This month we split up into different teams and our team decided to come to Antigua. Our heart and desire was to plug into a ministry that is already established and build relationships within that ministry. And we have begun to plug in but we still have free time where we can serve. So today after lunch we decided to break up into small groups and me, Sarah and Katey headed to Central Park. We prayed that this time was not ours and we wanted to be used in whatever way we could by the Lord. So we headed for the park.
As we entered we were greeted by a new friend Jorje (George) that we had met yesterday while we were at the park. So we were sitting with him, with our open Spanish dictionary in our laps, and chatting. As we were chatting with Jorje someone walked by trying to sell us something (this is a common occurrence as a westerner in a foreign land) but Katey noticed that he was not Spanish looking and didn’t seem to speak Spanish. She just asked him where he was from and he is from Germany, his name is Dennis and he is traveling through Central America for a year. He makes jewelry to pay for his travels and this is the only day he was in Antigua because he was heading back to Guatemala City tonight. We told him that we were also traveling for a year and shared with him that we were missionaries and all that goes with it. He had questions and honestly he seemed put off when we told him we were Christians. However, we shared some stories from Africa and Asia of the freedom and hope that only God can provide through Jesus. Katey put it so well that in Africa with all the orphans that we would tell them the hope that though they have no earthly father they have a heavenly Father. It was such an encouragement to be reminded of it as we told another. In the end we were able to pray over him and we will continue to pray for Dennis that God will bring him to salvation through Christ alone.
Dennis our new German friend
Then as we continued to sit there a little boy who shines shoes for a living came and sat down with us. He is 14 years old and works shining shoes everyday just to pay to live. We chatted for a while and there was this hardened look to this boy’s face. He looked years older than his 14 years. His name is Alex – he says that he prays to Jesus but he still doesn’t have food or money. Please pray for me as I continue to visit him that I can adequately express that Jesus is so much more…
Alex in the coffee shop today
Then another woman came by and sat with us. She is a woman who Katey and Lauren had met yesterday in the park and prayed over her son. He was very sick with a fever and today he was running around and fully healed. Praise the Lord! We found out that she is a widow, her husband died 8 months ago and she is alone raising 3 boys under the age of 5. Sarah and Katey were able to pray over her and comfort her with the hope of Christ.
I look back on this day and I stand amazed. We prayed that our time was not our own and that the Lord would do with it as He willed. He did! He brought people and opportunities to us that only could come from Him. We were so blessed by each and every person that we met today and we wait expectantly for whoever else the Lord brings to us.
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
