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Loving on Lima, Peru

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A snapshot of the crowd at the Crusade on July 26, 2014

God did it again! He showed up and showed off. This time it was in Lima, Peru.

This July I had the honor of being one of 136 people who answered the call to go on a short-term missions trip to Lima with Missions.Me.

I had traveled with Missions.Me last year to Honduras, but this year I was the only New Yorker on the team. I didn’t know anyone, but no matter. God once again connected me with a super team and wonderful roommates!

Every day my team of 33 (Go Dream Team 3!) would travel to schools, marketplaces, and parks to perform skits, dramas, preach the Gospel, and pray for young and old. The people were so warm and friendly. And they were hungry to receive Jesus!

A combined total of 1,000 people came to the Lord each day! Every day, all six teams were coming back with testimonies of how God was saving people, setting the captives free, and healing the sick.

I was personally blessed to be able to minister to people in Spanish, which is usually like asking a righty to do everything with her left hand.

I’ll share more about some of the people I met in another post. For now, I’d like to rejoice that some 50,000 people came to the Crusade we held and that 13,001 people made decisions for Christ that day!

I’m so grateful that we got to preach Christ freely and openly! I pray that the seeds we sowed will be watered for years to come!

A special thanks to Agua Viva church for making us feel so welcome! God is doing an amazing thing in their church, which has 80,000 members!

Whenever I see God do miraculous things in foreign countries, I come back hoping and praying that He’ll do the same here in the United States! Jesus is Alive and Active my friends! May you see His Miraculous hand working in your daily life as well! And may you never tire of sharing the Good News about Jesus with others!

“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

To read about the other missions trips I’ve been on, click here.

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Greetings from Lima

What an AMAZING time we had in Lima, Peru! It’s going to take me a bit of time to process some of my thoughts from this short-term missions trip. In the meantime, I’d like to share two of the short videos I shot from there. Blessings!

Shot on our last morning in Lima:

Shot on the morning of the Crusade:

To read about the other missions trips I’ve been on, click here.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isaiah 6:8)

Did these videos encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Path to Peru

I’m excited to be on my way to my 5th short-term missions trip. Praise God! Thanks to all of you who are praying for me! I’m looking forward to seeing what God does in Peru! I hope you enjoy this short video I just shot. Blessings to you!

To read about the other missions trips I’ve been on, click here.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isaiah 6:8)

Did this video encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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6 Fave Verses About Missions

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I’m just weeks away from my fifth short-term missions trip! Glory! I find that amazing especially considering the fact that while I was growing up, the thought of going on even one missions trip never even crossed my mind. Ever.

Sure, I liked to travel. Years ago, my goal was to travel to different Olympic stadiums around the world. God graciously allowed me to visit four. Not bad!

Once I got saved though, God transformed my passion for travel into a desire to reach the lost and to encourage and pray for hurting people not just around me but in other parts of the globe including in Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Honduras!

This year, God has opened the door for me to go to Peru. I’ll write more about my trip in the weeks ahead.

That God would allow me to be His ambassador or witness anywhere is both an honor and humbling! It’s also pretty exciting! That’s why the sign in the store window above has been speaking to me lately.

Serving God can be an adventure for sure!

Now that my trip is so close, I would like to share 6 of my favorite verses that help to inspire me leading up to my short-term missions trips. May they help to encourage you to say, “Yes!” should Jesus call you to Go Forth!

  • “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
  • “…’Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Romans 10:13-15)
  • “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8)
  • “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” (Joshua 1:3)
  • “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
  • “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Interested in short-term missions trips? Then feel free to read “Why Go?” and “Short-term Missions Trips 101”.

May you also remember that you don’t have to wait until you board a plane to be Christ’s Ambassador. You can be “A Sermon in Shoes” right where you are today!

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and be sure to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts e-mailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Moving Forward!

Announcing the launch of my website www.AboundingFaith.com

Abounding Faith header NEW for MC

There is a time to dream and there is a time to DO! I’m excited to announce the launch of my new website www.aboundingfaith.com, and that I will be available to speak at churches and events. I’m also ready to life coach.

For the past few years I have felt the Lord drawing me to speak and write for His Glory, but I didn’t know how to put the puzzle pieces together. God, in His great mercy, showed me step by step. He continues leading me in this Great Adventure that He has for me!

Now I hear Him saying it’s time to Move Forward!

This process has been long and hard but after much prayer, and waiting on God, and after testing the waters, and getting wise counsel, I am at peace about taking this next step. And I invite you to continue this journey with me!

No worries, I plan to keep blogging here every Monday. From time to time, I’ll give you updates about how things are going with the site.

My goal is still to encourage you in your walk with the Lord and to celebrate God’s extravagant love for us! I will be doing that here and at Abounding Faith.

I firmly believe that if the Lord is not in something, it’s not worth doing. When the Lord is truly in something, it would be foolish not to go for it! We’re to stick close to Him at all times though.

As Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

This is unchartered territory for me, but the pioneer in me is looking forward to seeing where the Lord leads. The exhorter/evangelist in me is excited about all the new people I’ll get to minister to.

Stepping out in this new adventure is pretty much like deciding to trust God to board a plane to AFRICA or the Amazon.

It can be a little nerve-wracking but I’m a Daddy’s Girl, and I have a history with my Heavenly Father. Over the years, He has asked me to take leaps of faith, and He’s always been there to catch me!

I’m reminded of Peter when he saw Jesus walking on the water. He wasn’t content to stay in the boat with the others. He wanted to be right where Jesus was and in the middle of all the action! But he wasn’t about to exit the boat unless Jesus invited him.

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 “Come,” he said. (Matthew 14:28-29)

I wonder if Peter even understood the magnitude of his request. And yet Jesus graciously obliged. The ball was now in Peter’s court.

Jesus called. Peter answered. As a result, Peter got to walk on water! In that moment, he let his faith in God overtake any fear he must have felt.

That’s how it is in our lives. Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Jesus calls us to follow Him wherever He leads. It’s our choice to trust Him and move.

Oh the rewards that come from obeying God’s call and following after Jesus! Is it easy or popular? No. But Jesus never promised it would be easy. He did say that He would be with us and that we have the victory in Him.

“…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

What is God calling you to do? However big or small it may seem to you, I pray you will have the courage to run, walk, or take baby steps towards what God has placed in your heart and that you will enter into all that God has in store for you!

I hope you will visit me at www.aboundingfaith.com and will be blessed by the encouraging videos and inspiring photos and free downloads on the site. Please tell your friends and family about the site, too!

Let’s see what the Lord is doing! He’s always at work! Thankfully He never slumbers nor sleeps.

Did this encourage you? Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. To get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields and to get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox, click here. To find MiraculousLovely on YouTube, click here. To find MiraculousLovely on Pinterest, click here or on Facebook, click here.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Viking Hunters

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An ordinary afternoon in Union Square Park.

In 2010, God allowed my friends Christine, Vernon, Juan, and I to take an evangelism class at our church based on the popular series “The Way of the Master”.

“Us Four” as I affectionately call us, already had evangelism experience under our belt so we were actually students who were going to be quickly turning around and training others.

As part of the class, we took our first “fishing trip” to Union Square Park on a Friday evening to practice the skills we had been learning throughout the weeks.

Initially, we all split up to talk to people one-on-one but I didn’t fare so well as I started talking to a guy and half way through our conversation his girlfriend came up to us. I was so concerned that she might have the wrong idea about what I was doing, that I lost my train of thought and only gave him the law and pointed out his sins but forgot to mention the “Good News” that we have a savior in Jesus.

I saw that Christine was free, so I went to partner with her.  We found another fellow to talk to when all of the sudden we spotted him.

Out of nowhere, a guy dressed as a viking –  with a mask, horns on his helmet and spikes— started crossing the street and was heading right in our direction.  Christine had been in the middle of sharing the Gospel with the dude we were standing with. Later on, she shared that all she could think was that the devil himself was headed our way! All she could do was keep preaching the Word! I just tried to remain calm. After all, we were in Union Square on a Friday night. There are always tons of characters there. Thankfully, he walked by us without any incident.

After we were done, we went to check on the guys. Juan soon joined us, but Vern was in the middle of sharing the Gospel with a group of people who seemed to be hanging on his every word. Christine went over to talk to some of the teens standing by Vern, leaving Juan and me to our own devices.

Juan and I were the “loose cannons” from the group, so we weren’t going to stand still for too long.

We were there for just a few moments when I spotted him again.  There was the viking. Except this time he was sitting by himself, smoking a cigarette.

As I saw him sitting there, I thought, “Well, if he really is the devil incarnate then we should go preach to him too!” So without any further thought, I said to Juan, “Let’s go over to him.”  To which Juan immediately replied, “Ok!” As we were walking over to him, I suddenly realized that I had no idea what to say so when we were just steps away from the viking, Juan and I quickly decided that he should be the one to talk.  Perfect! He was the Green Beret and Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army!  I, on the other hand, was not.

I was just “in the zone” which I can only describe as being filled with Holy Ghost boldness as well as a little touch of crazy (how else can I explain going out and evangelizing in New York City and abroad!)

Thankfully, Juan eased his way into a conversation with the viking and suddenly, to our surprise, he relaxed enough to literally lift up his mask so we could see him face-to-face. Instantly, the intimidating viking became just another young guy who needed to be reminded that God loves him.

He shared how he had just finished one job and was on his way to another job where I suppose he is required to wear the costume. He mentioned that he did grow up going to church. We chatted for a bit, and I was thrilled that I got to pray for him at the end of our conversation.

Now I can’t say that I’d go up to every viking I see, but I am so thankful that God reminded me that night to look past a person’s exterior to see the lost sheep inside.

There are lost and hurting sheep all around us. Do you see them? They are in your home, work, school, neighborhood, etc… Why not ask God to show you who He would like you to reach out to with a kind word, smile, prayer or with an invite to your church?

If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment and to hit “Like” below.

 

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The Confession

asterix611 / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

 

Doing outreaches in New York City can be just as adventurous as going abroad on short-term missions trips! You never know quite who you’ll meet. Here’s a story of one unforgettable encounter I had while ministering in Manhattan.

In 2008, I felt God drawing me to serve with the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM).  NYSUM provides training and housing for short-term missions teams ministering in New York City.

As an associate staff member, I would take teams who were visiting from out of town on outreaches to place like The Father’s Heart Ministries soup kitchen, to local shelters, and also on homeless outreaches.

The place I used to take teams to on homeless outreaches was in midtown. The team would hand out sandwiches, toiletries, and blankets and then we’d get to speak and pray with the men waiting on line to enter a facility where I’m told they sleep on metal chairs instead of beds.

I’ve met all kinds of homeless people. I must say most are friendly and welcome a listening ear. Some are well versed in the Bible. A few have thanked me profusely for spending time with them and have said they would like to one day do the same thing that I was doing! So sweet.

I have fond memories of many of them. Many of the guys at this particular site had just come from out of town and had no place to stay.

Then there was this one guy who shocked me.

One evening, I was talking to a man who seemed deeply burdened. I had prayed with other guys numerous times before, but it seemed like something was really weighing this man down.  When I asked him what I could pray for, I thought he would say something rather standard such as for a job, an apartment or for good health. But he surprised me by saying, “Forgiveness.”

So I began to pray for him. Normally, I would then invite the person to pray silently, but for some reason I felt like he needed to get whatever it was off his chest so I suggested he say whatever he needed to say to God out loud and that it would remain between him and God.  I wasn’t prepared for what he was about to say next.

With tears streaming down his face, he asked God to forgive him for shooting someone. Huh? I was stunned.  But at the same time, I was honored that he felt that comfortable that he could say that in front of me.  I continued to pray for him and soon it was time to leave.

Only as I was heading back to the van with the team did all these thoughts start racing through my mind including, what if he still had the gun with him?

Looking back, I’m sure I could have handled the situation much better, but on that particular night I felt like my job was not to judge the man or make sure that he was arrested.  God would take care of that. On that night, I felt that I was called to just listen and pray for a man who was in deep distress.

It reminds me that there is no pit too deep that Jesus can’t redeem us and rescue us from it!  Sure we may not have shot anyone, but we still have sins that we need to confess to God and sometimes even to each other.

Yes we are saved in an instant but sanctification, or being set apart for God and being molded into the image of Christ, is a process. It happens over a lifetime.

Could I encourage you to take a moment right now and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and to shine a light on any unconfessed sin that you may have? If something comes to mind, don’t ignore it. Just ask Jesus to forgive you. Ask Him to give you the strength to stop doing/saying/thinking that or to start doing/saying/thinking what you know you should.

The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:8-9)

What a wonderful Savior we have! Receive your forgiveness from Jesus and ask Him to cleanse you and help you make a brand new start. To read more about how Jesus cleanses us, click here.

If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment or to press “Like” below.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Honduras Highlights

Honduras cover

It’s a tradition. After each of my short-term missions trips, I put together some pictures and thoughts and create slides to help me share my experiences with others.

My Honduras slides are ready! I’m going to let them do all the talking this week. Please click Honduras PDF to view them. I hope you are blessed!

If you missed my other posts about Honduras, feel free to check out: Hola Honduras, Viva Honduras, Foreign Friends Part 2 or Why Go?

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Short-term missions trips 101

These days more and more people are asking me how I started going on short term missions trips and sharing with me that they are interested in going as well. Awesome! There’s a big, beautiful world out there with too many people who don’t know the Lord!

As I’ve shared before, I’m more of an accidental short-term missionary. I’m no “expert” in this field. However, after going on four short-term missions trips I’ve learned a thing or two so I’d like to share that info with you as you make your decision to GO!

Pray, pray, and well PRAY! – Short-term missions trips shouldn’t be confused with vacations or getaways. Yes, you get to travel to a foreign land and get to meet people from different cultures and perhaps get to see some famous sites while there, but that’s not the main reason for your trip! Honestly, I see it more as going off to battle. There’s a spiritual war going on and people’s souls are at stake. That’s why prayer and even fasting are key! As soon as you get an inkling that you might want to go on a trip, invite others you trust to start praying as well!

Do your research – There are tons of organizations out there and most have websites you can check out. Look up a few of them (unless your church is providing you with the opportunity to work with a particular organization). What are their beliefs? What is their vision for the trip? What will the mission be? Do they have a sample itinerary they could send you? Do you need to sign up with your own group or can you go as an individual (or family) and be assigned to a group? At this point, ask people you trust if they’ve heard of the organizations and visit their social media pages and blogs to read about their past trips. Again, ask God to guide you to the right organization. (To read how God led me to my recent trip, read Hola Honduras).

Listen to the Lord’s leading – Are you feeling drawn to a certain country or people group? Are you feeling called to work with children? There are various types of missions opportunities. Some groups focus on visiting orphans, holding vacation Bible schools for kids or doing outreaches like skits and puppet shows for children. Others focus more on construction and building orphanages or renovating buildings. Still others are more evangelism focused and include doing outreaches or festivals in public plazas or other venues. Others are strictly compassion focused and take teams to the poorest of the poor to feed, clothe them or to offer medical clinics. We’re all gifted in different ways, so ask God to show you where your gifts, talents, and personality would best fit.

How long is the trip? – Short-term trips are usually 1 to 2 weeks long. Other trips can be for 3 months, 6 months or even a year. If you’re interested in going for a year or longer, congratulations!  Keep praying! That most likely means you are being called to be a full-time missionary! If that is the case, I would say to go to your pastor, elder or other trusted mature Christians (including family members) to ask them to help you make that decision. You might want to go to a Bible school or seminary to learn more.

Some practicals – What is the temperature like in the area you would be going to? I don’t do well when it’s extremely hot, so that’s very important to me. What will the sleeping conditions be like? I’ve gone from sleeping in a hammock on a boat in the Amazon in Brazil to staying in a beautiful 4-star hotel in Honduras! Both have been wonderful, but it helps to know that ahead of time. How safe is the area and what is the plan to keep the team safe? Will you have translators or is English popular there?  I was happily surprised that so many people spoke English in Ethiopia! Will there be a doctor or nurse on the team or will you be close to a clinic, God forbid something happens! What kind of shots or visas are needed for the trip?

What is the cost? – Notice, I left this last on the list because honestly, if you’ve gotten this far in the process and you still feel the Lord calling you to GO on the trip then trust that God will make a way for you to go no matter what the price tag is! As the saying goes, where God guides, He provides! There are tons of fundraising ideas online that you can look into, and again pray about which family and friends you may want to ask to help fund your trip. You might be surprised by how many will happily contribute!

I hope this helps you as you make your decision. Ultimately though, if God is calling you to go on a certain trip I would encourage you to GO FOR IT even if at first it doesn’t seem to suit your calling, giftings, personality, etc… God knows what He’s doing and He might just want to use the trip to help s-t-r-e-t-c-h you! (To read how I was stretched on the construction site in Brazil, read Adventures in the Amazon).

Missions trips may not be easy (think enduring long travel times, interacting with a team of people with different personalty types, eating new food, pouring out and serving others day after day), but they are so rewarding!

As I’ve shared before, I see God do the miraculous while abroad! He’s done amazing things inside of me as well!  My faith always grows by leaps and bounds when I step out and GO and help to be the hands and feet of Jesus!

I pray that if you GO, you will have an amazing adventure of a lifetime as well! I look forward to hearing all about it!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment below or to hit “Like” and share it with your friends!

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Foreign Friends – Part 2

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Boys we met at our first ministry site

We had the pleasure of meeting many kids and teens during our time in Honduras. Each one has a story. Each one is precious in God’s sight.

Leading up to this trip, I just knew there would come a time when I would meet one person and I would KNOW that he or she was the reason why I couldn’t stay comfortable at home and why I kept feeling drawn to Honduras. I KNEW that God would show me who that person was.

In Brazil, that person was Josie, who you can read about here. In Ecuador, it was a young 14-year-old girl who was the oldest of six kids who lived in a humble farming community that was high atop the Andes mountains. She didn’t go to school because she had to stay home doing chores and watching her younger siblings. She was a bit shy. When it was time to play games with all the kids, she was awkward and felt more comfortable sitting back and watching everyone else. That was fine with me as it gave me a chance to chat with her without her siblings being in tow.

In Ethiopia, it was a young 14-year-old girl I’ll call Ann. We had visited a government run shelter for orphans and abused girls. There were about 300 girls and a few little boys in that shelter (there was a separate shelter for older boys). I can still remember the sea of girls that attached themselves to each of the team members. I am not exaggerating when I say that I had one girl holding each of my hands and one girl tucked into both of my arms. When we walked, we walked as one organism, only separating when we had to pass through a doorway. All they wanted was for us to play with them and to spend some time with them. They excitedly showed us the barn they had on the property. They so sweetly covered my head when it started to rain. They kindly pulled out a chair for me when we were indoors. It was there that I got a glimpse of how the children must have flocked to Jesus when He was passing by. If I could, I would have hugged all the kids that day!  Still, Ann is one of the girls that still stands out to me. She had a sparkle in her smile. Her English was great! When I started chatting with her about the Lord she exclaimed, “I love Jesus!”  She had recently become a Christian and a family member was taking her to church. I happened to have one Gideon Bible with me, and I knew she was the one to give it to.  I happily gave it to her with this charge, “Read it and then share what you learn with the others!”

So who would I meet in Honduras?

This time we interacted with so many kids, but I’ll share about only two for now.

The first is a 14-year-old boy that I’ll call Nelson. I was chatting with his friend at the site pictured above. I was encouraging them that God has a good plan for their lives. As I was encouraging them that they can overcome their obstacles, Nelson surprised me by quoting Philippians 4:13 which states, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” I asked him what else he knew so he quoted John 3:16 which states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I was so blessed to hear him quoting scripture so I asked him if he had a Bible. His eyes lit up as he said, “No.” That’s when I was so thankful that I had brought a small Gospel of John in Spanish. I didn’t know who it was meant for until that moment. I gave it to him with the same charge, “Read it and then teach the others!”

The other boy that made a real impact on me was a 15-year-old boy I met at the high school. I will call him Victor. We had just finished our presentation and were chatting with the students. Victor was standing next to his girlfriend. I soon learned she was a believer who went to church. I asked Victor what impacted him the most about the presentation and he said the “Everything” drama. The drama is about a girl who is lured away from Jesus because of a guy, money, drinking, eating disorders and ultimately suicidal thoughts. Jesus redeems her of all of that!

I asked Victor if he faced some of those temptations. He said he was dealing with all of them. I asked if he believed in God. He said he wasn’t sure. “How could there be a God with all the bad things that happen?” he asked. I shared how we live in a fallen world and we can choose to follow God or to sin and live how we want, etc…  He listened intently. When I asked if he’d like to receive the Lord, he said yes. After we prayed, I just held onto his hands and looked him square in the eyes and kept speaking life into him. He just kept listening and holding on to my hands. He had tears in his eyes. At that moment, it didn’t matter that he was in his high school or that his girlfriend was standing right next to him. I’m not even sure what I said to him, but in that moment I KNEW that Victor was a big reason why I had come to Honduras.

If Victor were the only person I had prayed with during my time in Honduras, I would still have counted my trip a success. For Victor was a lost sheep that desperately needed to hear that God loves him!

I count it a joy and a priviledge to share these moments with kids (and adults!) in foreign places.  I may never see them again this side of heaven, so I always pray that I will make the most of what little time I have with them.

Again, you don’t have to wait to be abroad to pray for and encourage those around you. Pray and ask God to lead you to the people He wants you to share His Good News with. That is definitely a prayer that God will answer!

If this encouraged you, feel free to leave a comment or to hit “Like” below.

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