Last September, I joined the THREE ONES Workshop and chose my “one”—a Japanese woman I met through English Next, where I serve in the ESL ministry. I began praying for her, building a friendship with her, and looking for natural opportunities to have spiritual conversations.

Interestingly, once I started intentionally praying for my one, I began noticing God opening other opportunities for spiritual conversations in ways I did not expect.

One of those opportunities came through my brother-in-law, who had never shown much interest in Christianity. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he unexpectedly called me and began talking about spiritual things. It gave me an opportunity to naturally share about the hope we have in Christ, and I even shared John 3:16 with him. After that conversation, I added him to my prayer list.

Then this year, God opened another unexpected door—this time with my niece.

My niece is single and in her 40s. After losing her job, she shared with me how difficult life had become and broke down in tears. As I listened to her and prayed for her, I began to realize, “She can be my one in this season.” I began intentionally focusing more of my prayers, time, and attention on her.

I prayed with her and gently asked if she would be willing to read the Bible together.

She said yes.

Even though she lives about 45 minutes away, I brought her a Bible as a gift, and we began reading Scripture together.

Then I invited her to church on Easter Sunday. The Orchard’s North Shore campus is only about five minutes from her home, so I took her there. She comes from a Catholic background and had never attended a Protestant church before.

On Easter Sunday, she clearly heard the gospel message and was deeply moved to tears.

Because the North Shore campus is so close to her home, she continued attending after Easter. She also began connecting with people there through a pickleball gathering.

Recently, I asked her, “What has stood out to you as you’ve been reading the Bible?”

She mentioned the story of Noah and the flood. She understood that God judged the world, but Noah was saved because he was righteous.

I was encouraged by how clearly she was understanding Scripture, so I asked her another important question:

“How can we become righteous before God?”

That question opened the door for us to talk about our sin, our need for forgiveness, and what Jesus has done for us. We continued our conversation through text messages, and I was able to clearly share the gospel with her.

She told me that she believed and accepted the message of the gospel.

This weekend, I plan to meet with her again in person and attend the North Shore campus with her. I want to hear more about what God has been doing in her heart and continue helping her understand what it means to follow Jesus. I am also considering reading The Drive by Pastor Colin Smith with her as a next step.

When I first started THREE ONES, I thought my “one” was the Japanese ESL student I had chosen. But as I began praying more intentionally and looking for opportunities, God began opening doors I never expected.

My ESL student.

My brother-in-law.

And then my niece.

This experience has reminded me that we may choose our “one,” but we never know where the Holy Spirit will lead us or what unexpected doors God may open.