Meeting Jessica Smythe

One of our first afternoons in Portstewart, we headed down to the Crescent as we often did. The Crescent is where any public performances or celebrations would occur in the tiny seaside town. After we drew a crowd with our performances (we had clowns, a dance team, puppets and dramas), we set off in twos to talk with people. I don't remember who I was with that day, but I do remember one person in particular.

Jessica Smythe, a sixteen year old girl sitting on a park bench was one of the first Northern Irish people I met. She had three jobs, lived just up the road, did drugs on occasion, smoked constantly and had very little that was good in her life. I told Jessica how to become a Christian that day and she wasn't ready. She didn't know what she thought and still doesn't from what I know, but I can tell you she tasted the love of Jesus this summer.

One of the following days, I woke up three hours before Scott, our team leader woke us up. Taking advantage of the time, I started praying for those I had shared with so far, including Jessica and for the girls to come out of the woodwork. As I've mentioned before, there were many boys following us around, but next to no girls. In fact, we had one that hung out with us. That day, no matter how many people I spoke with I couldn't find any non-Christians, much less any teenage girls that weren't Christians!! I had an older gentleman starting to witness to me, three or so couples of strong committed Christians and I didn't even find anyone that tried to brush me off. I was getting really frustrated! I was feeling a little of God's desire for the hopeless girls in Portstewart, but I felt completely blocked off from them! After our performance that night and the different couples I spoke with, I got to speak with Jessica again. It turned out that she had passed on the little book I gave her on how to become a Christian, to her friend Anya and took me around and started introducing me to friends of hers.

Through Jessica, I got to start casual friendships with Fiona, Melissa and Anya, share my testimony with Anya and see the start to my prayer being answered. It was no longer just boys that hung out with us. Throughout the coming weeks, Jessica and I hung out a lot. I would visit her down at one of her jobs on the Crescent and she would come visit me at the church hall where the Royal Servants were staying. Infact, she even came to say goodbye and though she didn't become a Christian, I know that she understood how and why. It was hard leaving her in her current life, but the rest of the work is God's to do. All I can do is pray and write her occasionally. As you finish reading this, please pray for that Jessica would come to know God personally and live in the hope she so much enjoyed in my life, but wasn't ready to accept. Also pray for Anya, Melissa and Fiona as they live in the same hard life in Northern Ireland.