Last time I told you a story about how I met my new flatmate, Vlada (if you don’t know what I’m talking about click here!) and how God has WORKED in the time she’s been living with me.
Well, now let me tell you a second story.
For context, Vlada is very reserved and works crazy hours, so we don’t spend a lot of quality time together. But when we do, we talk about the heart, and I have to admit that although I have worked with/around refugees for years (especially in Jordan), it is a whole other thing when your friend and flatmate is one herself. When the stories aren’t in past tense, but are happening right now and a little piece of this story is happening right before you.
I have prayed for wisdom and courage over and over because, how do I tell this girl about a God who loves her unconditionally and a life of hope when her family and friends are on the verge of life and death every second of every day? She knows I follow Jesus and has come to church with me for Easter, but shies away from any “religious” conversations (as she calls them) very quickly.
One Friday evening I was watching a film and she approached me to talk. It was small talk at first, but I could tell there was something bothering her. Eventually she looked up and said “actually Pris, this is not what I wanted to talk about. In reality, the Russians have cut off any signal in Kherson (the region she is from) so they don’t have any wifi, data, phone service, tv… all signal is lost and the attacks haven’t stopped. I haven’t talked to my family in 5 days, I can’t get a hold of them and I don’t know what to do”
Let that sink in. It is already difficult to hear your family and friends worried about the attacks in their city and the war stories - but complete silence for days?
So I told her “I am so sorry. I wish I could do something… but I am here to sit with you. You know that I follow Jesus and believe he is God, and he does have the power to do something. Do you mind if I pray for you and your family right now?” She was hesitant but said yes (I was sitting on the couch crossed-legged and she thought that she needed to to that too so she adopted a yoga pose and I had to tell her that that wasn’t necessary!).
So I prayed out loud. The whole time she stared at me wide-eyed. I prayed for peace and protection and for God to move in supernatural ways. They prayer was short and simple, and HONESTLY not very faith-filled, I just had to give it to God because I felt deeply powerless.
She went to the kitchen and I resumed my film.
20 minutes later Vlada started screaming. She was receiving a call. It was her mum in Ukraine. There was no service, no signal, but the call went through clearly. They talked until 2am and the whole time I just couldn’t sleep! Once they hung up she came to my room and told me how during the day she had been “talking to her mum in her thoughts” and that this call had been the power of the mind. I had to tell her, with love and respect, “actually, things changed when we prayed in the name of Jesus. Because he sees you, he cares for you. It was Jesus.”
He sees you, He cares for you.
It was Jesus.
She didn’t say a word, we stayed there in silence a few seconds and then went to sleep.
I’m still processing the miracle and how Jesus could use a seemingly small prayer to work something so amazing. She hasn’t been more open to talking about Jesus since (though I haven’t given up!), but I know it was impactful for her.
Please pray for Vlada with me. I believe with all my heart that whether I get to see it or not, she WILL come to Jesus.
Comments