then moved to BJ to begin his undergraduate studies. Mohammed, from Yemen, also came to China to learn Mandarin. Fernando & Mohammed were roommates for at least one semester during their Chinese studies. Now Mohammed attends university in a nearby city studying chemical engineering. He came to visit Fernando during the universities' winter break, a time also called Spring Festival.
Tuesday night was a fun, relaxing evening of fellowship, sharing, and laughter. We learned more about Fernando and Mohammed's families, their studies, their lives. After dinner we played several rounds of UNO.
It's a cool story how we originally met Mohammed. Fernando regularly attends BBC and our Guys' Nights so we have gotten to know him. One day he let us know that he had a friend coming to visit so he wouldn't be at BBC that Sunday. That prompted me to pray that Fernando would bring his friend to BBC. Imagine my surprise when I saw them that morning. Fernando told me that on an impulse he said to Mohammed, "Let's go." Mohammed agreed, came, and heard the message from Romans 3, a message that totally lined up with what Fernando had shared with him earlier. They both stayed around afterwards to meet and chat with people. Then to build on the previous conversation, we had a deliberate time of sharing the Truth at dinner. Thanks to technology, we even found a specific verse in Arabic on his phone.
We hope that the seeds that we planted will take root in Mohammed's life.
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| Fernando, Melissa, Mohammed, Cheryl, Mark |
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| Talking about "The Great Exchange", the message of the Truth, while looking up a verse in Arabic. |
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