God Went Out For Ice Cream

Ok so you are probably wondering why I would title something "God went out for ice cream" so I'll explain. Tonight after the new church opening Victor was very tired and ready to go to bed, so we headed home. As we were driving home, out of nowhere I hear, "we need to go get ice cream" which the kids loved as they started jumping and screaming for joy. So off we went to Bon, the ice cream store. We went in all excited about ice cream but we had no idea what God was planning to do at that moment. 

After about 15 minutes of sitting and talking with Yudermy and Victor as they enjoyed the ice cream I hear a voice speaking in English. I turn and the man at the table next to us asks me, "You speak in English?" and I said "yes, yes I do." He said he was surprised when he saw me walk in and heard me speak in Spanish and then he asked me if I was an American, where I was from, and what in the world was I doing in the Dominican Republic in a small town like La Romana. 

I shared with him a bit, and asked him where he was from. He said he was born here in the DR but had been living in FL until a recent job promotion brought him back here. Our conversation quickly turned from polite questions to an in-depth discussion when it came to 

"why are you here?" I shared with him how I've been living with Victor and that Victor is the pastor of Cuerpo de Cristo here and about the work we have been doing for the past month. The man (who's name is Jorge) asked me why I would want to stay here for two months. I told him that I love it here, the people at Victor's church are so on-fire for God and I enjoy working in the community with them ( I also told him about the new church plant and the work with Starfish missions). His response was less than encouraging. 

"No you do not want to live here. Trust me. I loved it here when I was young but now, things have changed and I hate all the crime and bad people here... and its no different in any of the churches I've seen either. There are tons of Jehovah witness churches and others that are packed with people, but yet these churches are located where crime has the highest rating, the church is focused on getting peoples' money and they aren't in the least focused on the community."

WELL, anyone who knows me knows that I stopped for a second and said... "Ok Jesus, I'm here, HELP!" So with Victor watching me, I scooted closer to their table and began to share. I can't remember the exact words, but I can tell you that the Spirit was present in that room and in me. I told Jorge that yes, there are bad people in the world, you can find them everywhere but you can also tell those who truly believe in God and those who do not. I do not know the people he speaks of but I can say with all honesty that he would not find those kind of people in Cuerpo de Cristo. I told him that it's one thing to know About God, its another thing to truly Know Him. As Christians, when we truly Know God we are baptized and have a personal relationship with Him. We change from the inside out and leave all the wickedness and temptations of the world behind us. I encouraged this complete stranger to give Victor's church a try, and I promised him that what he would find there would be people who have the love of God in their hearts and smiles on their faces. I love the body of Christ here because the people truly work as the body of Christ, hands and feet that help one another, help other churches and are out in the community wherever there is a need. 

                I told Jorge when the church service starts and what he could expect to see there, then I introduced Victor and told him that I had been sharing with these people about the church. I say that God went out for ice cream tonight because I could feel him right there beside me as Victor then began to speak to Jorge and his wife in Spanish. Jorge's wife began to share her frustrations with the "church" in general and how we should not be focused on peoples income but on what's in their hearts (they have huge issues with the idea of tithing). I cannot tell you all that Victor said, but I can tell you this much, after about 5 minutes of sharing with this couple, their demeanor completely changed, the skeptical look on Jorge's face and his wife's crossed arms turned into a slight smile and open arms leaning in to hear better. THIS is the reason I came here, God is working in such awesome ways here and I want to be a part of it! I praised God in this moment, and as we said our goodbyes and Jorge promised to try coming to the church on Sunday, I looked at Victor and grinned when he said, "Thank you, I know God made you do it." 

I told him that I am truly beginning to see that "cada momento es un opportunidad por Dios trabajar" Each and Every moment is an opportunity for God to work. We were just going out for ice cream, and God came too, I don't think he was there to indulge in some brownie or chocolate chip ice cream, but I do think he was there to plant a seed and to do a little watering. 

Do I believe that Jorge needed to hear from God tonight? Absolutely, but not in a church (as we saw his reaction to that), no... Jorge needed to meet God over a bowl of ice cream. 

So where do You need to meet God? I'm sure He's willing to go anywhere to meet you. Did you know He has a special plan and a special moment to bring you to Himself?

He's not pushy, he's not going to drag you into church and down the isle to be baptized. He's patient and He loves you soooo much that He's willing to wait for you, as long as you will come to Him. 

I'm not the best speaker and I tend to babble sometimes, but I want each and every person who reads this to know something. I want you to know the Truth, that the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE loves you, that He sent His son to die for Your sins because He wants you to live Eternally with Him. 

He wants to see Your name in the Book of Life, and so do I! ... 

Michael?, Jackie?, Denny?, Leah?, Courtney?, Joan?, Jamie?, Libby?, Anna?, Cheryl?, Donald?, Sean?, James?, Jamie?, Chanh?, Chelsea?, Max?, Kevin?, Tammy?, Brad?, Erin?, Stacy?, Pete?, Melanie?, Tiffany?, Tresa?, Letisha?, Tom?,  Tracy?, Ashley?, Chris?, Brittany?, Kendra?, Sara?, Linda?, Dawn?, Tim?, Margaret?, David?, Tabitha?, Tammy?, Brandon? Karen?Matt?, Josh?, Audrey?, Bain?, Kenny?, Tyler?, Pam?, Aaron?, Brianna, Keith, Kevin?, Ryan?, Victor?, Euri?, Francisco?, Benjamin?, Marleen?, Ricardo?, Tony?, Manuel, ... Jorge?

He's calling your name, whether you see it written or not is up to you!