Episode Transcript
HEAR
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER
Today our Holy Spirit story comes from Will Deeds, a missionary working in Guatamala. He wrote me earlier this summer with a profound story of animo, which I learned means "encouragement" in Spanish. A few years back, Will was reading the Wake-Up Call when this series on encouragement ran for its first time. He was deep in the descent of Habakkuk 3:17, having moved his wife and four children from the United States to pursue the Lord's assignment. Things did not work out as planned, which led him into Valley #18 (Habakkuk 3:18) where he learned the way of the small word "yet." A profound story began to emerge in those days he tells here. You can learn more about and get involved in this mission here. Below, you can read the story in his own words, and, if you listen, you will hear it in his own voice.
I met Victor while he was sitting on the sidewalk in Panajachel, Guatemala—blind, partially lame, and begging. He was alone, broken, and surviving however he could. I didn’t know his name yet or the decades of pain behind his eyes. I just knew he looked like someone who had suffered more than most.
Instead of handing him a few coins, I invited him to lunch. We walked to Pollo Campero, the fried chicken place nearby, and sat across from each other at a table. As we ate, I asked him a simple question:
“Victor, how can I help you?”
His response caught me completely off guard. He didn’t ask for money. He said, “I need a pair of pants . . . and I need some friends. My mom just died from alcoholism this month.”
I sat there stunned. When he said, “I need a friend,” something clicked. I realized in that moment—I could do that. I could get him some pants. And I could be a good friend.
That meal marked the beginning not only of Victor’s healing, but of a ministry I never planned to start. At the time, we had no recovery house. No program. Just one man in desperate need of someone to walk beside him. That’s where Ánimo began—with a pair of pants, some fried chicken, and the decision to become a friend.
Soon after, we took Victor to the doctor. The first one told us bluntly that Victor would likely die. He had a serious infection brought on by unmanaged diabetes and years of alcoholism. He weighed just ninety-five pounds. He was weak, blind from cataracts, and had lost all hope.
But I remember thinking—if I’m really going to be his friend, then I won’t stop here. So I took him for a second opinion.
That second doctor looked at him and said something I’ll never forget:
“If he can stop drinking, we can help him. We can get his weight up. We can get him healthy. And we might even be able to do surgery on his eyes.”
Victor stopped drinking that very day. It was like a switch flipped. He chose to believe that maybe his life wasn’t over. That maybe he was worth saving.
And that’s when the miracles started happening.
Victor began to gain weight. He got stronger. And sure enough—he had successful eye surgery. He could see again. The man who once begged in the streets, blind and dying, became a new creation right in front of our eyes. Not just physically, but spiritually too. Victor was already a man of faith, but in that season, he recommitted himself fully to Jesus. His relationship with Christ was renewed, alive, and central to his recovery.
We walked with Victor for nearly a year. During that time, we started encountering other men—addicts, alcoholics, wanderers on the streets of Guatemala—each one carrying a story like Victor’s. It became clear that God was inviting us into something bigger. That’s when we opened the Ánimo house. Not as a ministry project—but as a continuation of friendship. And we started it with Victor.
Today, Victor is the leader of the Ánimo house. He mentors other men coming off the streets and out of addiction. He teaches Bible studies, leads the home with grace and strength, helps with daily operations, and has even launched a small bracelet-making business to support himself. He’s become a living example of redemption and resilience.
Victor’s story changed my life. It taught me that sometimes God doesn’t give you a grand vision—He gives you a person. He places someone in your path and says, “Be their friend. Walk with them. Trust Me for the rest.”
What I didn’t realize at the time was that God wasn’t just providing Victor with a friend. He was providing me with a friend too. In a season where I was searching for purpose and asking God what was next, He gave me Victor. And through our friendship, I’ve seen miracles, shared tears, found laughter again, and watched a movement of healing begin.
I believe deeply now: no one is too far gone. Sometimes healing starts with a meal, a new pair of pants, and someone who refuses to walk away.
PRAY
Lord, thank you for Will Deeds and his family. And thank you for Victor. His name is not lost on us here. And thank you for this story of Ánimo, which has encouraged us. We pray for this mission in Guatamala to prosper in every way. And we ask you to witness to others of your encouragement through us in the way ahead. Make us your encouragers—responsive to your Spirit's leading. Praying in Jesus's name, amen.
