God's divine Cuban encounter

It is a typical warm "winter's" day in the city if Santiago de Cuba, and some of the girls are walking in the streets of the busy city. It is obvious that we are foreigners! At that stage not being able to answer in quite more descriptive words than: Gracias, por favor, see or no, we also sound like foreigners! And at a certain moment, while we are trying to communicate with someone, a well spoken, handsome English Miami looking man steps in! Let's name him Aleandro. Some of us had a very good conversation with him, hearing a bit about what he does, who he is, and where he comes from. As it turns out, he  already traveled the world, worked in many different countries, and now works with interesting projects in Cuba and owns a bar and restaurant or something, and works in the 3D movie theatre, and does some kind of cocktail thing. We chatted a bit, and after saying good bye, I was very impressed that I could actually remember his name - I am not that good in remembering names! Maybe it was because if the fact that, according to him, we just needed to say his name to get into a university music thing. One time, I tried to take a 'selfie' in the street and saw that it is not going to work (jap, very embarrassing) and the next moment, someone asks if he can take the picture for me! And heyyyy there was Aleandro! We had a good chat with him, and he told us all about some of the places in and around Santiago we still need to see. We never really mentioned anything about our journey, only that we are doing a bit if volunteer work. We greeted again, and he invited us to see an art exhibition that he organized on the Friday afternoon. As it turned out, we couldn't make it, but Andri and I went to the place on the Saturday afternoon. And wonder above wonder, he was there. He showed us the art works, and took us to the 3D movie theatre, where a movie is about to start. Oh my word, what an experience to see the Cuban way of 3D movies! It is a cinema of about 7 rows of seats, where the glasses is personally distributed in the cinema, they call out to anyone who wants to buy a piece of chocolate, which comes out if a little Tupperware, and then they shout who needs change and who wants some more snacks. Yes, it is a very personal encounter. But Aleandro let us experience all of it, even the pause in the trailers, because a setting had to be changed or something. Very unique =) After our visit with Aleandro it was kind of clear that he doesn't know Jesus. He was always polite, but one can realize that there is something missing, and him just living the life showed that it didn't appear to him that he needs anything more in life. We invited him to a church service, but between things happening, and his reasoning and jokes that he wouldn't be welcome there, and there won't be enough time to confess all his sins, he never came, and we just missed him to pick him up for one of the services. But God has totally different plans for this man....  It was the second last night of our stay in Santiago, and even though I felt a cold having its hand over me the whole day, I went with some of the girls, to have one of our favorite street snacks for the last time. In the spirit of the moment we walked to a place which is quite far, but we appreciated the city and the busy night life for old times sake. As we got our Churros, I headed for a bench in the park, but Andri said: "Let us move towards the light". So we went to sit on the little wall at the bus stop to eat our delicious treat!!! It wasn't even a minute, when I felt someone sitting down next to me! Aleandro! I have no idea how we ended up in the following conversation, but God really planned everything to the finest detail! We talked about heaven, and faith, and good deeds, and a heart that is doing things for the right reason, and being blessed, and the most amazing of all... Faith in Jesus! He said that there was a time where he considered all of this, and that he knows that his mom is constantly praying for him. He believes that there is a god, but that Jesus isn't a reality to him. He believes heaven is happiness and that he is doing good deeds and helping people, which is more that he could say of some of the Christians he knows. He told me about the following things that really convinced me that God made this a very divine appointment:  There have been more than a few times in the past week or so, that people talked about faith in Jesus to him, and that maybe there was a reason that he had to meet me here tonight. Maybe there is a reason that we became friends within my time in Cuba.  He leaved work early. He usually takes a motorcycle to get home, but for four blocks he walked and couldn't find one motorcycle (and if you know Cuba, that for one thing is a miracle in itself!!! There are hundreds of them! Especially in that busy street!) That is why he came to the bus stop. I could tell him with a joyful heart that not only his mom has been praying for him, but I have been praying as well! And that God loves Him sooo much! He has been blessing him throughout His life! And maybe God wanted me to come on this journey just for this one specific meeting with him! That he can hear this, and have one more confirmation of His loving heart for him, and maybe be one step closer to giving his heart to the One True Saviour! He said that all of these things maybe means that he should go think a bit, and after a long conversation, I proposed that he start reading John, and he replied that he will. We greeted each other, and after that we never saw each other again.  I just realized how amazingly God plans things, and how He decides everything that should happen, when it should happen, and who it should happen to. I didn't do anything to plan this moment!! Some of the previous times that we spoke, I though about how one would bring the gospel to such a man. By maybe letting things fall about our values or volunteering at a church, I hoped that he would recognize something else in us. And I believe that God had a very unique plan with this whole story, and the rest of the story that is still going to be written! By being ourselves, God created a perfect situation! A situation where not one of us was rushed to get somewhere, where he already had encounters with other people about the Way, the Truth and the Life, where I could have became his friend first and was comfortable enough to tell him: "Man!!! He really loves you!" And it also just confirms that only God can work in someones heart! I was just privileged enough to have another conversation with him, and that we could actually communicate in a language we both understand.  Please pray with me for this man, that God will continue working in his heart, and that bad influences will have no power over him! As Andri said: Let's move into the light - I hope that Aleandro saw the True Light, and that he will live, breath and dance in the wonderful freedom of our Bright Morning Star!