Here’s a cool story from our SFC German missionary to Japan, JP Koch. Recently, he was doing SFC work on the North island of Japan, but is now living back in Germany for a year.
I had met with an alumni from Bible college. On the way home on the slow train, the door to the bike section wasn’t operating (yes, in Germany, we can take bikes on trains), so I had to use another door.
Too lazy to carry my bike to the assigned bike space, I sat next to three young guys. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. When they asked the conductor in broken German when they had to exit, I asked if they spoke English and if I could help.
They were super stoked and happy. I was the first German to start a conversation with them. I shared that, while living in Japan, nobody would sit next to me in a train and I knew how bad it felt when people rather stand than sit next to a foreigner.
When they asked about my living in Japan, it gave me the chance to share my testimony. The youngest of the three started to cry. He shared that his granny took him to church and Sunday school as a kid and he was really moved. I shared the gospel and invited him to pray. Afterwards he started to sing a kid’s gospel song. I prayed for his two friends, and they were super thankful. Shortly after, their stop came and they left.
All it takes is a few minutes to make an impact. One of the great things about skiing and snowboarding is that we have a few minutes several times a day while riding. Practice sharing your testimony or a short story on how God has been working in your life. Start up a conversation on a chairlift and if they ask what you do or how the day is going, share it! Ask to pray for them. Then go your separate ways.
Be a light on the hill!