For many years my new friend Gabriel was involved with drugs and gangs. He was living a life of pain as you can imagine.
Drawing on the wall inside “Sólo para Valientes”
Gabriel is now older and has been sober for a handful of years. He has been married to his wife for over a decade now. I can only imagine the difficulty a marriage must have been with so much chaos in their lives.
“Grupo Amor” is the name of the church that runs the orphanage where I am living and working at for the month of February. They consider it their mission. Additionally the church supports “Sólo para Valientes” (Only for the Braves) which is a recovery home where 16 men are housed. They live there as they go through the recovery program and learn about Jesus.
Gabriel was there several years ago.
We visited the Recovery House
Gabriel in front of recovery house, he has been a Christian for several years now
Gabriel said “I am a testament as to what God can do”. “He kept me alive so that I can tell others of the saving power of Jesus.”
The best things about Gabriel is that he is always smiling and if I ask him a question that he doesn’t understand, he doesn’t just blow me off or shake his head (like I tend to do). Every time, he says “wait”, he finds his phone and pulls up google translate and encourages me to write my question.
Because communication here is much more difficult for me, being purposeful with my words is more important. If someone is going to take their time to stop what they are doing and encourage me to type on their phone for the translation, I think what I am saying should be important. However for me “time” is the thing I’m valuing here. For Gabriel and for the other people here “relationship “ is the most important thing in this situation (well, really in all situations).
He and his wife do many things at the orphanage to help. For working 15 days, he is paid what a teenager at Burger King would make in the US for a half of a days work.
They currently have a 12 year old boy Josué. He is a handsome young man that helps around the orphanage with the younger kids. He saved for 7 months to buy this guitar. It was $700 pesos ($38).
Gabriel says his life is very different now and he is excited that his wife Isabel is now 4 months pregnant.
Isabel, Josué (Joshua), Gabriel
They are my friends.
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Today Gabriel and I visited 2 tortillas shops that give the orphanage free tortillas every day!
We also visited a fruit and vegetable store where they give us items twice a week.
How great is it that the local stores provide extra for the orphans?
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Currently I am reading through “Dangerous Prayers”. It is a short daily devotional that challenges us to quit praying safe prayers (bless this food, keep me safe) but asks “what if we prayed for God’s will, no matter where it led us?”
I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'Dangerous Prayers'. Check it out here:
As I drove around with Gabriel collecting donations, the thought came to me to leave the United States behind and move to Mexico.
How could that possibly happen before I build my wealth? WHAT!? How could that ever work? God... don’t ask me to do that!
Be careful praying dangerous prayers.
What if there was more for your life than your emotional safety and financial security?
I truly do love this place and the people.
I feel that I am not safe here from God’s calling.
But God, I’m not ready for that (as I literally tear up)!
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Have you ever prayed a Dangerous Prayer?
Are you brave enough to pray one?
Let me know if you would be willing to read “Dangerous Prayers” reading plan or if not, why not.
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