He wasn’t trying to sell me anything. He just wanted to be my friend. And then, almost casually, he said, “I want to be a Christian.”
Saturday, October 4, 2025. It was our day off, and our mission team decided to spend it exploring Waterside Market in Monrovia, Liberia – a lively maze of stalls, voices and color. After weaving through the crowded streets, we wandered into a more open area with only a few small shops.
As I stood there, a man caught my attention. He was walking through the street holding clothing, beckoning people toward the shop where he worked. It was typical market behavior – except for one thing. He walked around our group without once approaching us. Usually, as Americans, we stood out and drew plenty of attention. His avoidance was unusual.
After a few curious glances, he finally came up to me – not to sell anything, but simply to say he wanted to be my friend. That was not uncommon either, yet he never mentioned the clothes in his hands or asked me to buy anything. When I explained that our team was in Liberia to help a church and a group of pastors, the tone of our conversation shifted. He grew interested, asking which church it was, though I struggled to describe its location.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Abraham,” he said.
“Oh, a Bible name! I can remember that.”
Then came the words that stopped me in my tracks: “I want to be a Christian.”
In that moment, I remembered our morning prayer. Our team gathered every morning to pray, and I had asked God to let us be a blessing and a guiding light that day, even as we visited the market. I knew this encounter was no coincidence.
We began talking about faith. I asked if he believed he had sinned against God. “Yes,” he said without hesitation. I shared Romans 3:23, explaining that all of us have sinned. He knew who Jesus was, but when I asked why Jesus came, he simply said, “To save me,” unsure of how that connected to Jesus’ death.
We talked about how Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins — and how God raised him from the dead, proving that his sacrifice was accepted. I quoted John 14:6, explaining that only through Jesus can anyone be saved. When I asked if he believed that Jesus died and rose again for his sins, Abraham said yes, each time with conviction. I told him that nothing stood between him and God except his decision to accept that truth.
Reciting Revelation 3:20, I shared Jesus’ invitation: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” Then I asked, “Would you like to pray and invite Jesus in?”
“Yes,” he said.
I led him in a prayer of repentance and faith – acknowledging sin, believing in Christ and accepting his gift of salvation. When we finished, I explained that salvation is secure, that no one can take it away and that a new believer needs the fellowship and teaching of a local church.
That was the hard part – I didn’t know any local churches near him. I urged him to find one where he could learn, grow and be encouraged. In my heart, I worried about leaving a newborn believer without guidance, especially in a place where prosperity teaching and false gospels were so common.
As we talked about the importance of correction and accountability in the church, he asked, “What does correction mean?”
“It means we need brothers and sisters in Christ to help us see when we’re wrong,” I said, pointing toward my teammates who had gathered nearby.
Then he asked a question that deeply moved me: “Tell me about God’s love.”
Just the day before, we had spent time correcting misunderstandings about God’s love at the pastors’ conference. So, I said, “God loves perfectly and without measure. His love is not earned. It’s a gift.” I used a simple example: “If I set a gift down in front of you, it’s yours – but if you never pick it up, you’ll never receive it. God gave the gift of Jesus to everyone, but we must choose to accept him.”
Right then, another man appeared out of nowhere. He introduced himself as Parker and said he was with Mission Church in Monrovia. I couldn’t help but smile. Just minutes before, I had been praying for a way to connect Abraham to a local church!
“Abraham, we can’t ignore this divine work,” I said. “This is God’s doing!”
I explained to Parker that Abraham had just given his life to Christ and needed a church community. Parker assured us that his church could help. Still, I wanted to make sure it was a Bible-believing church.
“How do we earn God’s love?” I asked him.
He pointed to Jesus: “You must accept Christ as the sacrifice for your sin.”
It wasn’t a perfect theological answer, but it showed that his church centered on Christ rather than prosperity teaching. We talked more, and I affirmed that God’s love can’t be earned – it’s perfect for everyone. Parker agreed.
Then another man walked up and began listening quietly. Soon, there were five Liberian men standing before two American pastors, listening intently as we talked about Scripture and salvation. Parker mentioned that his church was connected to a congregation in Michigan and that they used only the King James Version of the Bible.
I gently affirmed that the KJV is a faithful translation but reminded him that other accurate translations exist too. Parker asked, “What about versions that remove Jesus as the Son of God?”
I agreed, those would be false. At that point, Pastor Nathaniel Bickford from our team joined in, explaining how to evaluate translations and avoid corrupted ones. Parker listened thoughtfully and seemed open to learning more.
By the end of our conversation, five Liberian men had heard the gospel clearly. Abraham had just placed his faith in Christ. Parker had been encouraged and challenged. And three others listened in silence; drawn by something they may not yet have understood.
One more name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life that day. What began as a fun shopping trip turned into a divine appointment orchestrated by God himself.
As we left the market, I couldn’t help but praise God for answering our morning prayer – to be a blessing and a guiding light. We came looking for souvenirs, but God had something far greater planned: the salvation of a soul.
