I have sat here now, pondering how to explain to you all what I saw and experienced yesterday. Honestly, I don’t really know how too. It was heart breaking; tear jerking, but some how in the midst of it, there was ultimate comfort. God.
What do you think about Him when I say God? I have been here for 3 days and my world that I so called “normal” is being rocked and thrown around like a rag doll. I am already seeing Him in ways that I haven’t seen, felt, heard, listened, etc. There are so many characteristics of the Lord that I don’t know and am just beginning to see and feel. He is not a God who is distant, well…. only if you make Him, He is real and still alive.
Yesterday we went to, Castado de Vilma Leon, a refuge camp now for 300 hundred families whose homes were devastated and no longer standing since the earthquake back in August… it is hard to look and see just ruble, to see families that have been torn apart, lost many loved ones, and still they are just hoping for relief.
There has been millions, upon millions of dollars donated to Peru for relief effort and from what I see… there hasn’t been a DIME dropped on these families. It is RIDICULOUS! Where is the money going or gone? It is frustrating to see it. To see families who once had a home and now are living in these man made little huts in this little area… disease infected, so much oppression, a lack of humanity in a sense.
This brings me to my story.
My heart is being transformed as always, and Monday we went to this place to take a look at it, and in the process I started playing with the kids… what is new right? As we arrived yesterday, they were there and I automatically started playing with them, tossing them around my shoulders, giving them shoulder rides, playing soccer, chasing, tickling…. just love really.
For 45 minutes or so, I did this. Then we asked them about the earthquake and what they experienced during the earthquake. At least out of 14, 4 had lost a family member. Still so much joy in those kids, its something beautiful. My team then proceeded to walk down the path and just see where the Lord would lead us. We came across a girl and talked to her for a while, then another guy, 24 years old, and talked to him and prayed for his family.
A lady then approached us and told us that her daughter had aids and if we could pray for us. I was selfish at first…my first thought- I don’t know if I want to touch her because of this… now how in the world does that make any sense? If I am here to be Jesus in the flesh… then how would I be able to minister to her, my flesh was battling my spirit big time in these moments. When we entered the room, we sat down across from her and she began to tell us how she was infected with aids and her eyes filled up with tears, as well as mine… to see this young woman with 2 daughters and not having money to pay for labs, etc. and seeing the aids trample her fragile body. My heart sank… we prayed and prayed and laughed and just could feel the Spirit in that place. We prayed for healing, comfort, joy. As we were finishing up people came and asked if we could pray for a woman who was dying of cancer. She was in a little hospital in the city before the quake but since then, they moved her in this little hut- nothing else available.
I don’t really know how I can explain, but will do my best here. As I entered the room, it was gloomy, depressing, and heartache. I looked to the bed and there was Laurdes, a 34-year-old woman who had 2 little girls, 10 and 2. Laurdes… stomach cancer had obviously taken a toll on her body and her sister was they’re sitting next to her. As her fragile head lay on her sister’s shoulder, her feet bloated, and just non-coherent, I was upset. They wanted us to pray for her, so they moved her back and when they did, her head just plopped back and I saw death. At that moment, her sister looked at me and freaked out to say the least. I then proceeded to find a pulse anywhere I could…just to give some hope for the family. I couldn’t find anything.
At that moment, my focus became on her family. To give some comfort, all I new what to do really, was to pray and just hold family members. Looking back now, it amazes me that the family allowed us to be in there. In such an intimate time, white “gringos” in the house, they accepted us with love. I don’t know I could do that, to have someone so close to me die, and then strangers come in? I just went around and prayed with her mother, sisters, cousins, etc. As we were there, it was basically chaos. Right after it happened, one sister passed out right there in the room, then another sister came running in 20 minutes later or so and passed out right there in front of me.
This family had already lost all their possessions, homes, and a 3-month-old little baby in the earthquake. As I sat there and prayed all I heard the Lord tell me was…tell them Robby that I am LOVE… GOD IS LOVE… simple, but yet so deep.
So, here I am…just still processing this. I laugh, it’s only the 3rd day and this is already going on. Ha, we asked God to stretch us out and well…. he is already doing it. Ask and you will receive right?
Pray for Laurdes’s family, pray for peace in this time of difficulty…they only feel punished by God… and He is not a punisher. Pray for our team. He has some HUGE things stored up for us.
I challenge you to pray, prayers that are scary to you, that God would change you, reveal things to you, etc. He will do so if you heart is ready. Amazing!
Thanks for reading this, I know it was long- but know that I am just in a state of…I don’t know… love you all and have a great day and be grateful for what you have.
Striving to be more like him,
Robby
