A Story in the Lamb's Book of Life

Well, I'm finding it's hard to keep up with this blogspot. For one thing, it seems like stuff happens too fast and I can't even keep focused on all the things I am seeing before something else happens. Also, it seems my days just fly by with little time for sitting and thinking and writing and things like that. But the stories I hear and the things I see are amazing, and I want to share one story with you that just shouts of God's provision, mercy and grace. Last Tuesday, we joined MMP-the group of pastors who go out to start churches and provide assistance to the poorest slums in Manila. At the end of the day, we stopped at a slum site where a pastor wants to start a church and wants to partner with MMP. Pastor Larry shared his life story with us. At six years old, he ran away from home. His alcoholic father had come home to their tiny shack where he and his six older siblings and his mom were waiting. Being the youngest, he couldn't escape his fathers hands, and his father put him in a bag, hung him from the ceiling and used him for a punching bag. When the bag broke, he ran for his life, vowing to kill his father when he was older. He lived on the streets, hiding during the day and washing jeepney's at night to get money for food as no one would give him money when he begged. He knew he needed to go to school so that he would be able to defend himself in court when he killed his father, so he paid a man to act as his father and get him in school. At seven, someone found him asleep in a jeepney, took him to church and told him that if he believed in Jesus, he would go to heaven. Compared to where he was living, he decided that going to heaven sounded good. He attended church each week, where he was told by the usher to stay hidden under the stairs so no one would see him and not to leave till everyone was gone. But he enjoyed listening to the pastor and once a week he would take the leftover communion bread and juice and go out and "preach" to his street friends, telling them they wouldn't get bread unless they listened. At an early age, he started drinking and doing drugs and smoking. At night, he would stand on a jeepney and cry out to God "send an American to adopt me." But then God spoke to him and said "you don't need an American to adopt you because I adopt you as my son." And so at the age of 12, Larry gave his whole life to Jesus. Later, he found his father and begged for forgiveness. His father embraced him for the first time in his life and also asked for forgiveness. Two years later, Larry led his parents and family to the Lord. At 16, Pastor Larry started his first church. Today, he is married, has seven kids, and takes care of his parents. He has started many churches and trained many pastors. Twice a week he gets up at 4am to go find the street kids in Manila, wake them, give them milk and bread, and give them a touch and tell them Jesus loves them. He has prayed for people and seen the deaf receive their hearing and sick children healed. His faith and joy and the story of God's work in his life left me overwhelmed. It is hard to think of words to say in response to this story. All I know is that all around me, I am met with people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and would think of nothing else but to give all they have to serve Jesus in areas where the need for him is great.