Happy Halloween

Oct.31, 2011

San Fernando

Bolivia

Just kidding, not a single soul here has any idea about Halloween, and just as well.  A few days ago while sharing a cup of Mate with some ladies I shared with them what Halloween was. It sounded so strange and GODLESS, as it is, as I explained it to ladies who had never heard of it. It was just as strange as it felt last year trying to explain to the same ladies about the North American tradition of the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs… It’s nice to be so removed from the rest of the world at times.

For the majority of this month I was in the big city of Santa Cruz. I had only been back in Santa Cruz a full day, after four months straight in San Fernando, before I had gone to Hypermaxi, one of the big grocery stores (Walmart-wannabe). As I walked through, I looked up to see large strips of orange and black fabric decorating the ceiling, and thought that was such a strange choice of colors to decorate their store with. But it did make me think of Halloween… then I kept walking and saw their collection of witch hats and ghoulish masks, and I remembered Santa Cruz takes pride in how North American it can be.

San Fernando is a different world. It feels like a different country from Santa Cruz. In the last year and a half I’ve been back and forth from the big city to San Fernando five times. Every time it takes me a day or so to get adjusted to one or the other world. I’ve now been back to San Fernando a week, and I’ll be here until January, before I get to visit Santa Cruz again. This time when I stood at the air strip and saw Dina, Greg and Pastor Felix fly off, I couldn’t control the tears that streamed down my face as I stood alone watching them fly off. Dina couldn’t stay… She needs to finish her university thesis that she started nine months ago. 

I radioed in to Tom at the hanger this morning to check in. He said Dina will radio-call me in to me this afternoon. By the time you read this, she very well might already be back with me in San Fernando.

Let me fill you in a little on my life. Thursday morning I was at the school all morning, teaching English for the first two classes, then 4^th grade the last class of the morning. I had made wordless books with the 4^th grade class before my recent trip to Santa

Cruz, with all the colors to represent Salvation (black, red, white, blue, green and yellow) and we went over it together and I clearly presented the Salvation message to all 28 of them. God knows their hearts. In the afternoon I headed to Candelaria’s house, to start up our Bible study again. We visited, but no other ladies came. More ladies will come this week.  It always takes a few weeks of me being faithfully at her house for them to come. Then I went to another house to paint  two little wooden crosses.  I will paint the names of the babies who have died. The family will then put them in the cemetery. This afternoon I will go with another lady to the cemetery and paint another cross for her family member. It will be my 10^th cross to paint in their cemetery.  I paint the crosses for free, of course. It’s a way to serve them, and honor the memory of their loved ones. November 2nd is their yearly remembrance day of all who have died. There are some interesting local beliefs surrounding November 2nd that I do not agree with, and about which I have tried to sensitively but clearly share my unbelief with those around me.

This past Sunday was amazing. In the morning 3 men, 2 women and 4 kids came to church. We studied Luke 13:22-30, in a very systematic way, using previous text from Luke 12 to understand the context and meaning of Luke 13:22-30. What did Jesus mean when he taught  “do every thing possible to go through the narrow door”? 

In the evening, I was amazed at the amount of people who came to the church service. Our 10 brand new church pews were full, plus the two in back that are still make-shift benches. More youth and men stood outside. I showed a few pictures of my time in Santa Cruz and La Paz. Then I finished showing the video called “Something to Sing about”, that we started the night previous. It has a beautiful evangelistic message.  Then I shared the ninth message from the book, “Hasta que todos llegamos” for new Christians. The message was all about what we mean by the “Good News”.  It tells why and how to share it.  You can be forgiven and your sin debts paid if you surrender to Jesus, and decide to follow Him alone. God is sure moving in this place. The church was silent, and all the youth and children were sitting still as they listened to THE GOOD NEWS. It is so true that the Holy Spirit will come on you when you share about Him. God was moving last night;  breaking chains of bondage and  bringing light into the darkness. This church is a light house. I am so humbled that God would work through me:  such a weak person. I am frail, just to be honest.  But something amazing happens when I am surrendered to the Creator of the Universe.  He speaks through me.  If you prayed for me Sunday night October 30^th, THANK YOU! And every time we have a church service here… GOD IS HEARING YOUR PRAYERS.  I am walking in your answered prayers.

Oh, and I want to share about Friday night October 21, when I was still in Santa Cruz. If you prayed for me that night late THANK YOU! YOUR PRAYER JUST MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONE THAT SAVED MY LIFE.   Another missionary who was dropping me off at the gate of the SAM missionary guest house was looking at me while I was talking right before I was going to get out of the car, when we were assaulted by a very angry man who hit the driver's side window with a piece of steel with all of this might.  He wanted to smash the glass of the driver's side window.  Maybe he wanted to hurt the driver.  Instantly after the first strike on the glass we peeled out of there and drove around the block. The man was yelling and we saw him run the other way, and get into a taxi and peel out the other way.  Praise God the windows were up and God kept that glass from breaking. It takes my breath away just thinking about it again. Thank you for praying for my safety. PRAYER IS POWERFUL!