Buenos noches amigos est Dios de bendiga. I am not sure that the spelling is correct, but I know I got the gist of it right - Good evening friends and God bless you!
We had another great day working with a different congregation today. The name of the church is Iglesia Bautista de Neuva Vida. Again, not sure on the spelling, but it means Baptist Church of the New Life. We were out in the community for about 3 hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. We had lunch at the church in between sessions. We met so many people today and had so many great conversations and opportunities to share, I can't even begin to tell you!
The food has been absolutely incredible! There are several Venezuelan dishes that we have tried and I have to say that I LOVE plantains! They are a member of the banana family (just in case you're like me and didn't know that) and they are very good. The black beans were really tasty as well. Jerry and Keila made "hamburgers" for us last night. This "hamburger" was like no other I've ever tasted. The bun is pan fried (like a pancake) and made from corn flour. They are like really thick pancakes. You cut them in half and put sliced queso (cheese) and sliced ham on them - then you eat. Like I said, a very interesting (and tasty) "hamburger." Needless to say, none of us will be losing any weight on this trip:)
All of our groups (we are divided into 6 teams for evangelism during the day) had positive experiences yesterday and today. Each team has a translator and a couple members of the local congregation, plus 2-3 of our group. So far we have managed to overcome the language barrier (for the most part) and have enjoyed working alongside and getting to know some of the Venezuelan people. The people we have been sharing Christ with are very hospitable and almost all have welcomed us into their homes. There has been very little disinterest in why we are at their door. Many have offered us fruit including fresh banana (slightly better tasting than the ones we get in the store), fresh mango (a gift from the hand of God Himself!), and mammon...a unique fruit that is in a category all it's own. Tasty though!
We all gathered at Jerry and Keila's home for dinner and for our group time tonight. Many of our students shared about their experiences today and all agreed it has been a positive and inspiring experience. You really can't appreciate (unless you've been blessed to go on a foreign mission trip yourself) how poor yet happy these people are. They have very few (if any) material possessions like the ones we are accustomed to, and yet they seem to really enjoy life. Children play soccer on streets that we wouldn't let our dogs walk down, and they are joyfully entertained for hours. Unemployment is high yet hospitality and sharing what they have with total strangers seems engrained in who they are as a people. I feel so blessed by these people and pray they get 1/10th back what they have given to us.
Please keep praying for us. Everyone is healthy, well fed, and well taken care of. Please pray for opportunities to share and love on the Venezuelan's. Please pray for Mark and I as we are preaching multiple times, through an interpreter. This will be a unique experience! Of course, please pray for your kids - they are doing great and really growing!!
It is 9:53pm and I am heading for bed. Everyone else went home about an 90 minutes ago and I pray they are resting well...we will need it as tomorrow is another busy day:)
Blessings to you all!
-kirk for the gang
We had another great day working with a different congregation today. The name of the church is Iglesia Bautista de Neuva Vida. Again, not sure on the spelling, but it means Baptist Church of the New Life. We were out in the community for about 3 hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. We had lunch at the church in between sessions. We met so many people today and had so many great conversations and opportunities to share, I can't even begin to tell you!
The food has been absolutely incredible! There are several Venezuelan dishes that we have tried and I have to say that I LOVE plantains! They are a member of the banana family (just in case you're like me and didn't know that) and they are very good. The black beans were really tasty as well. Jerry and Keila made "hamburgers" for us last night. This "hamburger" was like no other I've ever tasted. The bun is pan fried (like a pancake) and made from corn flour. They are like really thick pancakes. You cut them in half and put sliced queso (cheese) and sliced ham on them - then you eat. Like I said, a very interesting (and tasty) "hamburger." Needless to say, none of us will be losing any weight on this trip:)
All of our groups (we are divided into 6 teams for evangelism during the day) had positive experiences yesterday and today. Each team has a translator and a couple members of the local congregation, plus 2-3 of our group. So far we have managed to overcome the language barrier (for the most part) and have enjoyed working alongside and getting to know some of the Venezuelan people. The people we have been sharing Christ with are very hospitable and almost all have welcomed us into their homes. There has been very little disinterest in why we are at their door. Many have offered us fruit including fresh banana (slightly better tasting than the ones we get in the store), fresh mango (a gift from the hand of God Himself!), and mammon...a unique fruit that is in a category all it's own. Tasty though!
We all gathered at Jerry and Keila's home for dinner and for our group time tonight. Many of our students shared about their experiences today and all agreed it has been a positive and inspiring experience. You really can't appreciate (unless you've been blessed to go on a foreign mission trip yourself) how poor yet happy these people are. They have very few (if any) material possessions like the ones we are accustomed to, and yet they seem to really enjoy life. Children play soccer on streets that we wouldn't let our dogs walk down, and they are joyfully entertained for hours. Unemployment is high yet hospitality and sharing what they have with total strangers seems engrained in who they are as a people. I feel so blessed by these people and pray they get 1/10th back what they have given to us.
Please keep praying for us. Everyone is healthy, well fed, and well taken care of. Please pray for opportunities to share and love on the Venezuelan's. Please pray for Mark and I as we are preaching multiple times, through an interpreter. This will be a unique experience! Of course, please pray for your kids - they are doing great and really growing!!
It is 9:53pm and I am heading for bed. Everyone else went home about an 90 minutes ago and I pray they are resting well...we will need it as tomorrow is another busy day:)
Blessings to you all!
-kirk for the gang
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