A Life Changing Trip

When I look back at this experience I feel that I need to a start from the very beginning, which in this case starts with my wife. Missions have been a large part of her life, and participating in them changed her outlook on life itself and also in how she saw the work that needs to get done.

Her passion is infectious and sometimes even confusing, my first encounter with this confusion came on Christmas of 2021. Now if you know me you know I like to do things a bit over the top, and I wanted to surprise my wife with a gift she did not expect. I bought her these beautiful Christian Louboutin, shoes…that’s right ladies, “Red Bottoms”. I thought, surely he is going to love these.

Well the surprise was all mine, when she opened them and said “ Oh no , we are returning these – do you know what I could do with that money, please just send me on a missions trip”. I was floored, I had never encountered anyone with this level of selflessness, and I could understand why, but I was soon to.

One night in bed she showed me the “Hand of Hope” website and the medical/dental mission planned for El Salvador – it was perfect, it fell on a weekend and it allowed us to go without spending too much time away from our 4 kids. That night I felt that I should join her on this trip, it would be my first ever. Not being of a medical background I wasn’t sure what I could possibly help in, but truly felt that I needed to go.

I think it was this feeling of not knowing what I could help in that led me to begin seeking more purpose from the Lord, and I began asking my brother Rev.Jose Daniel Soto (yeah I wanted to name drop him here..LOL) to sit with me and work through some of what I thought would be questions about God’s love that would make it difficult for anyone who has lived a life in need to accept.

Nothing could have prepared me emotionally for what was going to happen on this trip. I was under the impression that we were there to help, that we were there to provide for a need and be a blessing to the people of El Salvador, and ALL of that is true – but what I wasn’t prepared for was that it was here that God was going to work in me, it was here where He would remind me of my prayer to be used as a vessel, and to have my heart broken for what breaks His.

The first day in clinic, I had volunteered to work in “Ministry” and share the gospel with those who came. I was nervous, I had no idea how to begin conversations with people, not sure how it would be received, or how “effective” it would be – but I knew that was where God wanted me and I had decided in my heart to obey blindly. Let me tell you – there was no time to second guess or to delay, once the doors opened and people started coming through I quickly felt the Lord show me that what needed to be shared was the HOPE that is found in His love through His sacrifice. That day we saw 25 people come to Christ.

The first night I was tired – like exhausted… but I couldn’t sleep, me heart was heavy with all I had seen, but even heavier with a desire to reach more, I felt God placing in my heart that what he wanted was to reach the hearts and my prayer was truly the tag line of the main character in the movie Hacksaw Ridge, “Please Lord, just give me one more” – I desired with all my heart the opportunity to share His love with one more person, to see one more person giver their life to Christ.

Over the next few days I would see 92 people com to Christ, children ask their parent to accept the Lord, I saw an elderly woman breakdown in tears as she understood the Lords love for her, I saw a man be freed from the guilt that had been weighing him down for years, and I even got to live a beautiful moment where one of our local translators, ask me what it was that I did with the team – and after we talked for a few minutes he gave his life to Christ ( Love ya Alejandro!! ).

It’s now though that I feel the most heavy in my heart, now that I am back home trying to reconcile all that we saw, all that we live, the disparities and the grace – that I have been having a struggle. I couldn’t put into words why I had been in tears for a few days since I got back, but the best way I could describe it was that for the first time in possibly my life – the Lord had answered the prayer that was making me lose sleep. You see I am a the son of Missionaries, the son of a Pastor, the brother of a Pastor, I had lead youth groups and young adult groups but this entire time I have been asking God for one thing… “Lord give me purpose, what do you want me to do? What is your call for me in my life? How can I be used by you?” – and in this trip the Lord gave me that, He gave me purpose, He spoke into my life and asked me only for obedience and willingness to follow Hime wherever – and he has called me to share the Gospel, with all – abroad and at home, to pray and watch Him takeover – and to do it ALL with only one end goal… to Give Him ALL the Glory.

I can’t finish this post without thanking the entire team of volunteers, your kindness, selflessness and love was simply amazing. Thank you so much, each and everyone of you, for your friendships and the opportunity you shared with me to have this Life Changing Trip and the memories that will forever be engraved in my heart.