From a Team Expansion worker in Venezuela:
The economic situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, which exacerbates the acquisition of products due to the high cost. Despite this, God always provides us with some way to help families who need food or medicine.
This month, I was moved to help a family in need. They needed a decent meal and medicine for their little one who was very sick. They live in a neighborhood known for being one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in all of South America, with kidnappings and gangs and a super high homicide rate. Few police are seen there because they are afraid to go to that neighborhood, but thank God I have gone every week to help families who are in great need.
One night, I went to help their family, and it was already quite late (1:00 a.m.). I had just arrived on their street in our truck when a motorcycle suddenly came around a corner at full speed without any headlights on, and I couldn’t drive out of the way in time. He hit the back of our truck hard.
At that moment I thought about driving away because it was dark and there were several individuals looking at me with grim faces. I knew I could get away so that the man driving would not try to harm me or take out a firearm, but I also knew that the family was watching from their house across the street as all this was happening, and I remembered that my God would represent me as He has done before (despite how dangerous the situation is).
Stay and Help
At that moment, I decided that instead of escaping to avoid being kidnapped or having my truck and phone stolen, I would get out and help this person who hit me – whether he was a criminal or not. So, I approached him and helped him stand up and lift his motorcycle. I could see that he was a person under the influence of alcohol and possibly other substances, and he had a weapon at his side on the ground. I recognized the Glock 17, like the one I used in the police force many years ago. Probably he had taken it from a policeman at some point.
Although he was very rude at first, when he saw that I showed interest in helping him even though he was under the influence of alcohol, he said, “Don’t worry, brother, nothing has happened.”
And then he put his hand under his shirt, and I thought, “Get ready. I’m kidnapped,” because I thought that he was going to take out a weapon. But he put his hand on his waist, and he did not take out a weapon. Instead, he took out his phone to make sure it had not been broken when he fell.
I told him that I was a pastor helping a family, and he told me that he was one of the leaders of the neighborhood and was in charge of who enters and who leaves the neighborhood alive. He said he liked me very much now that he saw I was a good person and that from now on I have his protection. He said if I have a problem with someone, I should tell them that he is my cousin!
That was a big scare, one of the biggest scares I’ve been through in the past few months. But it’s something normal here in Venezuela. Since I was working as a Missionary Pastor in my own country. I was able to give the family medicine and food that night. Thank God! It was worth the adventure.