This whole Christmas season really started when Andrew and I went to the biggest theater in town to hear our church choir sing a Christmas Cantanta. Somehow doors were opened, and the mayor’s office of Granada allowed our church to throw a free concert. Over 500 people were in attendance. The theater is called Isabelle the Catholic, and to me it was amazing that a little evangelical Baptist church was allowed to sing freely about Christmas and the Gospel.

We went to the concert with a couple of friends, one of them named Pablo. Pablo is from Argentina, but has lived here in Spain for a lot of years. He’s been reluctant to meet evangelicals as he believes they are all hypocrites. However, we had a good time with him and his girlfriend later that afternoon as a few of us went out for some pizza.

A few days later was Christmas Eve or Nochebuena (Good night) in Spanish. We had a big party at my aunt’s house, with leg of lamb, roast piglet!, and shrimp. Pablo was there with his girlfriend and her three sons. We all had a great time and laughed until our sides hurt.

The day after Christmas, Andrew, my aunt Deb, my cousins Sam and Jonathan, and I all went up the mountainside to see Pablo and Elke again. We had a great time seeing their horse farm, and having a nice turkey dinner with a great big roaring fire.

Finally, on New Years Eve, Pablo and Elke came to the church, the first time Pablo came, to have dinner with us all. They didn’t stay all night, but they did stay to hear the testimonies and prayers. He was visibly moved.

Evanglism isn’t like a nuclear bomb where you flip the switch and pray something happens. Rather, its like the parable Jesus told of yeast. Yeast takes a while to work, its not instant. But eventually it permeates the dough, and the bread rises. Andrew and I are praying for Pablo, that he will see us as people who love Jesus and love each other. This is evangelism.

There are more people like Pablo that we talk with, laugh with, enjoy life with them. Perhaps we aren’t the most articulate to explain everything about the Gospel, but we know others who are better than us. A good example of our philosophy is found in the book for Acts, where Phillip is walking along the road, and the Eunuch comes along and askes him, “Do you know what this book is saying to me?”

Pray with us that we will know what to say to people like Pablo in this New Year, and that the yeast of the Gospel will grow the Kingdom of Heaven.

Comments

Jason said…
Jamie,

I think you're so right to remind us that evangelism is like yeast. So often we don't see change until after much of the work is done. Of course it's discouraging to work without visible results, but fortunately we get to rest in the knowledge that faithfulness to God's work is the goal and it is the Holy Spirit who leads people to Himself, not us. I'll definitely be praying for ya!
2:13 PM
Anonymous said…
I came by to say that I missed you and saw this new post. I was so excited to sip my coffee and catch up on your world. Your words are more refreshing then any Verona Starbucks beans freshly ground that I'm sipping. I miss you.

I love your reflections on relationships in our lives. Life really is evangelism, every part of it. It could be decades before seeing some impact.

love you greatly-
Shar
8:09 AM
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