Felipe’s Second Trip: The Invitation
You can read Felipe’s First Trip here.
When Felipe returned to Argentina, he felt different. His faith had grown immensely, and he sensed that God was calling him to something more than just stepping out of his comfort zone by visiting Africa. Soon, an opportunity arose: an organization invited him to serve as a volunteer in Central Asia, working with a team to support evangelism in places where people couldn’t openly practice their faith. Their mission was to build relationships, seeking God’s guidance on who He wanted them to share the Gospel with. This wasn’t easy because it required understanding the local culture, lifestyle, and needs to navigate conversations meaningfully. To connect with the locals, they decided to offer English classes, which became a draw for many young people.
In these classes, Felipe and his team were encouraged to build friendships, gradually moving from surface-level conversations to deeper connections. During one of their many classes, Felipe struck up a conversation with a young man named Ahmed that lasted for two hours. At the end of their talk, Ahmed extended an unexpected invitation.
"Please, come to my house! I’d love to have you visit me."
Felipe felt conflicted. While he was honored by the invitation, he had been warned about the risks of visiting a stranger’s home alone. If someone discovered that you were a Christian, they could have the police waiting to arrest you when you arrived. In his uncertainty, Felipe prayed, asking God for guidance and peace. He felt a sense of assurance and decided to accept the invitation.
When Felipe arrived, Ahmed greeted him warmly at the door.
"Welcome! Come in! Please, have a seat. I have something to bring you," Ahmed said, disappearing behind a door.
Felipe sat in the living room, anxiously waiting. After 15 minutes, Ahmed called him into the kitchen, where he was preparing a traditional dish. Ahmed had also invited a friend, Yusuf, who didn’t speak any English. The three of them sat down to eat, with Felipe and Ahmed doing most of the talking. As they talked and got to know each other, Ahmed suddenly paused, looking Felipe straight in the eye.
“You know, there’s something different about you. The way you speak and act—it's not like other people… Are you a Christian?”
Felipe was taken aback by the directness of the question but answered truthfully, “Yes, I am.”
“Can I ask you a couple of questions?” Ahmed asked.
Felipe agreed, unsure of what would come next. Ahmed stood up abruptly and went into another room. When he returned, Felipe’s eyes widened at what he saw in Ahmed’s hands—a Bible. Yusuf watched silently as Ahmed opened the Bible and handed it to Felipe.
“Can you explain these stories to me? Because I don’t understand them.”
Felipe was curious about Ahmed’s interest and asked if he knew anything about Jesus. Ahmed explained that he had been reading the Bible for a long time, but had no one to explain it to him. His friends didn’t understand why he was searching for the truth in another book. But when Ahmed met Felipe, he felt that this was the person who could help him learn more about Jesus.
Felipe and Ahmed went through several Bible verses together, with Felipe explaining in English while Yusuf silently observed. After their discussion, Felipe said goodbye and left. The encounter left Felipe deeply moved. He returned to Argentina with the weight of knowing that many people were searching for Jesus but had no one that could share with them.
Days later, Felipe received a message from someone in the church in Central Asia that shocked him. They shared that a new believer had recently been baptized—his name was Yusuf. Despite not speaking English, Yusuf had been listening and understood everything Felipe shared that day. Felipe was profoundly impacted by how God had used him in ways he never expected. He realized that while he was focused on one thing, God had a broader purpose in mind, and the work was far from finished.
Felipe came to understand that his calling wasn’t about what he could achieve through his own efforts, but about what God could do through him.
There are many people, like Ahmed and Yusuf, who have little to no access to the Gospel. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t desperately searching for Jesus. What happens when someone like Ahmed or Yusuf suddenly has access to God’s word, but they live in a context where they don’t know any believers that can explain it to them? It’s necessary to not just share God’s word, but to be a living testimony for those to see God’s presence in our lives.
The Holy Spirit pushed Felipe to move —beyond his comfort zone, beyond what he thought he could do—and to share more about God’s kingdom wherever He led him. Now Felipe has joined Reflejo and knows that God is calling him to go long-term to the field.