Love to the U.S. in San Jose

!Hola!
Como estas? (Hello! How are you?)

Lush
green mountains, bright blue skies, white puffy clouds, shining
yellow sun, nicest people ever…this is what surrounds us here in
Costa Rica right now. Plans to spread out throughout the country
this month for each of the teams on our squad have been delayed, so
God has opened up a door for us right here in San Jose for the next
few days.

(San Jose, Cost Rica)

This
morning five of us out and headed to downtown San Jose for several
hours. We didn’t know what God had in store but we walked, prayed,
and listened for anything He wanted to do through us. Megan and Jenn
felt lead a different direction and we split for a short while.
Jeanette, Renee, and I hadn’t been in the plaza more than a couple
minutes when a guy kindly stopped us and asked, “Do you speak
English?” We all answered, “Yes.” At this response he seemed
a bit surprised. He said he didn’t expect us to say yes at all
because he had asked many other people by the time we walked by.

After he
assumed we were from Europe and we told him we were from the States,
he told us he was actually from California and was trying to visit
family four hours away. We were happy to have someone else who spoke
English and understood us as well. (I have realized very quickly how
little Spanish I really know!) He hesitated before talking and then
told us not to laugh at what he was going to say. At this point we
were very curious about what he had to say. He paused again and then
said he needed food. He told us a bit of his story about being in a
gang and into drugs in the States and getting shot in the leg (which
he showed us). He said he didn’t want to give us his sob story and
that he did need money for a place to stay tonight but he would just
take food if we were willing to buy it for him. He bargained saying
he would even eat it with us if we wanted. He said we didn’t have
to buy him much. I quickly offered saying I would pay for him to
eat. I asked what he wanted. I mentioned the fast food restaurants
in the area such as Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut as well as
a couple other smaller places. His eyes lit up as he half said, half
asked…Pizza Hut!?

We
proceeded to walk down to the nearest Pizza Hut (which I haven’t
seen in 8 months) to buy him a small cheese pizza for him to eat a
couple meals tomorrow as well. What’s $10 when you’re doing what
God asked you to and ‘being Jesus’ to someone around you? After
we paid, not wanting to keep us he said, “Thank you girls so much
for being so kind. God Bless you!” I was thinking, “Are we
really just going to leave like this? I know there must be more we
can do or say.” And at that very moment, Jeanette prompted saying
she felt like there were a few things God wanted to say to him. We
all sat down and proceeded to pour out words God had put on each of
our hearts. God wanted to tell this young man (29 yrs old) that God
had saved him but wanted more of him. He wanted Ronnie to know that
He wanted to use him in a huge way and had created him with a humble
and friendly spirit that could go far in showing God’s love to so
many people who need it. God gave me the story of the lost sheep
from the Bible. I told him that God wasn’t going to give up on
him. I felt the Lord wanted him to know that he was that one
wondering sheep that he was going to fight for and go after until he
had his heart. I told him that Jesus loved him and was longing for
him to draw near to Himself. He told us that his Christian mother
has been praying for him for a long time and wanting him to come back
to God. He told us that he had been living the life in the wide lane
but that the life with Christ is the life of the narrow path. We
agreed and continued to encourage him and help him realize that there
is grace and forgiveness from our past; that there is hope and
redemption. Renee felt we needed to pray for healing in his leg and
pray over his whole life; his past, his present state, and what God
was going to do in him. The four of us held hands and we prayed for
Ronnie. We thanked him for approaching us and allowing us to bless
him today. And he thanked us over and over and finished with “God
bless you so much” as we walked away.

Oh how
our God works in mysterious ways! How crazy that God brought a man
from the United States for us to pour into, to speak truth into, and
for him to bless us as well. It reminded all of us that although
people all over the world need God’s love and grace, that as we
finish our last leg of this race and head back, there are people in
our home country all over who need God’s love and grace as well. I
praise God for this divine appointment and for showing up right
downtown San Jose. There are people all around just waiting for a
word from us. Do we stop long enough to listen and hear God’s
voice on who we should speak to, who needs a word of encouragement,
and who just needs a prayer over them? There are people all over the
world, including the United States, who have been through a lot and
need love and grace. Is God calling YOU to bring a word to someone,
to speak life into them? Don’t miss your opportunity!

(Ronnie, our new friend!)

“You
are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. You
ought to say, if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or
that.”

~James
4:14b-15

*Check out Renee’s blog full of info
*See what God has been putting on Jeanette’s heart