Hope-filled Street Encounter

A few weeks ago, I (Edu) met a man, Pau, who was truly desperate. I meet with him regularly and hear how his story is filled with consequences from hard things. Shortly after meeting him, he couldn't pay his rent and his landlord evicted him. He was one small step away from becoming a homeless person living on the street. 

As I heard more about his story over breakfast, more details emerged. About nine months ago, he lost his only son in a traffic accident. It seemed like his son was all he had and now he was gone. You can imagine the months of sorrow and emptiness that ensued. Looking for an escape, he began thinking about suicide.

How did we come to know Pau? One morning, a person from our team met him randomly on the street by asking if he needed prayer for anything. He shared that he did, and our teammate prayed for him. Our teammate also began telling him about hope in the person and work of Jesus. A few days after that, I met him for the first time and encouraged him with the same message. We began meeting together regularly and looking for hope in God and his Word.

It seems like Pau is hungry for peace, hope and salvation. I don't know if he has made a decision to follow Jesus, but I do know that some special things are happening in his life. His thoughts about suicide are less and less. He was contemplating renting another apartment (illegally) and decided against it. After meeting together for a couple of weeks, he began bringing friends with him to read the Bible! My friend Pau is growing in a deeper understanding of how Jesus has the power to take our sorrow upon himself and guide us to himself.

Krista continues to serve in soul-care for others and has a couple of trips on the horizon. We both encounter people who experience suffering, calamity, and oppressive situations. We are thankful for the opportunity to point to God not only as the door for salvation but also a way of freedom and rest, where he is guiding us to a new land where “... the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes." (Rev. 21:3-4) 

As ministers of the gospel we encourage believers and non-believers alike, to return to the arms of the Lord because we know God is inviting us in and making all things new.