As I was leaving home one morning, I passed this couple on the street. After greeting each other, we continued on our way. After I had gone about half a block, I hear the gentleman calling, “Seño,” the local greeting for a woman when you don’t know if she’s married or not.
I went back and he asked me if there was any way I could help them pay the fees so their fourteen year old son could go back to school. He quit school last year to help support his family by working in the fields. This year, though, his parents really want him to complete his education.
I usually don’t work with kids who do not have a disability of some kind, but there was something about this couple that drew me to them. I took their information and said I would ask in my journal if anyone was willing to sponsor him. And, really, I sort of forgot about them.
About a week later, they came to Mari’s house looking for me. (Though they didn’t know where I lived, it wasn’t too hard to locate the only “gringa” living in my neighborhood.) We invited them in, and Mari, the ever gracious hostess served them breakfast. We visited, and I learned more of their family and their lives.
It just so happened that these folks were Christ-followers, and shared with me that they believed God had told them to ask me for help. I told them that while I still did not have a sponsor for their son, I would try to find one (I would remember this time!). I noticed that before they ate, they each individually prayed over their food. . .and, before they left, the father, Francisco, asked if we could pray.
He and his wife, Consuelo, prayed the most beautiful prayers over me, never praying for a sponsor for their son, but praying forcefully that God would protect me, strengthen me, and bless my work. Afterwards, they told me that they had been praying for me each day, and would continue to do so, whether or not I was able to help their son, because I was working for God.
You can imagine the shame I felt for wondering initially if they had told me they were “evangelicos” as a way for trying to “hook” me into helping them. I was humbled by their simple faith and powerful prayer. I resolved to look for a sponsor, but wanted to meet their son first to see how serious he was about studying.
During the next few days they stopped by a couple of times, not to ask if I’d found a sponsor, but because God had given them Scriptures to share with me. I discovered that Francisco seems to carry his Bible with him always, and reads quite well. Consuelo has confided that she cannot read, because her family didn’t think girls need to learn to. (I hope to bring her a “Proclaimer,” an audio Bible, the next time I return to the States.) And we would pray together, with their focus continually on God blessing my work.
After one of these prayer times, I knew we would sponsor Isaac, even if I had to do it myself, and shared this with them. If you would like to be a part of this by sponsoring Isaac, please email me for more information. The cost of his sponsorship will be $35/mo. All that was left was to meet Isaac.
Last week Francisco and Consuelo brought Isaac to the house. (Unfortunately, when I went to take a picture of him, my camera battery was dead!) This is a quiet young man, who appeared almost embarrassed that his parents were asking me for help. He did want to study, however, and had no other idea how he was going to pay for it. I found that he was in “Segundo Basico,” the equivalent of eighth grade, which, since he was only 14 was a pretty good indication that he was a good student, and his parents had started him to school on time. Many fourteen year olds I meet are only in second or third grade.
The clincher came, however, when I asked him about his life with God. He said, honestly, it was so-so. He had a hard time believing that God really loved him, or even was aware of him. It was such a joy to share with him that I KNEW God did, because that was why God sent his parents to me. That was why, while I don’t work with kids who don’t have disabilities, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to make an exception.
He looked a bit startled at my surety of these things. I asked him if he had ever read the Bible, and he said no. So I simply presented the “Good News” of Jesus to him. (It was really neat to do this right before Christmas!). While he was not ready to make a decision to follow Christ, he wanted to know more.
I gave him a copy of Josh McDowell’s book, More than a Carpenter, written in Spanish. I’ve found that many here have an easier time understanding his plain talk than than do understanding the somewhat complicated language of the Bible, so thought this was a good way to start. (Remember, for many here, Spanish is a second language. I struggle to read the Bible in Spanish, and the only thing that helps me is that I usually know what I am reading in the English version. That’s why, even with those who can read, the Proclaimer is such a good tool.) Isaac promised to read it and return to discuss it with me. It brought tears to my eyes to see him flipping through it while I visited with his parents.
I am firmly convinced that my friendship with Isaac is not only about his education, but about his eternity. We will continue to talk and I’ll look for the “Holy Spirit moment” when he is ready to join us in following Jesus. I can hardly wait!
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