Around Thanksgiving, our simple church was able to take some gift cards to some refugee families to bless them. In our card we left our phone numbers and said, we would love to be friends and help them in any way. Over the past couple of years the ministry we are a part of called City on a Hill Connection has been reaching out to the Cuban refugees, playing baseball with them etc..
Well, there were two couples living in the apartment we took the gift cards to…Maite and Odalys are the two women. They started calling me, and I began visiting them. We quickly became friends. At new years, Odalys said, it was her new years resolution to know more about God. We gave them bibles at their request and began meeting together weekly or more to practice English and to do Chronological Bible Storying. They are hearing and learning God’s story and plan for redemption. Some lessons we have watched the Hope Story online. But more than anything we have fun, laugh, cry, and talk about the Hope we have in Jesus.
Some things I have learned from these ladies is powerful. We see these refugees as having so little but as she expressed this week, that the first two years she was here she had everything, people were blessing them with stuff etc.. They got their first credit card and got into debt, buying a tv and couch etc.. She said, “What good are possessions if you don’t have inner peace.”
So profound. I am blown away by how God is moving in these two ladies lives. Over the past 3-5 years I have worked with people and noticed that there is so much spiritual apathy. People will meet with me for a little while then fade away or not commit or not show up. These ladies are the most dedicated and commited ladies I have seen. I am so grateful. I know this is the activity of God, you can’t force people into the kingdom or have a desire to know him. It is from the spirit.
Odalys says, the reason she is so commited is because when she comes to my house and learns about Jesus she feels peace. It is the only place where she feels like that- so she will drop what ever she is doing and come with me on Mondays.
These two ladies are very close to coming into the kingdom, it’s like I can see the spirit drawing them as they learn about him. I pray for them because they have many trials in their home life. I am praying big prayers that Jesus will transform their lives and their entire household like the story of Lydia in the bible. Please pray with me for this.
My precious new friend Safula is coming on these days as well, we meet for spiritual accountability and prayer before hand and then she joins me in ministering to these ladies. I look forward to telling you more about this awesome woman of God.
