A Conversation in the Garden

A story from a student. Location: Middle East.

During the last week of outreach, I was walking through the garden beside the Opera House when I noticed a group of six women, fully covered, sitting together with two children. I felt that they weren’t Egyptian, and I felt strongly in my heart that the Lord wanted me to spend time and sit with them.

When I approached them and began checking in with them, I learned that they were Yemeni. What started as simply sitting together quickly became a two-hour conversation over food and drinks. They were very interested in understanding what I believed and began asking many questions about my faith. They wanted to understand God more.

As the conversation continued, I had the opportunity to walk through stories from the Bible with them. We talked about God’s story beginning with Adam, then about Jesus, the cross, His resurrection, and the Holy Spirit. They continued asking questions and challenging different things I shared, but the conversation remained open and gave us the opportunity to talk deeply about who God is and what I believe.

One of the children, a nine-year-old boy, became especially engaged in the conversation. At first, he strongly questioned the cross. He wanted to understand why I believed in it, why Jesus had to die, and why the cross was so important to my faith. He pushed back against the idea and continued asking questions, so I kept explaining and sharing with him as he listened and responded.

What impacted me most was what I sensed God doing in the middle of all their questions and disagreements. I felt deeply that the grace of the Lord was present and that the Holy Spirit was working in their hearts even as they wrestled with what they were hearing. As I looked at this young boy, I felt a picture from the Lord of oil being poured over his head.

That moment touched my heart deeply. What began with simply noticing a group of women in a garden became two hours of sharing about Jesus with an entire family. It reminded me that I don’t always know what God is doing inside someone’s heart as we talk. My part is to listen when He leads me toward someone, be willing to stay, answer their questions, and trust that He is present and working even when I cannot see the result.