by Rick Fulton

God sightings 1

 

Each evening after dinner, we recap the day.   Even when a group of people are in the same room, they each can see something different.   If recalled, those that missed it realize they may have actually seen it with their eyes but maybe not their hearts.   Our “God sighting” are how the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to see HIM in the events of the day.   I know for me, and others, recapping the day and recalling how we were impacted and what we saw is a very important part of the day!   It also provides us with the opportunity to discuss what we could and should be looking for in the days ahead.   It also helps us to recall and maybe see needs that were not previously known of the families we are working with.

This is a recap of our first evening of sharing.

(writing first person to quote team members anonymously)

Wheelchair distribution:

• I was impacted by seeing the volume of people waiting to receive their wheelchairs.
• After we fitted a family member in their wheelchair a woman prayed a blessing over our team. It was many minutes long and POWERFUL!   It was in Spanish, and our small group did not know Spanish.   I could feel the reverence and love she had for the Lord in her prayer.   I was struck that it seems more fitting we pray for the new recipient, but God blessed us with her praying for US!
• Even though 40 some people received their new wheelchairs, all HEARD the Gospel, all saw Jesus through Bethel helping them.   But the most awesome part was that 13 people accepted the Lord today!
• I was impacted when rolling the new recipients of the wheelchairs over to the pastor station.   I would look at the faces of the people and their families as they waited to check out.     It was a look of great Joy!
• I was greatly impacted by a family who expressed thankfulness to receive a wheelchair because they had been praying for one for 7 YEARS! How often do we steadfastly pray and ask God like that?

Home visit & stove build

• The single mom we built the stove for works so hard in 2 jobs and makes $3 a day! How often do we WASTE $3?   She feeds herself and 3 kids for that amount. They survive on that!   (one on the team was impacted that she had taken the afternoon off work to be with us to build her stove…..she would be doing without that pay that would feed her family!   So that team member graciously gave her some money to repay her for her lost time at work!)
• At the house visit, the woman’s life was SO hard, yet she was so strong and thankful to God for every day and what she had. And her children; though having next to nothing, were full of joy and smiles. Their joy seems to be more pure and not based on possessions.
• I was impacted by how the educational system seems to be designed to keep the poor people out. They have the opportunity to attend, but if they can’t have a uniform, they lose points. If they cant do a project (that might require materials they can’t afford), they lose points. Many things that will drive down their grades that may eventually force them out of school because of a failing grade. Purely on the indirect result of them not having the money. The child could be a very good academic student, but failing on points!   It seems so bad. (This is where it is important to sponsor kids in their education) (Bethel does school sponsorship, often times the kids are identified by teams like ours and subsequently sponsored)

One that summed it up in a pretty cool way.

• I saw God in how he put this TEAM together!   We each have our strengths and weaknesses. We all seem to mesh and work together well.   Each day as we break up into smaller teams, we are deliberately mixed up to work with different team members!   It is great to have that opportunity to work with, get to know, and SERVE along side everyone on this team!

AMEN!

Lets see what today brings……off to breakfast, the wheelchair distribution #2, then home visits and stove installs!

Dios te Bendiga