by Ryan Wagoner
Recently, I was able to travel to the home town of one of our new believers. For security purposes, we will call him "Cal". Cal's family is literally the mob in his city, led by his older brother. They have many illegal and shady practices, and in my first hour in the town I was offered women, the finest alcohol, and drugs. His family has become very rich and powerful by gaining from immoral practices, and all of that is obviously enticing to a 20 year old kid. While Cal knows what is going on is not right, it's not only hard to say no to money/girls/alcohol/drugs, but I think it's even harder to say no to his older brother. They are close, and Cal doesn't want to disappoint.
Cal and I shared two evenings at a coffee house talking for over 3 hours about Father and life...as we had declined the offer from his older brother to go to the downtown clubs in the big city. These hours of conversation were very revealing about the inner turmoil inside of him. We talked alot about grace and forgiveness, the rich young ruler in the Word, and how short this life is. He knows that none of the things this world has to offer truly satisfies and that eternity really matters more in the long run, but yet I still can't put myself in his shoes. Saying no to his older brother in participating in the things of the world would undoubtedly cause a family rift of some sort. I shared some with his older brother, and his older brother knows Cal is a believer, and at this point he is ok with it because he doesn't know really what being a Christian really is.... probably because he thinks all of America are Christians, and all he knows about American are drugs/alcohol/women/casinos so he doesn't see much of a difference.
Please just continue to keep Cal and his brother in your prayers.
Please just continue to keep Cal and his brother in your prayers.
(TSC continues to support and partner with workers in East Asia through GOCTW funding, short-term trips, and long-term support to reach Cal and others like him who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
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