Every week we get an adventure day. It’s great because we usually find ourselves in a beautiful nook hidden from the world or something with a majestic view. We spend the day exploring then come home and relax before we start back ministry the next day. And I thought this past Saturday would be just that but the Lord had something so much better in store.
Our team woke up at the crack of dawn to hop on a bus that would take us to a hot springs waterfall a few hours away. It was a beautiful oasis hidden behind a little village in Atiquizaya, El Salvador. Afterwards, we got to explore a small town called Ataco (unfortunately we ate zero tacos while we were here).
After being in the sun all day we were all exhausted when we got home. Everything was pretty quiet around the house. Some of us were already in bed watching movies or reading, we all thought the day was over. But we still had more…
*pause as I give some backstory to continue this blog*
The Thursday prior to this Saturday we went to the girls Juvy like we do every Thursday. This time another team that’s here for a week from Pennsylvania joined us. The group was all high school juniors and seniors. Their leader got to talking with us and asked for us to come over sometime to share our testimonies with them before they had to head back home. We hadn’t worked out the details of when that would be, but the last thing we said was that maybe we could make it work on Sunday.
*now, let’s go back to the quiet house where we thought the day was over*
As I was laying in bed watching a movie with my pal, Mal, I texted our host to see if Sunday still worked. My WiFi is in and out a lot here and it hadn’t been working for a few while after I sent that message. Then it connected again and I had 4 messages saying, “hey, tonight is the only night that works for them, I’m dropping stuff off at the warehouse (our house) and will pick you up.”
So immediately I jumped up and found the whole team letting them know things changed and if they wanted to go they needed to get out of their pajamas and get ready because I had no idea how soon they would be there. [you learn to be real flexible on the race!] within a few minutes we were out the door and headed to the mission house on the back of the truck.
The team from Pennsylvania was all gathered and 4 of 6 members of my team came to share our testimonies. It was neat to get to pour into these high schoolers because I loved doing that back in the states. Also, it’s always nice talking with English speakers and not having your brain work 10Xs harder to translate. After we finished, the other group was heading out the door to hand out food to the homeless. They invited us and we agreed to join not knowing what we were getting ourselves into.
We all squeezed into the back of a truck with boxes and bags full of food. I sat down next to my two new friends from Pennsylvania, Leah and Logan (apparently my Penn Twin) and immediately they started giving me a heads up on what all we are about to see. I’ve seen homeless people many times before so I thought my heart was prepared for what was coming.
At first it was one person here and another there. But we turned the corner onto a dark street and all ages started running towards the truck. I watched as they ran off with their food and the kids marveled at a soda in their bag like it was Christmas. And one man was desperate for clothes and I got to tell him there was a shirt in the bag he just received. The joy that filled his face was beautiful. A shirt, like the 50 I have back at home brought so much happiness to this man. It broke me and took all that I had to not completely lose it on the back of that truck.
Logan, Leah and I had been talking a lot throughout the drive. And all of a sudden at one of the stops Leah noticed a homeless woman and began calling out to her by name. I wondered how she knew her and Logan immediately filled me in on the story and it was amazing. It was such a beautiful moment to be a part of and I wanted to share with y’all! Leah was so kind to write it all out for me to share in my blog. So take a read, it’s so cool!
So my first time in El Salvador was this July of 2018. I had just graduated high school and I was so excited to go and share my faith with the world. Growing up my dad was a youth pastor so I was brought up in a Christian home. On this particular mission trip we had built a house, fed a community, visited orphanages, special needs centers and detention centers, as well as fed the homeless on 3 occasions. When I had left, my dad had one request of me. He said, “I want you to pray over a homeless person. Ask them first if you can pray for them, if they say yes, ask their name, and continue to pray for blessings and a breakthrough in their life.”
When we would go out to feed the homeless, we would pack bags of food that contained a sandwich, an apple, a can of soda, cookies, and chips. We would sit in the back of a truck and drive around the streets of El Salvador. On our second time feeding, at a particular spot I had came across a woman named Los. She was so vibrant and happy despite the situation she was in. When I handed her the bag she was so grateful and continued by saying “God bless you”. I had decided that she would be the specific person I would pray for. I did what my dad asked, I asked her first if I could pray for her, and asked her name, but as I started my prayer, the truck drove away because the driver didn’t realize I was praying.
For whatever reason I was so heartbroken, I had really wanted to pray over this woman and I was not able to. I kept my hopes up for the last time we would go out to feed, since she had been at the same place in the two previous feedings. It was pouring down rain and when we came to her stop, Los was not there. I had prayed that maybe she found a better place or somewhere out of the rain, but I couldn’t help but think the worst. I cried so hard that night. As I made my way back to the states, Los remained on my mind. I started my first semester of college and during that I prayed for her all of the time.
I was blessed enough to come back to El Salvador over Christmas break. We flew in on Christmas Eve, and our first feeding was the 26th. I sat on the side of the truck that I usually did, in hope of seeing her. Her stop went by and I didn’t see her. I lost it. That night was really hard for me. I had spent six months praying over her and she still wasn’t there. I had prayed after that, that she had found something better. The second feeding went by and still no Los. By the third feeding of the trip I had completely lost hope. It was a needle in a haystack. So I had sat on the opposite side of the truck for the first time. We went by her stop and she wasn’t there. I was upset, but I had expected it. But about a mile down the road, we stopped again, and I heard her.
My friend who was on both trips with me had said “Leah! Is that Los?” I turned around and there she was. Tears started flowing before I could even get any words out. I shouted her name and she had turned around. It was her. I asked if I could pray for her. She said yes. Already knowing her name I continued to pray for her, just as my father asked. When I was done, the truck drove away and I was bawling. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I was getting so many hugs from all my teammates and even a big squeeze from my team leader. At first I felt upset because I realized that she was still in the streets, but when I considered the alternative I was so thankful to God that she was alive. This may have seemed like something small, but to me, it was so special in my heart. I had thought and prayed about her for six long months and finally being able to pray over her was something so special. I think this only proves that with God all things are possible. Out of all the people in El Salvador, our paths were crossed once again and I am so incredibly blessed and grateful for that.
If you can find time, please take a moment and say a prayer for my sweet friend Los.
Leah Reed
Any other Saturday night I would have been relaxing at home with my team but I am so glad we decided to get out last minute. I’m not gonna lie this was so hard for my heart and really wrecked me but I am so glad I got to be a part of giving a little hope to the homeless in San Salvador. The smiles they wore you woulda thought we just handed them $1,000.
I loved getting to witness such a sweet moment and seeing Leah’s quickness to have a YES spirit and complete what she started. So way to go Leah! Continue changing lives in Pennsylvania and the many other places you will go! i hope you are all inspired by her willingness to be obedient and simply pray. It may seem small but the Lord can do far greater things than we can imagine. Who knows what that prayer did for Los.
Maybe you should find your “Los” wherever you are and say a little prayer for them. End 2018 or begin 2019 spreading some love and joy!
Happy New Year’s Eve everybody!
love y’all!
Kyn
