Talking to Strangers

Approaching someone you don't know isn't always a good idea.  So when I began walking toward a total stranger in the credit union,  an internal alarm began ringing.  "This could be bad" ran through my head as I prayed and began to speak.  He turned around and said...

Hello, my name is Johnson and I'm a visiting scholar from Nairobi.  I asked him if he went to church in Nairobi and he said "definitely!"  We exchanged information and I invited him to church.  The next Sunday, Johnson was with us in worship.

The Sunday after I met him was also Christian Concert Day at Cooley Law School Stadium.  We found Johnson a ticket and he joined us for food, fellowship and a crash course on baseball.  A quick study, Johnson knew what to expect by the bottom of the first inning and nestled in to enjoy the game.

Johnson on back row, third from right

During the week, we connected on Facebook and had a few messaging exchanges.  Less than a week after talking to a stranger, I had a new friend.  Through dialogue and text, Johnson shared that he's is doing an exchange program in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University.

The next Sunday, Johnson was back for worship and he brought a friend.  At our welcome bbq, Johnson came and brought scholars from two countries.  He'll be joining me in providing leadership in worship this semester.

Needless to say, I'm thankful I walked up to someone I didn't know, prayed and began to speak. I don't recommend talking to strangers in banks unless you're on mission to see all students of the world know, worship and grow (KWaG) as disicples of Jesus Christ.  If you're on mission, like so many ministry partners across the world, talking to strangers is a must!