Praise God, Jaime update

So I went back yesterday and met up with Jaime, brought him something to eat and gave him some money to spend the night in a cheap hotel near the park he has been staying at. We talked for quite a long time about God, life, being homeless and even about Barack Obama (I was surprised he knew who he was and actually said that he hoped he'd become president). He shared with me much of his life story and pain from getting his then girlfriend pregnant and having to marry her not from love but from necessity and the shame in ending a twenty year marriage and then fleeing the only city he really knew. He was so desperate for hope, for God, for a miracle, for something. He shared with me that at points he wanted to turn to drugs and alcohol, that he had many times contemplated mugging someone or robbing from a store, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He shared of his struggles to find God, but felt God didn't hear his cries. He shared about how men would occasionally approach him and ask for sex and how he almost prostituted himself because of his desperate hunger. He told me he was tired, that he couldn't hold on much longer, that he had to do something. He said he was going to start to walk to Monterrey (which is on the border and would be a 20+ hour drive, not even to imagine how long it would take to walk). I told him that would be dangerous that he could die, he told me he preferred dying to not having any hope here. Yesterday, I was sad to leave him, I brought him some money, but not much to do a whole lot and some food. I prayed for him again and was torn as I left him to go to my english classes. A man from my church was supposed to come and meet us to maybe give him a job, but he never came. I could tell Jaime was disappointed, but that it was nothing new for him. Today I showed up again at the park in the morning and brought him a new shirt that he had requested, brought some deodorant and a few things to eat. We again talked for along time about the world, about politics, sin and life. He asked about the ring I wear that says Jesus and I told him of the time I had to preach without any notice and how someone gave it to me afterwards to always remember about what I preached. He asked me what I preached about and I opened the Bible to Lamentations 3 and began to read of the lamentations, the struggles of the prophet Jeremiah, I was just about to get to the part that says God's mercies are new every morning when my phone rang, it was the guys from my church, who i had tracked down the night before and told him again where I'd be and prayed and hoped he would make it. He came and brought some more clothes and the good news of a job. We talked a bit more and then he went off to buy some soap and a few other things for jaime. I then shared the rest of Lamentations 3 and I could see Jaime relate to the struggles and pain. We then read about the prodigal son as Ruben (guy from my church) came back and we went to lunch. I could see the tears welling in Jaime's eyes at the prospect of home and a new life. Ruben shared with him his testimony and told him of God's free gift of salvation. I then asked him if he wanted to pray with me and he prayed to accept Jesus into his life. He starts tomorrow with his first day of work and I pray that I will see him on Sunday, a new man and a new brother. He shared of how many people had looked they were trying to help him, but always wanted something from him. He shared how it was nice to know people care and I continually told him that it was only because of God's love for me, for us that we can turn around and share that love and joy with others. I can honestly say that just for these past few days getting to know Jaime my how year would be worth it. Praise God for his mighty work and pray for Jaime in these next few crucial transition days, pray that God would continue to work on his heart, to give him peace and that the job would work out. Pray that he truly would be a changed man. Pray for more opportunities for me to reach out to him and others like him and to be an effective minister of God here in Puebla.

me and Jaime
Jaime reading the story of the prodigal son shortly before deciding to come home himself