Meet Claudio: chef, artist, masseuse, tour guide, dad, singer, world traveler. If there is something that he isn’t, he has a friend who is. You want a tattoo? I’ve got a friend. You want live music? I’ve got a friend. You want to salsa dance? I’ve got a friend. You want a weed muffin? I’ve got plenty of friends. He has worked as a NASA guide in Antarctica and now works at a hostel in Valparaíso, Chile, where I met him.
Earlier in the month, our team prayed for words and visions to guide us during our Unsung Heroes month searching for new contacts. My teammate, Jenna, had a vision of a man with a beard and long hair who said that he had a place for us to stay.
As the month went on, I forgot about it in the busyness of meetings and moving every few days. Little did I know that the vision would be fulfilled through Claudio.
Victoria and Ben, our Logistics Coordinators, were in charge of finding a place for 30+ people to stay that fit our limited budget for our Month Four Debrief. In one day, they visited seven hostels with no luck.
While searching for the entrance to yet another hostel, Claudio saw Victoria through the security camera with her head in her hands. He buzzed them both inside and offered them a price within the budget for our entire squad. This was a miracle in itself, as Chile is the most expensive country that is on our route.
I went to the hostel one day early along with a few others to help plan adventure days. Right after Victoria and I dropped our bags off at our room, Claudio mentioned that he wanted to take us out for a bit with a gap-toothed grin. We followed his single gauged ear and naturally dreaded, curly ponytailed head outside.
Along the way, he bought us Venezuelan arepas, chatted with tons of people on the street, and took us up an ascensor (outdoor elevator) to view the city. He explained how he wanted us to experience the city as a native would and to feel the energy of its atmosphere. He also told us how he smoked 2-3 grams of weed a day.
Moments with him were exciting and sometimes confusing. He was always buzzing with activity and wanted to know what each person was doing at all times. In the few days he spent with our squad, he presented himself as the ultimate trouble-shooter. He took a squad leader to the doctor’s office, took a squadmate to the Apple store, massaged my cramped neck to functioning ability, and even fished out an iPhone from behind an ATM.
During one of our squad’s morning meetings, Claudio let his guard down and asked for prayer for his mom who was very sick. We gathered around him and prayed for health and peace in the situation. Later that night during our evening meeting, Claudio asked me to pray for him personally.
We walked through my squadmates worshiping to a glass-encased room overlooking the city streets. He had an unusually serious demeanor and talked about how he had been drawn to God through our squad. He felt peace when my squadmate, Lila, sang worship music in the mornings. He felt wisdom when my squad coach, Doug, talked with him. He felt love when my squadmates interacted with him on a daily basis. I prayed for him and his mom, asking the Lord to touch their lives.
When I finished, Claudio said that he had some words to say as well. He spoke to God about the beautiful creation he had witnessed around the world. He mentioned how he was someone of choice, not belief. With a tear dripping off his nose, he declared his choice to give his life to God. It was such a tender, sweet moment.
After our meeting, I announced Claudio’s decision to the squad and we celebrated in joy. He entered the room and explained what God had been doing in his heart for the past few days. Then, he invited our squad out to a local plaza to serve.
That same night, we went out with coffee and bread to offer to people living and hanging out in the square. We were able to talk with, pray for, and minister to people who were alcoholics, drug addicts, homeless, and hopeless.
It’s hard for me to handle the fact that God let me come alongside Claudio and hear his prayer to surrender his life. I feel so honored and humbled.
Claudio is now being mentored by our squad coaches, Doug and Kris. Please pray for his mom’s continued health, his faith journey, his community, and his finances. He is already such a servant, and this is just the beginning!
