food for fish

Dear Friend,

I would like to share with you something I've read recently�

She was sitting opposite me, head tipped back like mine. She had figured I wasn't Polish and so said across the room "hi". It was nice when my English bubble extended beyond myself, so I started talking with her - slowly and simply, as she struggled with her vocabulary.
I thought I was asking her a question with one of those girly answers: "So, what are you having done here today?" Her eyes welled up in tears; she wasn't at the hairdressers for the same reason as me. Her friend had been killed in a drink-driving car crash and she wanted to look her best as a pallbearer that afternoon. She wanted to have coffee with me the next day and talk some more.
We ended up having coffee, dessert and McDonald's lots of times together over the next few weeks. She enjoyed my company, and loved practicing her English. It seemed she had it all: young, tall, slim, gorgeous, deeply tanned, access to loads of money, beauty treatments, stacks of friends in fast cars... you name it. All along, I kept asking God what he was wanting me to do. I don't recall him saying much at all, which was quite frustrating.
Until one cool summer's day over lunch...
I happened to be wearing my favorite grey polar fleece vest, one of my two warm tops I had in Poland, and she remarked on how nice it was. We continued with small talk for a while, and I remember clearly God saying to me to give her the top. I sat there, squirming, mind racing -- I loved that top and she had plenty more nice clothes than me. But I knew I needed to do this, somehow God was in this and he knew more than I did.
So I asked her to try the top on and she fit it perfectly. Once she had it on, I said it was hers to keep. For a while she protested and I insisted. And then the tears began falling from her face, and I had no clue why.
We hugged goodbye later that day. She was desperate to go out and buy me something in return and meet up with me the next day to explain some things to me with the aid of a translator friend of mine.
When we met up again, she was obviously still deeply moved by the gift. And for the first time since we met, she wanted to talk about something of real substance. She wanted to share her inner sadness and pain, her story and her anger at God for allowing things to happen. An 18 year old girl who seemed to have lived through so much.
All this opening up because of one grey polar fleece vest?
She told me why she was so emotional, "you are the first person to give me something without first wanting something from me." She told me how her friends, lovers, everyone, used her for her money, or her body. She couldn't believe I wanted to be her friend and give her something; it was totally foreign to her. We talked about God and how much he cares for her, and my Polish friend shared her testimony in Polish, with obvious similarities. I got to pray with her and give her a bible, but most importantly, I know for sure that God was working in her life, and would continue to pursue her and get past her perfect image she portrayed. I think about her often, look at the photos of us together and remember that moment when God asked me to do something seemingly ridiculous.
I desperately need to keep listening for those moments.
[Source: cre8d Journal]

Stories like this one help me understand why God is calling me to Poland. The doors are opening, and anxiety grows stronger, but I will be leaving on September 6th to live in Poland for a year. During my time there I will be leading a young men's bible study, and helping with a young adults group for a newly starting church in Nowytarg, Poland. While I'm away I will be celebrating holidays for the first time away from Seattle, this is huge in my life. But I know it is where God wants me to be, it is going to be a time of growth, physically, emotionally, and spiritually where I can learn to depend on God, and learn to serve him and people. My heart is incredibly anxious to show, live, and tell about God's awesome plan for our lives, known as the good news of Jesus Christ.

For me to live there, it will cost roughly $750/month; which is pennies compared to how much I need to survive here at home. If you do the math, it comes out to just 75 people faithfully donating $10/month for a year, or 37.5 people donating $20/month for a year. That's like not going to Red Robin once or twice a month. Out of all ways of supporting though, your prayers are the most important. Thank you for your time, prayers, and support.

For Him,

Travis

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