6-20-12 Home again sort of

We are back at the mission now after an amazing three days in San Lorenzo. It was a truly amazing trip. The beautiful mountains our car traveled through more than made up for the long and bumpy road we traversed. Upon arriving one of the team members was feeling pretty sick putting her out of commision for our time there. It was a stomach virus that would soon spread. Day one the men worked on putting in the posts to support the roof of the bath house at the church and digging the runnoff ditch for the sewage. Meanwhile the ladies worked on painting the outside of the local school and a mural in the main classroom. It was a long hot day and I'm still a little red from it. That night we showed a movie for the kids Toy Story a personal favorite of mine, and then Michael and I were off to the river with a few Hondurans for some late night shrimping. That night I slept in a hammock quite comfortably minus the snoring that surrounded my roust. The next day after the rising casualties of the sick were counted. I believe it was three. It was time for some mountain house calling which involved probably a two mile hike to the home of a woman who wanted to be baptized with some fun nature veiwing on the way. The 78 year old woman made the return voyage. We offered her help and she simply said she was going to walk to her baptism. She walked probably three miles from her home to the river with only the aid of a walking stick. I couldn't not be reminded of Christ's words. Take up your cross and follow me. She didn't carry a cross, but she endured for Christ. It was a beautiful baptism and another woman who was considering baptism was convinced by the power of what she saw and heard and would be baptized the next day. After her baptism the woman made her long trek home alongside Edguardo the pastor of San Lorenzo. After lunch Michael and I took a nice little swim in the river it was quite refreshing. We then returned to the church for the service. I worked with the kids class and I translated a fourth of the story of Lazarus. Then I got to enjoy another night of hammock sleeping. That morning thanks to the sick people's need to return to the city I delivered a devotion about the Great Commission and the Beatitudes on the river right before the baptism of the woman mentioned earlier. It was an amazing experience and the Lord said a lot through me. After the woman's baptism we returned to the mission for lunch amd I had an amazing warm shower before we headed off for the school where I aided in some translating again. Then it was time for dinner so we headed back home again and ate followed by preperations for Wednesday night church. I delivered the lesson of Jesus feeding the five thousand with the help of Michael and then it was finally time for a little relaxation. Please continue praying for God's work. Pray for his guidance in my life and the lives around me. Pray for safety, but not at the expense of growth or service. Pray for strength if safety doesn't come. Pray for peace. Always remember the worst someone can do to you is bless you or send you to heaven. Blessed are those who are persectuted because of Me. If you claim Me before men, I will claim you before my Father in Heaven.