Julio, for those of you who do not remember, is my most faithful English student. The first student that listened intently to my testimony of salvation almost one month ago. Julio is the one who goes with me to the Dump. Julio is the one who goes with us to Esperanza. Julio is the one that gives me warnings to "put my camera away", to "watch out the truck". Julio is the one who helps me when I have problems. Julio is a recovered, but struggling, drug addict with many bad bad friends.
Every English lesson for the past three weeks has been about Jesus. Julio was the first to receive a Bible from the stack of complete Bibles Mr. Rick sent me. Julio's bible has been used almost every day since the day he received it. Julio told me he believed in Buddha and the idea of Nirvana. He spent hours reading books on peace and love and meditation. Julio hates church and blatantly refused to go with us every time we asked.
Last night Julio went with me and Emily to see a movie. But before the movie we had an English lesson. This was our last English lesson and farewell before we were to leave Sunday. Julio had a sentence he wanted to write in English. So he wrote it and handed it to me to correct. The sentence read, "The end of world is near. In the end of world Jesus coming to save all the people." I corrected it, "The end of the world is near. At the end of the world, Jesus is coming to save those who believe in Him." And I explained why I made this correction.
I never "tried" to make our English lessons about God's Word. I didn't have to. Julio always directed it that way. He wouldn't let me change the subject.
As he walked us back to our gate, it was raining. He still had a ways to walk. I offered to let him take my umbrella as long as he brought it to me at 1:30 in the park the following day (today). He agreed. 2 hours later, my phone rang and Julio told me he was passing my gate with his friend and he would just give me the umbrella now. We walked down to the entrance and as I opened the gate all I could smell was the fresh scent of marijuana. Julio and his friend were high as kites. We talked for a minute, I got my umbrella, and they left. I didn't expect Julio would meet us now at 1:30. I told Emily how I didn't know what would happen with Julio, but there is no way that nothing will happen. Isaiah 55:10 says that God's word leaves our mouth and will never return to us empty or void. God's Word that Julio had been repeating over and over for weeks, WILL have some effect on him and I am excited to see what it is.
1:30 pm today, we show up at the park just in case Julio decides to come. Sure enough there he is. He is excited about something and starts spouting out rapid fire Spanish at me. This is what I caught,
"Jenna, this morning I was exercising when I got out of bed. I turned some music on and while I was in my room I felt something. It was the presence of God. It was coming over my body. So I fell on my knees Jenna, like you did in your room the day you had your experience that you told me. I prayed to God and I started weeping. I got my bible and opened it to Psalm 121. I asked God, the true God, Jesus, to forgive me for all my sins. God and I do not communicate, but today He was there. I felt what you felt Jenna. His Spirit was in me. Then God reached down His hand and held it out for me and told me to walk with Him and I reached out and took His hand. I want to read Psalm 121, I want to know what this means. I brought my Bible with me now."
I was astonished at what I was hearing. Who am I that God would answer my prayer? We immediately went to the cafe where in only 10 minutes we were supposed to meet Nancy, another English student and study English. We sat down and we translated Psalm 121. I showed him Romans 10 where it says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". We read in Isaiah 55 about God's Word changing people. We explained that even though he doesnt like church, the best thing he can do is search for people who love God's Word and believe it and study with them. He needs to find a church so someone can teach him. I told him when Geoffrey and I come back we will study the bible all the time. I told him about the seed of God's Word falling on different soils and he finished the story for me. I told him I prayed his heart is fertile ground and he quickly interrupted me and said, "It is fertile, it will grow and produce fruit, I believe this, I believe by faith." Tell me he hasn't been reading his Bible!! The power of God's word.
Nancy arrived and Julio insisted that while we taught her English he would sit there and study the Bible. He wasn't interested in learning English!
There is no higher form of encouragement for me on my last day here in Coban. This is my home, this is where God is using me. These are my people and I love them with all my heart. They know I will be home on Dec 28, and I am eagerly awaiting that day.
Meanwhile, since Emily has been here, we have been doing ministry in a small village called Esperanza. Apparently there were missionaries here years ago that were working with the orphans and they left and now the orphans are there with nothing. They are living together and the village is extremely poor. There are a lot of single mothers with barely enough to feed and clothe their kids. We went the past two Thursdays with snacks, God's Word, and surprises. We painted faces, prayed together, walked the town together, and had fun. I am in love with them. Turns out that they get dropped off in Coban during the week and on the weekends to work the streets. They sell cotton candy, gum, phone calls, and they shine shoes. The other day we were walking on the street and a boy, in the middle of shining a man's shoes, yells out "Jenna!!" One of our kids from Esperanza! One day they will be mine and they will no longer need to shine shoes or sell gum in order to eat or have a place to sleep.
Preparing to give out God's Word of Hope and Promise to the children who need it the most!
These two boys are shoe shiners they are both around 7 years old. They are saying how happy they are to have us here and they hope we will come back :)
Ministering to the homeless man who we always buy shoes for, but this day we bought pants for because he was also a pantless man...
Spending time with a hero of mine, Francis Eachus:
Getting my hair done for the wedding :)
Returning to Esperanza to spend time with the kids. The boy in the blue in the middle is the shoe shiner on my street. He did not let go of my hand the entire walk:
Painting their sweet faces:
Us, the children, and the living proof of the power of God's Word for salvation....Julio:
Pray for Julio. Pray his heart stays fertile soil. Pray he seeks after other believers and the Lord brings them. Pray for his heart to soften against the church. Pray for His spiritual growth. Pray for the quick and safe return of Geoffrey and I to Coban so we can nurture this relationship with him and watch him become the follower of Jesus that he desires to be. And lastly, praise God, the living God, for His hands which reach down, pull us up and His voice which gently says, "Follow me". Praise God.
Love,
Jenna
P.S. - Here is a video from the children who spend their days at the Dump of Coban:
He is a Father to the fatherless, a defender of the orphan!
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