God’s grace evident in the mud under a tarp… We were with about a dozen Awa sitting just outside Arturo’s wooden house, under a black plastic roof, with the rain coming down and drizzling through our midst in the dusk. The yard was muddy and rather smelly, with a few chickens meandering through. We had both forgotten our jackets, so felt damp and cold. And the voices around us were angry and full of accusations, as an estranged couple voiced their irritation with each other. The young wife was carrying their 1 yr old son, and had stitches on her forehead where her husband had hit her while he was drunk. Her voice was angry and unhappy as she listed off his lack of help with food and finances, his drunkenness, and lack of concern for her and the children. He, in his turn, talked about her angry demands and complaints, her threats to do him harm by putting poison in his food, and her lack of cooking and caring for him in their home.
Other family members took turns giving counsel, sometimes adding to the general tone of irritation and frustration, and revealing more ugly words that had been said. Our hearts ached listening to this flow of revelation of such darkness. Looking around at the small group, I counted…among the dozen or so Awa sitting there were five believers as well as Kathy and I. “Oh Lord, please allow Your presence to be felt here!” became our prayer. And as the moments passed, we saw Him answer that prayer through the voices of His children.
Several times I was asked to speak and was able to share a little of God’s truth. “In the beginning God made the first couple, and they sinned. Then God came looking for them in the garden. As He talked with them, both Adam and Eve blamed another for their sin, when God wanted them to acknowledge it and be reconciled to Him. Here it is the same, everyone is blaming someone else when what is needed is for each of you to acknowledge your part in this division and to ask each other’s forgiveness.”
Several of the other believers shared good thoughts. “I think you need to chose to follow God, instead of going your own way,” said the brother of the young husband. “For the sake of your children, you need to forgive and get back together, and both of you follow God’s way,” said his cousin, herself a young mom. His mother reminded him, “Your father isn’t here, he is with God, but he didn’t teach you to be drinking and fighting like that! He wanted you to follow God’s path.”
After about two hours, the group broke up. As the young husband began to walk away, I put my arm around his shoulders and reminded him, “You know, God is calling to you!” “I know, I heard your words,” he replied.
We didn’t see any reconciliation that night, but were told the next day that the young man had returned home and the two were working things out. Yesterday we visited the wife, who confirmed that her husband had returned and acknowledged to her that he had done wrong, and that the two of them were talking again. Please pray for this young couple, Luis and Beatriz, to recognize their need for God and to chose to turn to Him.
We are surrounded by so many hurting and needy Awa. This week another couple split up after he came home drunk and cut her arm with a machete. Lisandro’s wife committed suicide by hanging herself two weeks ago; his niece encouraged him to come to church this last Sunday (and he came!) How we pray these needy ones will turn to God in the midst of their pain! Our Awa friend Gloria recently told us, “God’s House of Prayer is right in the community and the Awa know we are there and will welcome them; I just keep inviting and praying they will come!” |
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