Ok, so I know it has been a while since I have blogged. But I have good reason: I have been traveling from Peru to Bolivia for five days via bus. Of those days, we have spent 48 hours actually sitting on bus. Along the way, we stayed in a couple of hostels and even visited Lake Titikaka, the highest navigable lake in the world (go ahead and laugh at the name, I know you did when you learned about it in middle school).
Bus rides are great for sleeping, watching movies, reading your bible, and listening to books on tape. Bus rides are also great for sharing your testimony and the Good News. On the bus from the border of Bolivia to La Paz, I sat next to a 44 year old man from Costa Rica. He was visiting friends here in South America. As soon as I sat down, I knew that my ride was not going to consist of sleep, but rather conversation.
His name is Malo, a nickname his brother gave him when he was little. Asking him his name was the beginning of our conversation. We quickly began talking about God, and as we did, God gave me more and more opportunities to share the Good News.
I started telling him my story, of how God healed me as a baby and what He has done since then. He sat, listening to my story with big eyes, and kept saying something in Spanish that I think were equivilent to “wow” in English. He also asked me to share some stories of what God has been doing on the Race. I shared amazing stories and miracles that God has done. I could tell he was so happy hear truth.
There came a point in our conversation where I knew that I had to get real with him. And so, I looked him in the eye and said, “Ok, I am going to speak some truth into your life. There have been people who have spoken truth into my life and it changed me forever”. I told him how he was lost, empty, and broken until Jesus came and filled the gap that his sin place between he and God. I told of the sacrifice that Jesus made for him, and how God’s greatest desire is for him to be in relationship with Him. I told him that God had great plans for his life, but that he must open his heart up to Jesus.
I asked him if he was confident of salvation, and he said yes. He explained that he believes in God and therefor is certain that he will receive eternal life. I turned in my Bible to James 2:19 and read the following: “You say you have faith, for you believe there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror”. Malo turned to this verse in his Gideon bible, placed the book mark, and then said, “Well, I think it is a good thing you sat next to me on the bus today.”
I prayed over him, we said goodbye, and he was off. I’ll never see him again, but I am confident that God is doing a work in his life. I gave him my blog address and so he could be reading this right now… I hope so…
Malo, I am thankful for you. It was amazing to get to share the most wonderful thing in my life with you. I’m praying for you. God loves you greatly…
In Him,
Katalina
