Martín

I (David) want to introduce you to a friend of mine named Martín.  I met Martin last year during a meal that we hosted in our home.  We were not able to talk much, but I knew that he was dealing with some personal problems.  I did not see Martin again until New Years Day when he was in front of his home with some other guys drinking.  He was visibly drunk, so we only talked for a moment.  The next time I heard news of Martin was through a phone call.  A friend called to let me know that Martin was in the hospital after overdosing on prescription meds. 

When I arrived at the mental health ward, Martin was soundly asleep with an oxygen mask covering his face.  While I was writing a note and speaking with a nurse, Martin slowly extended his hand towards me and quietly said “David”.  In the hospital was where I really came to know Martin and his story. Martin is 25 years old and lives a neighborhood infamous for drugs and thieves.  He lives with a random assortment of 12 relatives and acquaintances.  According to Martin, his mother is an alcoholic and lives off of a pension for being asthmatic, although she smokes 4 packs of cigarettes a day.  Martin does not know who his father is, but does not receive much support from his mother either.  Martin was raised by his grandmother and claims to have become an alcoholic by the time he was an adolescent.  He has battled with depression and has made several attempts to take his own life. 

About two years ago, Martin was invited to attend an evangelical church.  He went and started attending regularly.  At some point, Martin made a commitment to follow Jesus.  He continued to attend and eventually met a girl there.  They started dating, but her father disapproved of the relationship.  After dating for a time, the girlfriend became pregnant.  This was not welcome news to the family nor the church.  The church disciplined Martin and the girlfriend’s father took action into his own hands.   Martin was devastated when he found out about the abortion.  He was not included in the decision and felt like the life of his son/daughter was taken unjustly.  At the time, Martin had been sober for over a year.  He had quit drinking after making a decision to follow Christ.  Unfortunately, news of the abortion put him in a state of depression and he drank again for the first time on New Year’s Eve, when we casually ran into each other.   Martin intended to take his life when he took those pills.  Because of God’s mercy and medical attention, that did not happen.  In the hospital, I spent time listening to Martin, encouraging him, and praying with him.  This was good because Martin basically had been there alone for 3 weeks. 

The next day after the visit, Martin was doing better.  He was surprisingly positive I noticed, as I saw him encouraging other young men in the hospital to look to God and place their trust in him.  For the next week, I visited Martin several times.  Each time he appeared to be better and we had several opportunities to encourage others and share hope in Jesus Christ.  “I want to help other guys that are struggling with drugs and alcohol,” Martin told me.  “You could teach me how to do that and we could help others together.”  “I don’t know much about the Bible, but you could teach me, right?”  You can imagine my skepticism hearing this from a guy who a few weeks back attempted to take his life and now wants to go out and help others.  “We could do that…,” I cautiously responded,” but first you have to take care of yourself and get healthy.  For now, you can share with others what you already have; your testimony and your hope in Christ.”

Since then, Martin has been released from the hospital.  He has returned home and has had his ups and downs.  I truly see God working in him as he struggles with a number of issues in his life.  There are a number of personal battles to be won yet, but we are walking together through this to help Martin have victory over these areas.  Please pray for Martin that he would grow in his faith in Christ and that the wounds of his heart would be healed.  Pray that God would give him opportunity to share Christ’s love and salvation with others.  He is already doing this and many of those around him are battling with addictions and hopelessness.  May Martin be an unexpected source of light to those around him!

2 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness: by his wounds you have been healed. “