"Girls, I am here to tell you...He is alive!!"

Easter morning at El Refugio in Calacali, Ecuador -- picture taken by Sonnet Medrano

Last Friday's theme for our outreach at the safe house was the joyful news that Jesus is alive.  We decided to act out sharing a meal with the girls as though we were living in the days after Christ’s resurrection.  I was assigned to be Mary, the mother of Jesus…because I am the only one of our group old enough to actually have a son of 30 plus years.  J  Kristin would be Mary Magdalena and Desi would be Peter.  We brought a large loaf of bread, cookies, grape pop, smaller breads, a small wooden cross, large tablecloth, pens, tacks, Bible, scarves to cover our heads for the drama, and plastic, disposable glasses.  Bringing so many things is not necessarily a simple task since all of us travel from different parts of the city on trolleys and buses.  I smiled at the cross sticking out of Desi’s backpack as we hiked the final part of our destination on foot. 

We prayed outside the safe house.  Oh, Jesus, would you come and reveal Yourself through us?!

Many of the girls greeted us with huge smiles and hugs.  Several of the new girls hung back, observant and silent.  I was blessed to see “M’s” face light up.  (She is in process to come to Casa Adalia.  It has been a slow and often discouraging process due to a delay in obtaining the judge’s order.)  Rebeca (Casa Adalia's house mom) led us in a fun “driving” game where “the cop” chased “the offending driver” through “the avenues and streets” made by the rest of us standing in lines.  The sun was beating down with intensity, so after the game we moved to the entrance that was shaded.  I spread out the tablecloth on the pavement and placed the scarf over my head.  Kristin did the same.  Desi disappeared and returned displaying a beard and men’s clothing.  We all laughed.

And then the celebration began.  We invited the girls to the “table” and served “wine” and laid out bread. I blessed our time and "meal" in prayer.  We passed the large loaf of bread, each breaking off a piece.  The girls joked and laughed.  It indeed felt like a party.  Then Kristin began to share her story about Jesus and how impacted she was by His tender love, acceptance and forgiveness.  Desi then shared her story as Peter.  They were both very dramatic and animated.  I felt myself entering into the story, and I prayed silently for the girls to hear and receive the message of hope and truth.  Then I began to share my story as Mary.  Even when I made a number of errors in Spanish, the girls listened intently.  I felt my eyes sting with tears as I tried to demonstrate the depths of grief and then joy that Mary must have felt.  At the end, I said, “Girls, I am here to tell you that Jesus is alive.  He is alive!”

Rebeca led us in reading and talking about Luke 24:1-12.  I so love hearing these precious girls read aloud from their Bibles! (We give every girl a personal Bible if she would like one.) We then passed out pens and paper and Desi talked about how Jesus came to die on the cross so that He might carry our burdens and take away our sins.  She encouraged us to write down a weight or a sin we are carrying and to tack it to the cross.  They would not be read or shared; they were for God’s eyes alone.  The cross was soon covered with our burdens.  As I prayed to end our time, Kris and Desi removed all the papers.  When the girls opened their eyes the cross was empty, symbolically demonstrating the incredible power of the cross. 

We finished with a simple song, “Jesus is not dead.”  Two of the new girls then quietly pulled me to the side and asked, “Could you bring us our own Bibles next week?”  What a beautiful question…of course!

YES! Jesus is alive!    

Let me go back to Egypt!

Phil and Jose Luis on a Casa G mission outreach to a jungle village. 

In September 2008 I wrote these words in my journal, “Jose Luis, age 20.  Freed!  Passionate for Jesus!”  A former street kid and drug addict, transformed, living with purpose and joy.  Over the next two years we marveled at the depths of God’s word expressed through this young man.  His energy, enthusiasm, gifted expression of music through rap and love for deep conversations impacted all of us. 

Today Jose Luis lives on the streets; his seemingly only desire is to be high. 

Often we have seen in the lives of these former street boys a word picture of what for many of us our spiritual journey looks like.  Part of the journey to freedom and enjoying “the land of promise” includes conquering the giants in the land, those entanglements of learned behavior patterns and belief in lies stemming from a myriad of wounds and bad choices.  Facing the giant is scary.  The temptation is to go back to the comfort of the known.  To our Egypt.  

For Jose Luis one poor choice led to another and another.  Consequences, words of truth, expressions of love had seemingly little effect.  We watched helplessly as he chose to go back to the slavery of his drug addiction and his world on the streets.  We lost contact with him and didn't see him for nearly two years.

A number of months ago Jose Luis suddenly appeared back into our lives. He was high and dirty, suffering from a stab wound and an oozing abscess in his leg. 

After the summer of 2012 Phil shared the following with me, “How do I communicate unconditional love to someone like Jose Luis whose actions won't allow him to continue at Casa G?  I have decided I want to find him and just sit with him.  No agenda, no expectation.  Pray I would have an opportunity to demonstrate God’s unconditional love to him.”

Phil’s prayer was answered, but the addictions and behavior didn't change.  Jose Luis started showing up several days each week outside Casa G high, asking for money, clothes, something to eat or needing further medical attention.  We heard that his family refused to let him into their house because he had robbed them.  His behavior became more and more erratic and paranoid. Yet, Phil continued to listen to him, sometimes for hours, and to demonstrate unconditional yet firm love.  He offered to take him to a drug rehab center, but Jose Luis refused.  I was amazed at Phil’s patience and continued hope for him.  I just felt uncomfortable and unsure how to respond around him.

One day Jose Luis surprised Danelle, Nate (our daughter and husband) and me when he walked into a restaurant we were in and sat down at our table.  We offered him something to drink and then after talking briefly, mostly about difficulty with his ear, he placed his head on the table and fell asleep.  Having no idea what else to do, I placed my hand over him and prayed aloud that God in His mercy would touch him, would rescue him once again. “Even when we don’t deserve it, You are merciful.” 

A week later we discovered that the pastor of our church (which is directly across from Casa G) had taken him to Teen Challenge.  Jose Luis had been “terrorizing” some of the church members by asking rather aggressively for money.  One even called the police, and he was put in jail several hours.  Yet, once again he was extended mercy. 

Three weeks later Jose left Teen Challenge.

The church leadership listened to his reasons for leaving and placed him in their drug counseling program. They gave him a place to live at the church.  He was clean and happy, a different person. 

 Yet, Egypt beckoned.  Again he bailed.  We haven’t heard from him since then.

To be honest, I have not felt merciful towards Jose Luis, but rather completely frustrated.  I mean.  He was given so many opportunities. Right?!  He blew it.  Not just once but over and over.  He threw away his chances.  If he had finished his training at Casa G he would not be on the streets seeking his next fix.  He would be the one helping others find freedom.  I believe that.  I witnessed the incredible impact he had. 

But what does God see?  He sees a man who is alone and fearful and hungry and desperately suffering.  He sees one of His own who is lost and needs help to find his way back home.  I am so thankful God is merciful.  Always.  Every time we turn to Him in repentance, we are given another chance.  His forgiveness is unending. His love is unfailing. 

The LORD is merciful!  He is kind and patient, and his love never fails.  Psalm 143:8