We met Julie* in 1986 when working at a summer camp. She was a very messed-up 13-year-old. It took a long time to win her trust, and we maintained nearly constant contact with her in the coming years. We poured into her life all we knew, and she constantly bombarded us with questions and unique insights.

Finally, in 1992 or 1993, she gave up. Although attending a good church, there was so much she couldn’t understand, and the Christian life was too hard to figure out. She was tired of trying and trying, and had decided to just “go with the flow” and live life. We saw her once more after that and left with heavy hearts. We didn’t hear from her for a few years.

In 1998 we received a wonderful email from her that left us in tears. In [the email] she thanked us for our friendship and [for] all we had done for her and meant to her. So, we got a copy of The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus book to give to her, because it seemed to be precisely what she had been asking us for since 1986.

We finally met up with her again in August 2000, had a wonderful visit, and gave her the book (Julie was now a young lady with a college degree). Anyway, with all that background, here is a copy of the email she sent us after we saw her and gave her The Stranger.

I wanted to let you know that I have started reading The Stranger book and am loving it. As a matter of fact, I am almost finished. This was exactly the book I was looking for. I know that I am reading it so fast that I will have to calm down and read it again when I’m finished...Everything is so laid out and, then at the end, [the author] goes back for a summary on how everything that God said, from his warning about sin resulting in death to Jesus dying on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice, relates to the big picture.

I really like the pictures, too. I know that may sound funny but the picture of the gulf between God and man as a result of sin that is shown repeatedly throughout the book is very helpful. It keeps all the attempts that man has made to bridge that gap on his own very clear for the reader and helps to show the shortcomings of man. I also like the excitement and energy that the book conveys. Even though I knew the story, when [it was] laid out that plainly, my heart was racing. And then when [I read that] God sent His only Son to die for our sins, I almost leapt out of my chair. I wanted to jump into the book and tell all the confused people that they should be having a massive celebration. Maybe I get too excited when I read, I don’t know. Again, thank you.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

What Next?

  • We often hear stories of how peoples' lives are being changed through the use of our materials. If you'd like, here are some more stories.
  • To learn more about the book that helped change Julie's life, check out The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.