Eugene* was trapped … stuck in a country that was not his own, alone with no family or friends, and full of despair.
Just days before, unfortunate circumstances forced Eugene to flee from his home country. Traffickers had convinced him to leave his country and go to Greece where his family could join him in a few days and then travel wherever they wanted. Instead, he was given a false passport, which was taken from him the moment he landed in Greece, and a few days later he learned that his family had been killed. Now he sat alone on a park bench in Athens … trapped in his grief and hopelessness.
But that’s when Eugene encountered a group of strangers—some Americans traveling on a short-term mission trip along with some locals from a nearby church.
As a few from this group sat and shared with him the hope and forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ, Eugene found himself in tears … telling his story and ready to repent. Right there—on a bench in a crowded park—he gave his life to Jesus Christ and found new direction and a new family.
Eugene was baptized that same day and listened intently as one of his new friends explained the seven commandments of Christ. Then they shared the Lord’s Supper on the park bench where they first met.
Eugene immediately began to put into practice all that he had learned, and just two days later he was already baptizing a new believer. Today he shares the gospel in the same park where he first heard of Jesus Christ and passes on his knowledge of discipleship to all who repent and believe as he did.