In a simple, concrete apartment complex in Latin America, I had an encounter that would impact me forever.
Will's* Spirit-Led Encounter
It was the last day of my first ever mission trip. My interpreter, Max*, and I were walking down the stairs from the third floor of this small, box-like building—leaving a gathering of church workers. As I looked out the windows into the street, I couldn't help but feel that there was something more I could do … more people with whom I could share the gospel. I looked at Max, and his look said that he felt it too.
We came to the bottom of the stairs, and we saw a man—handicapped in his legs, sitting with his braces next to him. He was about 30 years old, but those years had not been kind to him. He looked sad and confused, and something told us that he was the man we were meant to meet that day.
As we approached, Max said, “You look troubled. What is your name?”
“David*,” the man replied. “I have never been to this building before, but I know I need to be here. That’s what the voice said.” I was astounded. It was like something out of a story you hear from far away … not something you see happen right before your eyes.
David was an outcast because of his injuries and had to scrounge to live. I was struck by his hopelessness when I asked, “David, have you ever heard of Jesus?”
He simply replied, “No.” At that moment, I heard a clear prompt from the Lord. He said, “Give him joy, Will. Give him Me.”
So I began telling him about the One who loved him more than anyone else—the Man he had never heard of but needed to know. I continued through the gospel message and saw peace wash over his face.
When I finished, I heard another clear instruction from the Lord saying, “Tell him to smile.” When I did, David’s face broke into a wide smile. Even as I think about it today, I remember it as one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. So I told him, “David, your smile is beautiful.”
It was then that we all began to weep and pray. That day, David gave his life to Christ—finding the hope and joy for which he had been searching. Continue reading in the next blog post.
*Names changed for security reasons.