Thursday, November 24, 2005

Our Friend Faustino

Faustino and us service guys from Faith Hope and Love Center

Faustino is an amazing man with an amazing testimony. He has been a pillar of our home church, Hollister's Faith, Hope, and Love Center and like a grandpa to many of our children. He currently serves as our Head Deacon. Some of our servicemembers recently got a chance to take pictures with Brother Faustino at our Military Appreciation Day on Sunday, October 23, 2005. Even though he's not wearing a visible uniform, he is a Captain in a whole different army.

Speaking with Faustino you would never think for a minute that he possesses such a powerful story of redemption. He is one of the most humble men I know. I recently shared his story to the youth of Young Seven One and the young adults of Club Alpha Omega at our Friend's Day at the Beach party. May his story encourage you today.

Faustino was like most people of our day. He was going through life without much need for God or "religion." He especially hated the occasional Christians who would show up knocking at his door trying to invite him to church. He even speaks of running out the back door or hiding when these unwelcomed visitors would show up.

He was relatively well-known in his hometown of Gilroy and owned a cantina there for many years. Due to some difficulties with the landlord of the property, he ended up closing the cantina and moving to Hollister.

While in his newfound home in Hollister, he began to suffer from a severe back problem that forced him to use a walker everywhere he went. On one fateful Saturday, his nephew asked him for a ride to and from work up to his old stomping grounds in Gilroy. His nephew was to work at the Wells Fargo Bank for about four hours that day. Instead of returning to Hollister, which is only fifteen or so minutes away, Faustino decided to pass the time in Gilroy by taking his laundry to a local laundromat.

He drove to a laundromat where he used to laundry from time to time, when he lived in Gilroy. Upon opening his car door, he was suddenly greeted by an African American couple. The couple startled Faustino somewhat when they asked if they could help him take his clothes into the laundromat. He obliged their blessing as it was hard for him to move about and haul heavy items. They soon helped Faustino pull his walker and wash load out of the car and walked them inside.

As the man and woman set things in place for Faustino, they began simple conversation with him. After a few moments of this, the man looked straight at Faustino and told him that something was telling him that he was in need of prayer. At first, Faustino was a bit taken aback but then as he reflected upon his life at that moment he realized that he did in fact need much prayer. The man and woman took Faustino by the hand and said that they could pray right then and there. Faustino had never done anything like that before, especially in front of people like the customers in the laundromat (some of whom he knew). Sucking up his pride for the moment after feeling a strong sense of conviction, he allowed the couple to pray for him.

As they prayed, he began to feel a discernible warmth come over him. He had never felt such a sensation before. He could not understand the language in which the couple was praying, as it was nothing he had ever heard before. He scarcely cared what language it was, however, as he began to take in waves of love, peace, and power from their prayer. He began to feel his body tremble and his eyes began to water. Soon he was crying and could feel a presence he had never known. Their hands felt like sponges engorged with liquid heat.

After a few minutes of this praying, the woman released Faustino's hand while the man continued praying with him. Faustino briefly looked over to her as she began to put his clothes in the wash and start the machines with some of her own coins. Faustino attempted to dissuade her but the couple insisted that they bless him and continue to minister to him in prayer. So Faustino complied and was somewhat delighted that he could continue enjoying the power of their prayer.

After putting the clothes to wash, the woman returned, grasped his hand once more and rejoined the two men in prayer. After several minutes, the woman again released her grip and went to take the clothes out of the washing machines and put them into the dryer. Once again, Faustino attempted to dissuade her, but she waved her hands and quieted his soft protest. Faustino resigned himself to her blessing and continued to pray with the man. She later rejoined them yet again and the three continued to pray down heaven for what seemed an eternity to Faustino.

When the buzzers rang from the dryers, the woman for the final time, left the two men praying, took out the clothes and began to fold them for Faustino. He was simply overcome by their goodness and ministry to him of all people, a total stranger, and a man who used to hide himself from such people. He was filled with wonder not only by the prayers but also by the sight and smell of the nicely folded and clean clothes he saw next to him. They looked and smelled brand new. After finishing folding, the woman rejoined the men to finish a prayer session that had lasted well over an hour! Faustino suddenly realized that he had been standing the entire time praying with this couple hand-in-hand in a crowded laundromat. However, like his freshly washed clothes, he felt brand new and for the first time did not hide from this newfound faith in God.

The three finished their prayer and then helped him collect his clothes and take them to the car. After loading the car, the man told Faustino about a church in Hollister where they were members. He was surprised to hear the man suggest a visit to this church as he had not told the man that he lived in Hollister. He had assumed that the couple was from a local church there in Gilroy, nevertheless he thought it was a comforting sign and was excited to know that he had newfound friends in Hollister. The man gave him directions to Faith, Hope, and Love Center, then known as el Sendero de la Cruz (the Way of the Cross) and gave him the name of the then Senior Pastor, Rev. Pedro Placeres. The couple hugged him and waved goodbye as he drove off to wait for his nephew's shift to end at the bank.

After picking up his nephew, he drove home replaying the scenes and experiences from the laundromat over in his head. He relished the thoughts and the new hope he had for tomorrow. He gave little conversation on the way home, but devoted his thoughts wholly to God's goodness. When they arrived at his home in Hollister, his nephew was shocked to see him pull out the freshly washed and folded laundry from his car. He responded sarcastically by saying in Spanish, "the cripple huh?" At that point, Faustino began to tell him about the African American couple who had just helped him do his laundry.

The minute his nephew pushed the door open with his arms loaded with laundry, the phone rang. The nephew quickly laid the laundry down and rushed to the phone to pick it up. After a few seconds, he called out to Faustino and told him that the phone was for him. Faustino asked his nephew, who it was as he took the phone. His nephew whispered back that it was "some Pastor Placeres." He paused a little before answering perplexed because he had not given the couple his phone number.

He answered the phone and the pastor greeted him by name. The pastor told him how the couple from Gilroy had just called him and had asked him to call Faustino. The Pastor concluded the call by inviting him to church the next day. Faustino was ecstatic and breathlessly accepted his invitation to church. He could not wait for the next morning. A morning that was sure to be the first in a brand new life.

The next day he awoke early and arrived to church before any of the church members - a habit that continues to this day. Faustino saw a man at the front of the church and walked up to him. "You must be Faustino!" the pastor said to which he responded "yes!" After a few minutes of getting acquainted, Faustino was eager to tell the pastor just how big of a blessing the couple from his church had been to him the day before.

Faustino began to unload the whole story to the pastor, when the pastor interrupted him. He asked him just which couple he was talking about. Faustino repeated to him that they were members of the pastor's church and began to describe them. Suddenly, the pastor began to laugh uncontrollably with excitement. The pastor told him through his laughter, "Faustino I have been a pastor of this church for several years and we have never had any African American people walk through that door. Faustino, brother, you were talking to angels!"

Faustino could not believe what he was hearing. The thought of what the pastor had just said, began to give him chills and made his knees shake. He looked at the pastor as though from a distance and began to try to put things together. He was greeted by the couple as if they were expecting him; they were African Americans in a laundromat frequented exclusively by Hispanic people; they spoke perfect Spanish; they prayed in a language he had never heard before; he felt an unknown power through their hands; they told him about the church in Hollister even though he had never mentioned the city to them; the pastor called him even though he had never given them his phone number, and lastly they told him that they were members of what turned out to be an all Hispanic church. Even with all this in mind, Faustino still could not believe it.

He enjoyed every minute of the service that day, soaking in the lively worship and every word uttered by Pastor Placeres. He sat transfixed by the testimonies of other believers as they gave thanks to God for their miracles. He could hardly wait for the day that he could share his own. Still at the back of his mind, he pondered how much it took to get him to church. The thought of how much God loved him and how he had made a way for him in spite of himself cut him to the heart. That day, he asked God into his heart and gave thanks to the One who loved him so much that He came to die for him so that he could have a new life.

As you consider the details and significance of this story, may I ask you, "who has been knocking on your door? Who has been inviting you to church recently? And just who are the people who have been blessing you up to this day?" They just might be messengers sent from God with a life-changing message for you. I pray that you have been blessed by this amazing but true story. As you give thanks, I pray that you hold the hands of Christ and that you experience the new life experienced by many of us and our friend Faustino. Follow Christ today.

Post Script: Faustino went back to the laundromat in Gilroy that next week. He managed to track down two of the people he had seen at the laundromat that day. To his amazement, they remember seeing him standing in prayer the whole time but had no recollection of the African American couple with him!