Reaching the Marketplace for Jesus

Esther the Fruit Lady

I was down in Barbados to help start a deaf ministry at a local church. While there I went out street witnessing with Leroy (their choir leader).    

We went to the hospital to witness to people hanging around outside the hospital. It’s a lot different than a stateside hospital. There were men hanging around the parking lot that would wash your car while you were visiting in the hospital. We had the opportunity to lead two of them to Christ.

There were also security guards standing outside the entrances to the hospital. Though I am not sure what they were doing because we were able to go in and out of the hospital at will to visit anyone we desired. We were also able to lead one of these guards to Christ.  

We also found a family selling things out of their van in one of the parking lots. Leroy knew the father from years ago. We had the opportunity to lead him (the father) to Christ.

But, the most memorable encounter was Esther, the fruit lady.

As we were walking around the building we came upon a fruit stand. There were several people standing around so Leroy just passed out a bunch of tracts and we went looking for people in smaller groups.  

Later we were walking back by and the fruit stand lady was the only one there. She was reading one of the tracts that Leroy had left her. Since she seemed to be open to the gospel, I approached her. 

I asked her name. She said her name was Esther. I asked her if she knew that one of the greatest women in the Bible was named Esther, that an entire book of the Bible was named for her. She smiled and nodded her head. She said she wasn’t sure, though, what Esther had done. 

I told her about Esther going before her husband, the king, and pleading for her people. I told her that Esther was a hero. I explained how she put her life on the line to save the children of Israel. I told her there was another person that actually did lay down His life for His people.

I then told her the story of Jesus. I asked her if she would like to trust Jesus as her only way to heaven. She bowed her head and asked Jesus to come into her heart. After she prayed she stood and gave Leroy and I tearful hugs.