Praying for Nathan

In the five years that I have worked for Amor Ministries I have never had the troubles crossing the border the way I did just two weeks ago. We got turned away from the border three different times at two different border crossings in the course of two days. Twice they took issue with the buses our groups were bringing and once with a rather large trailer. In all it took me about 14 hours to cross three groups. I can normally cross one group in about an hour.

Needless to say it was a very frustrating weekend. I was temped to ask God what he was thinking in allowing such troubles, but I kept reminding myself that God’s ways are higher then my ways and his thoughts higher than mine. With that in mind I started asking God to open my eyes to what ever it may be that he was trying to show me. And he did.

While attempting to cross the border with a rather large trailer for the second time, the border guards turned us away because the group had pack a lot of items to give away while on their trip (they failed to inform me of this). You can only do this at one border and you need a permit which is a really big hassle so we just don’t do it. So my plan was to take the group to our office in El Paso unload the donations and the try it again. As we were being put in the line to cross the border back into the U.S. one of the border guards asked me a question. At first I did not understand because he was talking to me in English and his knowledge of it was about as good as mine of Spanish. I thought he was trying to tell me that we should have just paid him off, but being unsure I asked him to repeat himself. As it turned out he was asking me to pray for him. He also asked me to pray for his family and his church. I remember the wave of emotion that came over me as I realized that God had put us there for this very reason. So I asked his name (Nathan) and I have been praying for him ever since.

The next day I was turned away from the border that we normally cross with a very small bus and sent back to the down town border crossing. An unusual event for one day indeed but two days in a row was getting on my nerves. As I crossed the border I was pulled into secondary and who should be the one inspecting my vehicle but Nathan. I stood amazed at the opportunity’s God gives us as he finished his inspection and let me cross. Before I left I called him by his name (he seemed surprised that I remembered) and let him know that I was praying for him and that others would be as well. So if you are willing I want to ask that you join me in praying for Nathan, his family and his church. I know God will work wonders if we are faithful.