t was a typical rainy November day in the U.K., and I had to travel to Newport, a town I had never visited before, to fill out paperwork for a new passport. I typed the address of the passport office into my GPS, and, to my surprise, it couldn’t be found. Now what should I do? If I arrived late, I would miss my appointment. I was in the U.K. only for a short stay, and I didn’t have time to reschedule. I asked the Lord for help and guidance and gave my predicament to Him to sort out.

I set out for Newport early, trusting the Lord would direct my search. Entering Newport, I followed signs to a car park, where I left my car. My appointment would begin in 90 minutes. I sent up another prayer asking the Lord for help and guidance in this unfamiliar town, ending with, “Let your will be done. Amen.”

Outside the car park, I asked someone where the passport office was. “Just walk straight down this road about 300 yards, turn right, and it’s there on the right.” Praise the Lord! Now what should I do for the next hour and a half? The weather was cold and wet, so I decided to warm up with a hot drink. I found a cozy-looking café and was soon seated with a hot drink in front of me. Two ladies were in the café. One was behind the counter serving, and the other seemed to be her friend. We soon fell into conversation, and they asked me what I did for a living. What an opportunity! “Lord, please give me the right words to speak,” I quickly prayed.

The server’s friend said she was a Baptist and was interested in religion, so I began talking about some of the things we had in common and then moved on to some of the differences. “Why are you a Christian, and why a Seventh-day Adventist?” she asked. I shared a little of my personal story with her—my time away from God and how He drew me back, my search for a church despite the fact I had been raised a Seventh-day Adventist, my reasons for choosing Adventism, and why I love Jesus and want to serve Him. At the end of the conversation, she said, “That sounds interesting. When I return to London, I’ll have to visit an Adventist church and see what it’s like.”

As I left the café, I thanked the Lord for providing me with this opportunity. I am reminded of what Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

More blessings were in store for me that day. My interview at the passport office went well, and I learned that, for a small fee, I could have my new passport in four hours instead of the usual seven days. This was totally unexpected, as I had been told previously that I did not qualify for the fast-track passport. As I began my return drive, the rain stopped. Yet another reason to praise God!