Public transportation is not always convenient.

But it’s part of daily life here, and it makes us accessible to those we are trying to reach.

Recently I was commuting home on the tram when a very excited ticket collector recognized me.

“You’re the one who prayed for that man who died on this tram!” he announced as he called his colleague over to meet me.

A year earlier, I was on this same route with an American pastor and two other friends who were visiting from the United States. Sitting across from us sat a local family, weeping. They huddled around a frail man who was clearly near death. The hospital had just released him, saying there was nothing more they could do.

The tram rumbled along as we witnessed the life ebbing out of this man. It was surreal. I knew we should pray for them. I introduced myself to them and explained that my friends from America wanted to pray for their family. A young man in the family welcomed the offer, and I translated as my friends prayed.

The elderly man passed away before we reached the next stop. In the midst of their grief, the family had the composure to thank us for our prayers.

That ticket collector standing before me now had seen it all on that day. And what he had witnessed was something that he couldn’t shake.

He retold the whole story to his colleague. “This man and his American friends prayed for that family.” The ticket collector was still moved by it.

We swayed back and forth as the tram rolled along. Steadying myself on a handrail, I told the two men about the source of my hope, Jesus Christ. I shared that He has the power to heal us in this life and promises us peace for eternity.

Many of my prayers are lifted up without much fanfare.

But for my friend the ticket collector, that prayer was his first encounter with the light of Christ. And it’s opening his eyes.

**This account comes from a long-term worker.**

Original article: www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/an-unintended-witness