An Ice Cream Vendor, a Park, and the Gospel

07Jul

Dearest friends and family,

The last time you heard from me, the CSOM team and I had just arrived safely in Rosarito, Mexico. We were welcomed so warmly by the Connections House team, ate some incredible tacos, and settled into our new home. It has now been a little over one week here. We are meeting such precious people, learning so much, and, of course, enjoying lots of delicious Mexican food! I have so many stories to share with you all. God is doing some amazing things. For now, I am excited to share two that have especially grabbed my heart.

On Friday, we set out to a park with the goal of reaching the community through a message, games, music, face painting, and other fun activities. I joined a smaller team to invite people we saw walking around. Shortly after inviting a few people, we saw a man selling ice cream in the distance and coming toward us. He wore a distinctive In-N-Out hat paired with a warm smile. After learning his name, Silvano, and buying some ice cream, we sat down with him at a nearby public table.

We asked him if he knew who Jesus was. He said yes and that Jesus was everything to him. Then, with a familiar and friendly demeanor, he began to share about his life and how Christ had changed it for the better. He explained that he had been in trouble with the law many times, and the judge who repeatedly saw him shortened his sentence from over ten years down to two. While incarcerated, someone took the time to minister to Silvano and share the Gospel with him. Silvano became a follower of Christ and is now attending church regularly, reading the Word, and choosing Jesus every day. He was recently married too, which just so happened to be on the same day as James' wedding. James is a student at CSOM like me, and what a joy it has been to get to know him.

Meeting Silvano, hearing about his life, and seeing how he had been transformed was nothing short of encouraging. The whole team was lifted up by his story, myself included. At the same time, it was sobering. Sobering because Silvano's life began to change when he surrendered to Jesus' will. The idea of surrender has never been my strong suit as a Christ-follower. Yet the entirety of this week has been spent learning and growing in surrender. What have I not surrendered? Am I holding on to something that is keeping me from closeness with the Lord? How can I better position myself through surrender? All of these questions have been coming up for me.Even though this idea of surrender has been challenging to grapple with, it has also been freeing. It is freeing because I know that as I surrender, God handles everything else. As I minimize myself, my ideas, and my goals, His ideas, His goals, and His plans for my life take root and flourish.

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On that same Friday, not long after meeting Silvano, I had the chance to share my testimony with a few people from the neighborhood before James preached. I saw the Lord working mightily. A large portion of my testimony today centers on how God has given me peace, taken away my anger, and how losing my mom has shaped me. Guess who came and sat right in front when it was time for the testimonies? A few mothers whose children were off learning from the CSOM skit team. Looking back on it now, I can see how God's divine orchestration is always at work. I felt that God invited me to surrender while sharing. He asked me to surrender my pride, my expectations, my doubts, and my hopes. He met me in that moment and led me in a way I would not have been able to on my own.

How You Can Partner With Me:

As I continue to serve, learn, and grow, I am inviting friends and family to partner with me through prayer and financial support. While this trip is an incredible opportunity, it does come with a cost. The total cost of CSOM is $2,700. I am deeply thankful for everyone who has already chosen to support me and invest in my future, and I would be deeply grateful for anyone who feels led to join me in this journey. Any amount of financial support is greatly appreciated, and a giving link can be found below. The greatest way you can support me is through prayer–that the Lord would continue to prepare my heart, guide me throughout the school, and use this time to grow my faith and love for others. Please continue to pray for the safety and health of the entire team.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for Silvano and his wife. That they would continue walking with Jesus

Pray for my stomach. I’ve had a few minor complications and would love prayer

Pray for me as I prepare a teaching for a youth event next Saturday

Pray for team unity and God’s guidance in our service.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to hearing from you and how I can be praying for you!

Blessings,

Josiah Grant