we met him on the sidewalk...

Bob met Benoy, a Muslim from Bangladesh, on the sidewalk on a recent Wednesday night, and invited him to join us for the program at the Oasis (name changed for safety). Hesitant but curious, he walked all the way to the front door of the Oasis, but then stopped. Hamid urged him to come in, while Bob went and fetched some tracts and a New Testament in Bengali. Benoy accepted them, but then chose to walk away. Gone without a trace? Thankfully not! He returned the next evening, with greater interest and openness. He said "I have been reading what you gave me yesterday, and I have some questions and want to know more." Joyfully, Bob shared further with him, telling him more about Jesus. Benoy explained that the material that Bob had given him was not quite exactly his language, so Bob swapped his New Testament out for just the right one, and also found ten or twelve additional tracts to give him along with it. We invited Benoy to watch the Jesus Film, in Bengali, but he politely declined, on account of the curfew of the refugee camp. BUT, Bob was able to line up a meeting with him the next morning, to watch it with him personally. And he showed up! Just 17 years old, but could it be that those three days prove to be a turning point in his life? We hope so. Wednesday we met him, Thursday he came back to hear more, and Friday he watched a film about the life of Jesus. Days later, the following Thursday, we were so glad to see him again, wondering what might happen next, but he had news for us: he had received his "transfer letter" from the refugee camp and would have to move an hour away, the next day. We shared some more tea with him, and encouraged him to keep seeking Jesus (for by now he was genuinely interested in learning more about Him). Sadly, his phone had been stolen during his journey to Austria, so we do not even have a way to contact him. We gave him our contact info, and he promised to visit us at the Oasis as soon as he could. We prayed for him before he left, and said goodbye... 

Please pray for "Benoy," that he would keep on reading the New Testament, and that the Lord might speak to his heart and show Him the Truth.                       -Ken