Where we haven’t been & Yellow

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:12-13

Only Hannah, Alexina and I made it to ministry today. Sickness has been making its rounds around the AIM Base and at Hope. While Tuesdays are typically a Bible study and worship session in the morning, because of the sickness today it was changed to ATL house visits with 2 of the AIM Base staff members (they are married) who conveniently live just down the street from Hope. Their names are Aderque, he is from Guatemala, and Mikayla who is from Illinois. Having only just met them today and never having done ATL house visits before (unplanned where you go) I’m not going to lie, the 3 of us didn’t know what to expect. Aderque said he just comes along for the journey wherever we feel the Lord pulling us. Before leaving we prayed and asked the Lord where he wanted us to go. The 3 of us heard the Lord tell us to go somewhere we haven’t been. Mikayla saw a picture of a yellow house and with that information we began to walk down the streets of San Antonio. We turned down a street we haven’t yet gone and not long after I saw another side street that looked beautiful with its overflowing greenery. What went from me saying, “that’s looks beautiful” turned into Aderque saying, “Well should we go down there?”. Why not?? And sure enough right after we turned down the path the first house on the right… you guessed it… YELLOW.

Before knocking he asks which one of us is going to start the conversation, to which I get volun-told by Alexina as she points her finger in my direction. Aderque knocks then quickly backs up as if to act as though it wasn’t him. The door opens and I see a young girl, “¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?” And that’s pretty much the extent of my Spanish in this context, I then switch to English looking back and Aderque to translate and say to what is now a man standing in the door way “We felt called by the Lord to come to this house and pray for your family.” Immediately we are invited into their house and his wife is grabbing stools for us. I ask their names and they aren’t shy to start telling us about their story.

The husband, Oscar, begins to tell us about his alcoholism something he’s struggled with for 30 years, his upbringing which started that addiction, and about his brief time in the states. He explains how he knows he doesn’t give enough time to God, but knows He exists. Hannah and I both shared what the Lord had put on our hearts to tell him. I would like to share both with you as they might reach someone at home who needs to hear it.

Hannah told him a story about a vase. This vase was the most beautiful vase, but one day it gets pushed off the table. After picking up the pieces they are taken back to the potter and the potter puts it back together and even touches up any spots that need it. Now the vase is sitting on the table holding the most beautiful flowers! The vase is us, and when we fall into sin it breaks, but the potter is God, and it’s beautiful that He so willingly takes back the pieces, broken and scattered, and crafts it back into something beautiful!

I then felt the Lord telling me to share a quote that I found last night, not the full thing but He put His own little spin on it. “When Jesus died on the cross he died for the dirtiest version of yourself. He doesn’t need or want you to clean yourself up before coming back to him. He wants to help you in that process.”

I then asked Magdelina, his wife, how their families struggles have impacted her faith. She explains how she’s a Christian and while you might assume the circumstances would damper her faith, we were all were in awe when she told us about how she has been consistently praying for him everyday for the past 11 years and she is starting to see the fruits come from that as he is now 2 weeks sober!! Magdelina began to tear up as she told the story of their marriage. Shortly after getting married she found out he was addicted to alcohol. Just when she was having thoughts of ending the marriage the Lord came to her and told her to accept him how he is, and be a light in his life. She also told us that “it’s not an accident that the Lord sent us to their house” and how she believed that He sent us to help bring Oscar back to the Lord. Alexina then got an amazing word from the Lord to share. She told Magdelina how much she reminds her of Jesus because He wasn’t afraid to be around those who need help. The addicts, the sick, the ones who don’t know Him. As soon as she said that Magdelina lit up with a smile! Magdelina’s obedience to the Lord even when it’s hard to trust, and her unwavering faith is an example for everyone, she is such a blessing to even just be around!

Towards the end of the visit Aderque shared with Oscar a little about his own families story and you could tell Jesus was working in Oscars heart as he began to break down in emotion. Aderque was telling him how his family needed forgiveness and how that might just be what Oscar needs to bring to the Lord regarding his upbringing. Seeing the emotion coarse through this man was beautiful! (It was in this moment the Lord placed ministering to those who have addictions, wether drugs or alcohol, on my heart. It was an indescribable feeling but it was made so clear. This is something I am continuing to talk about with the Lord and prayers for guidance on where to go with this would be so appreciated!)

Aderque’s wife, Mikayla, then got a word for their daughter Brittney, the young girl I first saw at the door. Brittney is only Magdelina’s daughter from a different marriage, however, Oscar accepts her as his own. Brittney has Cerebral Palsy which can be seen just by the way she walks, and later we find out from her parents that although she is 16 mentally she is around the age of 10. Mikayla told her that she knows that Brittney is a light in her family, that she brings peace and joy in tough situations. Brittney couldn’t stop smiling and it was the sweetest to see a girl who might be thought of as an outcast because of her “disabilities” knowing how loved she is by the Lord!

We spent 2 hours with this family, but I easily could have spent all day. We didn’t leave without already getting an invite back. “We hope this won’t be your last time stopping over”. All 3 of us were overjoyed to hear that, and are planning our next visit!