amazing conversation this week.

[[i emailed this to my weekly p list but i wanted to document it here in case i want to read it again in the future.....]]

I met with Natalie* today. We went shopping and had dinner together and then tea and hot chocolate. It was about 2 1/2 hours into hanging out before I brought up what I wanted to talk to her about. I was finishing my hot chocolate and already late for English Tea Time when I asked her, "do you remember the time we hung out a few weeks ago and we had a conversation about what you and i believe about G?" she said that she remembered. So, I rephrased what I remember her saying she believes about G...that there is a G, that J is His son, and that J died and rose from the dead. She said, yes, she remembered that.

So I told her that since that day, I have thought about that conversation a lot, mostly because I have not met another Turk who believes those things. I told to her that the last time we talked, she said that one of the things about Ch-anity she didn't do or like was having to read the Book and pray every day. I said that those two things are not necessary components in becoming or being a follower of J. I said "I want to explain what it really means to be a follower of J because I am sure there's a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings you've heard. I want to try to explain it clearly to you so that you understand, if that's okay with you". She agreed and I explained the g-spel to her.

I made sure to explain that J is G, that everyone is sinful, that our sin separates us from G, that because of that we need a Savior and J was that Savior. that through J living a perfect life, dying on the cross, and raising from the dead He defeated death, provided a way for us to know G and have a personal relationship with Him, & forgiveness of our sins. i explained how to become a Follower at least 3 times to her. She listened, and I checked along the way to make sure she was following. At the end of explaining, I asked if it made sense and she said yes. I told her I just wanted to explain it as clearly to her as I could. she said "you explained it very clearly. i have never heard it so clearly". i said, "well, good!" and i explained to her that of all of my friends i believe she has the strongest desire to know and seek Truth and I asked if that was just an assumption. she said it was true.

i told her that i believe that her desire to even seek Truth had to be from G because nothing in her would desire that without him. she said "yea! that's true. i never thought of it that way before." i said that i pray for my friends as often as i think of it and i pray that they would have the same hope and joy that i have in a relationship with J. I said that it changed my life so much that I want the same for everyone. even people I don't know. She said that was a great thing to want. She said she still has the Book I gave her last year and she reads or flips through it from time to time. I told her the next time she has the desire to read it, she should read John because it talks about the life of J. I told her about the kinds of people J hung out with, talked to, healed, loved. She seemed surprised at how loving and forgiving He is. Her eyes teared up as we talked about it.

I know KNOW KNOW that He is working in her heart and I told her that. Please pray for Natalie as often as you think about her. Pray that the Truth she says she understands and the Truth she seeks will be found in J. because it's the only Truth. Praise G for working in hearts. Praise Him for opportunities to share Truth. and for speaking through incapable, weak, nervous mouths in a clear way. People like Natalie are VERY rare here. there's hardly any interest in this city of 20 million people. 20 million and G put her in my life. i KNOW he's at work. please remember her.