"At this moment, there are 7 billion people in the world. Some are running scared.. some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day.. others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good, and some are good.. struggling with evil. 7 billion people in the world, 7 billion souls — and sometimes…all you need is 1."
The first time I saw Mabil was at the Highschool where we had gone to perform dramas and share testimonies in the classrooms. My teammate Sammie Jo had shared her testimony in Mabil’s class and afterward Mabil approached her and showed her the cuts on her arm and told her that she related to Sammie Jo’s testimony. Sammie Jo and our contact Sarah were then able to pray and encourage her and invite her to church with us on Sunday. Sometimes all you need is someone who knows what you’re going through.
After the church service, I walked over to the curb she was sitting on and did my best to engage her in conversation. My Spanish at that point was very limited but I pulled out my notebook with my Spanish notes and we began to bond over teaching me Spanish. Later that night I pulled out my computer and we held a conversation using google translator. She told me all about her family, about past boyfriends who have hurt her deeply, and how she feels lonely a lot. Sometimes all you need is a friend.
The next day Sammie Jo and I walked to her house to hang out with her. We got ice cream, sat in the park, and then she led us on adventure through the countryside of El Salvador. We laughed so much that day –and laughter needs no translator. Even though neither of could fluently speak each other’s language, the more time we spent together the more Spanish I learned and the more we were able to understood each other. Sometimes all you need is someone to laugh with.
Throughout the month 3 or 4 days a week would be spent with Mabil –whether that be her coming to church with us, bringing her to the poor communities where we did ministry, taking her out to dinner or inviting her over to our house for dinner, stopping by her house in the afternoon to say hello, and simply just hanging out with her during the day. Our ministry contact Sarah, Sammie Jo, and I poured everything that we could into her. For her birthday we gave her a bible in which we wrote in Spanish words of encouragement. When we were together we talked to her about the boys she was hanging out with, we talked about where she was at with her relationship with Jesus, and we talked about her family situation. Sometimes I wasn’t sure how much of what we were saying to her was actually hitting her heart, but we still continued to speak truth into her life and fight for her. Sometimes all you need is someone to fight for you.
It was the day before we left for Honduras and I remember talking to God about Mabil and telling him that I feel like by leaving her that like I’m leaving unfinished work, she has a lot of problems to still work through and she needs someone to help her…I didn’t want to leave El Salvador at all! That night she came with us to the prayer meeting at church and for the most part seemed disengaged in the service. The pastor asked if all the missionaries could pray over people in the congregation and so we all got into groups. I looked over to my left and there she stood with a few other girls and they were praying. I returned my attention to the couple that I was praying over. I looked over again and she was face down on the floor crying. I stopped what I was doing and went over to her and fell to the floor beside her. Sammie Jo and I put our hands on her and began to pray, to weep, to intercede for her. Sometimes all you need is someone who will cry with you.
After the service she told us why she had fallen to floor crying. She said that while she was praying she got this vision of her standing on the beach and there were footprints in the sand. She began to follow the footprints along the beach and when she looked up she saw that they led her straight to Jesus –in his presence she fell to the ground in front of him and began to weep. She began telling him all her problems, all her hurts, the deepest parts of her heart. And then she said that when Jesus walked over to her and put his hand on her heard she saw nothing, but she felt as if all her problems were gone –that Jesus had taken them all away. She told us she has never felt this way in her life, so free, so light, so happy. All you need is Jesus.
Thank you for everyone who has donated to my World Race account! I have met my April 1st deadline with $11,368! I'm so amazed at how God has just provided time after time at just the right time! I still need a little over $4,000 still to be fully funded by July 1st!
