Sunday, September 23 was the first time I had an encounter with Peter.
Caley, Kimberly, and I had gone to get WiFi and afterwards we stopped at the Pick-n-Pay, a local grocery store. There we were picking up food for the next day.
I picked out a potato, onion, and banana and went to get them weighed. One of the workers took them from me and weighed them for me.
I looked at his name tag and he gave them back to me.
“Thanks Peter!” I said with a smile and then went on my merry way to do some more grocery shopping.
Monday, September 24, our off day.
The girls and I hit up the same WiFi spot because where we are there’s really only one place. As the day goes on I slowly drank away my water bottle #HydrateorDiedrate and I go back to the Pick-n-Pay to get a water.
As I walk in Peter waves at me and asks me how I’m doing. I respond with a “great,” and ask him the same. Then I got a water and checked out.
As I left the store I kept looking back to wave goodbye to him but he wouldn’t look in my direction, so I kept walking.
I kept walking until I heard that still, small voice telling me to go back and talk to him.
“Tell him I love him,” the Lord said to me.
So I went back.
When I entered into the store I quickly saw him as he was looking at some frozen fish sticks. I stood back but he caught a glimpse of me.
“You want some fish?” He asked.
I chuckled and said no and then introduced myself. I told him that my friends and I are here because of Jesus. I told him the Lord had moved so much in our lives that we were traveling the world to tell others about Him.
I told him that as I was leaving the Lord told me to come back and talk to him. I told him that God loves him, no matter what has happened or what he has done. I told him God just wants a relationship with him.
“I don’t know if you have a relationship with Jesus, but I know He loves you,” I said.
“I used to when I was younger. I went to church but I haven’t gone in a long time,” Peter replied.
“Would you like to receive Him again today?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered, “but I don’t know how that would work since I used to have a relationship with Him but now I don’t.”
I told him a bit of my story. About how I had done something similar. About how I knew God wanted a relationship with me, but instead chose the way of the world. About how once I realized what I had done and turned back to the Lord, He accepted me with open arms.
I told him the story of the prodigal son. About how the mans son had gone away from him and squandered his inheritance. About how the son quickly realized that even the servants of his father had it better off than he did. About how he came back to his father, and though he was a long way off, his father ran to him. About how his father rejoiced, welcomed him back as a son, and threw a huge celebration because his son had finally returned home. (See Luke 15:11-32)
All of these words that the Lord was speaking to him were hitting his heart so deeply. He listened intently and got a little misty eyed.
“I want to receive Him again,” Peter said.
With great joy I prayed for him and then helped him receive Jesus into his life again.
Peter was all smiles. He kept telling me how happy he was.
“I don’t know how to express to you how much this means to me,” he told me.
I asked him if he had a bible.
“No,” he said.
I invited him to church and he was thrilled. I remembered that they had bibles at the Pick-n-Pay so I said, “Let’s go, I’m gonna buy you a bible.”
So we went. I helped him pick it out and he was ecstatic. We walked down the isle as he told me, “I need to write this in my journal, this is the best day of my life!”
We checked out and I walked with him back to his station. I told him God was so excited for him. I told him the Lord loved him so much that he literally chased him down. I told him there was a big party going on up in heaven because he had finally returned to his Father.
I told him I was excited to see him on Sunday at church and said goodbye.
As I walked back to the girls I praised the Lord, because our God is just that good.
He literally chases us down and fights until we are found.
The Lord saved Peter that day. He took all of his mistakes and washed him clean. He made him a new man and a son.
He used His still, small voice and a girl who is vastly out of her element in Zambia to tell His son He loves him. How precious our God is.
Listen to His voice, my dear friends, you never know when the Lord may use you to draw someone to Him.
In a world that seems so dark, be the light.
With great love,
Chels
