The Man With The Web Tattoo (San Miguel, El Salvador)

This is one of my favorite stories because it shows the lengths God will go to seek out ONE person and how He lets us partner with Him in the doing.....

This story takes place on a YWAM outreach in El Salvador. The picture here is taken in the plaza where the story takes place....I am preaching (not pictured) and Josh (pictured) is holding the speaker for my mic (as if I ever need one. It's not like my voice doesn't carry!!).

So. Ok. Our YWAM team was in the plaza in the late afternoon, doing what we do. After a few testimonies from teammates I got up to preach. While I was preaching I was also praying (like all good YWAMers are taught to do) and asking God if there was anyone in particular I should talk with after the service. He kept highlighting this one man, who had on a sleeveless shirt and a HUGE spiderweb tattooed on his tricep. I knew I was supposed to talk with him.

But after the preaching we did our dramas and then it was dusk. And rapidly getting dark. When all was done I left the stage and started trying to find the man with the tattoo. I didn't see him. Then Jason grabbed me and said I need you to come translate for me. God highlighted a man that I'm supposed to talk to but I can't find him. I answered that I could not go with him as God had highlighted a man to me too. I asked Jason who his man was & he said some guy with a spiderweb tattooed on his tricep. I was startled and said I'm looking for the guy with the spiderweb tattooed on his arm! So we decided to look together. A few minutes later Jessica came over to us and said I'm looking for a guy with a spiderweb tattooed on his arm. Have you seen him? Oh my gosh! God had three people looking for the same guy!

By now we realized that this guy seriously needed to be found. So, we stopped to pray together. Knowing that GOD knew where this guy was. So. We prayed and I felt God telling me he was on the other side of the plaza and said so. We all looked over there. By now it was dark and there were drug deals going down over there. And the prostitutes were starting to surface. It looked a bit...well...interesting. So, I went to our leader to get permission.

Ed said we could go but had to be back in 10 minutes. So we ran to the other side of the plaza. And suddenly all three stopped like we had hit a wall. Uh.... I said I think we need to pray again. So, we did and Jason informed us that God told him we should go to the right. So we all started running right.

Once again we all suddenly stopped like we'd hit a wall. So, we prayed again. Jessica said God told her he was on the other side of this particular booth. So, ok. We went around that booth and sure enought there he was!!!

With less than 5 minutes left we quickly told him the whole story of how God had directed us to him and Jason told him dude! God is really after you! You need to give your life to Him! He admitted he had been a Christian and had fallen away so re-dedicated his life on the spot. We gave him some prophetic words that the Lord was telling us, handed him info on a local church and dashed back.

His name was Oscar. We pray for him to this day. The man that God pursued so obvioulsy by pointing him out to three different people and then leading them across a dark plaza, step by step to find him.