Traveling Mercies

Blessings Along the Way, Part 1

When I travel far from home, especially by plane, I look for opportunities to share the Gospel with other travelers.  Often air travel includes lots of waiting and what better time to share God’s Word with a lonely soul with time to spare!

On my recent trip to the Brazilian state of Para, I carried two special tracts in English and some evangelistic tracts in Portuguese.  I also wore a wordless book bracelet every day of my trip.  Each day I looked for a special and unique chance to give out a tract or perhaps to share the message of my bracelet with the colors of the wordless book for children.  I also took along a new hat from our camp as a potential gift for someone along the way.

Our tour guide, Greyson, Mrs. W and Granny

The first thing I gave away was the Treasure Island hat.  The co-owner of the travel agency with whom I booked our airport transfers and two separate tours of the city of Belem turned out to be a special jewel of a guide.  She was super helpful, super caring, and super knowledgeable about the city.  On the first day of our time with her, she let me know that if the two elderly ladies needed any thing at all in the night to just give her a call.  One of my traveling companions had a terrible dry cough and this had worried our tour guide!

She specifically asked about places we had already seen in Belem on previous trips and modified our city tour just a bit to take us to several places where we had never been.  She also took advantage of our hotel’s central location near two famous markets to give us a quick walking tour of each before we left for farther destinations by car.  Our time with her was enjoyable and very educational!  Later I discovered that she is one of only seven individuals to have the title of "official historical and cultural city of Belem guides" with a special new tourism campaign of the federal government.

Famous Ver-o-Peso Market

On our last day she met me in the lobby of our hotel just before we checked out and the agency’s van took us to the bus station.  She had advised me earlier in the day that she would come by before we were to leave because our second tour had been slightly changed from what their brochure had written and she owed me a discount of about ten American dollars.  When she called up to our room to say that she had come by to wish us well and tell me good-bye and return the extra money, I knew the hat was for her.  She did not have to take the time to come by personally.  She could have easily given the money to the driver or not returned it at all!

When I went down the elevator to meet her as we hurried to check out of our room and head off to our next destionation, I took the hat in a gift bag and thanked her for her most wonderful service.  I had already shared about our ministry in Bahia and just a little of my faith.  I trust the good testimony will speak to her heart in the future.  We shared much about our faiths as we walked along the sites in Belem.  I am praying for this special lady who made our time in the city worthwhile.