Hey everyone! So I haven’t written a blog in a while and a lot has changed since then. Due to funds and passport issues I am deferring to a later departure date which will be January 2016! I will have a new route to travel which consists of, Nicaragua, Honduras, Bolivia, Chile, Coata Rica, Serbia, Kosovo, Romania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda! I’m so excited to bring the love of Jesus to these countries and to their people! God is already doing things here and it’s really really cool to be a part of. I’ll share just one testimony. It’s kind of long so please bare with me haha so Romans 1:16 had taken on a whole new meaning for me. It says “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” And last year I met Jesus In a way that the reality of that verse changed my life forever. Ever since that moment I see the number 116 at least 10-20 times a day. It’s really weird and awesome to have daily reminders like that from my Father. Anyways, a couple months back I was going in to an Albertsons supermarket to get some pens to write addresses on my support letters when a man named Ray approached me and asked if I had any money I could spare. I told him I had no cash but I would be right back out. I go inside and get my pens and some cash back. When I come out Ray is sitting on a curb, It’s probably around 90 degrees out, and the Lord tells me “don’t just give him the money. I want you to sit down and listen”. And I’m like really God? It’s 90 degrees. So I sit next to Ray and ask him “what’s going on?” He begins to share how life’s been difficult and he has some disabilities, but every day he walks around asking for money to keep him and his wife in a hotel, until they can get help from the state. And quite honestly, through his whole story, a part of me didn’t believe him, but at this point his wife calls him and is hungry so We walk over to subway and he continues to tell me about her and about his life. So I said “hey man, let’s go over to the hotel and I’ll get you your room for the night.” The smile on his face was worth every minute I spent in that hot sun haha so we’re walking to the car and he’s basically skipping and praising God. On the way to the hotel were talking about the love of God and how God will always provide. It was amazing! We get to his hotel, his wife is there waiting, I pay for the hotel, we hug and exchange numbers and off I went. As amazing as it was the story doesn’t end there! So ever since that day Ray continues to call me to see how I’m doing and the check up on me. He’s a really good guy. One Sunday night he calls me while I’m at church and explains how he’s been out all day and he hasn’t been able to get the money for his hotel. When I got off the phone with him I immediately began asking God so many questions “what do i do? I have to save money.” “Should I get this guy his hotel again?” God said to me “let’s take a walk”. So I left church and began to walk around and found a nice grass hill where I climbed to the top and sat down. There God began to speak to me about how much he loved me. How he has always provided me with a place to stay, how he’s made his home in me, and how He’s given me an eternal home. Right then he spoke to me “give this man a place to stay.” Immediately I got up and headed straight for the hotel. By this time it was pretty late, and I had a friend with me who needed to be up early for work, so I offered to drop him off before I went, but he insisted on coming with. By the time we get to the hotel it’s around midnight. My friend is actually very familiar with this hotel and tells me about a story that happened in one of the hotel rooms before he was a Christian. It was something he was very ashamed of. After he shows me what room it was we head to the lobby to meet Ray and to pay for the room. Ray is there and the clerk asks what the room number. Ray immediately responds 116. I wasn’t even suprised. In my heart I just thanked God, because he’s always so good haha afterwards Ray invites us into his room to meet his wife. We walk to room 116 and it’s the very room my friend showed me! In that moment I got to see 116 the power of God in action! This looked so much like peters story to me. You see Peter had a very shameful past. I think his biggest failure might have been in the high priest courtyard when he denied Jesus to a little servant girl. But peters story didnt end there. Jesus restores Peter on the shoreline and after encountering the love of God, God brings Peter back to the very same courtyard to proclaim Jesus to the very people that had Jesus crucified! You see, in my friends story, one of his greatest failures happened in that room, but the power of the gospel transformed his life and he found himself back in room 116, loving people and doing the will of God! God is amazing! And his redemptive power is amazing! Imagine how much more exciting life would be if we just stopped to love people! You’re obedience could change the life of not only the person you reach out to, but even people around you!
God bless you all!
Kyle
