We meet Jessica at a coffee shop. We didn’t know meeting her at a coffee shop would open the door for us to encounter so many other people.
Some of my squad mates previously met a wonderful man named William. It didn’t come by surprise that he greeted us with smiles but the words that followed after sent our hearts into shock. He wrote a poem about how we were commissioned to lead the next generation. We were encouraged by his words because we were desiring to work with children while in Georgetown.
Jessica found out that we were missionaries in Guyana. Her eyes lit up and she began sharing how she was working with a children aide center that could use our help because most children came from backgrounds where parents did not know how to read. Most of these children came from broken homes where the fathers spent most of the time at sea for work. And mothers stressed from taking care of multiple children that they often abandoned the kids and left the older siblings.if you want to know more about the Ruimveldt Children’s Aid Center and how you and future missional organizations can help visit https://m.facebook.com/public/Ruimveldt-Childrens-Aid-Centre
Jessica allowed us to encounter a living miracle. Ha name is Ephraim. He has hydrocyphilis. There are no neurosurgeons in Guyana so it has nearly impossible for him to receive a surgery to help with his hydrocyphilis. Thankfully there is a doctor in Spain that is willing to do the surgery for free as long as he can get transported there. That is a problem because Ephraim needs a special helicopter to get transported to Spain for the surgery. The family is under no circumstance financially capable of making that happen. We were able to spend time with Ephraim and he is such a joyful child. He loves listening to music but especially Kirk Franklin. He loves clapping. He loves chocolate and loves to eat. His parents love, faith, and care for him brought many tears to my eyes. They believe and they walk in the assurance that God will work everything out for their good. Ephraim will soon be a big brother and my prayer is that he would be able to continue to live to play hand in hand with his brother on e day! Here’s how you can help! Visit https://www.youcaring.com/ephriam-collins-632656
Jessica also opened the door for us to go into the interior of Guyana and visit the American- Indian tribes.
We took a boat to the local church in the area to meet with the pastor. Upon entering the church the pastor wanted to pray and worship together. It was such a beautiful time. He opened the floor for Sweet Heat to share words of encouragement and words from the Lord. Immediately I was prompted to pray for them. As I prayed the presence of God’s love filled the place and most of us was overwhelmed and filled with tears.
After prayer we sat with some of the members of the church and just enjoyed one another. Monica walked up to me and asked. Could I pray for her grandson because he was having nightmares in the afternoon and was unsettled for two hours straight. As we started prying for him he became unsettled and the more we prayed the more he became calm and rested in his grandmothers hand. Following prayer I opened my eyes and he stared at me with the most angelic smile I had never seen before.
And then there was David and Charles. They were the most humble men I had ever met. David managed the 64 acre farm at the Adel’s resort. He used one of his boats to let his 15yr old daughter pick up the local kids in the community to get to and from school. He was a man of true integrity and the heart of a true servant. Charles was Davids brother. He was a craftsman that could build anything you asked. He crafted handmade purses for us. What really meant the most to me is that Charles had a son named Gavin. When we asked him why he decided to have a relationship with Jesus he stated it was because he saw his father. He saw his father change his old ways, read the bible, and really take his relationship with the Lord seriously. He said he respected his father and knew his life was souch more than drinking, cussing, fighting, and not living his life with purpose. These three men weren’t men of many words but I will never forget what they poured into my life with their actions.
If it wasn’t for Jessica being bold and courageous in the coffee shop Sweet Heat would never had encountered people of blessings. Jessica ignited a fire in my heart of what it really meant to have a servants heart. She taught me what it meant to be persistent, passionate, and persevere through all adversity. Jessica taught me what it meant to sacrifice. What are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of another?
Sacrifice has nothing to do with how much money you can give to a homeless person or an organization. One of the biggest sacrifices you can make is your time. For three days I watched Jessica wake up at 5am in the morning hitting the ground running for other people. I watched her go into the school asking what they needed and made phone calls to get resources for the school. I watched her go into the local market buying pencils and paper for kids in the community who’s parents didn’t have money to even send them to school. I watched Jessica commit to putting in electricity to the local health center in town because women babies were being born with a torch light. I watched Jessica go to shacks where families lived to give books to children who would have probably not have the opportunity to own a book. I witness countless occasions of Jessica sacrificing her time, her gifts, and resources to help someone who needed help.
Jessica showed me what it looked like to be the hands and feet of the community. People may not remember what you say to them but they will remember what you did for them In their time of need.
What will you do for someone else? What will you sacrifice if it means the actions you take will lead them to the God’s love. Be the hands and feet for your community, for your family, and for strangers.
Here is a video for our time in Guyana. Next stop Suriname, French Guinea, and the beginning of pioneering through the Amazon.
