Buenos noches mi hermanos y mi hermanas en Cristo Jesus. Translated, that means "Good evening my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus." I have learned a whole lot more Spanish than I came with and that has been good for my brain and has helped me at least start a conversation with the people I've been blessed to meet. I have found that there is a lot of similarity between french (which I still speak reasonably well) and spanish. The longer the word in Spanish the greater chance that there is a cognate in French. So, while my speaking still lags behind, I can understand a great deal if people speak a little slower.
I actually met a guy from Haiti the other night and he is obviously fluent in French. He also speaks fluent Spanish. My translator, Carlos, was able to converse with him in Spanish and I could talk to him in French. It was a neat experience translating for my translator:)
Today was our last day of evangelism. If I said that yesterday was (in my Day 6 note) I was mistaken. We went out early this morning and worked with Pastor Felix church in a largely working community of San Felipe. This was a very different experience from being in the rural area near Moron, yesterday. Yesterday most people were very receptive and open to the Gospel. All of the people I met yesterday were kind and hospitable and many of them prayed to receive Christ.
Today we were in a neighborhood with a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses - and they had worked the area hard. We actually saw a man from the KHJW "church" out in the neighborhood, going door-to-door. Their building was brand new, the nicest building in the town, and surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Ironically, the wire sloped inward as if to keep them in. I wish it worked that way because these people are spreading absolute heresy! I would have liked to talk to the man, but it was clear that he didn't want anything to do with me...he didn't reciprocate my greeting and walked past without speaking. I will be praying that God removes the scales from his eyes.
Don't get the idea that today was a loss though. Our groups spoke with many people and were pleased to find other believers living in this area. We met a man and his wife who attend the Pentecostal church - which was quite a ways from their home. When they found out we were from Pastor Felix church nearby, they said they would visit because it was so much closer for them. They were very nice people and appreciated that we were telling people about Christ.
Kim's group visited an elementary school and shared with the Principal. Just a few sentences into sharing her testimony, the principal asked Kim to wait and summoned the rest of her teaching staff. It turns out that this lady was a new believer and wanted her teachers to hear about Jesus from the Americans as well. Pastor Felix told me that it was a very powerful time of sharing and that roughly half of the 12 teachers confessed their need for Jesus forgiveness. The church will be following up with them to try and connect them with a body of believers with whom they can grow. Pastor Felix was deeply moved by this experience and I think he has taken a liking to Kim's heart for these people...I can't blame him:)
Jerry's mom fixed lunch for us today. I think she worked extra hard because it was Christopher's birthday today. We had penne pasta with a meat sauce, toasted garlic bread, a delicious bean and plantain soup, and fresh avocado. For dessert she served frozen fruit juice - kind of like a popsicle. I was pretty tuckered out and perhaps a little heat stricken, so I collapsed for about 45 minutes after lunch to recoup. Then it was off to our homes for some rest - nobody heard me complain about more sleep:)
At 5pm we headed over to Pastor Thomas home for dinner. His wife is a doctor and also a wonderful cook. She made us hotdogs with all kinds of things that I would never think to put on a hotdog. Actually, I don't even know what was on my hotdog aside from shredded cheese (a Venezuelan cheese that I have grown to enjoy). It was very good but I held myself to one...because she made a cocoa rice pudding with cinnamon and sweetened condensed milk for dessert. I LOVE HOMEMADE RICE PUDDING!! Always have and still do - even Venezuelan style!
After dinner we were headed in multiple directions. Gabe Alvarez has wanted to go to the skate park all week. He wanted to share with the guys skating there and he got to do just that. His story is an inspiring one and I would encourage you to seek him out in Roswell so he can relate it to you. I won't steal his opportunity to tell you about it. Suffice it to say that he was moved by the experience.
Most of the others went to the sports complex where the mini-Olympic games were being held. They painted flags on the faces of spectators, as well as handed out tracts and cold bottled water. Apparently many of the guys handed out water and tracts for the entire two hours while most of the ladies helped with face painting. Mark said everyone was to be commended for their efforts.
I caught up with Gabe at Pastor Thomas' church where I was preaching tonight. They have a midweek service on Wednesday evenings that was very well attended. I would say that there were about 50 people in attendance and many of them had worked with us all week and so we recognized lots of friendly faces. Gabe shared his testimony and also his reason for coming to Venezuela. It was a moving story of God working in his life - Jan, you would have sobbed...Steve, you'd probably have smiled your signature smile:) I am very proud of him and know you two are as well. I can see God using him powerfully!
It was an honor to share God's Word with this church family again. I spoke at their youth service earlier in our trip and saw many of the youth again tonight. They have very gifted student leaders who conduct the prayer portion of the service, provide the music worship, and run basically everything else. This is a church on the go and God is blessing their obedience, their fellowship, and their commitment to reaching people for Christ. I expect good things will continue to develop for them in the years ahead. Getting out of there was a challenge because so many people wanted to say goodnight to both Gabe and I, though he had more girls saying goodbye to him than I did...and that's cool with me:)
Our group left the sports complex and met us outside the church. We said our goodnights and headed for our respective homes. Kim, Mark, and I reflected on our trip some tonight and all agree it's been a wonderful experience and a huge blessing. A special thanks here to all of you who supported us prayerfully and financially. We could not have done it without your help and I know God will bless you for your faithfulness, your sacrifice, and your commitment to pray for us!
Tomorrow we will sleep in until 7:30 and then have breakfast in our respective homes. After that we are headed to Carlos' (Charlie's) home to swim, play baseball, and enjoy our hosts. We will eat lunch with them in the avocado orchards and then head to our homes to pack. After that, we are headed back to the Baptist Mission House near Caracas where our "on the ground" Venezuela experience began. It will be a bittersweet day to be sure. I will miss Jerry, Keila, and little Jerry a great deal! I will miss my new friend and translator, Carlos. I will miss the strong, manly, and Godly men like Nelson and Alfredo who chauffeured us around all week. These guys are great! I will miss Jerry's mother and grandmother. Such sweet ladies who genuinely love us and show us this with their affection and their cooking. I will miss Pastor Thomas a great deal. If we lived in the same town, we'd be very close friends. He reminds me of my friend John Miller - a wise man, filled with God's wisdom, love, and compassion. I will miss all the beautiful children that have filled a hole in my heart as I have missed our precious sons these past 8 days!
God is so good to us to allow us to love these people and connect with them so profoundly deeply in the name of His Son! I am eternally grateful that God would use a vessel, even one so imperfect as I, to share His love with His children!
This will be my last note from Venezuela. I have enjoyed writing them at the end of each day and I pray that they have been a blessing to you as well. The next time I write will be from the US - when I have internet service and a few minutes to reflect on the trip as a whole. I am very excited to be heading home to two little boys that I adore with all of my heart. I can't wait to celebrate Nate's 5th birthday with him on Monday! Thanks for sharing in the experience with us!
Christ's love,
-kirk for the gang
I actually met a guy from Haiti the other night and he is obviously fluent in French. He also speaks fluent Spanish. My translator, Carlos, was able to converse with him in Spanish and I could talk to him in French. It was a neat experience translating for my translator:)
Today was our last day of evangelism. If I said that yesterday was (in my Day 6 note) I was mistaken. We went out early this morning and worked with Pastor Felix church in a largely working community of San Felipe. This was a very different experience from being in the rural area near Moron, yesterday. Yesterday most people were very receptive and open to the Gospel. All of the people I met yesterday were kind and hospitable and many of them prayed to receive Christ.
Today we were in a neighborhood with a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses - and they had worked the area hard. We actually saw a man from the KHJW "church" out in the neighborhood, going door-to-door. Their building was brand new, the nicest building in the town, and surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Ironically, the wire sloped inward as if to keep them in. I wish it worked that way because these people are spreading absolute heresy! I would have liked to talk to the man, but it was clear that he didn't want anything to do with me...he didn't reciprocate my greeting and walked past without speaking. I will be praying that God removes the scales from his eyes.
Don't get the idea that today was a loss though. Our groups spoke with many people and were pleased to find other believers living in this area. We met a man and his wife who attend the Pentecostal church - which was quite a ways from their home. When they found out we were from Pastor Felix church nearby, they said they would visit because it was so much closer for them. They were very nice people and appreciated that we were telling people about Christ.
Kim's group visited an elementary school and shared with the Principal. Just a few sentences into sharing her testimony, the principal asked Kim to wait and summoned the rest of her teaching staff. It turns out that this lady was a new believer and wanted her teachers to hear about Jesus from the Americans as well. Pastor Felix told me that it was a very powerful time of sharing and that roughly half of the 12 teachers confessed their need for Jesus forgiveness. The church will be following up with them to try and connect them with a body of believers with whom they can grow. Pastor Felix was deeply moved by this experience and I think he has taken a liking to Kim's heart for these people...I can't blame him:)
Jerry's mom fixed lunch for us today. I think she worked extra hard because it was Christopher's birthday today. We had penne pasta with a meat sauce, toasted garlic bread, a delicious bean and plantain soup, and fresh avocado. For dessert she served frozen fruit juice - kind of like a popsicle. I was pretty tuckered out and perhaps a little heat stricken, so I collapsed for about 45 minutes after lunch to recoup. Then it was off to our homes for some rest - nobody heard me complain about more sleep:)
At 5pm we headed over to Pastor Thomas home for dinner. His wife is a doctor and also a wonderful cook. She made us hotdogs with all kinds of things that I would never think to put on a hotdog. Actually, I don't even know what was on my hotdog aside from shredded cheese (a Venezuelan cheese that I have grown to enjoy). It was very good but I held myself to one...because she made a cocoa rice pudding with cinnamon and sweetened condensed milk for dessert. I LOVE HOMEMADE RICE PUDDING!! Always have and still do - even Venezuelan style!
After dinner we were headed in multiple directions. Gabe Alvarez has wanted to go to the skate park all week. He wanted to share with the guys skating there and he got to do just that. His story is an inspiring one and I would encourage you to seek him out in Roswell so he can relate it to you. I won't steal his opportunity to tell you about it. Suffice it to say that he was moved by the experience.
Most of the others went to the sports complex where the mini-Olympic games were being held. They painted flags on the faces of spectators, as well as handed out tracts and cold bottled water. Apparently many of the guys handed out water and tracts for the entire two hours while most of the ladies helped with face painting. Mark said everyone was to be commended for their efforts.
I caught up with Gabe at Pastor Thomas' church where I was preaching tonight. They have a midweek service on Wednesday evenings that was very well attended. I would say that there were about 50 people in attendance and many of them had worked with us all week and so we recognized lots of friendly faces. Gabe shared his testimony and also his reason for coming to Venezuela. It was a moving story of God working in his life - Jan, you would have sobbed...Steve, you'd probably have smiled your signature smile:) I am very proud of him and know you two are as well. I can see God using him powerfully!
It was an honor to share God's Word with this church family again. I spoke at their youth service earlier in our trip and saw many of the youth again tonight. They have very gifted student leaders who conduct the prayer portion of the service, provide the music worship, and run basically everything else. This is a church on the go and God is blessing their obedience, their fellowship, and their commitment to reaching people for Christ. I expect good things will continue to develop for them in the years ahead. Getting out of there was a challenge because so many people wanted to say goodnight to both Gabe and I, though he had more girls saying goodbye to him than I did...and that's cool with me:)
Our group left the sports complex and met us outside the church. We said our goodnights and headed for our respective homes. Kim, Mark, and I reflected on our trip some tonight and all agree it's been a wonderful experience and a huge blessing. A special thanks here to all of you who supported us prayerfully and financially. We could not have done it without your help and I know God will bless you for your faithfulness, your sacrifice, and your commitment to pray for us!
Tomorrow we will sleep in until 7:30 and then have breakfast in our respective homes. After that we are headed to Carlos' (Charlie's) home to swim, play baseball, and enjoy our hosts. We will eat lunch with them in the avocado orchards and then head to our homes to pack. After that, we are headed back to the Baptist Mission House near Caracas where our "on the ground" Venezuela experience began. It will be a bittersweet day to be sure. I will miss Jerry, Keila, and little Jerry a great deal! I will miss my new friend and translator, Carlos. I will miss the strong, manly, and Godly men like Nelson and Alfredo who chauffeured us around all week. These guys are great! I will miss Jerry's mother and grandmother. Such sweet ladies who genuinely love us and show us this with their affection and their cooking. I will miss Pastor Thomas a great deal. If we lived in the same town, we'd be very close friends. He reminds me of my friend John Miller - a wise man, filled with God's wisdom, love, and compassion. I will miss all the beautiful children that have filled a hole in my heart as I have missed our precious sons these past 8 days!
God is so good to us to allow us to love these people and connect with them so profoundly deeply in the name of His Son! I am eternally grateful that God would use a vessel, even one so imperfect as I, to share His love with His children!
This will be my last note from Venezuela. I have enjoyed writing them at the end of each day and I pray that they have been a blessing to you as well. The next time I write will be from the US - when I have internet service and a few minutes to reflect on the trip as a whole. I am very excited to be heading home to two little boys that I adore with all of my heart. I can't wait to celebrate Nate's 5th birthday with him on Monday! Thanks for sharing in the experience with us!
Christ's love,
-kirk for the gang
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