During the week
After we left Ariel we continued about through our days. We threw the trash can away, cleaned the van, and I washed the puke out of my hair. No matter how well we cleaned the van my memories of Ariel remained in tact. I continued to remember her and pray for her, that we might meet again.
The week had some rough points, but it seemed like we were really getting through. I had several moments of doubt about our impact that we were having on the island. If we were really getting through to the people, if they even cared. I was very discouraged. I was coming across people who knew who Jesus yet they still lived among sin.
That was when God reminded me of His gift, and how it has transformed my life. How it took years for me to understand and let it transform me. To let it in with no if's and's or but's. These people are the spiritually immature they need to be reminded of God's goodness and mercy. No matter how insignificant it might seem I was going to sit on these vans and try and describe the many wonders God has done in my life.
I started really praying fervently. I let myself get lost in talking to God, and that's when things started to move.
I met Mitch and got to talk to him about the peace that comes from my Heavenly Father. How I gave up control of my future to Him how it was going to be okay because He has something better for me. I met Taylor and her group of friends where I was able to talk about how a relationship with Christ isn't about a set of rules of what to do and what not to do, but a relationship. I shared with her the meaning of my tattoo and how it is my life's goal to draw closer to Him. She was very receptive but she wasn't ready just yet. I got a number to follow up with her the next day.
There was a group of four who got on our van with several others. It was packed and it was loud. I prayed that people would be able to hear through the chaos that the gospel would penetrate their hearts. I started to talk to the two young men beside me. We started off talking about how what happens after death. Just the real light stuff you know. One of the guys said he believed in reincarnation I started to ask him questions to see just how deep this belief was. I don't think even he himself was very convinced of his own ideas.
So I started to share what I believed and why I believed it. How Jesus came and died for us and now we don't have to live under shame anymore, how life is abundant and grace flows through my life now. One of the girls in the front started to listen in. I continued to let them ask questions and answer them as best as I could. The Holy Spirit was upon me at this point, I don't even remember half of the things I said in that van. I continued to share and we arrived at our destination. I prayed and let them go. Then I was filled with guilt and shame the moment they stepped out. I jumped out of the van onto the ground as they walked on by. "Lord show me" I prayed hands and feet in the dirt with a stomach that was ready to let go of all my nervous energy. Luke offered to go and catch up with them with me, so we took off in a sprint.
We caught up to the last girl who seemed very interested and I asked if I could get her number. She gave me her number sheepishly and said her name was Sonya laughing a little at the whole situation. I jumped back in the van and started to pray for all four of them.
Good conversations were happening, the seed was being watered. My heart still waited for Ariel.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
Beach Reach 2017 pt.1
Before Beach Reach this year my prayer was to be in the world but not of the world. To hold on to Christ with both hands so I couldn't hold on to anything else. For God to cover me with a rain coat so that the evil of this world would roll of my back and I would stay dry.
Boy was I mistaken.
The first day we drove the vans was turning out to be a very calm day. We were close to ending our shift at 3:30 pm when we drove into the parking lot of Clayton's to drop off a van full of people. As soon as we entered the lot we saw a young man and woman at the entrance. The woman was obviously intoxicated and clothed in a skimpy swimsuit with a lace cover up and sandals. The man was in a tie dye t-shirt and while it was clear that he had been drinking you could see he was still in control. Brandon immediately said we had to pick them up. We told the man to wait for us at the exit of the parking lot a few hundred yards away and we would pick them up as soon as we dropped the people off that were already in the van. Driving back to the entrance after the group we had we thought they had already left, but we saw them in the same place they had first been. We waved for them to come to the van. The man was almost carrying the woman to the van and all I thought was "here we go".
As they entered the van the woman was very insistent that they sit together on the same seat. We stood firm in our policy of girls in the front guys in the back. Their destination was all the way across the island, so it was going to be a nice long drive. As we started to make our way down the island I started to question the girl. "What is your name?" I would ask, after several times of inquiring she finally replied "Ariel". I continued to push "Where are you from Ariel?" she finally told me in a drunken but rehearsed manner that she goes to the University of New Mexico but she is from Rio Rancho. After both Hannah and I told her we were also from New Mexico she immediately said she had to throw up. I grabbed the trashcan to give to her, clear that there were going to be no spiritual conversations happening on this ride. I yelled at Josh to turn the music up so I could drown out the sound of her throwing up. Ariel attempted at pulling her hair back as she proceeded to put her head over the trashcan and gag herself with her fingers. She got a couple of heaves up.
After several heaves of trying, but failing, to get all of that alcohol in her stomach out I offered her a tissue and some water. She couldn't even drink from the bottle of water so I held the bottle to her mouth and tried get some of the vomit and saliva off her face. She looked at me with desperate eyes and said "Thank you." I continued to tell her it was all okay and that I loved her. She put her head back into the trash can and the water I had just fed her was gone. This time I was the one to hold her hair back. As I tried to not look at the very suspicious bright pink puke in front of me I realized what I said was very true. I do love Ariel, this girl I had just met. I look down, yes I do love this girl who has just gotten some of her vomit in my hair.
She kept her head in the trashcan for the rest of the trip. As we arrived at her hotel I tried to get her to sit up, she stayed still. "I think she just passed out" I say in a laughing manner. The man she was with was very irritated at this, and at the whole situation in general. We we pulled up in the parking lot I got out first, I opened the first door then tried to open the second door while not letting her fall out. I put the trashcan aside and grabbed her torso, trying to maneuvering her as gracefully as I could out of the van. Her friend and a couple of others in the van assisted and we eventually got her out of the van and on to the concrete. It seemed as if she was not in control of any of her limbs. After we got her out of the van her friend was ready to take her up to her room. I insisted that I join in getting her to her room. I wasn't about to let an angry man be alone with her.
I got her to put her arm around my shoulders she was quite taller than I so I tried to help carry her as best I could. We got her to the lobby and she was able to tell me exactly what room she was staying in. Her friend and I were basically dragging her by this point. As we got to the elevator the security guard said we couldn't go up unless we were staying at the hotel. I explained we were just trying to get her up to her room and that they could escort us there and back but they were adamant that we could not. They instructed us to put her in the lobby on one of the couches and they would call security. As we were putting her on the couch she collapsed face first and was unresponsive to all attempts I made to get her to wake up. The hotel staff got her some water and started to bring a wheel chair. This was as far as I could go.
It killed me but I left.
On the way back I was in intense prayer that God put his hand on her. That we meet sometime again sometime in the coming week.
Boy was I mistaken.
The first day we drove the vans was turning out to be a very calm day. We were close to ending our shift at 3:30 pm when we drove into the parking lot of Clayton's to drop off a van full of people. As soon as we entered the lot we saw a young man and woman at the entrance. The woman was obviously intoxicated and clothed in a skimpy swimsuit with a lace cover up and sandals. The man was in a tie dye t-shirt and while it was clear that he had been drinking you could see he was still in control. Brandon immediately said we had to pick them up. We told the man to wait for us at the exit of the parking lot a few hundred yards away and we would pick them up as soon as we dropped the people off that were already in the van. Driving back to the entrance after the group we had we thought they had already left, but we saw them in the same place they had first been. We waved for them to come to the van. The man was almost carrying the woman to the van and all I thought was "here we go".
As they entered the van the woman was very insistent that they sit together on the same seat. We stood firm in our policy of girls in the front guys in the back. Their destination was all the way across the island, so it was going to be a nice long drive. As we started to make our way down the island I started to question the girl. "What is your name?" I would ask, after several times of inquiring she finally replied "Ariel". I continued to push "Where are you from Ariel?" she finally told me in a drunken but rehearsed manner that she goes to the University of New Mexico but she is from Rio Rancho. After both Hannah and I told her we were also from New Mexico she immediately said she had to throw up. I grabbed the trashcan to give to her, clear that there were going to be no spiritual conversations happening on this ride. I yelled at Josh to turn the music up so I could drown out the sound of her throwing up. Ariel attempted at pulling her hair back as she proceeded to put her head over the trashcan and gag herself with her fingers. She got a couple of heaves up.
After several heaves of trying, but failing, to get all of that alcohol in her stomach out I offered her a tissue and some water. She couldn't even drink from the bottle of water so I held the bottle to her mouth and tried get some of the vomit and saliva off her face. She looked at me with desperate eyes and said "Thank you." I continued to tell her it was all okay and that I loved her. She put her head back into the trash can and the water I had just fed her was gone. This time I was the one to hold her hair back. As I tried to not look at the very suspicious bright pink puke in front of me I realized what I said was very true. I do love Ariel, this girl I had just met. I look down, yes I do love this girl who has just gotten some of her vomit in my hair.
She kept her head in the trashcan for the rest of the trip. As we arrived at her hotel I tried to get her to sit up, she stayed still. "I think she just passed out" I say in a laughing manner. The man she was with was very irritated at this, and at the whole situation in general. We we pulled up in the parking lot I got out first, I opened the first door then tried to open the second door while not letting her fall out. I put the trashcan aside and grabbed her torso, trying to maneuvering her as gracefully as I could out of the van. Her friend and a couple of others in the van assisted and we eventually got her out of the van and on to the concrete. It seemed as if she was not in control of any of her limbs. After we got her out of the van her friend was ready to take her up to her room. I insisted that I join in getting her to her room. I wasn't about to let an angry man be alone with her.
I got her to put her arm around my shoulders she was quite taller than I so I tried to help carry her as best I could. We got her to the lobby and she was able to tell me exactly what room she was staying in. Her friend and I were basically dragging her by this point. As we got to the elevator the security guard said we couldn't go up unless we were staying at the hotel. I explained we were just trying to get her up to her room and that they could escort us there and back but they were adamant that we could not. They instructed us to put her in the lobby on one of the couches and they would call security. As we were putting her on the couch she collapsed face first and was unresponsive to all attempts I made to get her to wake up. The hotel staff got her some water and started to bring a wheel chair. This was as far as I could go.
It killed me but I left.
On the way back I was in intense prayer that God put his hand on her. That we meet sometime again sometime in the coming week.
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