Day 7 - Last Day at Casa Abba

  

Ephesians 3:20–21

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

This morning’s quiet time was in Ephesians 3:14-21, which opens with the apostle Paul praying for the saints to be strengthened by the Spirit, that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they would be rooted and grounded in love. All this so that they would comprehend the surpassing love of Christ. It was a clear reminder of the importance of prayer for each other. Later, in chapter 6, Paul reminds us that we are in spiritual warfare constantly in this life and we need the power of prayer to battle the enemy. Whether we are home, on vacation, or on missions trip, we are prone to the attacks of the enemy. Peter tells us to be vigilant and expectant for the attacks (1 Peter 5:8). Prayer is a gift that God has given to prepare for and fight the spiritual battles, no matter if they come from the outside or our very hearts. We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate the power of Christ’s love for us and His power in our daily lives.

For our team devotional this morning, Kayla shared her testimony (you can read the more HERE). I’m so proud of Kayla for being willing to host our team and share of herself despite going through a difficult time in her own life. Her joy and love that she shared this week reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” She was honest and vulnerable with the team of facing a recent loss and how emotions can be difficult to process, but how she continues to trust God each day. She also expressed a thankfulness for the team being here and being such kind and sweet team that has been so encouraging.

 After she closed our time in prayer, I asked her if she would allow the team to pray for her. A few of us lifted her up to our Heavenly Father asking for the very things Paul prayed for in Ephesians. Being a missionary can be a lonely path at times, but God is with her and Jocsan always. It was a precious and powerful start to our day.

Today’s workload was light, which was good for our last day here. Kayla took the girls to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the care packages we would drop off later. The guys headed to Casa Abba to install the last light pole, stopping at the hardware stare to pick up some cement. While Will and Josiah began preparing the concrete mix, Jocsan removed all the support beams from the first four poles, and Collin and Timothy went around touching up the paint to prevent rust. I took a moment and got some after shots of the work we did.

The timing was perfect; the girls arrived at the property at lunch time and the boys finished installing the pole. We had a lunch break together. Then we each grabbed a bag and loaded the supplies for the care packages. These packages had some provisions for the families who were in need—beans, rice, eggs, milk, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, cookies, coffee, and maybe a few more items. Once the packages were created, we gathered around as Jocsan talked about the families we would be blessing today. He then said that there was enough for each of us to hand out a package and taught us to say “God bless you” in Spanish: “Dios te bendiga.” We had a prayer time where each team member prayed for the family that would receive the packages.

 

After a final clean-up of tools and supplies around the property of Casa Abba, we loaded up to drop off the packages. Just a block away was the first house and I was had the opportunity of delivering the package to a grandmother whose daughter and grandson lived with her. She came all the way to the car that Kayla was in and they had a great talk and Kayla shared about Casa Abba. She was thrilled to receive the grocery pack from us. We then went to the next house.

 

I wish we had pictures of each of the precious people who received the packages, but I opted to not take pictures them or their homes as I didn’t want them to feel like a spectacle. I did take a few pictures of the neighborhood so you can see the area we drove through. 

This one is for Veda :)

 

Biggest frog? Hiding in the corner of the bathroom about the size of my hand

 

We had some down time at Casa Jubilee before dinner. We went to a burrito place that had lots of vegetables. Yes, some team members were asking for more vegetables. After dinner we gathered back at Jubilee to have our evening debrief. It was good to give time for everyone to share their highlight of the trip with Kayla and Jocsan. It was so encouraging for each team member to hear each other share. We closed our time in prayer at the perfect time for the World Cup game between Mexico and Ecuador.

 

This may be my last post for this trip, as tomorrow is a travel day. We will stop at Dan’s Café again for breakfast on our way to the airport. We fly from Puerto to Dallas for a 2.5-hour layover. We will then fly to Cleveland arriving home at 10:45pm. Thanks for following along and thanks for your prayers! I know that your faithful prayers have been a big part of what made this trip happen. Pray for travel and for the teams’ health, so far everyone seems to have remained healthy with no issues. Thanks!