Slowly, the three of us made our way through the slum, drawing a crowd every time we paused to pray or to share a story. In the middle of the slum, a woman sat in a small store.  She was selling grains, sugar, flour and other packaged food items. She did not wave us over, nor did she send anyone for us. But as we made our way down the narrow pathway,  the woman’s eyes drew us to speak to her.

Laura began the conversation and shared the Gospel story. As Laura spoke, the woman sat motionless, listening intently. Even with some translation struggles, the woman waited patiently until the story continued.

The more Laura shared, the bigger the crowd became. Children played behind us, poking their heads into the crowd to hear the stories. Men and women stopped by. Some stood and listened to the story, while others simply paused for a moment before moving on.

In spite of all that was happening behind us, the woman’s eyes stayed locked on Laura. She was listening intently to every word.

Laura finished sharing her story and explained to the woman how she could find Eternal Peace. As we were leaving, we gave her a brochure in her language that may help her understand the meaning of the stories we shared.

Then, as we were waiting for a taxi, a young boy ran to us. He came with a message for Laura. He said the woman had enjoyed Laura’s story very much and wanted to know more. We immediately returned to the shop with another translator. Again, Laura shared how to find Eternal Peace. Again, the woman’s eyes lit up when she saw us. Again, she happily listened to our story.

Sadly, the woman did not choose to follow Jesus that afternoon. Still,  her eyes told the story of a woman searching for Peace.