No! Not Mt Hat!

There were 28 of us working on our A/G Bible school in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. We were working with Missionary David Wagner, a builder and visionary. This was my second time as a pastor to have a team work with David. The first time was in the Parana Delta, Northwest of Bueno Aries, Argentina.

I had contacted David because this was our first trip that Judy and I would lead from our new church in San Antonio, First Assembly of God. We had a great team who worked very hard and long hours.

We were following a team of over 80 who had departed just 1 week prior to our arrival. Not, bragging… well, maybe a little, but David said, at the end of our second day, our 28 had already accomplished more than the 80 did in 7 days.

On the fourth day we left the worksite and returned to our hotel at around 5 PM. We were preparing for dinner when there came a loud, panicked knock on our hotel door. The person knocking seemed frantic, “Pastor come quick!” Never a comforting sound when you have 28 people in a foreign country! She was screaming, so I hurried to the door thinking something very bad had happened!

We had several teens on the trip, and one of the girls had gone to the little hair salon at our hotel and was getting her hair cut and styled. (To this day I have no idea why she did that!) The frantic girl at our door had gone with her. The stylist was very cordial, her English poor at best, but better than the girl’s Spanish. When the woman asked the girls why they were there, the two teens began to share Jesus with the lady. They got to a certain point and did not know what to do next, so the ambassador to our room came to fetch the pastor. We grabbed another member of our team, Jesse Garcia, who was fluent in Spanish.

When we arrived at the shop, another hotel employee had joined the party, a friend of the hairdresser. So, through Jesse, I explained the plan of salvation and asked the stylist, who was still working on the girl’s hair, if she wanted to accept Jesus as her Savior and Lord! When Jesse finished with the question, the hairdresser said she already had received Jesus, but she did not have a church! (A Little communication breakdown.)

The other woman cut into the conversation and said she had not accepted Jesus and said, “I think I really need that”, Jesse interpreted. This lady spoke less English than the hair stylist.

By this time several others from our group had made their way to the small salon and were watching what was happening. The woman was broken and crying. So, I started walking her through receiving Jesus.

Then it happened. I didn’t recognize it at first because it seemed natural, but the Holy Spirit cut Jesse out of the conversation. I understood her and she understood me! She was speaking Spanish, I was speaking English. We understood each other perfectly, without Jesse interpreting. Everyone stood shocked as they observed something miraculous!

The miracle continued through leading her in prayer to receive Christ. When we said “amen”, the miracle ended. I could not understand her, she could not understand me! Re-enter Jesse! But the woman was wonderfully saved!

Let me go back to a meeting prior to our departure from San Antonio. We all had “MAPS” hats. It helped identify us as a group while traveling, and they were nice hats! I gave them out with the warning that once we arrive, we will be working with some local people. They will ask you for your hat!

I went on to say I would not wear mine to the job site! I wanted to keep it as a memento of our first missions trip from First Assembly, San Antonio.

By day 4, no one still possessed their MAPS hat… except me! How brilliant of me to strategize that way! I’ll be the only one returning home with my special hat!

Back to the hair salon...

We were winding things down and planned to bring the two ladies the location of a church in Barquisimeto near the hotel. David Wagner would contact the pastor and give him these ladies’ contact information. I was ready to return to my room to finish getting ready for dinner when the Holy Spirit said clearly, “Give her your hat!”

NOOOOO! I have worked hard to preserve that hat… in my possession! “Give her your hat!” I think I said something deeply spiritual like, “RATS!” So, I asked them to stay there, all of them, even our team members, while I ran to the room to grab my MAPS hat. MAPS was an acronym for “Mobilization And Placement Service”, later, Missions Abroad Placement Service an arm of the then DFM, “Department of Foreign Missions” of the Assemblies of God.

When I returned, everyone was still there. They had witnessed something supernatural! I told the lady who had just received Jesus that God told me to give you this hat. (Only God could have caused me to give it up... well, maybe Judy too.) And, that every time she looked at it to let it remind her that all of us loved her, but more than that, to remember the miracle and how much more Jesus loves her! Both ladies embraced everyone from our team. But the young lady who started the whole thing by getting her hair cut, was still in the chair and the job was not finished! And, it was now after closing time! But, not to worry, the stylist finished the job, joyfully!

As we were walking out, I’ll never forget this, one of the young men, a 22-year-old, who had been born, dedicated and raised in the church, was standing by the door, frozen in his tracks. As I passed by, I noticed tears in his eyes. I called him by name and asked if he was OK.

He responded with, “I have never seen that happen before.” I thought he was talking about the English/Spanish thing, but that was not it! He went on to explain he had never seen anyone outside of a church altar call, hear the gospel and respond to it by receiving Jesus.

I was both happy and sad at the same time. He should not have had to wait until he was 22 to experience the power of the Gospel that way. Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (NKJV).

Miracles can happen anywhere! Sometimes it just takes getting your hair cut! “The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.”

No Coasting to the Finish Line!