On a recent Saturday night in Phoenix, a group of e3 missionaries gathered college students for something simple but intentional: learning how to share the Gospel and make disciples. They spent the evening talking through how to clearly explain the good news of Jesus, practicing with one another, and encouraging each other to be bold.
When the training wrapped up, they moved into a time of worship that lasted for hours.
By the time they headed out, it was late.
“All of a sudden we’re all craving ice cream, and one of the only places open for ice cream that late at night is In-N-Out,” said Hannah, one of the students. “It’s so funny the way God leads us to do things.”
What seemed like a normal late-night stop for milkshakes didn’t stay normal for long.
As the group of students and missionaries entered the restaurant, one of Hannah’s friends, Ian, felt an unmistakable nudge from the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t subtle. And it definitely wasn’t comfortable. The prompting was clear: Stand on a table and share the Gospel.
It was one of those moments where you have a choice – explain it away or step out in obedience.
He chose obedience.
He climbed onto a table and began sharing about Jesus with a restaurant full of strangers. Conversations slowed. People turned and stared. He spoke about Christ’s love, His sacrifice on the cross, and the invitation to repent and receive new life. It was bold. Public. Unpolished. Completely sincere.
When he stepped down, the noise of the restaurant slowly returned. Orders were called. Fries were passed across tables. It looked like everything had gone back to normal.
But God wasn’t finished.
While Hannah was praying for those who had just heard the Gospel, she felt her own quiet prompting. Go talk to that young man and his girlfriend – the ones who were listening.
“Immediately God highlighted this couple on the other side of the room,” Hannah said. “So I went up to them in faith and I said, ‘Hey, you guys just stick out to me from God. Do you know Him?”
Hannah asked their names, and the man said his name was Gabriel.
“I felt the Lord say, ‘He’s anointed as my messenger,’” Hannah said. “And I was like … whoa.”
So Hannah shared more with the couple about sin, repentance, and the grace of Jesus. As she spoke, something began to shift in their hearts.
Right there, in the middle of In-N-Out, Gabriel and his girlfriend committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
“Gabriel said, ‘My whole life, my mom has been telling me about Jesus, but honestly, it’s never really clicked until now,’” Hannah said.
Gabriel was overwhelmed. Almost immediately, he pulled out his phone and called his mom.
“Mom,” he said, “I just gave my life to Jesus.”
There was silence on the other end – and then emotion. His mom asked to speak to the person who had shared with him. Gabriel handed the phone to Hannah.
“I get on the phone, and she is weeping,” Hannah said, “And the mom said, ‘Honey, I know I don’t know who you are, but I need to tell you the significance of what just happened. From the moment Gabriel was born, the Lord told me to pray for him because He’s anointed him as a messenger. But he was so stubborn growing up. And the Lord would tell me that he was soon going to use his stubbornness for the Kingdom when he gets saved, and it’s actually a gift. So I took heart and I endured, but I’ve been praying for him his whole life that he would get saved.’”
She explained that, just one week earlier, God had called her into a seven-day fast – specifically to pray for her son’s salvation. During that week, she sensed the Lord tell her that at the end of seven days, “It will be completed.”
That Saturday night, in the middle of a busy burger restaurant, was day seven.
What started as a training session and a late-night snack became something no one could have planned: a bold step of obedience, an answer to a faithful mother’s persistent prayer, and a God who keeps His promises right on time.
Hannah’s advice after the experience? Lean into the fact that sharing the Gospel and making disciples should be our lifestyle, not just a part of our lives.
“The command is, ‘Therefore, as you go, make disciples,’ not, ‘Okay, this is my hour this week to make disciples,’” Hannah said, “Just as you go throughout your day, be attentive to the Lord’s eyes for people.”