Meet Everth.
When I met Aurora Maria in Granada, I thought I saw God’s heart. It wasn’t until I met Everth in a remote village that I realized that the heart of God is much more than I could imagine.
The first time I saw Everth, he was playing in the street with some other children. He had what I thought was a toy – a stick with a wheel at the end that he pushed in front of him. I then came to understand that it served as a walking stick for him. Everth is autisic and along with that, his vision and hearing are impaired. As we made our rounds visiting houses that afternoon, I kept thinking of the child I saw in the street. It was time to get back on the truck but I couldn’t leave without praying for this child. I didn’t care if the truck left or everyone was yelling at me to come on. A few friends and I stopped and prayed for him. He was so restless and I’m surprised that he let me pray for him but when I put my hands on him I was overcome with the Holy Spirit and he became so calm.
Someone asked me recently what my dream was. If you would’ve asked me a year or so ago, I’d probably tell you that my dream is to do the mission work that God laid on my heart when I was young. Well, thanks be to God that He’s fulfilled that – and in a way that I could never imagine! It’s still surreal. But that day, I answered with this: My dream is to walk side by side with the Holy Spirit and see miracles and healings. To be a vessel that has confidence in the authority of the Holy Spirit and can hear and obey the voice of God when He says to move. I thought I’d see that when I prayed for Everth that humid Wednesday afternoon on a dirt road in Nicaragua – miraculous healing. Although it may not have been what I hoped or pictured, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God healed something inside of Everth that day.
Leaving: the hardest part of the race. 11 months, 11 times we say goodbye. But really, more than that. One of the hardest aspects of mission work can be having these encounters and knowing that you probably won’t ever see someone again. I left that day believing that I would never see Everth again. I would never know the fruit of what God did in him that day. Since, God has given me peace and shown me that He works in ways that we don’t understand. Our moments, our experiences, our encounters are only pieces of the tapestry but He sees the finished work.
“God’s will throughout history is like a tapestry. We are underneath looking up & all the random threads tied in knots and snarls don’t make sense to us. We can’t see the tapestry of history like God sees it. From His perspective it tells the story of His love & pain for mankind from the beginning of time.”
Nevertheless, my heart and spirit weighed heavy for Everth as our truck drove away that afternoon. God continued to break my heart for what breaks His.
((BTW –> Luckily, our schedule changed unexpectedly and a week later we returned to that same village. I got to spend time playing with Everth and snapped some photos with him.)) =D
Over the last few weeks, I’ve struggled with processing the injustice of this world. Last night, as I spent some time with the Lord, He showed me that there is sorrow, pain, death, brokenness, and mourning in this world. But there is also dancing, even if it’s a piece of the tapestry we never see.
“Life & death are not respecters of each other. Mourning & dancing – they don’t always take turns… While people celebrate weddings and first steps, and the sweetness of life, the broken world begins to break our hearts, sometimes at the very same time. The tension is there – wondering when to celebrate and when to cry. Often the best thing we can do is acknowledge that tension and do both, seeking the Lord as we navigate the complexities of this world.
We must never stop mourning brokenness.
It is right to mourn.
And we must never cease to celebrate life and beauty.
It is right to dance.
Because of Christ, life comes from death.
Because of Christ, we will dance again.
‘I assure you: You will weep & wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.’
-John 16:20 “
It’s ok to be righteously angry with the injustices of this world. To wonder why the governments don’t care more about their people to fix these injustices that contribute to poverty. It’s ok to mourn the brokenness of this world.
Just remember that the gifts of wholeness, healing, and joy are right around the corner & they’ll be here in God’s timing. It’s sooner than we know.
The purpose of this blog is not to solicit donations but I do have to let you all know, I am in need of support! If you have thought or prayed about donating, please consider doing so this holiday season. I am already past my deadline of $13,000 by November 30th. The deadline has been extended until December 30th but I also have the full amount of $15,651 due a month later on January 31st. Patiently waiting and trusting in the Lord. Thanks for all your support, love, and prayers!! <3
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