8:00am I woke up to chickens and the beating sun through my tent window and a man yelling over a megaphone for 2 hours straight, “Soya de leche! Leche Soya! Soya de Leche!” selling soy milk in the streets.
9:00am I spent sweet time in the Word and praying. I specifically asked God to reveal Himself to me and show me something specific every hour on the hour that day. I asked Him to remind me how He works and His character either in creation or His voice or in an interaction with someone.
10:00am I left with 3 squadmates for an off day in the beautiful beach town of Huanchaco, Peru.
11:30am We stepped out of the taxi, starving, and headed to the closest restaurant for some authentic Peruvian food. As we stood in front of an almost empty restaurant, gazing at the menu to see if our small World Race budget could afford it, one of two Peruvians sitting at a table asked us, “Where are you from?” Now normally, there are two reasons I would avoid eye contact and not answer: 1) because I am an introvert and task-oriented and don’t like to be bothered/inconvenienced to stop what I’m doing (just being honest, here) and 2) because with three white girls in a foreign country, he is probably hitting on us.
One thing I have decided to do on this race is to talk to anyone and everyone, seize every opportunity and meet and know stories of people I would normally never talk to. I was the only one that answered him, “Estados Unidos. Oh, you speak English?” He introduced himself and his dad and asked why we were in Peru. We told him we were Christian missionaries and God proceeded to carve a path right before our eyes to share the Gospel. Carlos told us that He was from Huanchaco, has lived in Spain for most of his life and came back home because his marriage was falling apart and he was desperate for the Lord’s guidance. He was a believer and wanted God to restore his marriage and use this part of his life for his dad to know Jesus. A girl with us, Brynne, shared the Gospel with his dad and explained why we trust in God and travel, sharing what He’s done.
Carlos began to cry telling us about his life and struggles. He specifically asked us to pray for him and his dad. “We would love to!” was all I could say to contain my excitement. We walked away from Carlos and his dad knowing that God completely planted them in our path. As we left, I glanced at my watch and it was 12:00pm. I couldn’t help but giggle and thank God for a beautiful reminder in the first hour of my day that He is faithful to deliver what I ask. He always wants an excuse to show off in our lives.
From Carlos and his dad, to a man on the beach who gave me a hair wrap, to the guy who sold handmade drug paraphernalia, to the tribal street performer by my favorite cremolada stand, to my surf instructor, God graciously keeps breaking down the selfish walls I put up to deliver amazing Gospel-centered conversations to me. Whether I share who Jesus is or tell them why I choose a relationship with God over religion or just promise to pray for them, I believe the Holy Spirit is active and working after I leave. I officially don’t like strangers. I want every person I meet to become a friend and I want to know their story.
