Out From the Past

This morning while having a time of meditation, we heard a honking of a horn and a calling out - Preston!  It was 6:30AM and our front door was still closed, we do not open it until 7:00 for this very purpose - privacy and quiet.  However, the call came out again - Preston!

We went to the door still dressed in our pajamas, but here in Nica, seeing one not properly dressed is no big thing.  Opening the door, we found our good friend Wilbur.  He proceeded to tell us that there was a young man that has been heavy on his heart lately and this morning he saw the guy, down and out and ready for a change.  Wilbur wanted us to call our mutual friend, Benjamin who has a substance abuse rehabilitation farm in the middle of NO WHERE to ask him if we could bring the young man out, he was ready to go, now!!

Israel Jose 2012

Wilbur went back to his home, grabbed up the guy and brought him on the back of his moto to our house.  In the mean time, we changed our clothes to prepare for a trip 15 miles out. When Wilbur announced his return, we went to the door and saw the young man with his back to us sitting on the curb, slouched over, head hung down and hugging himself.  Wilbur spoke to him to stand up, there was no reply; he spoke again, still no reply. Then Wilbur smacked him on the shoulder with his moto helmet and the guy jumped up.  When he turned to face us, we were SHOCKED.   He was one of our lost prodigals who had lived with us for a short time, 4 years ago - Israel Jose.

He was timid to step towards us.  Preston was the first to welcome him through our front gate with a hug.  When I, Sandra, opened up my arms to hug him, he fell into my arms and cried.  I held him for awhile and let him know that we were glad to see him.

We took him into our house as we assembled a few things for him to take for his 3 week stay on the farm.  All he had was the clothes on his back.  We provided him with a sweatshirt, towel and large beach towel to act as a blanket.  We told him we would get a few more things for him and bring them out on Sunday.  He is horribly thin, so we asked if he was hungry;  I know, that's a really foolish question.   He smiled and said he remembered that Preston was a good chef.  It's amazing what some people choose to remember.   We had leftovers from the previous night's dinner which came in handy.  It's always wise to have a supply of rice and beans or arroz china (fried rice) on hand because we never know who will be stopping by.

Wilbur accompanied us as we drove Israel Jose out to the small town of Posoltega.  It's our norm to wait in the community park and someone from the farm comes out to meet us.  When we arrived, Benjamin's son, Ishmael, was already waiting.

We left Israel Jose with Ishmael to be taken out to the farm located a journey through a couple of small rivers and hidden amongst the sugar cane.   We will visit the farm on Sunday for services and spend time with Israel Jose.

Israel Jose is an "old" 22 years.  He's been through the "school of hard knocks".  Back when he lived with us, he did not see the necessity to change his life.  Whereas he was always polite to us, he was manipulative and dishonest in his behavior.   Within a month he chose to leave our home to pursue his own way.  Occasionally we would see him in the market place and it was apparent that his own way was not being kind to him.  It has been a least 2 years since we last saw him.

We ask that you join us in prayer for Israel Jose;  that his time of running is finally over and that he is ready to submit to the One and Only who can show him the Way, the Truth and the Life.

It's been a beautiful morning and we are grateful to God for bringing Israel Jose back to us.

Road to Finca through cane fields