“So…would you like to study the Bible with me?” I thought I would at least try. I just got done sharing a vulnerable and loving version of my testimony with Connie and Joanne, two girls that I met at English corner three weeks ago. I shared from my heart and felt Him with me, giving me words to express his love. Going into it, I knew that Connie strongly believed in Buddha, though I wasn’t so sure about Joanne, and I thought that I would give it one more shot. I sincerely felt like maybe, just maybe something would happen and they would say yes.
“Well,” Connie slowly started, “I am curious about this love. But,” and then the real kicker came, “I feel like if I start learning about this god, I would be disloyal to Buddha.”
My brain stopped. I think I felt shell shocked. How can you be loyal to something that doesn’t exist? “Yes,” I slowly heard myself say. “You can only be loyal to one god. For some people, that god is money; for others, it’s themselves; for others…”
What more could I really say? What’s worse is that Joanne jumped on board. I’m not sure if she was just excited to talk or if she really felt that much energy about this false g0d, but she started by comparing Jesus to Zeus, and then launched into a non-stop 20 minute explanation of “Buddha Says” theories, while Connie nodded and smiled the whole time:
– “Buddha says that we are equal with all animals, so you can’t kill the spider”
(We had pork and fish for dinner that night).
– “Buddha says that there are many buddhas, in fact, EVERYTHING is buddha.”
– “Buddha says that life is hollow and then you die.”
And then, believe it or not, they tried to convince me that Aliens are real. I’m not kidding. Connie sincerely hopes that one day, she’ll see a light in her room, and it will be an alien taking her away to another world. Joanne is convinced that the American government has been hiding alien specimens and that there are houses on the moon where they used to live. It was too much.
I tried saying that it’s really important to believe in something that’s real, something that’s true, and furthermore, challenged them to find out if Buddha actually loved them. I did my best to respond boldly and with love, but honestly, felt sad and discouraged. I wish something more would have happened, but I know that God has a plan. This isn’t the end for them.
This week, please continue to pray with me for the light to shine in the darkness; that our friend’s eyes would be opened and that they would see the gift God has to offer them. I’m still trying to meet hungry girls, and would appreciate your thoughts for direction.
God bless you all,
For Him, in Him,
Autumn
Ps. CHRISTMAS IS COMING!