World Cup, Carrefour and World Missions

If you haven't had the privilege to meet Emily Denny, you are in for a treat! Emily spent the summer serving with OMS in Spain and returned just a few days ago. My husband and I have had the exceptional privilege to get to know her (and her sweet dog, Sophie!) better through our Friday night Bible study. Her heart is devoted to the Lord and His love radiates from her. During the school year, she teaches English at Northridge Middle School and has passion for reaching her students. Below, she shares just one of the many ways she encountered God this summer...

~Jen

I had finally found it. A Spain soccer t-shirt complete with the new star on it to show that Spain had won its first World Cup Championship. Not only did it have the star, but it was also reasonably priced. I had no idea when I first landed in Spain that I would end up a fan of Spain’s soccer team, but it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement as a nation normally divided by regional differences came together to cheer for their team. Little did I know that purchasing that t-shirt would open up an unexpected opportunity.

A few days later, I decided to wear my new shirt. I was helping Sylvia, the OMS missionary, get ready to have a Christian music group come over to her house for dinner after their concert. We went to Carrefour, the European version of Wal-Mart, and bought groceries. On our way out, a Spaniard heard us talking in English and stopped us to ask about my shirt. He was surprised but pleased to see an American supporting Spain. We talked about the team for a little bit and about Fernando Torres, the player whose name was on my shirt. Sylvia then invited him to the concert, and he said that he might be able to attend.

I have no idea if this man went to the concert or not, but I have prayed for him several times since that meeting. I certainly didn’t buy the t-shirt thinking that it might be a tool for evangelism in Spain, yet my wearing it opened up the opportunity to meet someone and to invite him to hear the good news about Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we never know when our choices and actions could have an eternal impact. A trip to the grocery store and buying a t-shirt are everyday activities that we do without ever considering what might happen. Yet those everyday actions could be the means to bringing someone to hear about Jesus Christ.

Being a missionary isn’t necessarily about preaching on the streets or handing out tracks or talking to people you’ve never met before. Being a missionary is living your life each moment as an example of the gospel. Being a missionary is trusting God to bring people to you that He wants you to meet. Being a missionary is the sum of a life lived for God in all areas: work, home, spare time, and everything in between.

God has placed us in certain places for a reason. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a foreign country or in your hometown. We are all to be missionaries of God’s love to a world that desperately needs Him. The mission field is just outside our doors, and God daily gives us the tools to reach those around us, even if that tool is an ordinary item like a Spain soccer t-shirt.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16