EV in the Classroom...

This happened a few weeks ago and I thought since I have nothing else to blog about I'll share it with you now. So, five days a week I go to class for 3.5 hours. In my class is mostly other Asian students from many different places but there are also a few other Americans, a Frenchman, a German and a Canadian. This scenario took place during a party (that I had no previous knowledge of or I wouldn't have been there) between me, David, Patrick the Canadian and Thomas the German.
First, to preface this story, Patrick is a very good looking, cigarette smoking, not afraid to say the F-word in front of a lady sort of guy. Thomas is a little socially awkward, has bad teeth, laughs obnoxiously but has a good heart. Ok, the story...
So, the four of us were talking about this and that and somehow the topic of movies came up. Patrick (trying to be the cultural bridge) asked Thomas if he had ever seen Titanic. Titanic is known by all over here (Asian and Westerner alike) so it wasn't surprising when Thomas answered with an enthusiastic "yes"! David then started asking questions about the movie. The conversation progressed and then Patrick was asked if he'd ever seen it. He answered, "There are two movies I will never see: Titanic and Passion of the Christ." Stunned, I didn't know what to say. I knew he was pretty anti-Christian from other comments he has made all year, but I was surprised he answered the way he did. I think I replied with, "Really? Why's that?" But never got my question answered because immediately Thomas started talking about Passion of the Christ. He asked me if I'd seen it and then started talking about all the medical reasons the film was correct (or something like that, I couldn't really understand him). Patrick started to lose interest, but I think he was staying in the conversation to see my response. Luckily, David distracted Patrick and Thomas continued to tell me about the filmography. Then, out of nowhere, Thomas started sharing the Gospel with me. Not the storyline of the film, but why Jesus had to die and how we can become Christians if we put our faith in Him. I let him share for about two minutes and added little comments of "oh, really?" and "interesting" here and there. It was hard because I wasn't sure how I was to proceed in this conversation. Do I tell him I'm a Christian and risk my "undercover identity"? Do I change the subject? Do I tell him I don't want to talk about it? Do I pretend I have never heard the Gospel before and let him continue to share with me?
My mind was racing. It's so hard over here, especially with foreigners, because your lifestyle is so different. My first impulse is to say, "I'm a Christian too!" But you can't always do that in EA. In some places foreigners are the ones who turn you in. And even though just saying "I'm a Christian" isn't bad, it can lead to other questions you don't want to answer. As I'm thinking over all the possible responses in my head, Thomas pauses and nods. As if to say, "Well, what do you think?" Obviously, Thomas is a Christian however Patrick has now started listening in again and is watching me waiting for my answer. I quickly decide that Patrick is not worth the risk, and I change the subject by replying, "Oh, that's interesting. Do you like other American movies?"
Lord, bless Thomas for sharing with me...help me to show him Your love so that he might encouraged through me as I was through him.