The Lord understands Spanish!!!!!

The Lord understood a Spanish request when we didn’t.

Healing of a little girl in Canyon del Pato! (Duck Canyon)

In the early 1990's and the beginning years of our missionary life, we did not know much Spanish. Therefore, we had to work with translators. On many occasions that proved very frustrating. Our ability to communicate with people was hindered by our lack of understanding and speaking Spanish. 

From August 1990 to May 1992, we worked with an American lady from Imperial Beach, California. Six days a week we would drive to her house, load up her van and drive her to wherever she was going that day. On the way to where were going, we always picked up a translator. Although she had been on the mission field for many years, her knowledge of Spanish was somewhat limited. 

Every Sunday we drove to a church she had founded in Colonia Canyon del Pato (Duck Canyon) on the west side of Tijuana. It was a very small church building. It was dirty, smelly and the people were extremely poor. Inside, it had a dirt floor and some old chairs and benches. The congregation was almost exclusively made of women and children. These ladies very a precious group of God-fearing women. We had an immediate connection.

We had visited that church back in July 1989, so when we returned in August 1990, the ladies recognized us. In 1989, we were there as part of a mission trip, because our daughter Chantal was already in Tijuana. She loved the people and they loved her. This was her second trip in the space of a few months. We went down to Mexico to make sure she was coming back home with us.

At the time, the irony was that I was scared the Lord would call her on the mission field. Roger was not concerned but he humored me into going down to “bring her back home”. Little that we knew that while we were in Tijuana to bring Chantal back home, the Lord would call us to this mission field, not Chantal.  After that trip, our lives would be forever changed.

One Sunday after the church service and the weekly groceries had been distributed, one of the moms approached us. She was holding the hand of a little girl probably about 10 years old. She proceeded to talk to us, but we had no clue what she was saying. This lady did not try to talk to our leader or the interpreter, she wanted to talk to Roger and me.

Finally, it dawned on her that neither of us understood Spanish, she then took my hand and put it on the little girl’s forehead. I did not need to speak Spanish to know that this little one had a high fever and that her mom was probably asking for prayer. Immediately Roger and I laid hands on her forehead, closed our eyes, and started to pray in English. We did not realize that some of the ladies had been watching and had gathered around us and had begun to pray in Spanish. 

As we prayed, I could feel the fever leave her. A few minutes later when we concluded our prayer, the fever had completely left and her cheeks which were red like beets a few minutes earlier were back to their normal color.

Her mom hugged and kissed us and carried on a conversation with us which the only word we understood was “gracias” (thank you). I bent down and gave the little girl a big hug and we instantly became the best of friends. After that day, every time we went to that church, this little girl would seek me out and hang on to me like glue.

After that experience, we realized that although we knew no Spanish, the Lord had used our hands and our faith to instantly let His healing flow from our hands to this precious child.

Later that evening, we gave glory to God for the healing of this little girl. We went to bed knowing we were in the center of His will. This is one time out of many other times, that the Lord reassured us that He was in control and taking good care of us. The truth is that when we do what the Lord asks us to do, He will come in and do what we cannot do.  We just need to listen, have faith, be available and obedient. Amen!

As long as you have passion, faith and are willing to obey and work hard, you can be assured that the Lord will come into the situations of your life and do what you cannot do.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them:

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26, New King James Version

Please note:

Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of this little girl, nor do I have a picture of her and of her mom.

I did not mention the american lady by name. She died in July of 2021, at the age of 94 having served the Lord for almost 60 years. Since I had no way to obtain her permission to use her name, and out of respect for her privacy, I did not include her name in this BLOG.

 Denise

 

 

 

 

 

Salvation comes on a dirt road!

COLONIA MONTES OLÍMPICOS, TIJUANA, MEXICO.

 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12 (NIV) 

For several years we had a TLCCM bible club in a shanty town called Montes Olímpicos, in Tijuana, Mexico. We had no building available to us and there was no Christian church in that area.

 

A very precious couple Alejandro and Obdulia graciously offered us to use their shack to teach and feed the children every Saturday morning. It was a one room shack built on the side of a cliff. Their front door was about a meter from the dirt road. The kitchen was outside on the side of the house, with just a metal roof, no running water, and no cupboards. A single lightbulb hung from a 2 x 4. All they had was just an old table and a few pots and pans.

 

But this beautiful couple loved the Lord and loved children. The neighborhood kids came faithfully every week. The children loved our program. They loved to sing and learn memory verses. Their enthusiasm was amazing.  It was a very poor area, nevertheless one where we enjoyed spending time with the children.

 

At times, the one room shack could not contain all the kids attending. On those occasions, we would go outside and use the dirt road as our classroom. It was not a busy road but at times during our bible study we would have to move all the kids against the fence to let a car go through, then we resumed our position on the dirt road.

 

On one occasion, we had visitors from Ottawa. Montes Olímpicos was one of the shantytowns we absolutely wanted them to experience. We had hot dogs and nachos because the kids had requested that specific menu the previous week. Once again, using the dirt road as a classroom, we had our time of worship and our bible lesson. Afterwards, our visitors and a few moms helped us serve the kids and everyone was having a great time.

 

While feeding the kids, we saw an old red truck turn the corner onto the dirt road. Immediately Roger told the kids to line up against the fence, so the vehicle could pass. But the driver drove into the driveway of the house next door. The kids immediately proceeded to take over the street and continue to eat and play.

 

A few minutes later, the driver made his way toward us. He was obliviously very drunk. Seeing that, Roger went to meet him because we had no way of knowing exactly what to expect. With help from the moms and visitors, I got the younger children inside the shack and moved the older children near the fence and away from the drunk. 

 

Once, the kids were at a safe distance and being supervised by the helpers, I made my way towards Roger and his “new” friend.

 

In his drunken state, this poor man mistook Roger for a priest. Roger did not look like a priest, although he was a man of God. Even in his drunker stupor, the poor guy could feel something different about my husband. He asked what we were doing in this area. Roger told him that we came every week to teach the children about Jesus and to feed them a meal.

 

Hearing this, the drunk immediately fell to his knees in front of Roger and asked for prayer. Roger motion me to join him, along with the team and some of the older children. We prayed for this poor drunk who was kneeling in the middle of the dirt road wanting God to help him. 

 

Roger laid hands on this man and lead him through the salvation prayer. To our complete amazement, our drunk had suddenly become stone sober. He sat in the middle of the dirt road and shared details of his life with Roger.

 

He had led a very rough life, starting to use drugs at a very young age. He had been a drug pusher and finally a drug cartel drug enforcer. But, after beating up some drug addicts and killing a few, he fled to Tijuana to get away from the lifestyle and the drug cartels. He was now working as a construction worker. He drank a lot to try to erase from his memory all he had done wrong in his life until now. Roger reassured him that now Jesus had completely forgiven him and starting on that day that he was saved and also free of his past.

 

They stayed in the middle of the road talking for quite some time. Roger always had a lot of patience with hurting people.

 

Meanwhile, I had explained to the kids that this man was now a Christian. I told them that Jesus is willing and able to save anyone if one repents. They were also very excited to have participated in praying for this poor drunk.

 

After a while Roger brought him to me and I gave him a plate with a hot dog and nachos. Seeing this, one of the kids came forward and gave him a glass of punch. This is certainly one situation that myself, the children and our visitors will never forget. 

 

It really does not matter who you are or where you are, Jesus is waiting for you and yes, He will meet you on “your” dirt road.

 

The following verses are from Steven Curtis Chapman’s song: Jesus will meet you there.

“When you think you’ve hit the bottom, and the bottom gives way, and you fall into a darkness no words can explain and you don’t know how you will make it alive, JESUS WILL MEET YOU THERE. ***

 

***You can see this on You tube!

 

Sincerely,

 

Denise