I WAS A STRANGER

and you invited me in, Matthew 25:35

Since this would be my last summer in Warren I didn't want to just coordinate 5-day clubs in my area as I had in previous years, I wanted to make connections with the people who came so that their relationships could continue on even after we are gone. So I prayed. "If You want this to happen Lord you're going to have to do it. You're going to have to bring the kids and make new connections with people in the area so that clubs will be able to continue."  

A couple days before the week of my club I was walking down the street with a couple of invitations in my hand asking the Lord to show me where else to go with them when I saw the local store and remembered the new Chinese couple that owned it and happened to have a son too. So, I walked over and introduced myself. I explained the club I would be having just down the street and that her boy was invited. The whole time she just nodded and said, "Aha, aha, aha." I thought either she didn't understand a word I'm saying or could care less. 

To my delight, her son came to the club and she joined him twice that week. It was the most amazing 5-day Club I ever hosted! The kids that came were so interested in learning about God and the stories from the Bible and the teaching team did an excellent job of telling them. One little boy kept asking his dad if he could come back to Club instead of going to the beach the next day. Another little boy said he didn't believe in God then changed his mind several questions later. He wanted to know who Jesus was and left with a Bible.

The lady who came with her son also had questions and wanted to learn more about Jesus and what it means to worship Him as she watched us praise Him in song. So I invited her to our home group where she was able to get plugged in with my other brothers and sisters in the Lord who would take her in and lavishly love her as one of our own. The very next week she started going to Church and in early November became baptized in Christ. She has become a special friend to us all. I'm so glad to be led by the Lord to extend an invitation to her and her family to my 5 Day Club. There she not only got to meet my family but more of the family of God, before deciding to receive the gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus and become a child of God for herself. My only regret is that I didn't invite her over sooner.

God answered my prayer powerfully. I never expected the beautiful friendship that would develop from our meeting but He knew. God is full of surprises! Who do you know that is new to your neighborhood? You just don't know the blessing meeting them could turn out to be for the both of you and ultimately for the family of God. <3

 Laura Lawrence
Discovery Time Director