It all began with a Ladies’ Breakfast. Although I couldn’t even speak her language fluently, I invited my neighbor, who was an active member in the Evangelical Church, to join the meeting. She felt welcomed among the women and found not just new friends, but a family atmosphere. A few weeks later, I invited her to a concert in our church. She attended and was very impressed by the Sabbath School, so she asked for Bible studies. We met weekly at her place: Christine gave me language lessons, and I shared Bible studies with her, praying that the Holy Spirit would reach her heart.
She especially enjoyed the various women's ministry meetings. From small prayer groups to weekend events – she registered for all, not skipping any. It built a nice friendship relationship, and we became not just neighbors, but a family.
She was the leader of the senior Bible Study Circle in the Evangelical Church in our town and often took the messages she heard at our weekend meetings and shared them at their weekly Thursday meetings. After many emotional struggles with her own family and her friends in her old church, she chose to be baptized. This year, on June 6th, we celebrated Christine’s baptism and at the same time, the blessed fruits of Women’s Ministries.
Less than two weeks after her baptism, she already started a Bible Study Circle with another neighbor and some of her previous friends in the Evangelical Church. Ministry to others requires effort and sometimes tears, but words cannot describe the joy of bearing fruit for heaven, just as mere words can never replace the power of love in the service for others!