The Road to Relationship & Redemption (Part 3)

   Last November the Lord opened a new ministry for me in this place building relationship with the family at the corner house. I had no idea where this ministry would lead or how much it would become a part of my heart for this place. Before reading this blog, read Part 1 and Part 2 and Dedication.

   Over the past 10 months, the Lord has planted this family so deeply in my heart. I have laughed with them, played with their children (like precious baby Junieth pictured left), visited them in the hospital and prayed over them, played cards, visited the family at least twice a week, and built amazing friendships with them. I loved my ministry among them; honestly it’s been one of the best parts of my year!
   Although I have spent a great deal of time with this family, they were never interested in talking about the Lord or coming to the church. This entire year has been relationship, but  it has only been in the last six weeks that I have begun to see the first fruits of redemption…

   On the very last day in July, I looked up and 9 members of the family were walking into church (some of the family pictured left). I was completely stunned. I went back to join them in the back of the church. I held baby Junieth and worshiped. I spent the entire service praying that the Lord would just move on their hearts. They left before service ended.
   However, since then they have begun to seek. Many of them have been returning to the church regularly. They have begun to ask questions about the Lord while I hang out at their house. They have started to ask for prayer and have seen the Lord heal their infirmities. The Lord is moving. A.W. Tozer says, “Thirsty
hearts are those that have been wakened by the touch of God within them.” The Lord has touched their hearts and they are beginning to thirst for Him.
 
   This past weekend, service was ending when Jasmina and her boyfriend came forward for prayer. I knew from the way that Benita (the lady who preaches for women’s service) was talking that they had made some sort of decision for the Lord that afternoon when she was visiting in their home and we were just praying for that work to be sealed up and completed by the Holy Spirit. I stood up front with Jasmina and Surdo (pictured left) praying over them, inhaling the overwhelming smell of rum on his breath, seeing the tears stream down his cheeks, and wondering what exactly the Lord was doing in that moment.
   A couple days later I finally was able to talk to Jasmina about Saturday night and what the Lord was doing in their hearts and lives. She told me that she had come to reconcile with or rededicate her life to the Lord. She also told me that Surdo had come to the Lord for the first time and accepting the Lord’s salvation. She told me that things have been changing already. Surdo hasn’t been drinking at all since he accepted the Lord last week. A week without drinking may not seem like such a big deal, but honestly I don’t know that I have ever seen him sober before. Jasmina told me that Surdo was always fighting with everyone, but that was only because he was drinking. Since he’s been sober, he isn’t violent and doesn’t want to fight with people. Jasmina, Surdo, and other members of the family are coming to church all the time. This Thursday I saw him hands raised in worship fervently praying to the Lord. It was such a beautiful sight!
   They are just coming to the Lord. I know that there is a lot of transformation that the Lord needs to and is going to do in their hearts and their lives, but I am ecstatic to see the first fruits of redemption in the midst of this family. There is so much more to come!!