Sunday, July 3rd
he day began with breakfast for some, but many slept until our church service at 9:30 am. Being outside of our comfort zones, we found the opportunity to extend our boundaries. We did not have a traditional speaker; instead, we responded to a question posed by Andy Polk. “Why do you love the body of Christ?” I would like to share some of the answers that were given in regards to specific home churches and the church as a whole.
* In a dark, sinful world, there are people known for their light.
* They love me, accept me as I am, but pray for me and keep me accountable to be a better person.
* I thank God for our global church, because where ever I have gone, there was always someone or something there.
* There is a verse in Acts stating that there is a specific purpose for our timing here on earth. God has weaved us all together and brought us to the people we are around.
* I am at home in a foreign land because of the love of the community here.
After church, we loaded the buses to go to a familiar strip of town where there are several fast food restaurants—McDonald’s, Little Caesar’s, Church’s Chicken, and Campero’s (a chicken place that surpasses any KFC or Chick-Fil-A). Then, we headed out on an hour drive to the Valley of Angels. There we went door knocking (inviting children and adults to the VBS and Bible study) with 1,000 flyers. We split into eight groups (we have eight translators—God bless their souls) and canvassed a large area. The highlight of it all had to be the 600 New Testament Bibles we gave out—they went fast. People were eager to get them and very appreciative.
We had a short time period to allow for shopping before leaving the Valley of Angels to go to Santa Lucia Restaurant. The view here is beautiful. But who cares about the food when you taste the food? It was incredible! We had beef strips or chicken (both were fabulous), rice, baked potato, refried beans, fried plantains, tortilla chips (not store bought) with bean dip and cheese, mixed vegetables, and rolls or tortillas.
The devotional tonight brought together three groups—Terry’s 96, Tom Bulle’s 62, and Tim Hines’ 12 interns. We visited a Catholic church in Santa Lucia. Built in 1533, it is the oldest standing church in the entire western hemisphere. It is constructed of all wooden pegs (no nails) and contains an ornate inside. The years of architecture and the strength of the foundation reminded us of our need for a loving and merciful God who is our Rock. As we sang, you could close your eyes and feel the Spirit moving. Just as we talked about being a community of believers, you could feel our unity through the harmony of 170 individuals.
Dios es amor (God is love),
JMA
