The last three weeks in Greece have been a whirlwind of seeing the Bible come alive before my eyes. My team has traveled to Thessaloniki, Philippi, and Corinth. The cities that 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Philippians, and 1 & 2 Corinthians were written to. We have spent every day meeting people, hearing their stories, and sharing the love of Jesus with them.

The primary religion of Greece is Greek Orthodox. On our second day in Thessaloniki, my team stumbled upon a Greek Orthodox church. We went inside and were chatting by the entrance. A student from America heard us speaking English and introduced himself. His name was Andrew, and we all connected immediately. I invited him to join our team for coffee, and we all ended up spending the day together. He was raised in Christianity but converted to Greek Orthodoxy when he wanted to make religion his own. He shared his personal beliefs and explained the Greek Orthodox religion to us. What tugged on my heart as he spoke was the lack of assurance he had in his relationship with God. So much of his belief system is built on works and how he can live to please God. It reminded me of how my Muslim friend from college would say he felt 70% sure he would go to heaven based on how he lived. It hit me that so many religions require their followers to live in a place of striving. Always trying to be good enough to find favor in the eyes of the higher being they are serving. The gift of the gospel is that there is no need for striving because our favor is found in the blood of Jesus. An act that has already been accomplished. All that we have to do is put our faith in Jesus. Titus 3:5-7, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." The following day, Andrew invited us to walk around the historical landmarks of Thessaloniki. He is in Greece, studying archaeology, and is deeply knowledgeable about the city's history. It was such a gift to spend another day learning from him and continuing to share about the grace of Jesus. My prayer is that God will use our time spent together to stir in his heart a revelation of the love God has for him.

While in Corinth, our team has focused primarily on evangelism. To me evangalism is carrying the heart of Jesus to people. The gospel is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". And God's heart is that He "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth". 1 Timothy 2:4. God desires for every person he created to have an intimate relationship with him. But the reality of God giving us free will and the choice in who we love is that not everyone will choose him. My daily prayer is that every person I meet will feel the love and joy of the Lord through our interaction. Sometimes it is as simple as making eye contact with the check out clerk at the grocery store, asking how their day is going, and what their name is. Then the next day rememebering their name and following up. Other times, it is spending two days sharing the gospel from beginning to end with an American you met in a Greek Orthodox church. Our team also believes John 13:34-35, which says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We know that the way we interact with one another is one of my clearest ways people around us will see the love of Jesus. We start every day by praying, worshiping, and reading the Bible together. We speak life, prophecy, and words of encouragement over another up. Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary to effectively share the gospel.

On Sunday, my squad leader, Abigail, and I set out walking to carry the gospel to the people God was going to highlight to us. We met a man from Pakistan sitting on a bench near the water. We struck up a conversation and got to hear some of his story and beliefs. He hopped between English and his native language as he shared. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Abigail was able to understand and interpret what he was saying in his language! God loves this Pakistani man so much that he allowed Abigail to fully understand what he was saying for the sake of the gospel being shared. Pray with me that this man would be touched by the Holy Spirit as a result of that conversation and give his life to Christ. We walked away and continued to pray that God would show us who to speak with, and I saw a young man I immediately knew I wanted to talk to. As I approached, he broke into a smile and introduced himself to me. He is a Somalian refugee who has lived in several places across Europe and is newly located in Corinth. I invited him to join us as we went to meet the rest of our team. He then spent the evening with us. He is a Muslim and had the kindest presence and personality. At the end of the night, we asked if we could pray over him, and he smiled and said, "Sure, do we all hold hands?". We said, "Why not," and all seven of us stood in the middle of the sidewalk holding hands, praying together. I smiled the whole time my teammate prayed, thinking about how we are all just God's kids and he loves us all so much.

It has been a privilege to be in Greece daily, asking the Lord who to talk to. I have met an Indian man who offered to cook our entire team curry, a Greek farmer who filled up grocery bags full of apples and oranges for us just out of the generosity of his heart, and a coffee shop owner from Canada, just to name a few. I know I will forever be marked by this experience. Seeing every person in my path as a child of God, who I have the opportunity to show love to. And you all have the same opportunity in America! Evangelism doesn't have to be scary. It is truly just carrying the love of Jesus. It could be as simple as buying the coffee for the person behind you, and when they ask why, saying, "Because I believe God loves you and wants to provide for you, and this is just a little example of his love for you". Or making eye contact with the homeless man on your streetcorner, smiling, and asking if you can pray over them. Or asking your hair stylist what they believe in as they are cutting your hair. Sharing the gospel is not just the work of full-time missionaries. It is a command God has given to every single person who believes in Jesus. Step out of comfort and into the calling God has put on your life. Matthew 28:18-20, "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'” You are not doing it alone. Jesus promises that he is with you! Praying for each of you to walk in the boldness of Paul as you evangelise. Share your stories with me, I'd love to celebrate with you!

Grace