Romans 10:1 says Brothers my hearts desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
Today the sun beat down on the team as ministry was done in two different villages. We returned once again to Las Linas to help build a home for a couple who did not know Christ. The woman had spent the night in her “home” that was under construction. The men hauled water and mixed concrete. The work was extremely difficult as sweat, muscle, and persistence worked together to pour the footings around the newly dug trench. This trench surrounded the young woman’s “home” – sticks with black plastic that were her walls. These walls would be eventually replaced with concrete block. The young woman’s husband was gone for his usual 8 day stay in town where he worked as a mechanic. She was so excited to see so much love being poured out for her family. Her 1 child, a one year old, quietly clung to her as she was given a gospel bracelet that “happened” to be in one of our packed bags and not one that was confiscated by the authorities upon arrival.
Many of the team painted nails of little ones and played games of soccer, while others had serious conversations that shared the Gospel. At the end of the morning when we had finished our work on the house, Melissa, one of the team members who had shared the gospel was able to share her love for Christ again with this woman. She felt called to leave her with her own earrings. She explained to the woman that she was leaving these earrings as a symbol of God’s longing to fill her heart with his love. Although this woman had not sought salvation in Jesus Christ, she had heard the Gospel, and Melissa gave those earrings out of love, the way Jesus offers his love to us. We left this woman with an enormous amount of joy in her heart and a huge smile on her face.
El Pajuil was the village that we went to this afternoon. Pillowcase dresses that another generous church had sent were given out to little girls who had very little. Sadly, girls, as young as fifteen, were holding children that were their own. Medications were given out to many. One witnessing opportunity came when Heather, who was talking to the young girls, was able to share the Gospel. She had engaged in this young soon to be mother’s life, only of 18 years old, asking her many personal questions about her pregnancy and the father of her child that led to a conversation about love. Heather had used questions about the love this woman’s husband had for her to talk to her about a greater love, the love given to us by Jesus Christ. She asked this young woman if she knew anything about Jesus or the Gospel and, sadly but almost as expected, she had said very little. As Heather spoke to her two other young mothers, who were distant earlier, gathered nearby to listen as well. She gave her testimony to these women, and how there was no greater love than the love of her Father, Jesus Christ. She asked them if the fathers of their children loved them, and it saddened her when they answered her with uncertainty. She witnessed to these women, about what the Lord has instilled in all of us both men and women, and that is a need for love of Jesus Christ. Only He can fulfill this hole, not even the best husband or father can do this. Her testimony opened their hearts for the Gospel to be spoken and they listened openly. These women hugged and kissed her with a joy on their face that they had been there before. A seed was planted and we can only pray that the work of the Lord will be done in that garden.
