On the first day of brigade, Brian and Ben were assigned to Concrete and I was assigned to Evangelism. Oh boy ~ was I ever nervous … and Brian and Ben were relieved! I just did my best to stay focused on God and prayed continuously that He would speak through me and that the people I met would see Him, not me.
On the bus ride to the church/brigade site, we picked up many of our translators along the way. A married couple sat near us, the wife, Lorena, sat with Ben directly behind Brian and I and her husband, Ricardo, was across from her. Because of this, we were able to get to know Lorena and so as soon as we got to the church and I realized that Lorena was a translator for Evangelism, I quickly asked her if she would be my translator! She said, “of course” ~ whew! That eased some of my nervousness.
The name of the church is Rios de Agua Viva (Rivers of Living Water) and is considered to be a more prosperous church (The building had air conditioning in the sanctuary!) and is led by Pastor Carlos. The area, though, did not appear wealthy in the sense that you or I would think. The roads were mostly dirt and some cobbled stone and most of the buildings were quite run down.
As we approached the church, there was already a swarm of people lined up to be seen by the Brigade.
We quickly unloaded our supplies, acclimated to the building and had a brief time for the Pastor’s welcome, worship through song, prayer and then we got busy! Everything said was said in both English and Spanish, even the singing (which was really amazing) so when it was time to go to work we shouted out as loudly as we could “Let’s Go To Work!” ~ “Vamos a Trabajar!” I believe this was especially meaningful as the people who were outside waiting to get in could most likely hear us as we sang and shouted out!
Once we set to work, things happened very quickly! I was almost disappointed and somewhat taken back when two young ladies immediately sat down in the chairs directly across from me. I was under the impression that it would be about 15 minutes before we would have people come through Evangelism because they would be having their “physical need” met first. However, (and this makes sense), that is not the case for those who are there to have a tooth extracted. Those individuals go to Evangelism first!
Kathy and Kelly came to my station together and after introductions and learning that they were there to have teeth extracted, I let them know that I was happy that we would be able to help them by providing the dental service to them. Then I stated that it was my honor, however, to be able to offer them a Spiritual service and that I’d like to know if they knew where they were going to go when they die. They both said “Cielo” (sounds like see-yellow), which means Heaven. Again, I was just a bit disappointed because I was pumped and ready to share the Gospel Truth with themJ Instead, I questioned, “How do you know you will go to Heaven when you die?” After talking with them for a bit, it was evident that they put their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior because Jesus died for their sins. I asked them if there was anything I could pray for them and both said they’d like prayer for the dental procedure and one also stated she’d like me to pray for her life so I did. Before they left me, I told Kathy and Kelly that it will be great to see my new friends in Heaven someday.
Next, I’ll tell you about Juan. He was the third person I met in Evangelism and he, too, stated he is already a Christian. He is an older man and suffers from multiple aches and pains, arthritis and decreased mobility. Particularly, he was suffering from pain in his right shoulder and he was barely able to move it without increasing the pain. Because Juan didn’t need the prayer of Salvation, Lorena *my translator* suggested that we pray for Juan’s shoulder pain to be healed … immediately. She stated that if we were all in agreement and believed that God would heal him, Juan would be healed … immediately!
I’ll be honest … I was a bit lacking in faith as we prayed in this manner. I’ve just never really prayed this way so I was still trying to process what we were doing though we were already doing it. I prayed and Lorena repeated/translated what I prayed … I’ve always had the mindset that God may heal or He may not and that He has His reasons for both but as I prayed out loud the words of healing upon this man, I also prayed within myself for God to forgive my unbelief and to show me what I needed to see, to reveal Himself to me in the way that I needed. (I did not want this man NOT to be healed because of my questioning “buts”…) When we were done, Juan said that he didn’t feel the pain in his shoulder. He was afraid to raise his arm and he did so slowly but as he did he said that he had not been able to raise his arm like that before! HOORAY!! PRAISE the LORD!!
In my own life, … God has healed me greatly! I suffered from fibromyalgia for many years and I struggled terribly with pain and immobility, weakness and fatigue … and I prayed and I sought the LORD like I never had before ~ you can read about it **HERE** (http://myhandfulofblessings.blogspot.com/2010/02/me-and-my-treadmill-to-god-be-glory.html)
And my whole life has changed since then. Our spiritual health is of utmost importance to God but He REALLY DOES care about our physical health too!
And my whole life has changed since then. Our spiritual health is of utmost importance to God but He REALLY DOES care about our physical health too!
Some of the people I spoke with had only a little bit to say and some of them spoke to me for a very long time but each one was unique, each one had a story to tell.
Miriam was a middle-aged woman who had a really strong faith in Jesus and loved God but she had a poor self-image, low self-esteem. She was afflicted was some sort of malady on her face. Apparently, it was unexplained and had been unsuccessfully treated. She had really long, beautifully decorated fingernails, which I suspect she had done as a way to make herself feel more attractive. Listening to her was heartbreaking and I am sure that we spent nearly an hour together. Miriam explained that she is ridiculed by people and persecuted because of her face. I reminded her of God’s love for her and that it does not matter to Him how she looks on the outside; it does not change the way in which He loves her. And really, it should only matter to us what God thinks and how He sees us. God sees us on the inside and when we are IN HIM, He sees us the way in which He intended us to be all along. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy as we struggle to see ourselves through God’s eyes while ignoring the snickers and sneers, the looks of disgust, the whispers of condemnation.
2 Chronicles 20:17
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, … Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, … Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
Miriam wanted to pray to re-commit herself to the LORD Jesus, to re-commit her focus on Him, to be strengthened by Him and so we prayed … a long, heartfelt prayer, tears flowing, hands sweating, hearts restoring … and do you know what happened?? Miriam’s face lightened! The darkness that cast a shadow upon her disappeared. Several of what appeared to be sores disappeared and she actually looked physically improved! Please pray for Miriam … for restoration to her spirit, to her heart and to her face. God is in the business of doing mighty miracles and I witnessed the beginning of that miracle in Miriam!
Evangeline was a young mother, probably not more than 24. She too knew about Jesus and she loved God but she admitted to turning her back on Him and walking away from the church. I asked her why and she explained to me that it has been her dream to serve God and to teach within the church but that because she is not married, she is not allowed to do this. I turned to Lorena and she confirmed that it is true that unwed women/mothers are not allowed to serve in any role within the church. I felt really bad for Evangeline and I could understand her bitterness and while I couldn’t address the culture or the specific rules within that culture, I told her that she doesn’t have to have a specific role within the church in order to serve the LORD and to teach others about Him. Every day, we have numerous opportunities to serve God and to share His love with others; we are in the position to constantly be an example, a witness for the grace we have been given and to the path in which God has paved for us. We don’t have to stand in front of the sanctuary or a Sunday School classroom to teach someone something about God, to relate a passage of Scripture from the Bible, to lead someone to Salvation through our Lord Jesus; I told Evangeline that she could serve God within her own family, that she could share and teach and be an example to her child, to her friends, to her neighbors … on the bus, in line at the market, at local events … and it still counts just as much as what’s being done by the one who IS standing at the front of the sanctuary. We prayed and Evangeline was very thankful and it was as if a “light bulb” had gone on within her. Not long after, she came back and brought her son to me.
Sylvia was an older woman who had come to the brigade to have an optical exam and to receive eye glasses. An amusing part of this is that She was given two pairs of glasses, one for distance and one for reading ~ both looked very stylish on her and we complimented her. She asked if she could tell me a little secret about the reading glasses. I said, "sure, of course." Then she told me that she couldn't read! We both burst into laughter, which was amazing. She wasn't ashamed ... she realized "it just is what it is" and she didn't say anything to the optical assistants because she didn't want to make them feel bad!! Can you believe that??? We told her that we would switch out the pair of reading glasses for a pair of sunglasses and that made her really happy. She had an amazing story and parts of it were very difficult to listen to. When she was just a teenager, she had been raped and became pregnant. She gave birth to a son and he was her whole life. He died at the age of 25 and she had no other children. She says then she had nothing and she felt completely empty. Sylvia accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and she felt lighter ... free ... healed.
All in all, I spoke with about 25 people and at the end of the day, even though I basically sat in a chair the whole time, I am confident that I was just as exhausted and physically drained as Brian and Ben were from working at Concrete. My head hurt and my body ached, my shoulders and hips throbbed and I was swimming in a sea of fatigue. Physically, I was pretty low but Spiritually, my soul rejoiced and I was flying high like a kite swooping through the air on a bright day with a strong wind.
Next Post: Part Two of Brigade Day One - Brian and Ben at Concrete
Next Post: Part Two of Brigade Day One - Brian and Ben at Concrete
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