Refections of GO Project (May 17-24)

The GO Project was a blessing to me in several ways, too numerous to mention all at once, but here are some things that stood out in my mind.

I have done two other saturation projects with the IMB, both were mass distribution of literature as people came by. This saturation project was different and I think that I prefer this style. In this project there was the opportunity to prayerwalk the area in which we would be distributing. I really do feel this is what gave us the success in the literature distribution. In addition, as we distributed we were able to have the face to face contact with some of the people in the community who asked questions, the opportunity to see eight people come to Christ right in front of us, and many others requesting Bible study. Another great benefit was that we had the opportunity to see many sitting around and reading the Gospel of John later in the day after we had distributed it to them.

Another major highlight was the opportunity to be able to minister along side the Mexican Baptist Church to which we were assigned. What a loving, warm church. I have likened it to Immanuel, my home church. In fact, in describing it to our people here at home I am referring to it as IBC South! I believe that partnering a team with the church in the community is the key thing for this kind of project. It allows the team to connect with people who know the community, and the church is also able to do the follow up with the people touched in the community. But the connection that formed between our group and the church family I think not only solidifies the ownership the team has in this project, but it also gave the team a chance to disciple and encourage the church and gave the church a chance to touch the lives of the team and to make a difference in our lives.

The most significant event for me was the contact that Charlot, the pastor’s wife, and I had with a single mother by the name of Señora Francisca. She is the mother of four children; her husband left her some time ago. Her oldest daughter, age 15, had just given birth to a baby who was born underweight, and she got a uterine infection after giving birth. The younger son recently was burned, so Francisca had to give up her housecleaning job to care for her two children, which resulted in her oldest son (about 10-11 years old) having to go to work selling Chicklets gum on the streets to supply money for the family. The government found out about this and took away his scholarship to be able to go to school.

So as Charlot and I knocked on this woman’s door and we handed her the gospel packet, she began to tell us this story and how her life had no hope. Charlot began to share the gospel with her and she prayed to receive Christ. I immediately saw her countenance change. This family had the hope they so desperately needed. We prayed for this family and left to find the pastor’s wife and brought her over to meet this sweet woman. They talked for a while and she was invited to church.

On Friday, I had the opportunity of making a follow-up visit with the pastor’s wife to Francisca and her family. When she came to the door she immediately recognized me and the same peace that I saw come over her when she received Christ was still there. As the pastor’s wife began to speak to her, the first question out of Francisca was “How do I get to the church? I want to come!” They told her all about what the church was like and what they had to offer and how to get there. Later in the visit we got to go into her home and see the baby in her mother’s arms; she had come home from the hospital on Wednesday. She has a very meager home but is doing the best she can to supply for her family. I told Francisca that she is very special to me, and that she is now my sister and that I would pray for her. She allowed me to take a picture of her and her family. We hugged as we departed. I still see her sweet smile and the gratefulness in her eyes to us for giving her the gospel and introducing her to Christ.

Other’s came to Christ during the week, but the story of Hermana Francisica typifies how hope can come into lives that are hopeless without Christ.