When we'd last left off, the team and I were getting ready to head home when we ran into a couple of workers that I'd gotten to know during the summer...
One of the biggest things we do in Ibiza is build relationships. The workers in Ibiza are young, and predominantly British. They work hard, for very little money...mostly so they can spend the summer partying in Ibiza. When you meet a worker out in the streets, you never know how long they're going to last. Some stick around for a few weeks, some a few months, and others the whole season. When I say they work hard, I mean it! It's not uncommon for them to work 10 hour shifts 7 days a week with the occasional day off. We try our best to just love on the workers when we can. The 24/7 Ibiza center that we have is open Monday - Friday for workers. It's a place that they can come and get free internet...we have a wii, table tennis, and some big comfy couches. They get to relax, and it's a great opportunity for us to get to know them better.
To be able to afford to live in Ibiza for the summer, a lot of workers shack up in apartments with 3 or 4 people living in one bedroom. So the center also becomes a place where they can get some space away from home. Through out the years several workers have found salvation and discipleship via 24/7 Ibiza.
I'd met these two workers one night towards the beginning of the summer. I was out in the streets that night with someone from one of our short term teams. We were stopped by one of the workers because he wanted to tell us that he thought God was trying to talk to him. He tells us that he doesn't really believe in God, but he thinks that God gave him a vision the night before. We get a few minutes to chat with him about his vision, and in the end get to pray with him, and give him and his friend bibles. I feel like the Holy Spirit is leading me to read a specific verse for one of the guys, so I do that, and underline it in the bible I give him. While we chat, he tells us that back at home in the UK, his boss is a Christian, and is always inviting him to church. I leave the encounter knowing that I'll keep praying for him, because God is obviously pursuing him!
So when I get to run into them again, I'm excited. I get to chat with them for a few minutes, and learn that they've met another Christian on the island, who's giving them bits of scripture to read. I've been praying for them, and God has been moving...
I wrap up my chat with them, and then with the rest of my team finally get into the van to head home.
Our journey doesn't last long. The rule is that we don't stop working until the van is parked at home. If we see someone in need on our way home, we stop.
Someone spots a young man asleep in a doorway on a dark street. So we stop to help him. He's been drinking a lot but we manage to wake him. He's so embarrassed, and can't believe that he's fallen asleep in a doorway. While we're chatting with him, one of our team members spots the couple who declined our help earlier. They are in big trouble.
While the boyfriend is actually still stumbling along the sidewalk, we find his girlfriend lying in the middle of the street! The scary thing is that it's a dark area, so it would be easy for someone to simply not see her, and run her over. Since our van is so close we manage to talk them into letting us take them to their hotel.
When we take someone back to their hotel who is really drunk or high, we usually leave a bible and our card on their nightstand. The next day we get a call from the boyfriend. He didn't remember much from night before, but he found our card and just wanted to say thank you. When people call back the next day, it's a great opportunity to get to chat with them sober! I remember once during the summer I helped two girls one night, and the next day, they came by the center to chat and say thank you.
God gives us so many opportunities to share his love and the gospel with people.
Well that's the end of my crazy Thursday night in the West End...I'm hoping there will be many more to come!
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