Before arriving I was anxious. I know, the Bible says “Do not be anxious about anything” in Philippians 4. Trust me, I obeyed the rest of that verse before coming: “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” I prayed and prayed and asked many of you to pray for us. I was battling anxiety because I was worried my kids would struggle with food they didn’t like, living accommodations they weren’t used to and hanging out with kids they couldn’t understand and that couldn't understand them. I worried about the schedule being taxing on Kristi and the girls, especially the 4-5 hour trip to the Bri Bris. I wondered if I could communicate effectively through an interpreter. Would I connect with the church members? All of these things were running through my mind before leaving. Thankfully, the Estradas (Jose Luis and Elizabeth and their 2 children Vanessa [11] and Jose Carlos [7]) have been incredible hosts. The 4 of them slept in one room so that Hannah & Ella Grace could have a room, and so that Kristi and I could have a room. So even though this has been an obvious inconvenience for them, they haven’t shown it one bit. They exemplify 1 Peter 4:9: “Offer hospitality to one anther without grumbling.”
The day we went to share our faith was truly encouraging. Although I must admit, that was another thing I was anxious about before coming. “Am I going to be effective walking up to complete strangers and inviting them to church?” So, off we went. Jose Luis and I paired up and I just walked up to a guy in his 20s, and asked him if he spoke English. He said a little. So I told him, in Spanish, that I wanted to invite him to my church. He didn’t blow me off. At that point, I gestured over to Jose Luis who began speaking to him in Spanish (whew!). It turns out the dude’s name was Jefferson:) When I told him my name was Jeff, he smiled. We got his phone number, and we kept on going. My heart was racing a bit, but I got into my “groove” pretty quickly. Soon after Jose Carlos and his friend Daniel Alonso joined us. I thought “I wonder how this is going to be.” Let me tell you what, those two kids were like modern-day Paul and Silas! They went up to folks unabashedly and preached! Here’s how it went down with one guy they approached:
Jose Carlos: Hello! We want you to come to our church. If you get baptized you can have a new life in Jesus.
Daniel: Yes, I want to read you a Scripture. (He reads Jeremiah 29:11 that is printed on the invitation cards).
They hand the man the invitation, and then Jose Luis and I come over to talk to the man. Unbelievable. Totally blew me away that these two 7 year olds were that bold and convincing.
After getting ignored, getting in some decent conversations, and everything in between, Jose Carlos needed to go to el baño. I told Jose Luis, “well, I guess the Holy Spirit is moving us to another area to meet people.” So we go and take care of Jose Carlos, and we start sharing again. While Jose Luis is inviting someone, I noticed a 20-something guy and I approached him. He spoke a little English (Amen!) and we seemed to have a good vibe between us. Jose Luis came over and got him speaking more and he said, “Just before you approached me I was thinking about God.” Wow! How name was Bernie, and he said he was very interested in coming to church. Soon after we met up with the rest of the team and heard many encouraging stories. I was especially grateful to hear Kristi was a “spiritual force” using her Spanish, Hannah was a huge help and outgoing; and Lin said Ella Grace even cried with a woman who began crying while sharing her story. Prayers were being answered!
The next morning, we woke up and got ready for church. I was at the table in the kitchen with Jose Luis when his phone rang. It was Bernie! He needed more directions. Bernie made it to church and we pray he will begin studying the Bible this week. It’s encouraging to see how God has allowed me to experience all of that verse in Philippians, as now I am a holding on to: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I have so much more to share…..perhaps I’ll write another one later tonight. Along with the Mackenzies, we’ve had some really great talks with some of the leaders, Hannah had a minor injury, a boy shared at dinner last night that he is teaching EG some Spanish (hmmmm….) and Kristi is getting ready to teach the older girls some Zumba. Bible studies are happening with kids at the camp, and I’m sure you’ll hear more from the camp counselors about the impact the camp is having. So please pray!! And please forward the link to the blog to people in your family groups. We really need prayer!! We’re getting with some leaders tonight, so pray for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully!! Gracias!!