Thelma

About a month ago, a new girl showed up at church. This isn't unusual: With the large number of English speakers in Schaffhausen, every so often a new person drops in looking for an English-speaking church. That's what she was doing.

Her name is Thelma* and she's from a former Soviet country. At about 18, she just graduated from high school. Not sure what she wanted to study at college, she decided to take a year to think about her future while earning some money as a nanny for a family with three kids in a nearby town. Thelma doesn't speak German, though, and so while she looked and looked for a German-speaking Catholic church in Schaffhausen, she couldn't find one. So she got online and found the Web page for our church. In a new country where she doesn't speak the language, Thelma had the courage to get on a bus all alone and look for our little village for the Sunday service.

I wasn't there that week because I was home sick, but the next Sunday I met her and had a great chat. She seems much older than 18, and is a complete sweetheart. Some of us got to talk with her a little bit more at the coffee fellowship after the service. About that time, Thelma recognized a young family in our church and they realized they lived on the same street. So that couple are now bringing Thelma to church every week so she doesn't have to ride the bus.

Several weeks ago there was a potluck after church, and Thelma stayed to eat. There were a few missionaries at our table and that is when she asked what a missionary is. She'd not heard that word or concept before. I was really stunned -- what would it be like to have no baggage or assumptions associated with that word? We tried to explain what a missionary is and why people choose to give years of their lives to do it. She also had a lengthy conversation with our pastor about Advent. She had not heard about that, either, although she was very familiar with Lent and Easter.

As some of us had just celebrated Thanksgiving, Thelma asked me about the history behind the Thanksgiving tradition. It was fun to try to explain something that normally you just do without thinking about it too much. We also talked about the TV show "Friends," because, like many Europeans, "Friends" is one of her favorite shows. I am realizing that "Friends" is millions of non-Americans' main source for understanding of American culture. I can't decide if this scares me.

After the potluck, Andrew and our friend Jared had not had lunch because they were at a different church performing in a Christmas concert. They decided to get some pizza. I asked Thelma if she wanted to stay and join us. While the boys went to get the pizza, she and I drank tea in our apartment and talked.

Pretty soon the conversation naturally turned to church and religion. She brought up the testimony given by one of the EuNC students at church the week before about how she had been a zealous member of another religion but then became a follower of Christ. Thelma was impressed by the young woman's description of how having a personal relationship with God through Christ is like becoming friends with your country's president -- they're intimidating and powerful and important, but at the same time you can know them personally, intimately, with no fear or insecurity.

I asked her if she was Catholic or how she would describe her faith. Thelma said that she has always attended a Catholic church, but she believes that all religions are paths to God equally, and one isn't right and another wrong. She said she's been trying to learn a lot about religion so she can understand it better.

Then she asked me about my faith. I wasn't really planning to share about my belief in Jesus Christ during our second meeting, so I was taken a little off-guard. That's just not a question people ask you in the U.S. If anything, most people seem to want to avoid that at all costs. I shared my story, trying not to ramble too much, and Thelma seemed very interested.

Then we ate pizza.

First of all, Thelma is just a really cool and fun person. She has this smile that lights up a room and is unafraid to talk to anyone. She's a very cheerful, warm person. I hope she keeps coming and that we also can hang out at other times outside of church.

Second, I am praying for her. She is very spiritually conscious person with a strong desire for God and a lot of curiosity about spiritual things. I feel that God is working in her life, by bringing her to Switzerland and then helping her find our church and even being neighbors with some other strong attenders. It's also a good time for her to be here because so many of the students are her age.

If you think of Thelma, please pray with me that God will bring her into a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.

*Name changed for consideration of privacy.