Impact and Conquista!

This is the day that the Lord has made!

This was a photo I actually took Friday afternoon. Not bad for an iPhone! There are only two short rainy seasons during the year. And for the most part they happen around 4:30 pm. Almost clockwork. This was the first time we had seen the rain. We had really good weather most of the time. It was a little hot a few days. Being only 3 degrees from the equator, the sun rose and set almost the same time every day.

What an exciting day today was! Today was what the church calls an Impact event. We went so that we could experience one and help out. We had no idea what God was going to do!

Of course this event had been prayed for many weeks before at the prayer times and at the cell groups. An Impact event is an event that impacts the community around the church, or at a specific site in the city they are trying to reach into to make a difference (this means they share Jesus, not some event just to make themselves feel good). Everything this church does is to create an opportunity to tell people about Jesus. This is something I believe that most churches have lost. They are focused and intentional which is why they are growing!

The event we helped with was in a park that they had gone to for several weeks and walked around prayed over. This totally wowed me! The event was to give services that people in lower classes didn't routinely have access to. They had inexpensive clothes for sale (I don't know if they were gently used or new.), pet care, medical care, dental care, a bounce house, domestic abuse help, immunizations, diabetes testing, and help with insurance access. There was entertainment as well. The salsa dancers and a play from a group called Lifehouse that told the forgiveness of Jesus in a innovative way. Also, there were children's events that included a couple of the kids getting a chance to beatbox and rap. Chevere!

We all jumped in and helped out in different ways!

One of my prayers was that during this two weeks, I would have a chance to lead someone to Christ. Today that prayer was answered.

Ron, Genell and I were talking with Linda Kimberly, a church disciple that translated for us during this time. She is so sweet! She had an Evange-cube and asked if we would like to walk around a lead people to Christ. Of course we said yes! She gave us the cube and showed us how they use it to reach people. After a short introduction, off we went! Ron started. We walked through the crowd and Linda randomly picked someone.

Ron asked them if he could tell them his story. They agreed and we went over to a tree that made some shade. Ron walked them through the story of Jesus and his story with Jesus using the Evange-cube. During the course of the story, another lady, Mary, came up to the fence from the other side. She begin to listen and then she begin to cry. When Ron asked if they would like to ask Jesus into their life, all five listening said they did, including Mary. Linda led them through a repentance prayer and then their names and information was taken down for follow up. It was amazing to see God work!

Then it was Genell's turn. She talked with two ladies that prayed the prayer of repentance and asked Jesus into their hearts! God was moving in a mighty way! Others were talking with people and they were accepting Jesus as well! Children were raising their hands to accept Jesus! An outpouring of the Holy Spirit was happening as people asked to change their lives forever. It was too amazing to even describe properly.

I am only giving as much detail as I can give where I was, but I have one more story to share. Mine.

After Genell, it was my turn. I was nervous. But I had just seen the Holy Spirit move and I wasn't going to let Satan take away my chance to impact someone's live for Christ.

So Linda walked up to two of ether dancers and asked them (she is doing the talking for intros because we don't speak espanol) if we could talk with them. They said something I didn't understand and then we followed them toward a building. Then, they went into that building that had refreshments in it. I thought they must have said no and so we were going to get something to drink in the heat. We went into the building and then we walked into the back of it. As I walked into the room, there was the entire dance team, about 22 people! Linda had me stand in he he middle of the room and then told me that they all wanted to hear what I had to say. Gulp!

So I quickly said a prayer asking God to help me and started to talk. Linda translated for me and as I went along, God did something to my words! He gave them strength and meaning. They were still my small words, but He made them His words as they left my mouth. God used me to speak his Truth and Love into their lives! And as I finished with the cube and my short testimony, I asked them if they would like to have Jesus in their life. And they started nodding. All 22 of them!

Linda led them through a prayer of repentance and then people came in and took their information for follow up. Then, I walked around to each of them and met them. I got their names as well and told them I would pray for them.

What a feeling! God used me to advance his Kingdom. Me. And all I did was be willing to do what He asked me to do. He did everything else. Gloria a Dios!

God used the Conquista that night as well. This church used a secular comedian to draw people to an event where a simple testimony of a loving family led to people asking Jesus to come into their life.

Across the town that day and into the night, God continued to use people to reach people for Jesus and the number of people accepting Christ that day was around 4000.

This day made an impact in God's kingdom! One day changing 4000 lives! Wow. We prayed. God answered. Kingdom growth.

Check out the video below to see what we experienced.

Keep checking back as I continue to poster for Sunday through Tuesday!