I am truly sad that Kontakt Łódź is already over. This whole experience has been so life changing! Not only have I made Polish friends, I’ve made friends from Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Holland, Belarus, Kansas, Ohio, and Maryland. I have met so many people this week and I also have been introduced to so many cultures. One of the coolest things to see, is different cultures worshiping all together. Hearing prayers in different languages, and just knowing that we are all serving one God, that this one God loves each and every one of us individually. Though our languages and customs may be different we all have our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This week some of my team mates and I got to play with about 20 kids that live in a rough part of Łódź. The kids’ ages ranged from 4 to 13. It was so fun to share Jesus with them and tell them Bible stories. To see their eyes widen when Jonah gets eaten by the whale, our the way they smile when they sing about Jesus’ love for them.
One day a little boy named David had his older brother with him. I found out his name is Adam and he’s the same age as me. Even though his English wasn’t great we could play volleyball games together and just hang out. When he had to go home that day I saw the apartment building he went into. It looked really old and it was very run down. I started thinking, I could easily be in Adams situation myself and I started thinking about how blessed I really am. Adam doesn’t have different clothes for everyday of the week, he doesn’t have a cell phone, he has no air conditioning. He can’t just go to the fridge and eat something whenever he’s hungry. It made me realize how ungrateful I am for all the stuff I have in life. Things I could definitely live without, things that Adam lives without. He lives without them and he is one of the happiest people I have ever met. After that day he and his friends would always come out when they saw us, to play with us and talk to us. You could tell that it was something they enjoyed.
God certainly showed me this week that the “stuff” in my life is useless. I don’t need the newest smart phone that comes out or tons of clothes to be happy. All I need to be happy is God’s love. I’ve found that showing God’s love to others makes me the happiest. I am going to miss Adam and all my other new friends so much, but I just pray and hope that I’ve planted a seed in someones life, that they see God’s love in me and they pursue it themselves.
– Anna Osborne
Amanda, I think you are a true missionary. Spreading Gods love is an amazing feeling and it sounds like you have a true gift for it. im sure you made a tremendous difference in the lives of those young people. it is all about planting those seeds, you are a tool for Christ, you are a blessing.I loved your story. You are right, stuff cannot, does not make you happy. It really does put all other things in perspective.
Being around others who have so little but seem to be so happy shows that Gods love is enough. I think it is incredible you have felt, experienced and shared the light of The Lord. Thank you for sharing your story. It is a witness. I really hope to be able to spend time with you on a mission trip in the future. We continue to pray for you here and look forward to hearing more about your experiences. Take care, sending love your way, Marlene
Ugh, I meant Anna,