I’m currently leaving Nicaragua with Marlin’s unforgettable smile forever burnt in my mind, as he waves goodbye from a huge yellow school bus that pulls away from the beach. Being our last day spent together, the expression on his face communicates an eternal look of deep love and gratefulness that could never fully be captured in words. It was a moment of God’s supernatural love that will forever remain in my heart. To be honest, it’s one of the few things giving me enough strength to leave Nicaragua and move forward from the beautiful relationships we have built while being here.
Marlin has since been drawn to us and us to him. He’s been spending the night outside guarding our clinic with the other boys as we joke about, “How is it that the thief is now also one of our security guards?!” He spent part of a Saturday hanging out at our girls kickball game; he began sitting at the back of some of the church services, and on most days if we walked outside there we’d find him waiting to just be with people. Since the stealing incident Marlin has become “my boy,” as God has heavily burdened my heart for this broken teen. I’ve felt led to deeply invest in his life through praying for him, speaking life to him, and showing him forgiveness and love not only in words but action. God gave me eyes to see him not as the person that he was currently, but as the person God already sees him as and the one He wants to transform him into.
Four nights ago at a youth service, this desire became a reality (it still chokes me up to think about). Linda, our ministry contact, who has also been deeply investing in Marlin’s life for months spent some time talking with him. A couple weeks prior she had shared Jesus with him, but he wasn’t ready. He left that day feeling “bad,” so he turned around to go back and find her but she had already left. When she left it was for a couple of weeks to the States and during this time Marlin went on a downward spiral (including the stealing incident with us). This night he shared with Linda that he didn’t expect to be forgiven and accepted through all of this as he has been, and he’s now ready to become a Christian. So, after praying with her he got up in front of about 150 youth and shared the decision that he had made. Our kids who had recently been baptized rallied around him, celebrating with him as they hugged him and powerfully prayed over him.
As if that weren’t enough?! The very next day was our final day to spend with the youth before leaving Nicaragua. As we met them at the beach we celebrated both Marlin and Lindsay’s birthdays, but also his new life in Christ as he got baptized (along with 3 others unexpectedly) in a large river that flowed into the ocean. As Marlin and I walked towards the beach right before his baptism, he shared with me how he wanted to do what our team was doing. With his Spanish accent he said, “Pastor” and I realized the Lord has a strong calling
on his life and wants to use him in very influential ways within his community.
As I glance at the words from a bracelet Marlin used to wear but had given me it reads, “Soldier of God.” Only the depths of Christ’s grace and love could truly transform this 14 year old gang banger, who was previously feared in Candelaria as a result of a very broken past, into this “Soldier of God” with a new heart.
*”But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” 1 John 2:20
