October 6th
Kelsey was craving piña colada and I, like a good sister in Christ, did not stop her from receiving that heavenly drink. So after an unsuccessful try at the juice place across the street from our hotel I was dead sure there were piña coladas on the beach.
So we went.
Walked a little.
Bumped into Jose ,the man desperately trying to convince me to go on a tour around the island for a “good deal”. Passed by a wedding photoshoot and eventually got persuaded by a waiter at a restaurant to come in.
Immediately I asked if they had the God sent beverage we had been in search of and took a seat. We ordered papá fritas (French fries) and the drink.
While waiting for our order we were flooded by wave after wave of random people coming up to us trying to sell us anything and everything, cd’s, roses, sunglasses, the same bracelets and necklaces (probably) 9 times, massages, drugs, tours, braids, etc. The food finally came and we were thoroughly enjoying life, eating fries, sippin on that piña and marveling at our ocean front view.
I asked Kelsey if she was down to pursue the next person that walks by and pray for them and as the amazing woman of God she is, she was all in. A man passed by and I was wayyyy to afraid to say something.
The second man crawled past us.
Kelsey felt a major conviction by the Holy Spirit to talk to this man, so I called him over. He was quite happy we noticed him and called him over. We introduced ourselves and asked what his name is. Pepe de la playa was his response, I obviously asked again to make sure I heard that right “Pepe of the beach”
What a cool name, I am truly jealous.
There were some awkward pauses of silence but we got to know some solid facts about him. He is 28, has brothers and sisters, lives just down there *points to the right*, was born with his condition, likes the beach, doesn’t have any pain & is friends with all the people selling things on the beach.
At some point he asked for money because he was hungry. I offered him my fries but he said no thank you. I then proceed to put my plate of fries on the ground and sit down with him because I know for a fact EVERYONE loves fries. Looking at the beach I told Pepe how God made all of this, He is the one who told the ocean where to stop and how many grains of sand there are and with all those things God has made he looks at Pepe and sees him as important.
Psalm 104
5-9
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you have assigned them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
25-28
There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
He smiled and shrugged it off.
Kelsey proceeded to tell him that he is a son of the God of all creation. Just trying to enlighten him on how loved he is.
At the end we prayed for him and at the beginning of talking to him I was hesitant to give him money but I reminded myself to stop rationalizing out of giving and to BE GENEROUS
Gave him the change of pesos I had from paying for our food and said “dios te bendiga” and went on our way.
I want to walk in the Spirit so much so that it becomes first nature and come to a point where I don’t know how not to walk without the Spirit. I felt an overwhelming peace walking away. Full with the Lord’s joy from doing His work.
