Hi friends and family!
First of all, thank you SO much for your love, prayers, and support. You have all been so kind and thoughtful as I’ve been living life here in Argentina!
Honestly, so much has happened in the last few weeks. This season at the Shelter has been unusually busy, and the Lord has provided me with many opportunities to have fun with our guests, such as playing board games, eating lots of meat at barbecues (called asados here), swimming in the lake, and going climbing. On the other hand, these casual, fun days have given me lots of time to connect with guests so that they’re open to talk about spiritual things. Most of our guests are very open minded when it comes to learning about the Gospel, but are more hesitant to accept the good news for themselves.
However, the Lord has been teaching me a lot about patience and letting go of my pride in favor of His plan. I know that He is doing something in the life of every individual who spends time at the Shelter, whether I see it with my own two eyes or not. And as long as our guests are open to hear, I have been praying that He will give me the words to speak! I’ve been working on refining my testimony so that when the always-asked question “So, why are you here volunteering?” comes up, I can share the ways my faith has led me here! God has given me so many opportunities to do that already and I’m beyond grateful.
Recently, I had the blessing of meeting a woman, Perla, who was selling socks in the city sitting on the sidewalk outside of a restaurant. At only twenty-six, she was a mom of three, and her older kids were in different parts of the city, also selling socks. Her youngest, Lionel, was in her arms fast asleep. I sat next to her and listened as she explained the challenges of parenting through poverty and pieces of her story. And as I sat cross-legged on the sidewalk next to her, I realized how easy it was for everyone to pass us by and avoid eye contact. No one out shopping on their Sunday afternoon felt any pressure to stop, and I realized how difficult and almost dehumanizing it must be for her to sit there day after day with little human kindness. I offered to buy her a meal, but she instead asked for diapers for her baby, and I realized that it’s a crazy blessing from God that I don’t have to decide between diapers for my son and eating dinner. This time at the Shelter has blessed me beyond what I deserve, and I want to use my resources to bless others. I bought her food to make dinner that night, and her face was glowing with gratitude. I’m so glad that for some reason I felt God telling me to stop by her side. It would have been easy to pass by on my way home for the night and never meet Perla, but how wonderful that I didn’t! Please keep her and her kids in your prayers. I hope to see her again!
That’s just one instance of the many ways I’ve experienced the needs and desires of the lost world. However, even the wealthiest guests who come through our doors at the Shelter are clearly broken and searching for meaning. They may be college students with the only thought in their heads being how to have a good time on a South America trip, but deep down they are craving a deeper love than this world can offer. It’s amazing to be able to look them in the eyes and tell them that there is a better way, a higher calling for their lives.
If the Lord puts it on your heart to pray specifically, please pray that the interactions between us volunteers and the weekly group of guests would be full of love and grace. Pray that I will be bold to share my faith, answer questions, and initiate conversation about the Gospel. Pray that the Lord would continue to work in the hearts of the guests who have already passed through and are now hundreds of miles away. Pray that our team would continue to be united in one purpose – to glorify Him who sent us!
