FRANCE — Lucie walked into the small church, timid and unsure what to do. She had never been in a Protestant church before.

Several students her age noticed her and, after the service, invited her to a lunch at the home of Crossworld workers Bryan and Carly. Despite being new and shy, she gladly accepted the invitation.

“Tell us about yourself, Lucie,” Carly said over lunch.

“I grew up in the south of France and moved to Paris two years ago to study music at university. My friend from school told me about your church.”

When it was time to leave that evening, Bryan invited Lucie back for their small group gathering later in the week.

A few days later, 10 believers — with Lucie among them — gathered around Bryan and Carly’s table for dinner and a discussion. One of the leaders shared from Psalm 23 and then invited the group to pray together.

Suddenly Lucie burst into tears.

“What’s wrong, Lucie?” someone asked.

Lucie wiped away tears as she began to tell her story.

“I grew up in an atheist home, but my grandmother is Catholic and I always wanted to believe in God like she did,” Lucie said. “When I came to Paris, I decided to buy a Bible even though I knew my parents wouldn’t be happy. I started reading it every day — I couldn’t get enough. God opened my eyes to believe what it says about Jesus.”

One of the women at the table put her arm around Lucie and urged her to continue.

“I wanted to find others who were following God too, so I visited a few churches near my house but my spirit just didn’t feel right. What I was seeing in these churches didn’t line up with what I was reading in the Bible. Then a friend suggested this church, and you all are different. This is what my soul has been looking for.”

With tears glistening her eyes again, she said, “For so long I’ve felt like an ember burning alone. I finally found a fire.”

Lucie’s spiritual ember has burst into flame over the past few months. She reads the Bible with Carly each week and shows up to every church event. She’s growing deep in her faith but not keeping it to herself — she has already invited other friends to church and is sharing the gospel with her atheist family, despite the mockery she receives in return.

Would you pray for Lucie and for her courage to inspire other believers in the church to live with the same boldness for Christ?

The people in this story are real, but some names have been changed to protect their privacy.