About 3 weeks ago we started to build an addition onto Mario our drivers house. He only lives in a one room house in the project. His little boy was so excited when he was told that he might possibly get his own room.
Well we started this project and the man we got to head up the project ended up working with us for only one day. He said that we apparently didn't communicate with him… when in reality he wouldn't even say anything to us in spanish he would just point and make random motions when he wanted us to do something. He quit and didn't leave anyone to take his place.
Monday we found out that we had a new man to work on the room. I learned that his name was Roberto and that he used to be extremely involved in the church; but he really started to stray away from the church and get into drinking. He is the sweetest man but he is different when he is drinking.
When I first started working on this house I wasn't really affected by it. I was like this is just ministry and we are required to do it. It really affected me after I had worked with Roberto and a man named Juan Carlos one morning. It was literally just me and I realized that I didn't just enjoy working and doing construction. I enjoyed talking and trying to practice speaking bad spanish with the men. They don't even care that my spanish is bad because they just laugh with me because they know I'm trying really hard.
I've really had the opportunity to get to know Roberto because we have been working together almost every morning and some afternoons. For 2 days I had gotten sick though so I couldn't work with the men. During that time I realized how much this type of ministry is affecting me. While I was sick God gave me this picture of me talking to Roberto and asking him if he was going to church on Sunday and he had said he was. So after that I felt the need to go and talk to Roberto about church because I had a peace about it and knew God had it under control and that it was going to go well.
The next day I was feeling better so I went out to work with Roberto and while we were putting cement blocks on the ground to build a wall I asked him about church. I said "Roberto va Iglesia en Domingo?" And he said "si.. si." I got really excited because it had gone so well! But then I wondered if he was just saying that or if he was really going to church on Sunday.
Sunday came and I saw Roberto at a soccer game that our squad went to. I asked him again if he was going to Church and again he said he was. But then I got sad because I remembered that I was actually going to a different church. All day I was feeling really torn because I wanted to go to church in Bethel but it wasn't really possible.
On our way to church we got a phone call telling us that we were no longer able to go to the church we had originally planned on going to because the electricity had gone out. This got me super excited. We arrived at church and I didn't really know exactly why I was excited but I was. I stood there clapping and trying to focus on the singing… but I couldn't. I saw my squad leader get up to go outside and I over heard her say that she needed to go to the bathroom. I decided to get up and go with her just to clear my head. There was no one at the house we went to so I suggested that we go to Roberto's house… which then reminded me that I wanted to still see if he was coming to church. Going to his house to use the bathroom was the perfect opportunity to invite him to church again.
When I got to Roberto's house he was just watching tv and wasn't ready for church.. so I asked him are you still coming to church? In which he replied "si. si." We then went to leave his house and he didn't come with us, so I asked him and he said in a few minutes I will be there I need to get ready. I went back to church and waited outside. and 10 minutes later there Roberto was holding his daughter's hand walking up to church. I ran to greet them and I literally almost cried.
Seeing him in church made me realize that God is working here in Bethel… He is working here in Nicaragua. This ministry really is making a difference…even if we might not see it right away. This is such a small step for Roberto but I know that God is going to do great things with him. I'm so excited to see where it goes from here! Every day I look forwards to working and talking to Roberto he always makes me smile and laugh and I absolutely love it.
(I wanted to post a picture on this blog of Roberto and I but the internet isn't letting me do that right now… So possibly later I will be able to upload one.)
