Divine Appointments - I Had Heard of These...

If I had to give the next leg of our journey a big idea title it would be Divine Appointments!

In our training, talking to people who had been on these trips, my own husband, all had shared about "divine appointments."  I believed they could happen.  I assumed they would happen for some people on this trip.  I never expected to experience them so obvious, so personal, so many, so... divine.

On Wednesday and Thursday we were stationed in a different barrio.  Wednesday we were were to have Corey DeVivo, the artist, with us again.  We headed down the street to the point the pastor had picked out for us.  Corey opened his bag and began setting up.  The corner was at a very busy intersection.  There was some hesitancy about setting up there due to the amount of traffic and little room for people to gather.  Within about a minute the decision was made to move to a park across the street and down about thirty yards.  In those sixty seconds of starting to set up a man pulled over and asked us what was going on.  My team had the opportunity to tell him who we were and why we were there.  Cars were literally pulling around this guy still sitting on his motorcycle. He said he just really felt like he was "supposed" to pull over and talk to us.  We talked for a bit and shared the gospel with him.  He prayed right there, on his motorcycle, side of the road, cars pulling around him and all!  When we were done speaking with him the rest team had already moved down the street to set up in the park.  The timing of all  that was pretty amazing!  A great way to start the day!

As the sun beat down we spoke to many in the park several were receptive, some were just polite listeners.  As we were looking around for someone to share with we saw a young man/kid about 17 on his dirt bike.  He had pulled up to an old man who was fixing shoes.  It looked like he was gluing the souls of shoes back on.  This kid had stopped to pick up his shoes.  My translator asked if we could share my story with him.  He just said he needed money.  I told him we could share with him something so much more important than money.  He said he would listen and I began to share my testimony.  As I did, he stopped us, "I knew Jesus when I was young and studied about Him.  Then my sister died and I am separated from Him."  What could I say to this kid?  The Holy Spirit led me to tell him that Jesus loves him as many ways as I could express it.  His face softened and then the question came, "Why do people keep telling me Jesus loves me?"  We told him that God was pursuing his heart and wanted him to know he was loved.  This kid looked me square in the eyes and asked. "Why would you come all the way here from North America just to tell me God loves me?  That's wild."  I got to share with him that a wild part was that we had been praying for his heart for quite some time and that people back home were praying his heart as we were there.  I told him the wild part to me was that God had been pursuing my heart about making this trip for years and that God would let me be part of sharing with him that God loves him so much!  Before we came full circle to ask him if we could pray with him this kid was asking us if he could please pray with us.  It was an awesome divine appointment! 

Next was a personal appointment for me.  It was nearing time to head back to the church for lunch and the sun had thinned the crowds.  Nayib and I were looking at the art Corey had drawn.  She asked, "What do you see in this picture?"  As I looked closer I was so moved.  All that we had seen the past two and a half days was heavy.  Many times I wanted to cry out "Why?", "How do they get out from under all this," the burden was about too much.  As Nayib and I stood there it was like the Holy Spirit said look closer.  We clearly saw the two paths, one leading to hell and one to heaven, there was a choice... got it.  The cross is the only way... got it.  Then "look closer!"  The folks on the path to hell have packs and are weighed down.  The folks on the path to Heaven are already praising and light.  "BUT LOOK CLOSER!"  there are little burden packs at the foot of the cross from the people on the path to Heaven. 

It was as if Jesus whispered, "I've got it!  Leave your burdens here, at my cross.  I can handle it, I already have handled it!"  Wow!  Thank you Jesus!!!

So many inspiring people from the youngest and fearless. 

 This precious little girl shared the cube as many times and to as many people as would listen.  Many times it was kids she would target, but adults were not out of her zone.  She has passion for Jesus and He has a mighty little warrior on His side!

To the oldest.

.

Mr. Warren was on our team.  I told him he is one of my heros.  He has a farm in Pennsylvania.  He grows organic produce.  He fell off his roof a few years ago and broke several bones punctured his lung, the list goes on and on.  He loves Jesus and the Columbian people so much he is still taking trips providing materials, smiling, laughing and praising the Lord as he serves.  Amazing!! 

(Mark told him if I ever run away he is sure I would end up on a corner of Mr. Warren's farm!)

Wednesday after lunch we returned to the door to door pattern.  Most folks would pull back the curtain and speak to us through the barred windows. 

 

Mark had an opportunity to watch full on as God answered the prayers of the man on the right, in the brown shirt.  He is a pastor that had recently moved into this barrio to plant a church.  He lived in the upstairs apartment and was planting a church right there.  He had been praying God would put him in contact with a pastor to work with, reach out to.  Well, the national with Mark was a pastor that was going to help in the church we were planting, AND as they were talking Mark heard the pastor from the mother church right outside the door.  Next thing you know all three pastors were sharing contact information, plans and prayer!

Again, so many faces to remember!  I wish I could have taken hundreds of pictures.  I so badly want to remember the moments, the faces...

 

This gentleman, he was working construction and stopped to speak with us.  Once he heard the gospel story, he knew he wanted to received Christ as his Rescuer.  He was so excited! As I placed my hand on his shoulder as he prayed he was a bit embarrassed about being so sweaty.  It really didn't matter, it was kind of sweet.  I pray for him now as "the sweaty little construction man."  God knows exactly who I mean, and I can't help but smile every time I think of him.

On the last day the question was posed to me, "If you could rewind to five minutes of this trip and relive it, what would it be?"  With little hesitation I was able to describe and mentally go back to the moment that occurred about five minutes before this picture was taken. 

It was about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.  We were about to head back to the church and I saw this man.  He had been watching us make our way down his street.  I could not walk away merely hoping we would be back tomorrow with an opportunity share with him.  As we walked over and began telling him who we were and asking if I could share my testimony he straight out said, "I don't like religion, Catholic, Christian... I don't like religion."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you about religion, I want to talk to you about Jesus.  May I?"  He said yes and gathered his family.  As we began to share I was taken back by the expressions on his face.  Each turn of the cube to show a picture of the next step of the gospel story also turned his expression, he drew me in more and more.  When I got to the part about Jesus raising from the tomb after three days he said, "He just went up to Heaven, poof, in a bright cloud of light right."

"No!" I told him how He walked and talked with different people, at least 500 saw Him, He invited one of His disciples to touch His wounds...

Oh would I have liked to snap a picture in that second.  He was amazed and excited like nothing I had ever seen before.  "This, this that you are telling me is so beautiful!" 

By the time we were done the whole family had prayed to receive Christ.  The wife and I were crying, the man was teary.  It was beautiful!!

At the end of the two days in barrio number two we commissioned the pastor and the national team.  We passed on the contacts of all those we spoke to that made a profession of faith, asked for prayer, or asked for a visit. 

It was hard to walk out of the church to get in the van that last day of evangelizing. When would I get to do this again?  How can I go back to regular life?  There was a new hunger.  I never expected to be one that would just stand and look around to see who God was leading me to share His gospel with.  What do I do with all I have seen?  All the faces I want to remember?  All the dominoes I wanted to follow up with and see if they were as changed as I was?

The Barrio that Broke Me... And the God Who Gave Me Strength

 There was a murmur that this first "barrio" my unsure feet would walk was a bit unsafe.  I am not exactly what you would call brave, so fear began to creep in to those places I thought I had turned over to Him when I signed up for this adventure. Every reason I had argued with myself about coming here was playing out again in my head.

The van dropped us off at the plant church, we had a time of training as we met our "nationals" and waited on our police escorts (very nice to have these guys around) and then there we were walking up the street knocking on the first door.  I thought we would be with a veteran team for a bit in the morning to observe and get used to this process (you know "stay in the shadows") if you call being across the street knocking on a different door with us then yes, they were with us.

Here we (the national, my translator and me ) were knocking on the first door and there was no shadow to hide in anywhere!  A young girl answered with a girl who seemed to be a younger sister by her side.  As we spoke to this sweet girl we found out this younger girl was actually her daughter.  This young mom stood tight against the doorway, talking as if it was pleasant to speak with two nice people who were being kind to her, but she stayed pretty guarded pretty closed.  We began to share the gospel with her and tell her how much God loves her and sent Jesus to this earth and the cross for her.  She began to release from the frame of the door a bit.  We continued to speak of God's love for her. You could see this look in her eyes, a sparkle that perhaps life had put out a long time ago, start to flicker at the thought of being truly loved by God who created the universe.  She raised her arm so we could see the goosebumps that just spread up her arm, Nayib (my translator) and I showed her the goosebumps that raced up our arms.  She made a profession of faith right then, goosebumps and all!

That is when it all got exciting and real at the same time. God was opening my eyes to see life as I could not imagine it from my cozy life lived mostly in a bubble.  God was giving me a heart for very young moms and children who faced more struggles in a day than I will in a lifetime. Yet God was giving me courage to talk to people I would never just walk up and start chatting with.  Mostly God gave me Words that made each conversation so much more than a chat!

We spoke to so many that morning.  Many were young girls with little ones around or on the way, a few were older and hardened by this life, several were gang members who would let us know their buddy needed to "hear this" more than they did. No matter who it was my heart longed for them to really hear.  Hear that it is ONLY through the blood of Jesus on the cross that they can be saved.  Many of them "know" the story, but still think they must xyz or must not 123.  One obvious gang member told us he would go to Heaven when he died because all the good things and serving he had done. I think we walked through the full gospel three times with him!

After a few hours of seeing things I had never seen, being in total awe of God and His plan, and presenting the full gospel at least 20 times it was time to head back to the church for lunch.  While we were there there were a few kids at the church.  They were there simply because the door was open.  I pray to never to forget their faces and their eyes! They just wanted to be loved! This little one, she just stood beside where I was sitting. I just put my arm around her and smiled at her.  She stood there just to be held for quite a while. 

This little guy would smile and dart off just to return a few minutes later grinning from ear to ear.  Before he left I think he ran over and hugged me three times.  So sweet, so longing for love.

Loving the kids. that is where the guy below in yellow comes in.  His number of trips I believe is in the forties now.  His heart is far from counting the number of trips or even the number of kids.  This man has a balloon ministry.  He presents that gospel in ways that capture young and old alike with balloons, a giant kids evang-E-cube, stories, bracelets... This barrio was special in that kids were everywhere and roamed about pretty freely.  At one point we counted eighty faces focused on "Rich the Balloon Man" as he poured out his love, Jesus' love to these precious kids.  As we walked down the street at the end of the day to meet our van and head out of the barrio many of these children literally hung onto Rich, his backpack, any part of him they could touch, just to have the connection even for a minute. 

That afternoon we returned to knocking door to door to spread the gospel message to those God had already prepared to hear it.  There seemed to be a different feel in the afternoon.  Many more gang member type were opening their doors, perhaps waking a bit more as the hours multiplied.  We were able to have some really good conversations about how it is Jesus, only Jesus.  Many prayed, when we pointed them to the church and asked them to meet us at 5:00 there was a sudden let down.  Apparently the gang influence was pretty thick and there was an invisible line drawn that kept people on one side or the other.  If the church happened to be on the other side, too bad, there was no way they could risk it to go.  The heaviness of that was almost too much.  We kept going and though the invisible line thing was repeated and confirmed many times we know God already knew about that line.  God knows each of the precious kids, who are 80 to 100 strong at the church on a regular basis and that they can apparently cross that line.  We are praying for those kids, the younger generation to be raised up to know Jesus' blood covers that line.  

The heaviness as we wrapped up Monday evening was too much.  As we sat in the church a mob of kids looked in at us, the look in their eyes I don't believe was for the food the church had prepared for us out of appreciation. (Though they did also allow all the kids to come in for a snack!)   It was a look of wanting to connect with these people (mainly Rich the Balloon Man) that had spread a little hope, who had walked into places that don't see many visitors speaking of love for them.  I broke into a flat out ugly cry and to be honest it took most of the evening to run out of tears.  Mark asked me that night if knowing what I knew from the day, would I have come on the trip.  My honest response was, "Please don't ask  me now.  Ask me tomorrow."

Tuesday morning at 6:30  during our morning prayer time God showed me He had done a great work on my heart.  I was not afraid to go back.  He reminded me that He had gone before us and prepared this work ahead of us.  He did not ask me to travel to a different continent to be shut down after one day.  He had already given me strength, words, boldness, obvious signs that He was working.  It was as if He just said, "I am here, working with you, you get to be a part of this just hold on for the ride!"

Tuesday we were at the same barrio.  Just a few streets over the oppression seemed a bit less.  One home inparticular stood out to me.  What seemed to be the closest thing to a family structure we had seen yet opened the door.  A man in about his forties had a great conversation with us, he prayed to receive Jesus' gift as his young daughters looked on.  That was great hope to me.  I pray this man makes a difference in his barrio and that will spread street by street crossing the invisible lines.

In the afternoon Corey the chalk artist was assigned to our team.  We moved to a very busy intersection, he began to set up and draw, crowds began to gather. We shared the gospel.

We talked to so many people.  Many of their faces are vague memories at this point.  However there was one early twenty-something, it is not his face that is clear in my memory, it is the question he asked, "Why do I do this?" and the sight of his chest with fresh gashes.  For a minute I had no idea how to respond, earlier in my life I would have passed out right there.  But I heard one of our pastors speak about this once as a student asked him a similar question.  It flooded back, "You can feel the love of God so much deeper than you feel the pain when you do that to yourself."  Then we were able to speak with him for quite a while on that busy corner about the God who formed his body loving Him beyond the pain.  He did pray that day, I still pray for him today that even if he didn't get it all right then a seed may have been planted that will grow into a love for God and appreciation for Jesus and His sacrifice.

  

We headed back to the church and gathered the team to present all of the follow up information to the pastor of the mother church.  This is what makes e3partners so amazing.  Every team has a national that makes contact at each initial meeting, every door and every heart that is knocked on a national who is planting that church greets them.  Then the church that is doing the work to plant and grow right there in the barrio is given the follow up information and prayer requests so they can make contact and build relationships.  Without this step our going would be worthless.

We had about 154 follow up sheets to present to the pastor and her team.  To see the joy and responsibility received as they took the pile of papers was overwhelming.

They were so appreciative of each one who knocked on doors, prayed with folks, spilled out love in this barrio.

Only because of hope in God and the seeds He allowed us to plant, the nationals to water, we know and trust He will grow them up for Him and His kingdom.

Wednesday brings about a new barrio...

My domino was shaking... Sunday

The departure date for our trip arrived so quickly I almost didn't have time to be nervous.  The devil certainly whispered doubt and discouragement to me several times, "What do you have to tell these people? Do you really think they are going to listen to you? If you are going you better just kinda be there but stay in the shadows you really don't have a clue what you're doing." That is when God began the work of showing me His truth up close and personal,

  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

As soon as I would allow any of the devil's tricks to repeat in my mind God would put someone in my path that would speak truth to me.  "You just have to obey Him and go, He'll prepare you." "God is really going to show you great things."  "I can't wait to see how God is going to use you there!" At one of our pre-trip team meetings one of our "dominoes" said, "Through these trips God has shown me that the more I trust Him, the more I am able to love Him and its a sweet thing."  As God handled the details of encouragement and peace as the pages of the calendar turned closer to our take off I became more and more excited.  The next thing I knew...

my fingers were racing to send off one more text to the part of our team supporting us from home.  (That was no small number of folks; our family, our small group, church, sweet friends spanning the miles, our coop...)
And so we were on our way.
Saturday we finally arrived at our hotel in time to settle in before we fell asleep exhausted from the day's travel.
Sunday morning we woke up to breakfast and a devotional to kick the trip off.  Then we divided into our teams and headed out to worship with the "mother churches" that we would partner with to plant "daughter churches." The worship was amazing.  I understood only a few words, but it was beautiful, such passion.  After lunch and a nap our training started.  I was ready to soak in every bit, every word, any hint of what I was supposed to say to these precious people when I knocked on their doors. (I had been told before, I knew something close to what I was supposed to convey but honestly I never thought I could just walk up to someone and actually put it all together in words.)  Still the whole time thinking I'll just follow Mark's lead and be fine.  I really don't have to say anything the first morning we go out, I'll just listen and learn (you know, in the shadows;)
 After our training we headed to meet our translators and the nationals we would work along side of.  The plan is usually a veteran N. American with a new translator and veteran translators with first time N. Americans. Well... that's where God had already orchestrated things a little differently.  As we were teaming up Edwin, the organizer of the translators, came up to Mark and told him one of the translators had asked if they could be teamed up with me.  She really felt God was leading her in my direction.  Guess what, she was new to this whole thing too.  
After discussing things and having a plan to make sure we always had a male national teamed up with us we decided to go with it.  Can I tell you what a blessing it is that we did!!! Nayib and her two amazing sons grabbed our hearts as we shared dinner and time getting to know each other. 

 Talk about a "domino,"  Nayib was the first in her family to believe in Jesus as the only way.  She shared her faith with her father, who became saved and a pastor of one of the churches E3 partnered with three years ago.  She and her two sons, her brother and a nephew were all translating with E3 for the week, and for most of them this wasn't their first time.  This sweet lady has had some real tragedy in her life, but she so simply said, "Each morning we get up and decide to trust God."  She was so passionate and rock solid in her faith... such an inspiration.
We now knew our translators, our nationals and our morning destination.  Meet you by the pool for prayer time at 6:15. Good night!

Dominoes

 Sunday morning, March 24, 2013, I was sitting in Cali, Columbia, South America eating breakfast as Sam Ingrassia began the morning devotions.  The reality of where I was and why I was there was beginning to sink in. 

Sam began speaking about sowing seeds and how many times we never see the effects that could be immediate or years down the road.  He was speaking of the dominoes that we may cause to "spill over" into others lives as we walked through the week ahead sharing the gospel of His great love. 

 I glanced around the tables lined with folks I would be on this journey with, many had been here before, a few others were as new to this as I was.  Three faces stood out to me.  I was hearing Sam speak about the week ahead, but all I could think of were the dominoes that tipped into our lives several years ago. 

 These three gentlemen in particular were the "dominoes" who directly brought me to this point and place, this opportunity to step fully into God's story with both feet, all my heart and honestly a touch good bit of fear.

 Several years ago, around 2006 give or take a year, Mark attended "Refresh" (a time of praise and worship) at our church.  These men, who Mark had known from an early Thursday morning Bible study, spoke passionately about mission trips they had been on and the group they had partnered with (now e3 partners.) 

 When the meeting was over Mark spoke with them about joining them on a trip.  As is Mark's style, the very next day he was signed up for the next journey to Barranquilla, Columbia. When Mark came back from that trip there no denying he had changed somehow.   His passion for missions was clear now and to be honest that made me a little nervous.  When he got home there was much I didn't understand about his week.  He told me story after story about the people on the team from all over the US, the translators and the Columbians.  I really couldn't understand how you could bond with people so quickly and why you would want to go back when you come home so sick.  Not only did he want to go back, he wanted me to go with him.  That was just silly to me, I had two very young girls at home to think about I just could not go or even entertain the thought.
Well each year since then Mark has gone to Barranquilla.  Some years it has been harder to be completely ok with him going.  But every year when he returned home I would be so glad he went.  He continued to return changed a little more each time.  He loved God more, he saw folks differently, and his desire for me to go with him grew more each year.
To be honest, when I found out I was expecting our third baby in 2007 one of my first thoughts was, "Well that just bought me a few more years before I have to go on a mission trip with him."  Little did we know that sweet baby would make it years and years before we would have the opportunity to go together.
A few times we have planned it all out, even banked the money but God clearly changed our plans.  This past November Mark returned from his annual trip on November 3. November 4th on the way to church he looked at me and said,  "OK, pick a trip.  In 2013 I want us to go on a mission trip together."  I can honestly say I was excited.  It had to be a God thing because a heart doesn't change on its own like that.
We picked a date, signed up, made the deposit and began to pray (and asked several others to join us in praying.) We knew there would be some struggles as the trip became a sealed deal.  Those struggles became real pretty quickly.
Within a few weeks of our final decision to go we were having a normal Friday around here.  Haleigh wasn't feeling great, but wanted to finish school before she took a nap to see if that would help her feel better.  As she sat beside me at the piano bench she went limp as a rag and then had a seizure.  Really?! Now?!
To say I was unraveled would be an understatement.  As I walked into church the following Sunday one of those "domino gentlemen" pictured above greeted me with a huge smile and asked if I was excited for our trip.  I immediately began to cry and told him what had happened.  This man is a grandpa, one of the most caring men you'll meet, he was supposed to say something like, "Oh, you clearly have to stay with her.  Don't worry about the trip."
Do you know what this man said?  "You know its God will for you to go, it has been for a while.  There's a good bit of time before we go, she'll be fine."
Are you kidding me!!
His words were echoed by many who walked this with us.  I am so thankful they did!  We knew all the bases were covered here with the girls.  Haleigh had some testing done and was given the all clear.  Mom switched plans and was coming here just in case something happened while we were gone.  Good friends were just a call away ready to step in and help at a moments notice.  The next thing I knew it was the week before the trip, time to pack.  Mark did most of the shopping and packing of all the supplies we needed.  I just added my clothes to the suitcase.  I met my dad to bring my mom here and gave her all the needed instructions, schedules, menus and routes to different lessons and stores.  Then we were off.
Those dominoes had tipped over into Mark's life several years ago and now my domino was going down too...

Sweet Sweet Easter!!

 Easter has always been my favorite holiday.  This year it was better than ever. 

Saturday evening Mark and I arrived home after spending a week in Cali, Columbia, South America with e3 Partners. One of my prayers leading up to the trip was to see God in a fresh new way.  Oh how sweetly He answered my prayer, over and over again. I could hardly wait to get to church and full out worship Him.

Mom had been down for the week to take care of our girls and Dad joined her Saturday.  Sunday morning when the alarm sounded we started to hustle to get hair braided and special dresses on.  A thought struck me.  This was the first time in ten years that I have been able to celebrate Easter with Mom and Dad. And celebrate we did! 

We got to church in time to hear the instruments and beautiful voices begin to sing praises to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one who took my sins to the cross.  

After a great sermon on hope we headed to the Lazy Goat for a fabulous brunch!

After we stuffed our bellies we headed to the Children's Garden.

 

It was a sweet day!

A sweet sweet Easter Sunday!!

(I'm still processing and trying to find words to adequately describe our trip.  Hopefully in the next day or two I'll have a post together.)