The Portuguese melody came to an end. Finishing the song, the worship leader led the Bible camp through a time of reflection. Even though I couldn't necessarily understand, I was trying to focus my mind on Jesus. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my recently-made-friend Maria Rita. I had met her while helping with VBS and we had great conversations.

From the time we had spent together, I saw that Maria Rita was overflowing with her love for Jesus, and I knew Jesus was working in her through her words of wisdom and gentleness. During this reflection time she was going up to students praying for them. In that moment, I prayed silently, “Oh Lord, I would really love if Maria prayed for me. That would be so cool.” The next thing I knew, Maria Rita walked over, laid her hands on me and prayed for me. It was not just any prayer; it was commissioning prayer. It amazes me that as Christians we are so connected; that God answers one small prayer by sending another follower of Christ to answer it. The obedience that Maria Rita showed to God is how I want to live.

We all feel that pull in our hearts. The pull to be obedient to do something strange. Whether it’s to walk up and start a conversation with stranger, help your neighbor, or pray for someone you barely know, God gives us opportunities every day to be the hands and feet of Jesus. So often we want to be obedient but are afraid. We are afraid that people will think it's weird; afraid to step out of our comfort zone; afraid we are misunderstanding the Holy Spirit. BUT GOD. He is the one living inside of us giving us the words to say. 2 Timothy 1:6 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Praise God it is not through our own personal works (because they would fail), but because of His own purpose and grace.

In Brazil, the Abels taught me what it looks like to be obedient to God. To them, every person is a conversation that could turn into a relationship. I witnessed Paul Abel stop everything he was doing to comfort a hurting mom. In Paraguay, Mafu Abel pulled someone out of the mud and invited them to church. Ednay Abel used every opportunity to teach her kids how to live like Jesus. This is being obedient to God’s pull on our heart.

As it turns out I was also an answer to Maria Rita’s prayer. The day after she prayed for me, she told me she had been asking God for months that He would send someone in her life to teach her Christian English songs. At VBS I was the one leading the songs and actions, and was able to teach her and give her the left over song posters. I didn’t know God was using me to answer Maria Rita’s prayer; I was just singing VBS songs. Yet God was using my simple obedience to answer prayers that Maria Rita had prayed for months.

Mafu once told me, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” People won’t know you care until you tell them and you can’t tell them without being obedient. I felt God’s care that night through Maria Rita. Is God tugging on your heart to be a Maria Rita to someone you know?

In a world full of fearful people, be a Maria Rita.