“I’m Looking for God. Where is He?”

“I’m Looking for God. Where is He?”

To my dear friends and family,

Before I get into talking about this past week, I just want to say thank you for giving a few minutes of your day to read this. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it so much. We have very full days here between classes, outreach prep, outreaches, drives, meals, and reading. In addition to that, I decided to be a photographer, which eats up even more time as I try to edit and process the thousands of photos I take during the little gaps in between everything else. All that to say, I understand being busy. I know you have busy lives as well. Thank you! Okay, now, about this past week.

It has been exactly three weeks here in Rosarito at the time I am writing this, which means we are halfway done with our CSOM trip. While it is so sad to think about, it excites me nonetheless. In these three weeks, I have gained so much, and there’s even more to be learned. Each day here has been a door of opportunity. Some days it looked like absorbing information about missions; other times, it took the shape of experiencing the culture through a swap meet and eating delicious adobada tacos. This week fell into the relational box for me. Each day introduced me to sweet, rich conversations with such humble individuals, each with their own unique flavor and charisma. The theme for this week was the importance of pursuing conversation.

This theme was first shown to me in our book this week, The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer. The overarching idea of the book is that God is ready for us to pursue Him deeply and intimately. Not only is He ready, but He seeks us out and reveals Himself in countless ways. Most of the time, we are just too human to see it. I have discovered that no matter what we’re pursuing, Christ must come first. I’ve not only seen it in the book, but also in the daily, mundane ups and downs of life. Matthew 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom of God, and then these things will be added to you. Being able to see this here at CSOM in the outreaches and hearing the incredible stories of locals has confirmed that greatly. A true, authentic, deep relationship with God is a vital organ in our Christian “body.” If it is compromised, it dies. Moreover, God is not simply waiting around and twiddling His thumbs in case we turn to Him. On the contrary, He seeks us out, ready to connect and meet with us personally. So the question is, are we prepared to respond to His pursuit of us?

I want to quickly share a story about a man whom a few of us met on Rosarito Beach while inviting people to an outreach event. We set out to do exactly that: invite people to the event, pray, and share the gospel when prompted. After inviting and conversing with several people, we headed south toward the pier. There were fewer people there than where the event was being held, and we saw a man carrying a cross in the distance. He was actually praying with some of our other teammates who had set out a little before us. We approached him, and he told us his name was Luis and that he was from Texas. As he explained his testimony and how God had turned his life around, a shorter, older man slowly walked up to us. He was holding hats for sale. In his eyes were pools of curiosity as he looked at the cross. This man’s name was Severino. He only spoke Spanish, so James (the same James from the last time we spoke) was the main one speaking with him. As the conversation went on, we discovered that Severino had not met Jesus. However, he said, “I’m looking for God, but I just don’t know where to find Him.” He then pulled out a Jehovah’s Witness pamphlet from his shirt pocket. The man was in need of the truth of the gospel. So James and Luis shared that truth with Severino. After many words and tears filled the space, Severino accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. This is purpose. This is peace for me. A gift is what it is, honestly. This encounter was a beautiful reflection of God’s love pursuing Severino and Severino’s response as he surrendered his life to Him. Man, if only you were there to witness this with us. It was a piercing moment for all of us. Praise God!

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane down to Mazatlan. We’re going there to do a VBS for a church we’ve heard great things about! We will be there for about a week, and then we will pack a light bag and head up about a 10-hour car ride to a remote tribe by the name of Cora. This adventure in Mexico has been nothing short of a wild, yet edifying time. The team and I are stepping into the second half with assurance and boldness that God will move mightily. All we must do is walk humbly, be present, and surrender. Pray for us, though. It will be uncomfortable. It’s monsoon season and will be hot, sticky, and much different than how it's been here in Rosarito. There will be less space. We’ll have less sleep. Again, I urge your prayers for myself, my team members, our leaders, and the locals hosting us. This, more than most other times, is when I expect the enemy to attack. Nonetheless, we enter these next weeks fighting from victory and not for victory. All we must do is walk humbly, abide in Christ, and surrender.

I love you all.

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. First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has already supported me. I have all of your names written down, and if you haven't heard from me yet, you will very soon. Your generosity and willingness to invest in what the Lord is doing in my life mean more to me than I can adequately express.

There is still some work to do, however. With the cost of flights, travel, and the many expenses that come with an opportunity like this, I still need to raise a little over $1,700. I truly believe this is doable, and I am humbly asking you to consider partnering with me in this journey. Any amount of financial support would be deeply appreciated, and a giving link can be found below. More than anything, though, the greatest way you can support me is through prayer—that the Lord would continue to prepare my heart, guide me throughout the school, provide for every need, and use this time to grow my faith and love for others. Please continue to pray for the safety and health of our entire team. I know the Lord provides, and I am trusting Him with every step of this journey.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for…

Wisdom and patience in the approach to VBS

Again, unity and a total team surrender

Good health as we enter a new space with new food

For sweet time with The Lord.

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

Become a Financial Partner

Photos from this week: