Straight Up and Straight Through the Heart

I didn't want to go to Ciudad tonight. My body is fighting a cold and the last thing I wanted to do was go there especially when I would be alone as Milagros and Carolina couldn't make it. But I made the sandwiches, pulled on a sweatshirt and left the house. The weather is way colder now and the sweatshirt over my short sleeved T shirt did not cut it, I was cold. I wondered if I would see any of them tonight. Last Saturday I could not go and Carolina told me that they couldn't find any of the guys even after praying and walking all over the place. Honestly, tonight, I was so cold and my head was so heavy that all I cared about was my bed. I decided that if I didn't meet any of them, I'd just give the sandwiches away and get on the next bus home. 


The area that we used to go to all the time before was flooded and several streets below that area was flooded as well. It was awful; filthy water running through the streets like a river. I plucked my way through the water, hoping that the motor taxis would be considerate enough to not drive through the water quickly to splash the water up at pedestrians. I couldn't deal with getting wet with filthy water on top of feeling yucky. No one was at the corner where we used to go to. The flood did not make for a great hang out place. I went to the other street that was quieter, no one there either. I was ready to go home by this point and just wanted to get rid of the sandwiches when I decided to walk along the bus stop area in front of the market. I ran into Anderson who had big attitude today and it was a good thing he didn't hang around too long. Met Alex who had knife cuts all on one side of his face and  said he had gotten into a fight the night before. While talking to him, two other guys walked by and started mocking us, telling me I should bring Alex to a rehab centre and other unmentionable stuff. With the way I was feeling, I wanted to deck them. Instead, I turned the tables on them and said that they look like they need to go to rehab themselves so why would they point the finger at someone else. Anyways, what was really funny was that the Holy Spirit had me focus on one of the two guys and I ended up talking to him most of the night and giving him straight truth, no holds barred a la Adeline. And he listened. I didn't mince any words, just direct, straight through the heart truth and it hit him. He had me pray for him at the end and asked me to keep praying for him. His name is Carlos, yes another Carlos. 


William came by later and gave me candy for me and Carolina and then Carlos gave me a charm bracelet, one of the ones he sells on the combis. That was kinda neat cos most of them take but don't give so it was something different. I guess when I left, I felt that it was worth it to have gone out there tonight, and because I was feeling yucky, I didn't care if they were going to hear or not, I just went straight for the heart with the truth of the gospel the way I operate best and something shifted for me. I didn't care if they felt that they could trust me or not. I was there to help them, to help them see that through Jesus, there is an alternative and another opportunity to have a real life and it doesn't matter if they lie to me, manipulate me, whatever. If they never trust me to speak truthfully to me, it doesn't matter. But what matters is that I give them the truth of the gospel, straight up and straight to the heart and tonight I realized that I will do that, keep doing that, not mince words and not worry about them trusting me or not. It's not about me, it's about Him and He is the only One who can set them free. 


Oh and by the way, I didn't see a single robbery tonight. Pretty good huh?