Every year, OM in the Netherlands organises a week of prayer focused on people who don’t know Jesus yet. The last edition was a remarkable time for a group of mothers who gathered daily at a local school to pray. One of the days of prayer was dedicated to people in the Netherlands who don’t know God’s love for them, and the very next day, one of the women arrived at school with an incredible story.
“On the third day, the focus was on prayer for our country, and specifically for migrants,” explained Mirjam, who initiated coming together during the Week of Prayer. “The group prayed for opportunities to meet refugees or migrants and to tell them about Jesus.” But no one expected the prayer would be answered so quickly.
“You’ll never believe what happened yesterday!” Eline said ecstatically as she entered the schoolyard. Just a few hours after praying, a woman cycled past Eline’s house. Thinking it was the girl from across the street, Eline waved from the window. Minutes later the doorbell rang. “Yes, you waved at me,” the woman said as Eline opened the door, “and I had the feeling that I wasn’t going in the right direction. So I came to ask: is this a hospital?” Introducing herself as Paola*, she continued to explain she was from Venezuela and in urgent need of medication.
“Shall I give you a ride?” Eline spontaneously offered, although she had just put dinner on the table. The nearest hospital was a 20-minute drive away, and Paola only had a bicycle. Astonished, she gladly accepted the offer. On the way there, a deep conversation developed as Paola opened up about her background, the unsafe environment at her workplace and the many traumas she had experienced. Later on the way back, she spoke about her deeply religious parents and the remarkable way Eline and she had met.
“I know I’m not here by accident,” she said several times, “but I have no clue what I’m here for.” Eline took this opportunity to share her faith. “Every person is created by God,” she explained, “and He has a unique purpose for each one of us. Dealing with disappointments and trauma can be tough, but God wants to be there for you…” By the time Eline dropped Paolo off at her home, she was moved to tears. Eline invited her to visit again sometime.
A second meeting came about quicker than expected. “Five minutes later, my phone rang. It was Paola. After a thousand apologies, she asked for my help again. She had missed her ride to work, and if she arrived late, she would lose her job.” So Eline drove her to work, giving them another half hour to talk. “I told her that Jesus promises the door will be opened to those who knock, and that this means we must also be proactive. I encouraged her to knock on His door and speak with Him.”
Later that same week, Paola went over to Eline’s house. She cooked a Venezuelan meal for her and her family, and for hours they talked about faith, the Bible and many of life’s important questions. When Eline drove her home, she prayed for Paola. “I’m completely overwhelmed by all of this,” Paola texted the next day. “I have never felt so welcome and so loved!”
Earlier, Paola had shared that her mother prays for her daily, and continually urges her: “Go and seek Jesus. He is there for you.” She used to think her parents were simply religious and wanted nothing to do with their faith. But meeting Eline has set Paola on a personal journey of discovering who Jesus is.
“What we had prayed for in the morning happened miraculously that very evening,” Eline remarked in disbelief. And that was not the only positive outcome of OM’s Week of Prayer. “We enjoyed it so much,” said Mirjam, “that as a group we have decided to continue meeting monthly to pray for the world and for people who don’t know Jesus yet.”
*name changed
