The following comes from Shepherd's Staff Missionary Barrett Cruce. Barrett and his lovely wife, Amy, moved to Costa Rica about five years ago to live with and serve among the poor along Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. Barrett is a natural evangelist. You can't go anywhere with Barrett where he doesn't get into a conversation about the Lord. Everyone Barrett meets becomes an instant friend. 

Last night Juan (not his real name to protect his privacy) gave his life to God sitting in our living room.  It was an incredible end (and a new beginning) to a long and sometimes painful journey.  I first met Juan about two years ago when we went whitewater rafting with a visiting mission team.  Juan was one of the guides on the expedition.  Not long after, Juan and his girlfriend moved to Puerto Viejo.  I began to see them around and now and then he asked a few questions about the skate park.  One Friday evening he dropped by with his girlfriend to check things out.  As he asked questions, I told him why we were here, about the skate park, the visiting mission teams and I invited them to our church.  At the time, they didn't really seem too interested.  We would see each other around town and in the water and I always made sure to speak to him and to let him know that he was welcome to come anytime but he never seemed to want to take it beyond a surface level.

Fast-forward almost two years to this past Thanksgiving.  Juan had long since broken up with his girlfriend and was now working with a local company that runs the zip line tours, taking tourists on a flight through the jungle canopy in a harness connected to a very thin cable.  After our ride through the jungle, Juan and I began talk.  He asked a few more questions about the skate park and then asked about the church.  He wondered if we were still meeting together.  As we spoke, he asked what time we met.  I told him and invited him to join us some time.
The next Sunday he showed up, right on time (very unusual) and even though he had to leave early, he thanked us and said he'd be back.  He has come every Sunday since then and has also started to come to our mid-week bible study.  This past Sunday, I asked him if he'd like to come over to the house for dinner some evening after work.  Last night, he came over and we had a chance to sit and talk.   

At some point, trouble comes to all of us.  The important question is, where do we turn when that trouble hits?  A couple of months ago, Juan hit a major breaking point in his life.  One day out of the blue, his new girlfriend called him to tell him that she had aborted their baby because she didn't want to quit her drug habit.  This took place even after he had told her that he was willing to take the baby and raise it himself.  His pleading fell on deaf ears.  She went ahead with her plans and more pain was brought into the world.  This was too much for him to take alone and the places he had turned in the past didn't offer anything that could help him face the unexpected sense of loss that he suddenly experienced.  He told me that he was numb... almost paralyzed.

Other than some brief conversations at the beach, I've never really had the chance to talk much with Juan.  Not for a lack of trying, it just takes time to gain people's trust and get to that level.  That all changed last night when he came over.  Juan was about to burst because he wanted to talk so badly.  He had to get the story of his lost child off his chest and he wanted to tell me.

Referring to a Louie Giglio video series called "Hope When Life Hurts Most" that we had recently watched at church, Juan explained, "That video really helped me understand.  I figured that if Jesus went through all of that suffering and pain, then he could understand what I was going through.  He could relate to me and I can relate to him.  I had never looked at it like that before.  I never really knew much about him but now I know that He's not just some religious figure that had a perfect life and never had any problems.  He actually died after he suffered and he did it for me.  I figure that he can understand what I'm going though."

We simply sat and I listened.  He told me that He believed that only God could help him and he asked me how he could turn to Jesus.  What did it really mean to follow him and how could he have God with him in his suffering?  We read through the first half of John chapter 3 and talked about what it meant to have God's forgiveness and an opportunity for a new life.  Since he's never been to church or read the Bible before, this was all new to him.  He said that he didn't totally understand it but that it felt true.  It matched with the reality of life that he had experienced.  Sitting on our couch, Juan told God in his own words that he was finished living for himself and that he wanted a new start.  He wanted to experience God's forgiveness, peace and the restoration that is made possible through Jesus.    
As he was leaving, he explained, "This didn't just happen today.  This started a few days ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."  The truth is that it started 2000 years ago and hasn't stopped since.  Over and over we have prayed that God would bring us into contact with people in whose lives he is already working.  Over and over again, He does.  I am so thankful that God has placed us here and that he is working through all of you... through your prayers and financial support... to reach out to the Juan's of this broken town. 

Please pray for Juan as he begins his walk with Jesus.  Pray that he will experience God's peace and the hope that he'll see his baby again one day.  We ask you to continue to pray for us as well.  This town is full of broken people looking for answers but it takes time to build those relationships.  For Juan, last night was the right time.  The time will come for others as well and with your prayers and support we will be here waiting and ready to share the hope that is in us.  As we continue to reach out, please ask God to give us patience.  It is a continual process of both movement and waiting.  We always want to be moving forward, doing what we can to meet new people, get the word out about church, etc... while at the same time waiting on God to move in people's lives.  The key to this is being here.  One day Juan will be able to thank you personally for making it possible for him to meet his Savior... Jesus.

Cruce Missionary Page