The Best Gift

 Katrina and Enrique at Salem Church Baptism

At the baptism at Salem Church I met a homeowner named Enrique.  This sweet man is friendly and thankful for everything people do to help him.  He tried to work on his house damaged by Sandy nearly 20 months ago, but it was more than he could do by himself.  He did not want to ask for help, because he was afraid others needed it more than him.  He volunteers to help others “worse off than me”.

 

Aiman took me to Enrique’s home.  Enrique was washing his laundry in a bucket when we arrived.  The interior walls and most of the insulation were gone in his house.  A mattress, couch, table and chair reveal that he is still living here.  A grill in his shed provides a means of warming water for baths, laundry, and cooking.  His neighbor is generously allowing Enrique to connect to electricity at no charge.  Volunteer teams from Crisis Response have been working with Enrique on his home, praying with him, and sharing with him about God.

 

The following week, Enrique again attended Salem Church.  On Monday afternoon, Enrique called Katrina over to him and said, “Katrina, I do not know what happened yesterday at church, I just wanted to cry.  I didn’t because I was ashamed.  I felt so light I could fly.” He spoke of having goose bumps and a new feeling he had never had.  Enrique usually can only understand half of what he hears in English, yet at church he understood 97%. Enrique was smiling when he told Katrina he only misunderstood three words in the whole service.  

The following night, Enrique joined a volunteer team visiting the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  He had been asking many questions about God.  While walking with Billy, a volunteer from the Georgia team, back to the Staten Island Ferry station, Billy asked Enrique, “If you were to die right now, do you know where you would go?”  Enrique answered, “No.”  Billy asked, “Are you okay with that?”  Enrique was not and asked if he could say the prayer of salvation.  The rest of the group joined them for Enrique’s prayer.  Enrique knew what to say and how to say it without any direction. He was crying, and they were crying.  He came back with the team.  When Katrina heard he had accepted Jesus as his savior, she said, “I am so happy for you.”  He replied, “Not as happy as I am.”  

On sharing night, Enrique was given a Spanish/English Parallel Bible that many of the team members signed.  Enrique said that it was one of the best gifts he had ever received.  When Enrique cried, so did everyone in the room.  This is just the beginning of the story.  Enrique is already sharing the Gospel with his neighbors.

Enrique and Aiman