Salva3

Last month, we organized an event called Salva3 (save three) in our house of prayer where we planned a special dinner and asked our regular participants to each invite three friends. In the weeks leading up to the event, we prayed over the names of the three friends we were inviting. Of the twelve members of our group (including Pastora, Ashley, and me as hostess and leaders) only two of all our friends actually came: Beatha’s friend Angie and Erica’s husband Gerardo. That’s right-none of the people Pastora, Ashley, and I invited could come. We weren’t excited with the results, but we enjoyed a delicious meal and a lovely time together.

This Salva3 event was a soup dinner with homemade tomato, squash, and pea soup.

Angie is a Christian without a church who moved to Cordoba from Haiti three years ago. At the Salva3 event, she was a social-language butterfly that flitted from group to group speaking Creole with Beatha, Spanish with the Cordobeses, broken English with Ashley and me, and even more broken Portuguese with Pastora. She has a deep voice and a great, big laugh. In the days after the event, we were surprised to see the deep depression that was controlling her heart and mind. After three years of trying to make it through school and life on her own, she was completely broke with no job options. The economy has gone from bad to worse in the past year, and many of our church members are looking for work. It’s even harder for her since she’s a foreigner. On top of financial difficulties, she’s been struggling with severe homesickness and suicidal thoughts.

Silly Stephanie, Beatha, and Angie right up front

The following Tuesday, we were able to visit her in her house and take her to a house of prayer that meets closer to where she lives. It’s a house of prayer led by Rachel and Damaris in the home of the Barrera family. She didn’t talk much, but she soaked everything in. The Barreras are leaders in our church and being in their home is being at home; for us out of place missionaries and random, sad Haitians. At 1 am the next night, Angie called us crying. The enemy attacks hardest when we start to walk toward the truth. She was overwhelmed by hopelessness. We prayed with her and encouraged her to read John until she could fall asleep. At midnight the next night, we sent her encouraging texts thinking she would be in the same struggle. To our delight, she messaged us back saying she was at the Barreras’ house (did I mention this is a nocturnal culture?). They were helping her fill out an online resume.

Me, Angie, Max, Beatha, and Ashley laughed until our stomachs ached when we hung out at Angie's house

This all happened a month ago. Since then, Angie has continued attending the house of prayer, and she’s found a job! It’s only two days a week, but it’s good work and more than she’s had for a long time. Last week we watched War Room with her in her home (if you haven’t seen it, you need to!). It was a fun way to talk with her about fighting against the real enemy instead of fighting against herself. God even provided a way for her to go home for a few weeks next month to visit her mom and grandparents. Speaking of which, I’m coming home for a few weeks next month too! AND my mom is visiting for two weeks right now! We have plans to visit Angie this week so she and Mom can get to know each other.

I left my phone unattended during the Salva3 event and found this on it later. Friends steal their
friends' phones to take selfies.

But what about Gerardo? He came to church with Erica two weeks after he came to the Salva3 event. He and Erica both accepted Christ as their personal Savior for the first time in that service-the answer to months of prayers by us and Erica’s daughter/Gerardo’s step-daughter Sofia (more on that story here). We are still in the spiritual battle of encouraging them to accept God’s call to continue from believer to disciple, but they have taken the first step. Erica’s son Jeffrey is thirteen and very quiet around us, but apparently is the most attentive to the church schedule and begs his mom to take him to every church event. Erica and Gerardo’s daughter Bianca is two and very sick with kidney disease. We’ve been praying for her for two months and Erica told me yesterday that Bianca hasn’t had any pain for two weeks. God is indescribably good.

Erica, Gerardo, Jeffrey, and Sofia sat next to me during the activity

We were talking yesterday about how indescribable God is. We can’t fathom all that He is and all that He is doing. I am so easily frustrated and discouraged, but I don’t have any reason to doubt God’s plans or His timing. Through our failed Salva3 event, God saved more than three people from destruction and is continuing to save and heal an entire family. We have a million reasons to praise Him!

Last month, the youth group handed out free hot chocolate in a park. The artistic Damaris, Rachel,
 Andres, and Sol peacefully made beautiful signs....

...while the mechanically minded Luca, Ashley, Cris, Laura, and Sofia found the best way
to make hot chocolate with the bizarre resources on hand through trial and error and chaos.

Pastor, Rachel, Beatha, Dani, Andres, Luca, Sol, Sofia, Ashley