The last few days (5 or so), I’ve been a little under the weather. On Friday I woke up and got ready for ministry. As I stood at the kitchen table talking to Mama Cristina I began to feel very weak and unable to stand anymore. I had to get a chair and decided that it would be best for me to stay home and rest so I could do ministry for the rest of the weekend with the team. I had to learn to let my team go and not have fear of missing out (FOMO) on something God was going to do.
I woke up Saturday feeling well rested and fairly healthy. We began walking to ministry and the weakness started to hit me again but I tried to fight it as much as I could. That morning we were doing a fast until lunch and, unfortunately, I had to break the fast because of how weak I was but everyone was very understanding.
The ministry we were working with was with the same church, Ministerio Vida Nueva (New Life Ministries), but a different campus. The pastors, Diego and Olga are wonderful! They are passionate, excited, on fire for Jesus, caring, selfless and generous. They introduced me to an older couple in the church almost immediately when we arrived. Olga had told me a few days before that there was a couple who couldn’t read. Miguel and LuzMarina welcomed me into their arms without question! They love hugs, they love affection, they love Jesus and they so obviously love each other.
As Olga explained to me that they were the couple she had told me about before, I told them, ‘I have a gift for you’. Confused, they looked at me and nodded. I rummaged through my day pack and found the small, solar powered audio Bible in Spanish. I took them outside to a quieter place and explained to them what the small device was and how they could use it.
They broke out in tears of joy!
They told me they didn’t know how they could ever repay me. (To which I responded that it was a gift)
They hugged me.
They kissed me.
They were overwhelmed.
Their entire life had been changed in an instant.
I realized that evening that I had been given such an amazing gift from Digital Bible Society and I was able to simply be the messenger to give the GREATEST GIFT this couple had EVER received besides Jesus on the cross; a Bible.
They had never been able to read the entire New Testament because of their inability to read the words on the page. Yet despite their inability, they still believed. They had complete faith in the God of the universe.
Their obedience to the Lord and faith in Him is the definition of faith in my eyes. “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see”. This couple was certain of the existence of God even though they never had the opportunity to read the truth for themselves.
This beautiful portrayal of faith made me examine my own life and my faith.
Was I that in love with Jesus that I would believe it without ever being able to read it for myself?
Would I trust what the people in the church said about the Bible and the gift of Jesus?
I don’t know…maybe…but then again, maybe not.
I want faith like this couple who, for over 50 years, just believed without physical evidence.
May your faith grow.
May your joy be so abundant that you can’t contain yourself when the Lord touches you.
Be looking out for the video of this couple receiving their first Bible!
