I started out tonight really discouraged and once again wondering if it was worth it at all. None of the team could make it and it was just me and Luchin for which I was grateful because sometimes he has other commitments and can't come out with us. If I hadn't already made the sandwiches, I would have probably decided to stay home instead. But then, I am not a quitter and dang if I was gonna let the devil win by staying at home so I disregarded how I felt and just went anyways. Because, as I told the Lord on the way there, it ain't about me and how I feel. This is His ministry and I'm just gonna be there and it's up to Him to work it and bring the people. I will keep showing up but He has to give me the strategies and bring the people and workers. So there!
Well, the first person we saw was HN who went to great lengths to avoid us. Funny how when they get confronted by Jesus they either fall on their knees when convicted or they turn hard and run the other way. Luchin and I kept walking. Herman avoided us like the plague. Sigh. And you wonder why I get discouraged. Oh well, it ain't about me. We didn't see any of the guys we knew. But in a busy street corner amidst all the food stalls, there on the ground huddled a solitary being. We hadn't met him before. His name is Jav and he is 14 and already has lived on the streets for 3 years. He told us he was taken from Huaraz which is a town outside of Lima by someone to work for them and then it was garbled from there on. He said he wanted to see his mom. I told him we could help him see his mom again as we could find out from the police stations here and in Huaraz. He didn't want to go to a police station. I asked if it was because he steals. He nodded. I told him we could find ways and asked for his mom's name. He said he forgot. I told him we would help any way we can except give out cash. When he heard that, he lost interest. We prayed with him and then left and before we left, he thanked us for talking to him. Well, that was nice. No one thanks us for speaking to them.
VA was in her corner when we got to the girls. God gave me a word for her and part of it was that she knew Him from before. She confirmed that she did accept the Lord before but her pastor said she had to leave her job as a prostitute. VA's argument was that she had no other work and how would she support herself since there was something wrong with her spine. I asked her point blank if she wanted to get healed. She went on with the excuses. A John 5 classic. I told her that Jesus wants to heal her back but does she want to be healed. She looked at me. I told her that she was afraid of saying yes because if she did, that would take away her excuse for not looking for a real job. When confronted with that, she couldn't deny it. So she said yes, she wanted to be healed. So we prayed over her back and prophesied over her and Luchin told her that as a princess of the Kingdom of the Lord, she should not mess about with garbage and things that princesses don't even touch. She needed to change her perspective of herself to want to receive the best from God. She got mad and indirectly told us to leave. Yup, and one wonders why we get discouraged. Sigh.
We had given EM the bible we had promised her when we got to the street with the working girls and while we were leaving, she came to me and asked for a bible for another girl, SJ. I asked SJ why she wanted the bible. She said she wanted to read it to change her life because she was tired of how her life was going. I shared the gospel with her. She accepted the Lord and we talked about God's measure of righteousness and ours and how we need to make decisions based on God's measure of righteousness not ours. And the only way to know God's measure of righteousness is through the bible. I asked if she wanted to know that and she said yes. I will bring her a bible and we will be in touch. This is why I do what I do. For that one person whoever it might be.
I might get stomped on after I feel I've given and given and get discouraged. Yet for that one person whose life might truly get changed around by the Gospel, it is worth me getting stomped on. Jesus got stomped on, beaten, spat at, humiliated and killed just so that we might live and our lives may be transformed by Him dying on the cross and being resurrected. He would do it if it was just for one person. I say I follow Him. What does it matter if I get stomped on if my Lord took it all upon Himself and more just so I could live? What I give is nothing compared to what He gave.
Discouragements and all aside, I take another step and keep going. It is what I am called to do.
Well, the first person we saw was HN who went to great lengths to avoid us. Funny how when they get confronted by Jesus they either fall on their knees when convicted or they turn hard and run the other way. Luchin and I kept walking. Herman avoided us like the plague. Sigh. And you wonder why I get discouraged. Oh well, it ain't about me. We didn't see any of the guys we knew. But in a busy street corner amidst all the food stalls, there on the ground huddled a solitary being. We hadn't met him before. His name is Jav and he is 14 and already has lived on the streets for 3 years. He told us he was taken from Huaraz which is a town outside of Lima by someone to work for them and then it was garbled from there on. He said he wanted to see his mom. I told him we could help him see his mom again as we could find out from the police stations here and in Huaraz. He didn't want to go to a police station. I asked if it was because he steals. He nodded. I told him we could find ways and asked for his mom's name. He said he forgot. I told him we would help any way we can except give out cash. When he heard that, he lost interest. We prayed with him and then left and before we left, he thanked us for talking to him. Well, that was nice. No one thanks us for speaking to them.
VA was in her corner when we got to the girls. God gave me a word for her and part of it was that she knew Him from before. She confirmed that she did accept the Lord before but her pastor said she had to leave her job as a prostitute. VA's argument was that she had no other work and how would she support herself since there was something wrong with her spine. I asked her point blank if she wanted to get healed. She went on with the excuses. A John 5 classic. I told her that Jesus wants to heal her back but does she want to be healed. She looked at me. I told her that she was afraid of saying yes because if she did, that would take away her excuse for not looking for a real job. When confronted with that, she couldn't deny it. So she said yes, she wanted to be healed. So we prayed over her back and prophesied over her and Luchin told her that as a princess of the Kingdom of the Lord, she should not mess about with garbage and things that princesses don't even touch. She needed to change her perspective of herself to want to receive the best from God. She got mad and indirectly told us to leave. Yup, and one wonders why we get discouraged. Sigh.
We had given EM the bible we had promised her when we got to the street with the working girls and while we were leaving, she came to me and asked for a bible for another girl, SJ. I asked SJ why she wanted the bible. She said she wanted to read it to change her life because she was tired of how her life was going. I shared the gospel with her. She accepted the Lord and we talked about God's measure of righteousness and ours and how we need to make decisions based on God's measure of righteousness not ours. And the only way to know God's measure of righteousness is through the bible. I asked if she wanted to know that and she said yes. I will bring her a bible and we will be in touch. This is why I do what I do. For that one person whoever it might be.
I might get stomped on after I feel I've given and given and get discouraged. Yet for that one person whose life might truly get changed around by the Gospel, it is worth me getting stomped on. Jesus got stomped on, beaten, spat at, humiliated and killed just so that we might live and our lives may be transformed by Him dying on the cross and being resurrected. He would do it if it was just for one person. I say I follow Him. What does it matter if I get stomped on if my Lord took it all upon Himself and more just so I could live? What I give is nothing compared to what He gave.
Discouragements and all aside, I take another step and keep going. It is what I am called to do.
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