Today was an extremely cold day. I am convinced that Jesus has come to liberate these people from this ice and snow. OUr team took the train into Neukolln/Kreuzberg area today in search of the Turkish Market. Yesterday we searched for the Turkish section of the city and learned today that we were literally a meters away. But knowing that The Lord had appointed us to go and speak with the lady at the coffee shop made me glad for direction we went.
Today we found the Turkish Market and even in the cold it was quite an event. The food was incredibly good and the prices were very good as well. As we were leaving the kids wanted to stop at a little stand in which the lady was selling piping hot corn on the cob with lots of butter and salt.
The lady at the stand spoke very good english so we had quite a conversation. She considered herself Muslim but mainly nominal. She was married to a man from Chicago which is the reason for her English language skills. As the conversation turned to spiritual matters, she began to reveal that she miraculously survived a fall from a four story window at age 4. She also told us how, 7 years ago, she needed emergency liver transplant surgery and somehow was able to be put to the top of the list to have the surgery. Heather quite quickly pointed out that it was God who has done this and she agreed.
We again spoke of prayer and the greatness of God and how since God is so great He will not hear the prayers of sinners. Yet there is only one person who has never sinned. When we said this immediately she got a strange look on her face and slowly said, "it was Jesus." We said yes and that only Jesus can make us right with God. At this time other customers came up and wanted to guy something so we politely exited the conversation handing her a tract on how to know God written in German. She was so happy that she looked at the new customers and said, "see! You have all brought me great luck today!"
The openness to Jesus that I have seen so far has been quite shocking to me really. In these few conversations, it is quite obvious that the Holy Spirit has gone before us convicting the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. These are precious people in the sight of God and people for whom Christ died. May we constantly share this great news with these people!