No, we're not in Kansas anymore. I was especially reminded of that during our lunch when a tornado came through the area, less than a mile from where we were. Here in the barrios of Barranquilla, I quickly realized that if a tornado is coming, there is no place for cover. You can bet I kept my eyes on that tornado, watching the direction it moved. Thank the Lord, we watched it form, funnel down, and then dissipate. Wild. I can't remember ever seeing anything like that before - it was straight from Twister.
No, we're not in Kansas anymore. I knew that because as I stepped into the first home, the man was hard at work painting black paint on the fabric of old tennis shoes so he could resell them. That first visit of the day turned out to be amazing. Juan and his wife Esther were both already committed followers of Christ. Their son Robert was not, however...but he was not home at the time. I was able to encourage them as best I could, but in reality, I'm sure they encouraged me even more. After I finished sharing my testimony, Juan shared how he came to Christ. Then with tears in her eyes and the biggest smile I'd seen in a long time, Esther shared how today was her birthday, and me coming to visit was the best birthday present ever. We all prayed together, cried a little, then off I went to the next home...to their neighbor Teresa.
You see, when I was sharing with Juan and Esther, Teresa hung outside the door listening. She had to leave during the conversation, but she made sure we knew to come to her door next. No, we're not in Kansas anymore. That surely would not happen in the grand United States of America. As we shared with Teresa, in marched another gentleman. His name was Robert, and I was quickly informed that he was the son of Juan and Esther from the first visit. We shared the Gospel with both Teresa and Robert, and they both prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
In nearly every house I went to today, we met Colombians who needed prayer, needed encouragement, and most importantly, needed Jesus. How humbled I am to think that God would let me share His love with these wonderful people.
Perhaps I had one experience today that made me think I was still back in Kansas. Her name was Carmen, and it was so sad. I shared the Gospel with her, and when I asked her if she would like to make a commitment to Christ, she said with an odd smile on her face, "No." I asked her what was keeping her from making that decision, and she responded, "I'm not telling God no" she said, "I'm just telling Him not today." Now, please understand Carmen was no spring chicken, to put it mildly. She was an aged woman. She believed everything I told her about the Gospel, the Bible, Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and salvation. She had heard the Truths before; I told her nothing new. I explained to her that the Bible says "Today is the day for salvation." I could see the emptiness in her eyes the few times she would make eye contact with me. She let me pray for her, she let me take her picture so I could remember her face and pray for her in the future, then we left. ...with Carmen still having that odd smile on her face. (Pictured below.)
Yes, that's a lot like those we know in the grand old USA. How many people do we know that refuse to accept Christ? They either don't feel the need for God in their lives, don't understand that good works don't get them to heaven, don't understand that's it's not about religion -- it's about a relationship with Jesus. They refuse to believe the Message, or worse yet, we neglect to tell them.
If you think of it, please pray for Carmen. Pray for those who accepted Christ today. Many are burdened for their children who are involved heavily in drugs. It was a great day for sure, and I can't wait to hear everyone else's stories tomorrow morning at our team meeting. I'm sure glad I finally made it here. This is better than Kansas.
Pray for Carmen to decide "Today is the day for salvation."
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com