Stepping Out

Much like in the manner Jesus tested the faith of his disciple Peter to step out of the boat, focus on Him and to walk on the water, we are challenging the church members we work with in Cali to step out of their comfort zones and to help grow their churches in the same way as we are doing ... through day-to-door evangelism using the Evangecube that is provided to us by our campaign partner, E3 Partners.

The "Cube" conveys the Gospel through a set of pictures and bridges the gap between cultures and languages around the world. E3 uses the same Cube in 35 countries with similar short-term strategic mission trips aimed at establishing churches with like beliefs.

My team attended church at Iglesia Cuadrangular in Cali on Sunday and we were back in their community on Monday and Tuesday building their membership. Their pastor strategized in advance what streets we would visit and provided 6-8 church members that joined each of our teams, which is comprised of a North American and a translator.

During the morning service on Sunday, I outlined our strategy to the church and encouraged members of the church to have the same boldness as us ... to their friends and family and neighbors. At the end of the service, a girl named Andrea came up to me, hugged me and thanked me for coming to Cali and in good English asked how she could help us.

Andrea explained that she had commitments in the mornings but would join us after lunch at the church for our afternoon work in the community. She is taking English classes and understood the value of helping our cause if we needed a translator.

Andrea was the first church member who asked us if she could present the Gospel while we were out in the streets. It was early Monday afternoon ... she was less than an hour into her "internship" with us. On Tuesday afternoon, just as other church members were getting comfortable stepping out to share the Cube, I captured this image of Andrea sharing the Gospel with two girls who were eating ice cream ... from their second story windows.

Our loving God promises us that he will meet us wherever we are. Andrea, a true disciple, was meeting those girls where they were, and for 20 minutes shared the Gospel with her arms stretched to heaven. The two girls accepted Jesus, and while praying both their ice creams melted down to the stick and down the wall of their home. That's another priceless picture.

It was clear that Andrea had both her feet out of the boat and she was walking a steady course toward Jesus trusting in the the Holy Spirit to supply all her needs. We need this confidence in every area of our life.

Andrea told me before we left the church on Tuesday night that one of her goals was completing her English requirements and assisting us again whenever we return to Cali and are in need of translators. Someone asked her what college she was attending and she made a funny face.

It was then we learned that Andrea is only 17.

Our God is an incredible God and never ceases to wow me.

Dave