Week 5 -- Baltimore, Wisconsin, & Michigan groups

We had another huge group this week with 3 different churches, but everyone worked well together. There was a large group of youth that led praise and worship several times, and it was amazing. The Baltimore group was mostly women, so we had a ladies meeting in the city of Pompeya -- or as I like to spell it, Pompeiia :-) I translated a devotion that one of the ladies wanted to share. It was about never stopping when life gets in the way of what God wants us to do, but instead pressing on. They passed out some Crocs that were donated to the kids and their mothers. It was a great time of worship and prayer and fellowship; we had the service there afterwards. Of course, we had VBS in Pompeya and in La Bolsa for three days. Wednesday was our free day -- again we went to Real de Catorce -- and Thursday night we had service in La Bolsa.

God was mighty in encouragement this week. I had much to be in charge of after Roger took the Baltimore group on Thursday, but I pushed through it and received much encouragement along the way.

The work projects this week were pouring a concrete slab at the compound, digging an outhouse hole in La Bolsa, and putting up cabinet doors under the sink in the bathrooms at the compound. The Baltimore group left early on Thursday to go to La Haciendita to visit and minister for a day, leaving the other two groups in Arroyo until Sunday. Since they were here a little bit longer than usual, we had Saturday to do something a little different. We visited the city of Mier y Noriega and played volleyball and had a service later that night. The crowd wasn't as big as I'd have liked because of two quinceaneras (15th birthday parties) that were going on, but one man confessed his sins & came to Christ! The Bible says that one salvation is more precious than gold, and it was worth it to plant His seed and to see one life turned over to the hands of the Father.

Several of the summer staff left on Friday, which was sad. They were a huge source of encouragement and we had lots of fun, but God continues to work now that they're gone, and I can see how He has worked through them while they were here.

This week is our week off because a group canceled, so I'm spending some time in Arroyo, resting, and worshiping the Lord. The internet isn't working very well so I'm not able to put pictures up. I'm sorry; I wish you had the visual aid of what's going on, but what's more important is the story of what God is doing because that's where His witness is.

My biggest lesson for the week came from Youth Pastor Mike after praise & worship on Wednesday night. He says that sometimes we have experiences when we can feel the Holy Spirit move; we can feel His presence and we can worship in the midst of it. But that feeling may be gone tomorrow, and you'll wonder where it is and try to replicate it, but you can't. So don't try to replicate that feeling. It's not for us anyway, it's for Him. And the genuine heart of a Christian worships even when he/she cannot feel that presence. So add it to your testimony, and look back on it and remember it when you need to.
To that I say Amen!