Joseph Hazen’s phone rang, and he answered to hear the voice of his North African friend. Hazen, an International Mission Board missionary, and his friend have served together for almost 20 years in a large European city, sharing the gospel on the bustling streets with people from all walks of life.
Hazen and his friend team up with other Christians to connect with passersby, offering coffee, tea, Bibles and other evangelistic materials. Usually, two people supervise the table of beverages and literature, while other team members wait to spark conversations. On a daily average, team members have 3 to 10 conversations and distribute 500 to 700 tracts that feature contact information for the purpose of follow-up meetings.
Hazen’s friend called to share a conversation he had with a law student named Andrew. This young man previously picked up a gospel tract which had the friend’s contact information. Since Hazen’s friend lived outside of the city, he asked Hazen to follow up with Andrew.
Hazen discovered that Andrew hadn’t slept for three nights. He was in the throes of depression. The young man came from a difficult home life, with a father who had multiple wives. He was living with a brother while going to law school.
Hazen shared the gospel with Andrew, and they continued to talk every day that week. Each time they spoke, Andrew asked deeper questions about the Christian faith, and he also expressed that he was sleeping better each night.
Later that week, Hazen invited Andrew to join him and his ministry team on Saturday at a well-known place in the middle of the city. Andrew showed up and observed the team engaging people.
One encounter involved an older man who came with a scowl on his face. He did not agree with what the team was sharing, and the conversation he was having with Hazen became heated.
Then, something unexpected happened. Andrew got involved in the conversation and boldly shared with the man that Jesus is the Son of God. “I have given my life to Him, and you should too!” Andrew exclaimed.
This marked a significant transformation in Andrew’s life. He found relief from his depression and became a follower of Christ, demonstrating a remarkable boldness in sharing his faith.
Andrew got involved in a church discipleship program, and he even invited a friend to join. Both young men were recently baptized, celebrating their new faith.
Continue to pray for Andrew and his friend as they grow in their faith. Pray for the ministry of Hazen and his teammates, as they continue to connect with people like Andrew and share the gospel to those who need to hear it.
Names changed for security. Chris Doyle writes for the IMB.