Making Friends For Jesus


 


 


Let’s meet two boy who live in France.  The boys, Kylian (KEE- lee-ahn), and Virgil (VIHR-jehl), are in the same class at the Adventist school in Collonges (koh-LOHNJ), France, a town on the border of Switzerland.


A boy, a book, and a blessing


One day not long ago, two young women came to visit Kilian’s mother.  They sat aside, talking and enjoying the warm day.  Kilian noticed that the two young women were smoking.  He watched them for a few minutes; then he told them, “You should not smoke; it can give you cancer.”  The young women were surprised at Kylian’s comment, but they did not look angry.


Kilian remembered he had a book that tells about taking care of our bodies.  He ran to his room, found the book, and showed it to his mother’s friends.  The two young women looked at the book while Kilian rode away on his bicycle.


The next day his mother’s friends came to visit again.  Kilian invite them to come to church with his family.  He did not know what they would say, but they smiled and agreed to go.  Now it was Kilian’s turn to smile!


Mother’s friends liked the worship service and asked to attend again.  The young women have come to church almost every Sabbath since then.  They want to join God’s family.


Kilian and his mother are happy that mother’s young friends are following Jesus.  Kilian says, I Know that I don’t have to be afraid to tell others that God loves them.  I can invite them to church, and so can you!”


 


Virgil’s special friend


Virgil is Kilian’s friend.  He too has shared God’s love with someone, his special friend Jean Luc (John Luke).   Virgil met Jean Luc when they were playing in a park one day.  The boys liked playing together and became good friends. They often asked their parents to take them to the park together or to one another’s house.  In time, the boys’ parents became friends too.


Then Virgil’s family moved away to another town, an hour’s drive from Jean Luc.  Virgil missed his best friend and asked his parents to take him to see Jean Luc.  One Friday after school, Jean Luc came to spend the weekend with Virgil.  On Sabbath morning the family put on their best clothes and went to church.  Jean Luc had never been to church with Virgil, but he liked Sabbath school a lot, especially the stories about Bible heroes.


When it was time for Jean Luc to go home, he asked his parents to let him come again and stay over night so he could go to church with them another time.  Virgil’s parents agreed.  Later that day Jean Luc told his parents about Virgil’s church.  Although Jean Luc’s family did not go to church, they were willing to let Jean Luc go to church with Virgil.


Before long, Jean Luc visited Virgil’s home again.  The boys went to Sabbath School and church together, and later they enjoyed a nice afternoon walk.  When Jean Luc returned home, he asked his parents to take him to church on Sabbath.  His parents decided to visit the Adventist church in their town and see why their son liked it so much.  Now the whole family goes to church every Sabbath.


Virgil is happy to know that his friend is going to church with his family.


“I am glad I invited Jean Luc to go to church with us.” Virgil says.  “Now he is learning about Jesus.  That makes one more person—no three more persons—who are learning about God.  My parents say that I am a missionary because I invited my friend to church.  Now I am looking for someone else to invite.”


We can be missionaries, just like Kilian and Virgil.  We can invite our friends, our neighbors, and even our family members to come to church with us.  Who knows what will happen?  Maybe our church will soon be full of people who say, “A child invited me to come.”


 


Charlotte Ishkanian





AdventistMissions.org