Hola!
Much of the world views the nation of El Salvador as insignificant; but God views these six million people as significant, indeed. Last year on August 10th I believed God and boarded an airplane bound for this tiny nation. From the day I stepped foot onto this needy land, God has enveloped me with His peace and filled my heart with a love determined to serve these beautiful people.
I cannot believe one year has flown by so fast. The evidence of God’s grace has been magnificent. So many times over these twelve months God has given me great opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with MS13 gang members. Their behaviors personify malignant fighters, but their eyes yearn for love and peace. They wander like sheep without a shepherd, but when the Shepherd’s Bible is declared they pause to listen. Their minds are suspicious of all, but their hearts possess interest to hear and believe God. Evil and injustice are the mainstream but grace does much more abound.
If there is one matter that I have learned more than any other this year it is a better understanding of injustice and grace. My own eyes have seen grievous injustices inflicted upon people—anguish committed by gangs, as well as distresses caused by government authorities. My heart has lifted up many prayers to God for those suffering. Many people fear the gangs as well as their own government. Many people know of a loved one who has been murdered. Many others can testify how they have been unreasonably robbed of fundamental human rights.
It is by God’s grace that I happily continue to serve the Salvadoran people. Whether my personal troubles are brought on because of myself or because of the wrong decisions of others, I am reminded of the words of King David in 1 Chronicles 21:13: “…let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.” Whenever we are troubled on every side, I have learned that we should humble ourselves before God and beg for grace and mercy. Man very seldom knows how to extend abundant grace and mercy but God delights to demonstrate His loving-kindnesses through mercy and grace.
I recently got back to El Salvador from a trip to the United States. The most important part of my trip was for me to sit down face-to-face and talk with some of you. Although I did not get to meet up with everyone as I hoped, perhaps the future will grant us personal time together one day. As mentioned in my previous two letters back in June and May, I made a mess of things which caused dilemmas in my life. I made some corrections (and we are still praying that soon I may get to sincerely apologize to Mrs. C.) God sustained me. Many friends reached out to me. THANK YOU. And I have been able to move forward. I am grateful so much for the care, concern, prayers and honest words of friends God has given me. Proverbs 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
I also traveled to Mexico for a scheduled trip. God opened the opportunity for me and a friend to talk with gang members associated with the cartels. At first we were met with dark opposition but God gave us great grace. We declared the gospel of Christ’s light in a very dark locality. We pled with various individuals to give their lives to Christ and to watch God miraculously free them from Satan’s strongholds. Oh that more Christians would bow the knee and pray for them! Please pray for them as well as the movement of gang members in Colombia, Central America, and Mexico. These are individuals who have an eternal soul who need Christ.
In another city my friend and I got very lost using the city bus transportation. We asked a college student sitting next to us for directions. He went out of his way to help us. He didn’t just give us directions; he got off the bus and walked us over a couple blocks to another bus stop. Then he boarded the next bus with us, sat and talked with us until we arrived at our destination. Thank God for kind people! You just don’t meet too many people, especially young people who will go out of their way to help like that these days.
The greatest news is that in our conversations with him, we got to talk about eternal matters. When we all got off the last bus stop, we thanked him for his help. Then my friend point blank asked him, “We’ve explained the gospel. Do you want to receive Jesus right now?” I was so happy to hear the young man respond, “Yes.” Right there on the street he called on Christ to save him!
We were grateful that we ended up getting lost. Our getting lost importuned us the divine opportunity to help a spiritual lost man find his way to Christ! PROVIDENCE! Oh how God prearranges everything in life. Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
I cannot express how grateful I am to you for your prayers. THANK YOU. I hope you always remain a partner who intercedes in prayers on my behalf before our God’s great throne.
Lastly, any future financial support that God would invite you to help in the work can be given through Zelle, Venmo, or Paypal at www.MissionFrontier.info. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Lawrence Bowman
Much of the world views the nation of El Salvador as insignificant; but God views these six million people as significant, indeed. Last year on August 10th I believed God and boarded an airplane bound for this tiny nation. From the day I stepped foot onto this needy land, God has enveloped me with His peace and filled my heart with a love determined to serve these beautiful people.
I cannot believe one year has flown by so fast. The evidence of God’s grace has been magnificent. So many times over these twelve months God has given me great opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with MS13 gang members. Their behaviors personify malignant fighters, but their eyes yearn for love and peace. They wander like sheep without a shepherd, but when the Shepherd’s Bible is declared they pause to listen. Their minds are suspicious of all, but their hearts possess interest to hear and believe God. Evil and injustice are the mainstream but grace does much more abound.
If there is one matter that I have learned more than any other this year it is a better understanding of injustice and grace. My own eyes have seen grievous injustices inflicted upon people—anguish committed by gangs, as well as distresses caused by government authorities. My heart has lifted up many prayers to God for those suffering. Many people fear the gangs as well as their own government. Many people know of a loved one who has been murdered. Many others can testify how they have been unreasonably robbed of fundamental human rights.
It is by God’s grace that I happily continue to serve the Salvadoran people. Whether my personal troubles are brought on because of myself or because of the wrong decisions of others, I am reminded of the words of King David in 1 Chronicles 21:13: “…let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.” Whenever we are troubled on every side, I have learned that we should humble ourselves before God and beg for grace and mercy. Man very seldom knows how to extend abundant grace and mercy but God delights to demonstrate His loving-kindnesses through mercy and grace.
I recently got back to El Salvador from a trip to the United States. The most important part of my trip was for me to sit down face-to-face and talk with some of you. Although I did not get to meet up with everyone as I hoped, perhaps the future will grant us personal time together one day. As mentioned in my previous two letters back in June and May, I made a mess of things which caused dilemmas in my life. I made some corrections (and we are still praying that soon I may get to sincerely apologize to Mrs. C.) God sustained me. Many friends reached out to me. THANK YOU. And I have been able to move forward. I am grateful so much for the care, concern, prayers and honest words of friends God has given me. Proverbs 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
I also traveled to Mexico for a scheduled trip. God opened the opportunity for me and a friend to talk with gang members associated with the cartels. At first we were met with dark opposition but God gave us great grace. We declared the gospel of Christ’s light in a very dark locality. We pled with various individuals to give their lives to Christ and to watch God miraculously free them from Satan’s strongholds. Oh that more Christians would bow the knee and pray for them! Please pray for them as well as the movement of gang members in Colombia, Central America, and Mexico. These are individuals who have an eternal soul who need Christ.
In another city my friend and I got very lost using the city bus transportation. We asked a college student sitting next to us for directions. He went out of his way to help us. He didn’t just give us directions; he got off the bus and walked us over a couple blocks to another bus stop. Then he boarded the next bus with us, sat and talked with us until we arrived at our destination. Thank God for kind people! You just don’t meet too many people, especially young people who will go out of their way to help like that these days.
The greatest news is that in our conversations with him, we got to talk about eternal matters. When we all got off the last bus stop, we thanked him for his help. Then my friend point blank asked him, “We’ve explained the gospel. Do you want to receive Jesus right now?” I was so happy to hear the young man respond, “Yes.” Right there on the street he called on Christ to save him!
We were grateful that we ended up getting lost. Our getting lost importuned us the divine opportunity to help a spiritual lost man find his way to Christ! PROVIDENCE! Oh how God prearranges everything in life. Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
I cannot express how grateful I am to you for your prayers. THANK YOU. I hope you always remain a partner who intercedes in prayers on my behalf before our God’s great throne.
Lastly, any future financial support that God would invite you to help in the work can be given through Zelle, Venmo, or Paypal at www.MissionFrontier.info. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Lawrence Bowman
