The Way Home

Well I thought I wrote my last entry but on my flight from Guayaquil to Miami, I was seated in 36A. The man beside me didn’t speak much English although I noticed his passport was from the US. I searched for my headphones, found some music to listen to and took some video of our takeoff ...got the big Nescafe cup in my sights. However, there was this impression that came over me that said, ‘is that the end of your testimony?’ You prayed to recapture your evangelistic edge and I knew what I needed to do. I had held on to one of my testimonies as sort of a momento for the trip, but I knew now, it had a purpose. We exchanged names and seated in 36B is Victor. I learned that he is a housekeeper in Newark, NJ although his children live in Guayaquil. I told him I was on a missions trip and proceeded to share my testimonio en espanol. I shared it, smiles were exchanged and using my testimony he proceeded to explain to me his story. He just lost his wife to an infection in her heart that took her life after 38 years of marriage in October. He shared out of his pain with me but the joy he has because He also knows Jesus. I took the opportunity to pray for him with a mix of my `pocuito de Espanol `and English.

At the end of the flight I needed help filling out my customs form...I was given one in Spanish. We were laughing as he was drawing a picture of a cow on his hand to help me know whether to say si or no! As I shook his hand to leave, I said ‘mucho gusto’ to which he replied ‘tu mi amigo’....you are my friend. It was a great flight!

Today reminds me that the mission never ends; the mission trips do, but it is what we do now with what we have learned. Will we take time to notice or we will just insulate and isolate ourselves? In our lives everything is done for the sake of convenience, anything to save you your time. One lady in line for coffee with me at the airport was apologizing for the slow service. She told me she was embarrassed because she was an Ecuadorian. I told her ...de nada..If there is one thing I have learned in the last ten days is to wait...wait to be picked up, wait at the church, wait to eat....they say 9am and you see them at 10am. I have learned to wait, to listen for the divine interruptions and to take the time to get to know people instead of worrying we are getting enough accomplished or how many people we have witnessed to.

Since being home God has blessed me with specific opportunities to share my faith and the thing is that it wasn't convenient, but as Lucie's mom used to say...'going out of your way is on your way!' It takes a conscious decision to take the opportunity to share your faith.

Lets be doers of the Word and not hearers only.