Yesterday, I met Chris

 Our normal monthly itinerary is to go up to the U.S. at the end of every month to buy supplies for both the ministry and for the house.  Peggy had ordered some special Mother Day gifts for this coming Sunday which were not yet in on our last trip out but had arrived this past Monday.  In order to have them on time then we made a special trip out yesterday.

On our trip out I noticed a black man walking south with a backpack and a bedroll but not trying to thumb a ride.  People walking on the side of the road is actually quite common and transients making their way south having been "thrown back" is normal fare.  However it is rare to see any black folk in our part of Mexico.  Although just two weeks ago I had met and witnessed with two young black men from Honduras who were attempting to cross into the U.S.   In our time here in Magdalena I have met one other black man who was here from the Dominican Republic playing for our town's baseball team.

Anyway we made our trip into the U.S. to pick up the package and do some other shopping and made our return into Mexico around 2 PM.  Somewhere between the border and Magdalena we passed the man I had seen that morning.  After making it a matter of prayer we turned around and pulled up a little past where he was walking.  I acted like I was digging something out of the back of my truck until he got to where I was and then casually began a conversation in Spanish which he did not understand.  Turns out Chris spoke English.  Chris is from Fort Smith, Arkansas and was headed to the beach.  The problem was that he thought that just over the next hill, around the next bend he would discover the beach but the nearest beach to us is about four hours driving - after a LONG deserted stretch of desert whichever way you go.

Anyway we invited Chris to allow us to give him a lift and ended up taking him farther south so that he could get on the right road to the nearest beach.  We then wrote the word PLAYA (beach) on a piece of cardboard with a "map" on the back for him to use.  We used our captive 3/4 hours to talk to Chris and witness to him.  Chris said that he was on a "spiritual" journey and God had evidently put us on his road.  There is little doubt in my mind that there was a spiritual war being waged as Chris would "come and go" on us during our conversation.

I know very little about Chris.  His birthday is today and he will be turning 26.  He is from Fort Smith, Arkansas and has a younger brother who he has not seen for a long time.  He was on foot heading west towards Rocky Point with a copy of John and Romans and a gospel tract with my name and number.  I know he needs the Lord as his Saviour and is heading into some seriously dangerous terrain and territory.

"And of some have compassion, making a difference:"  Jude vs.22