Operation GO prayer request

The following comes from the Aug. 8, 2003, newsletter of Charles and Terrie Poore in Puebla, Mexico. Charles is a Strategy Coordinator. In late June they worked with an Operation GO (Gospel Outreach) project as volunteers from North Carolina, led by Operation GO missionaries Don and Jean Monroe, prayerwalked and went door to door as part of the effort to get the gospel into every home in Panama, Central America and Mexico.

As he approached us, I immediately noticed the fresh wounds on his face. There were gashes and bruises, new and old. His right ear was dark purple with a tear about halfway down from which oozed blood. He walked with a stagger; as a result of the 40-ounce bottle of beer he had been keeping company with while sitting on the pile of gravel at the corner. His shirt expressed, what I considered to be his motto, "Life. No meaning." We had been working and sharing all morning, and had already encountered other men who were probably not going to remember us because of their state of mind, but this young man had an angry look, and I silently voiced a quick prayer.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a slurred voice.

"We're sharing a free gift of the Gospel of John," I answered handing him the packet with the gospel, a salvation tract and information about a local church. "It talks about the life of Jesus and the love he has for us."
He took the packet and then told me, "You know, I feel as though I have a hole in my life that needs to be filled."

With the other two team members praying behind me, I was able to share John 3:16 and God's plan for salvation. When I finished, I showed him the salvation prayer on the back of the tract, but he was not ready to pray. Instead, he wanted to talk about how Americans mistreat Mexicans, how he had lived a life of drugs, alcohol and violence, and how he had a vacuum in his life.

I assured him that we loved him in the name of Jesus, shared John 8:31-33, and again shared the message of salvation. After about 45 minutes we parted ways. As we left, I encouraged him to reflect with a sober mind on what we had shared. We turned and proceeded down the street. Javier returned to claim his bottle.

We didn't see Javier any more that day, but his image keeps coming back to me. Would you join me in praying for his salvation and the lost people of Mexico?"