Book
….. Our mission trip through Central America was an entering wedge to share our faith and our God. We were able to share with some small church groups and also with Livi’s family. We experienced many miracles, but I can’t share them all.
During our stay with the Jimenez family in Jutiapa, Honduras, Noel Jimenez gave me the book Escape To God, in Spanish. I didn’t know that it was in Spanish. I was thankful, but didn’t realize at the time how much of an impact that book would make. Livi’s brother, Renato, was a Catholic, but he seems to always be searching for truth. He was the first one I thought of to give the book to. It turned out that both he and his wife had been deeply impressed to get out of the city and the whole system as far as possible. He has been unemployed since August, 2008 because he saw corruption in his high level government job. Because he did not want to be involved in it, he just had to quit. In fact he was even fearful of his life.
He started reading the book the very day I gave it to him and it was exactly what he needed It has led to many amazing Bible studies and conversations. He doesn’t want to do anything unless it is in agreement with the Bible.
He came up with a “pilot plan” for moving onto his portion of the family farm. On week-ends he and his family go to the farm and stay in a very small structure, called a rancho. It is basically a bedroom and a kitchen with a crude wood stove. The bedroom is about 10 by 14 feet and they have eight people in their family. He is very motivated to live simply.
Since this is not his portion of the farm, he has since constructed a small place for his family that he can call his own. It is so difficult because he has no job and is in a lot of debt. He has had to sell his only means of transportation to pay off some of his debt. We helped him some when we were there and Livi’s parents and her brother and Sandra are helping him as well, but it is very difficult. Some weekends he does not even have enough money to take the bus to the farm.
Through all this his faith has remained strong. Now his whole family has read the book together and they are reading the Bible every day….
When we were there, we walked his portion of the farm and Livi and I helped him pick out a spot to have a better home if they ever got enough money to build it. After we left he decided to start clearing the shrubs. He got a big pile and decided to burn it. After a while he noticed it was getting out of control. They tried to fight it with water and dirt, but it was definitely out of control. His family was scared. It was heading on one side to his brother’s property and on the other his sister’s property.
Some of his family went to get help from Livi’s parents and Sandra while his son stayed to help fight the fire. After futilely attempting to fight it, he realized he was not doing what he recently learned to do and that is to trust in God.
Renato and his son bowed their heads and asked God to put out the fire. They watched as the fire went down and then out. It was a miracle before their eyes. Then he surveyed the damage. The fire had burned all the way to the fence dividing his property and his brother’s and stopped. It was the same way on the other side. In fact, the fire actually cleared all the land he intended to clear for his future house.
Renato and his family know God loves them and is all powerful. They have seen Him in action. They are changed people. Are you?
Jeff Bell