From out of nowhere

The needs of people and the vastness of the internet seem to make strange bedfellows. Last year, our family was joined by Lora for the summer after she randomly found us on online. Her presence in our lives then and now is a true blessing, and we're so grateful to God for bringing us together. This year, we've had other similar requests by potential interns but none as unusual as the email this morning from Ben R. who emailed "from out of nowhere."

Ben R. is apparently a 23-year old self-proclaimed "con artist" from the midwest US whose passport, money and belongings were stolen in the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Through the internet, he randomly found our name and ministry here in Ocosingo and emailed in hopes of being able to "work in trade for room & board." Seems no one would hire him without "credentials" or a passport, and he'd made his way to San Cristobal for some unexplainable reason. I explained that we really couldn't do that but offered to work with him to help him out. I got him a contact at the US Embassy, direct phone lines, email addresses, etc. I offered to provide email support, prayer and encouragement if he was interested. His response was to simply bare his soul and confess his sins. Imagine....the guy gets robbed and starts surfing the internet ...stumbles on sympathetic (but not stupid) Americans within 50 miles and finds the only English-speaking professional counselor around....all randomly searching on the internet.

My last email of the night from Ben R. was encouraging. He specifically asked us to pray for him and for us to share his needs for prayers with others. I quote:

well good news i just got a job in a hostel. i should be able to start saving some. I hav e contacted the us embassy and they told me un mil peso por emergencia passporta. So i have little option. but i loved your advise and thats actually the idea. I am on this voyage to be ok with me. I want that and want to be real, but the problem in america is i am to fluent. i am by nature a con artist and am great with words. being in mexico limits my vocabulary a great deal. lol i have know idea why i think you need to know all this but partly because as testimony in what gods doing in my life and i want to share it. No worries on the drug issue i pretty much hate being drunk or high. never really apealed to me. so maybe if you and your family are in san cristobal you can stop and say hi. well please keep me in your prayers and feel free to share my story so others can pray to. i feel i really need people to pray for me cause i dont want to become whom i was.

Thank you, your friend and brother in christ

Ben

For those who question the truth of creation just because we learn more about genomes and DNA....for those who wonder if technology draws us away from God instead of closer....for those who question that miracles happen in present day...I say, it's a miracle that technology allows us to find needles in haystacks and for us to get the email from Ben R.. We are reminded that God uses all avenues, even the internet, to accomplish God's purposes in this world.

Please pray for my new brother in Christ, Ben R.