Two teens quietly follow path to redemption

Two teens who were willing to quietly listen while opening their hearts to the Gospel made professions of faith in nearby Rosemont Park, Nov. 16. The two were ready to listen as well as obey when they heard God’s calling.

Southwestern students Lucas Masilamoney and Alan Dorsett and Associate Professor of Missions Mike Morris took advantage of the beautiful late November weather to go witnessing in Rosemont Park the Friday before Thanksgiving break. There, they spotted Helen and Ximena, two ninth-graders from South Hills High School, at the pavilion. Morris says he used his standard introduction, explaining that he and his teammates were from Southwestern and were hoping to talk with people about spiritual issues.

“Is there anything we can pray with you about?” he asked Helen and Ximena. “We like to ask people this question: ‘If you were in an accident today and died, and you were standing at heaven’s gate and God asked you why He should let you in, what would you say?’”

“The girls did not have an answer to that diagnostic question,” Morris says. “I then asked them if it would be OK for Lucas to share what the Bible says about it. Lucas did a good job explaining the plan of salvation. He invited them to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I explained repentance and faith, used some illustrations and again invited them to surrender their lives to Christ.”

The two girls had listened well, Morris says, but they needed a moment to decide. “I’m not sure how eager they were to hear the Gospel at the beginning, but their respectful hearing was a good sign,” he says.

Morris explained that the sinner’s prayer is not composed of magic words, and that they must mean it in their hearts if they decided to pray that prayer. He then invited them to repeat the words of the prayer after him, and they did so.

After Helen and Ximena prayed to receive Christ, Morris explained the importance of believer’s baptism. He clarified that baptism does not save a person but that it symbolizes certain truths regarding death and resurrection, and he emphasized that baptism is for believers.

Though the girls did not indicate whether they might start attending church, Morris assured them that he and his teammates would be praying for them. Morris also took steps to ensure that their families heard God’s Word as well.

“I discussed their families’ reaction, and I gave them tracts in English and Spanish that summarized what we had said,” Morris says. “I gave them Spanish tracts because they indicated that some of their family members would prefer Spanish.”

In his praise report of this fruitful evangelism encounter, Morris succinctly concluded, “God is good!”