Hola!
Church:
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” The psalmist declares in Psalm 133:1. It was so wonderful to experience the truth of these words today while attending at Casa Ebenezer church (I mistakingly put another ministry that also partners with Casa Ebenezer in my first draft). Brother Gaby Morales and his wife Veronica host church weekly in their house. It was so good to meet the members of the church and worship together with them.
David Keiper had the experience and joy of sharing his testimony with the church. He was asked a few minutes before church started but was ready and willing. It was exciting to see him speak through an interpreter sharing the Good News of what Christ has done in his life. He shared a phrase that caught his attention in Bible school, “nothing you do can cause God to love you more, and nothing you do can cause God to love you less, it’s not about what you do.” God’s unconditional love has been displayed for us in Jesus Christ and what he has done for us.
Alexa was the young lady’s name who led worship, but she did a fantastic job. Singing familiar praise songs in a different country and a different language is awesome! It was on a Haiti trip that several students pointed out that hearing a familiar song in a different language brought the realization that God is not just an American God, he is God of the whole world. Amen! It was so good to experience that once again.
I am so thankful for brother Gaby inviting me to preach to their congregation today. Jocsan Morales, Kayla’s husband and Gaby and Veronica’s son, interpreted the sermon. I am always intimidated to speak through an interpreter. Remembering to pause and allow him to repeat is a difficult thing for me, so I have to manuscript my notes telling me where to stop. Even in doing this, it feels awkward. Years ago, I was invited to preach in a different country, and I declined because speaking through an interpreter is out of my comfort zone. Yesterday’s post talked about that. Jocsan was so easy to work with and he communicated so effectively! I hope and pray my sermon on Psalm 30 was a blessing.
(Me preaching and Jocsan interpreting)
Brother Gaby shared a few thoughts at the end of the service and pointed out to all of us that we did not coordinate the topic or what I was going to say. Gaby and I had only just met on Saturday and had very little interaction. And yet the message God had laid on my heart was exactly what he had been teaching. It was humbling to see God’s hand at work and the unity he had prepared between us.
Potluck:
Once a month Casa Ebenezer (edited) hosts a potluck dinner. I want to praise God that it coordinated with the day we were there! Jocsan promised me I would get to taste some real Mexican food, and he was right! The food was delicious, and our team was so happy. It was also a great opportunity for us to spend more time with the people from the church. I don’t know all the names of the food, but it was all so very good!
Casa Abba:
After lunch we took a drive to the property that Casa Abba will be built on. Kayla and Jocsan walked us around the land sharing their vision and dreams of what would happen in this place. It is so exciting to be here at the beginning of their planning trusting God will supply all their needs and fulfill their dreams. Now future trips will have the opportunity to see the progress and participate in the story.
(Our transportation for the week! another amazing story of God's provision to share)
Jocsan and Kayla shared the story of their well. It is a story of how God will use an event to try your faith, testing whether you will stand firm in your trust, and waiting on him to deliver. The digging of the well proved to be a struggle and it appeared that there was no water where they were told to dig. As the struggle to believe the well will produce water grew, God showed up. A little water came from the rock. A few days later, a little more came. And then a little more. God came through and delivered. When Kayla first told me this story, after rejoicing and thanking God, I said, “you know God is known for causing rocks to produce water right?’ You’ll have to read Moses’ story in Exodus 17 to know the story.
(it was awesome to be on site and hear the story)
We had the opportunity to stop by Kayla and Jocsan’s lovely home for a quick change. It is a beautiful home they are building, and the team loved hanging with their dogs.
Waves:
Going down didn't seem as steep
Puerto Escondido has world renowned beaches that are known for their surfing. Ohioans are not used to big waves, I mean Lake Erie tries, but nothing like the beautiful Pacific Ocean waves we saw today. On the way to church we did stop at the beach to see the surfers for a few minutes. That only made us want to go to the beach more. This afternoon we hiked down some steps to a wonderful inlet with some super fun waves. All of us had a blast enjoying the waves. It was my first-time swimming in the Pacific Ocean! Some bought fresh coconuts, others tried some homemade coconut ice-cream, all of us got some sun.
I know, some of you are saying this sounds more like a vacation than a missions trip. There is intentionality behind that. Tomorrow starts the work part of the trip. Sunday is a day of rest and an opportunity to connect with the church. I also think that short term missions trips are learning experiences. I think it is important to learn from the local people, experience their culture, and explore God’s creation. We want to be agents of the Gospel and create memories that will last a lifetime. Stay tuned, you will hear of some exciting stories over the next couple of days! Thanks for following our trip!
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