On Sunday we went to the park to meet people and evangelize! The evening started off very peaceful and casual. Elise, Mallory, Alicia, a YWAM missionary, and her baby and I sat down and enjoyed a cup of fruit from a local vendor. While we were sitting we noticed next to us a family with babies. Soon after, we approached them making small talk and talking about the babies. We talked for almost an hour and then prayed for the family, specifically for the family’s sister’s marriage. The conversation was encouraging and we left there ready to see where else God would lead. We were walking along, strolling the baby when we noticed a little boy up on the grass hill in the park. The little boy was smiling at us, so we stopped and smiled and said “Hola.” At first we were going to keep walking, but the little boy continued to grab our attention so we approached the family. On the hill there was an older man named Vito, an older woman named Maria and two younger women named Anahi and Carola and the little boy, who stole our hearts. We sat down on the grass and began talking to the family. The older man and the woman were dating and the younger girls were the woman’s God daughter and her friend. We engaged in some small talk and then to our surprise Maria began opening up to us about her family and how Vito’s children were trying to put him into a nursing home. He did not want to go so they basically abandoned him. There was an add in the paper for someone to be Vito’s care taker so Maria took the job. They ended up falling in love and becoming more than friends and Vito is now part of Maria’s family.
Within the first ten minutes, Vito and Maria began sharing their stories with us. We were really surprised they were so open with us, but so glad they were. We talked some more about life and about the world race. One of my teammates felt it on her heart that we should bless them with a little money, so we handed them the few pesos we had and asked if we could pray for them. We prayed for Vito and his family, for Bolivia (that was were Maria is from), for the God daughter and her son and asked the Lord to bless them. After praying, Maria was crying. We gave her a hug and she proceeded to ask us if she could pray for us. What a blessing to have her pray for us!! After the prayer Vito was crying. He felt the presence of the Lord! He asked if he could ask Jesus into his heart and he said he wanted to forgive his children for how they treated him. We then prayed again and Vito asked Jesus into his heart!! His eyes were crying as he opened them and lifted his hands in thankfulness to God.
I do not know exactly what happened but I could feel the peace of Christ and the presence of the Lord in that moment! I heard the trumpets of a thousand angels rejoicing at the coming home of a child of God! And I felt chains broken as Vito was able to forgive his children! Some words were lost in translation, but I believe Vito left the park with Jesus in His heart and had a newfound peace with his kids.
“…There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” -Luke 15:10
This makes the World Race worth it. This makes traveling the world worth it. You do not have to be in a foreign country, but if we can be used 5,000 miles from home, then it was worth it! This makes talking to strangers worth it. This makes sharing the gospel worth it. It is worth it even if one person accepts Christ and their eternity is changed forever. Together God is using us to share the love of Christ! Thank you for supporting this journey! Continue praying for Vito and his family.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” -Romans 10:9-10
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -2 Corinthians 5:17
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” -Galatians 2:20
xoxoxoxoxox
