6/7/25

This week, Nick and I have been adjusting to the summer rhythm of ministry as we pause from CSUF and shift into new evangelism locations and approaches! We continue meeting with a number of people we've engaged with for Bible dialogues and discipleship - anticipating the start of a few new DMCs among these people! Nick and I have also begun testing a slightly adjusted approach to our whiteboard evangelism for our time outside of CSUF this summer! Our first conversation trying this whiteboard setup has given us a great idea for where to go next with the whiteboard! Here are a few conversations that we've had this week, and some ways that you can join us in prayer!

• In our meeting with *Henry this week, who we met at CSUF this past month, we continued our dialogue in the Gospel of Mark. During our conversation, we discussed what's been happening in his life and reading the past week, and we found ourselves in Mark 1:12 with the temptation of Jesus. We discussed this verse and its implications in relation to what we've already read in Mark as well as to places in Genesis that *Henry has begun reading on his own. *Henry shared his excitement with us about a full Bible that a friend of his gave him this past week, and he continued to share the things that she had been telling him about it! It was great to see and hear the effects of this other evangelizing Christian in *Henry's life as we get to partner with other disciples of Jesus in His work, even unknowingly! *Henry is desperately eager to be a Christian, and, without our direct prompting, expressed his allegiance to Jesus many times in our conversation! We're so excited to see this desire and eagerness - as apathy is horrendously prevalent in our area; however, we are taking an especially slow and careful time to ensure that *Henry recognizes the consequences of following Jesus. Don't get me wrong, following Jesus is TOTALLY WORTH IT, but we want to do what we can to avoid unconsidered-Christianity which springs up quickly and withers equally fast (Mk 4:6).

• Nick and I met again with *Carson and *Levi this week to continue dialoguing through scripture and exploring biblical answers to the questions that they have from reading and thinking throughout the week. One such question we discussed was regarding the Christian call to love and the killing of animals for food. *Levi asked what the Bible teaches about eating meat, as he didn't think it could fit with the loving nature of Jesus, so we explored a handful of different passages that address this question from different vantage points: are humans and animals equal in value? Does God oppose the killing of animals? Did Jesus eat meat? How did the early church approach dietary disagreements? This was an interesting question, and it was also fascinating to contrast the biblical view with the Hindu view which primarily prompted *Levi's question. Unsurprisingly, our conversation led us back to the command of Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves - even if that means we lay aside our right to eat various things around them. Modeling ourselves after the mindset of Christ, who laid aside His equality with God to become as a servant and die a shameful death, we too, as children of God, should be willing to value others' interests above your own (Phil 2:3-11). 

• As Nick and I began trying out variations of our whiteboard evangelism in new locations, we got the opportunity to interview a Christian young lady, *Sandy, who shared with us about her relationship with Jesus. She also shared the powerful story of how her mother, who was born a Muslim in Iran, found freedom in Jesus after moving to the United States. Her mother had many encounters that moved her towards Christianity, but some of the most potent were the value distinctions between her upbringing and the teachings of Jesus on topics like revenge and forgiveness and the value that women had in the Christian worldview as opposed to Islam. Additionally, her mother received a powerful dream of God, who she found to be Jesus of the Bible. Because of these things, *Sandy grew up in a Christian home and shared with us a number of scriptures that form the way she lives in obedience to Jesus, her Lord! Our conversation with her was super powerful, but we were also blessed by her idea to set up our whiteboard outside of smoke shops or alcohol stores! "What a great place to find people who are struggling and looking to find solutions!" Please pray for Nick and I as we seek to try this out in the coming weeks!

This Sunday, I plan to accept the invitation to join the JWs from my neighborhood for their church service and hopefully have the opportunity to ask them some productive questions about their beliefs in an environment that they're more comfortable and open. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would fill me with boldness and love as I engage with an often-blinded people. Pray that my words would be submitted to the Holy Spirit, whether in strong confrontation or used otherwise. There are many ways that I could choose to engage; however, I desire to move as with the Spirit of God and meet Him in the work He is already doing there! Please pray for this congregation - that their hearts would be open to God and minds cleared of the veil they have received from the Watchtower indoctrination! Pray for their deliverance and freedom!