Some of the Oasis team members recently attended a baptism service at an Iranian church in Vienna. Out of the eight young men that were baptized, most of them had come through the Oasis at some point in their journey to Austria. We heard many testimonies ranging from those who were nominal Muslims until they heard the Gospel for the first time at the Oasis, to knowing Jesus or about Him before leaving their home country, to studying in Islamic schools in order to become leaders in Islam. Many said they came to the Oasis because it had free coffee and tea and it was a nice place to hang out. But through meeting the leader of this Iranian church at the Oasis and attending his Bible studies, they found the truth of the Word and it transformed their lives.
It was quite an experience to hear their testimonies and see them baptized knowing where they came from and how they arrived at where they are today. And it really gives the big picture of what the Oasis is all about. We are not blasting the Gospel in everyone's face who walks through our doors. But through kindness, service and connecting with other believers (especially if they are from the same background), the Gospel is presented to them in a powerful way and will often change their lives. We don't always get to see the end result, often the people we minister to are transferred and we may never see them again. But in this baptism service we got to see some of the results of God working in people's lives and that certainly has been a gift.
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