A cool thing happened the other night when I went to the center of downtown Alajuelita. I was on a mission to feed the homeless and joined by my daughter Alexis, my friend Jorge, and a small missionary team that is visiting from Florida. We were armed with bags containing personal hygiene products, cups of juice, and a sack full of empanadas. (A empanada is kind of like a Costa Rican hot pocket.)
In most cities in Costa Rica the center of downtown kind of the pride the city. It has a park, a fountain, bus stops, a catholic church, and the municipality. In Alajuelita is no exception, except that town square can be a scary place after dark. Many drugs dealers, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, homeless, and other shady characters gather for their own version of community. Many of these "dregs of society" are my friends, to be honest I'm not sure why, but I have learned to genuinely love many of them.
We set-up under one of the only light posts in the park, we prayed, and stood ready to serve. Then something strange happened...because nothing happened! Nobody approached us at all, this was very unusual, normally a gringo can't walk through the park without being approached by at least one beggar asking for food or money! I figured a team of gringos with food and drinks, would bring them in like moths to flame! I was dead wrong.
I wasn't going to accept defeat so easy! I ventured out into the darkness in search of my friends. I found a couple and brought them to the gathering, the team served them while Jorge shared and prayed with them. I immediately left to go get more...it must have been a funny site to this weird looking gringo herding the bums in the park. Not everyone I approached wanted to come, some refused and even insulted or threatened me, but many did follow me back to the group.
By the end of the night a neat thing started to happen. Those that had came started to go out and bring others! One of my homeless friends named Javier must have brought eight different people back. Even the ones that were originally insulting and threatening me moved closer to see what all the commotion was about. The night was a success and we eventually ran out of food, and drinks, and bags and left for home.
God taught me a important lesson through this experience. I learned that I need to be willing to go out into the darkness and lead people into the light. I often expect others to see the light, and run to it because it's better, but maybe they don't know it's better? Maybe what they need to be loved into the light? I also watched all of them leave the light to return to the darkness. Unfortunately, most of them are still drug addicts, alcoholics, and prostitutes, But I will still love them the same. I've come to understand that I can't control the results, it's not my job to evaluate God's performance, or demand better results. I can only love each of them and trust God with the results. I do know many seeds were planted, many of them listened to the gospel message, and received prayer as well as loved in the name of Christ, and that is powerful enough to change lives. Mother Teresa once said..."In life we cannot do great things; we can only do small things with great love." I think she may have been on to something?
In closing I want to challenge you to charge into the darkness. Carry the light of Christ to a lost and dying world. I've found it to be scary, exciting, and full of joy all at once. I'm so thankful I have the light, but I can't completely enjoy it while there are so many of my friends living in darkness.
Thanks again for all the prayers and support. God is using your gifts to allow us to be here shining light in the darkness in our part of the world.
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