Its our last night in Peru, and we have had cake and parties at just about everyones house we have visited today. Tears have been shed, and memories reminisced of all the things the Holy Spirit has done in the short month we have been here. We have hung out with the teens from the church and had a good time goofing off before we head out to Bolivia tomorrow. I and some teammates have thought about the money we have had to pay to come on this trip and wonder if the money could have been used better than sending me overseas. Is having to raise all this money worth it? Is a month in one place worth the time to spend with people, and do we actually make a difference?
Sitting in our room with the lights off, we are nearing bed time, just kind of joking with one another about things of the day, and out of nowhere comes in Cristian, one of the teens who lives in the house with us. Yeah, he has hung out with us all month, but he has kind of sat in the background and observed us. Hes not a super outgoing guy. But his heart is big, and its loving. So sitting in our dark room, Cristian is asking in Spanish if he can come in. He says some other things after he enters, and we dont completely understand everything he is saying, but after a minute, he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and asks us to listen. We have no idea whats about to happen, but in this moment, all our questions were answered. This is what his letter said:
“I have a few words to say to you first. I want to thank God for the good and wonderful it is to me. I want to thank you for teaching me many things in his presence in my house. It has been a great blessing in my life. His happiness, His presence in my house to serve God gives me strength to follow God’s ways and never away from him with all my heart. I want to ask pray for my life to help me be a good son of God, to seek His righteousness and fear with each passing day. I pray for I have a relationship with God. I want to get away from the world and the things I offer be a good son. God wants me to preach His word. Your Spirit has given me strength to endure the trials and show me the true path i must follow.
My family is not Christian. My gramma is Christian. My mother, brothers, my uncle, my nephews are not. I ask you please pray for them that God will touch their hearts and accept Jesus Christ as their only Savior and King, and help me be a light on my family and in every place where I am.
I wish one day my whole family accept Jesus Christ because it is a little difficult for me to handle but God tells me I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. So i ask you to pray for my family life and my life to have a real relationship with God.
Thanks for the times we have spent together. Will never forget you always carry in my heart and I hope you do not forget to think of me because when i felt sad for you family probelms with your happiness and your presence relaxes me and filled me with joy. I am grateful to God for the joy to meet you. Thanks for everything. God bless you today and always.”
In a time of reflection when we think that a month in one place, not a lot of things can be done, and we cant really make a huge difference can we? Cristian walked in to a room full of Americans, took time to translate that entire letter in to English so we can understand, and reading it to us through tears, being completely humbled, shows that the Holy Spirit really can work through any situation. Through any amount of interaction we have with people. This was seriously the first time I have heard Cristian say anything to us besides, “I love you so much its stupid”, which we obviously taught him to say.
I am truly humbled and in awe of God that He used us and gave us the honor of such a request from a man with such a yearning for his family to know Christ, not for his sake, but because he wants them to experience the Love he does….
