Throwing my backpack down in the sand, towel in one hand, smoothie in the other, I claimed my tanning spot.
Katie and I had been walking along the beach the day before and had seen this fantastic area, perfect for laying out. Not too many palm trees, not a lot of foot traffic. We excitedly agreed that we would be back the next day.
And here we were.
As I laid down and pushed my feet into the soft white sand, I relaxed. We had been in San Pedro for 4 full days now but this was the first time I had stopped moving.
Our final long travel day had been especially long, and once we arrived we had to start the process of becoming familiar with a new country. Where were we sleeping, showering, eating. How were we doing laundry, where can we get groceries, where can we buy water. From there we then had to set up all of our things, buy supplies, talk with our ministry family about what our life would look like with them this month, become familiar with the area.
By Tuesday my body was hollering for rest.
And thankfully I was about to give it just that.
Well for about 30 minutes anyway.
As I was slowly drifting into a potentially great nap, I heard Katie’s muffled voice over my music.
I cracked an eye open and saw that a child had sat down on her towel. I slowly took my earbud and tried to listen to their conversation. Eventually I just sat up.
He was the cutest thing, showing Katie all the bracelets his mom had made while she stood off to the side, ready to step in with more samples if needed.
Was this mom using her son’s 4 year old cuteness factor to interest tourists in what she was selling?
Yes.
Did it work?
Well on us of course it did.
After we each bought a bracelet, we didn’t just lie back down and let them continue on their way. They were probably used to that. But we were intrigued.
And we wanted to know more about this sweet friendly boy and equally sweet mama.
We found out that his name was Gilroy and her name was Sarah. She had a table underneath a nearby palm tree that she laid her creations on every day.
As we talked to them Katie got up and started to play with Gilroy.
And in that moment our tanning session was over. And our spot to lie down at was no more.
We ran around with Gilroy for awhile as he used our legs to do flips and we took turns running around with him on our backs.
And then his 7 year old sister came back from school.
“Gabby! Gabby! Come here! These are my friends! Right?” He looked up at Katie hopefully.
Oh sweet one, of course we are.
Now we took turns playing tag with a child mounted on both of our backs.
We flipped them, they cartwheeled, we spun them around.
Exhausted but grinning we returned them to their mom, promising that we would stop by and see them again.
We walked away but they ran after us, wrapping themselves around our ankles to prevent us from leaving.
As we slowly peeled them off our feet, reminding them we’d see them tomorrow, a nearby tourist who had been watching us run around with them, came over.
“Oh no, are they bothering you now? Do they want money? We can give you some. Babe, get your wallet.”
I was appalled as I watched her husband look through the bills in his wallet, thinking this was the only answer to what looked like a problem to them.
I politely refused, at this point Gabby and Gilroy were attached to our waists anyway, hugging us goodbye.
Walking away, it would have been easy to never go back to that beach spot again. It would have been easy to see them as some other tourists see them, as children looking only for money, and once we provided that, keep on going and forget their faces.
But we knew the Lord had placed them in our lives for a reason.
And the next day we walked back to Sarah’s table and talked to her while flipping her children around.
And in the passing days if we ended up walking in a different direction along the town streets, we would always try to circle back and at least stop by to say hi.
On the way to a cafe for some much needed a.c and chocolate the following week we ran into Sarah and her kids as they were making their way over to her table. We fell into step with them as Gilroy and Gabby grabbed our hands and repeated our names over and over.
Along the way Sarah would send them up to the restaurants along the beachfront to show the patrons eating there what they were selling. We waited patiently with Sarah and when Gilroy and Gabby would appear again we would go back to swinging hands and walking until the next restaurant.
These were moments I enjoyed because then I got to talk with Sarah. I wanted her to know we saw her too and not just her adorable children. I got to ask her questions about her family and what she was doing in San Pedro.
We talked about how Katie’s birthday was in 2 days and I found out that her birthday was in 4 and that she was going to be 24.
My mouth almost dropped open. I never would have guessed. Here was a mom who had been brought to the island by promised work for her husband, as she also worked hard there to raise her 3 kids and provide for her family. Every day, without a break.
Oh how my 23 looked so much different.
I wanted to hug her right there, as I saw her responsibilities weighing her down, slowly stealing away some of the joy of the age we both were.
As we walked away, Katie and I knew that we needed to do something for Sarah’s birthday.
And on Thursday we showed up at her stand, a milkshake and a cookie in one hand, a birthday card in the other.
We were able to talk and pray with her and then run around and try to catch fish with Gilroy and Gabby.
When we came back to her table, Sarah handed Katie a necklace.
“We were looking for you yesterday.”
The birthday girls hugged as I sat back blown away.
In less than 2 weeks we had built a relationship with this family who loved and trusted us as much as we adored them.
They weren’t part of our ministry for the month.
But did they need to be?
As missionaries we don’t punch a time clock here in San Pedro. We don’t pray with families in the morning, clock out in the afternoon and then clock back in the evenings for VBS.
We’re on all the time because the love of Jesus is never ending, forever present and always ready to be shared with those who need it.
And when we go home, we’re not going to stop sharing.
We might not have the “missionary” title anymore, but we don’t need it.
Jesus calls us to live missionally. Every day.
And that means being intentional. It means looking up and noticing those around you.
People just want to know that they are seen.
And we are here to tell them that we do, and Jesus always has.
This last week in San Pedro we will continue to see Sarah and Gilroy and Gabby, and share Jesus with them and be their friends. We will continue to grab coffee at the cafe we walk to every other day and say hi to Josh and share stories about our travels. We’ll continue to go to the chocolate factory not only because they have the best wifi and a.c and oh my goodness those brownies, but because of the many times we have been able to talk to the tourists that sit at the tables with us.
And when we go home it’ll be the people in the airport, that restaurant we’ve missed, the person in front of us at the grocery store.
Be there for someone. Jesus is forever putting someone in our paths that He wants us to talk to.
Look up.
Use those 5 minutes you don’t think you have to stop. Use that long line in the store that you don’t want to be in to see those who are around you.
You have been made to give glory to the Father. And oh how He rejoices when you share His love with your brothers and sisters.
And isn’t that the best way to share who Jesus is?
Just show His love.
Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t get any simpler than that.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
