Ok let’s just be honest; blog post will never be regular and
I have no idea when they will be posted. So, you will just have to keep
checking back of watch our Facebook page.
Wow, this past
week or this past week has been very eventful. We were contacted by the coach
of the Dorado Spartans, and American football team in a league her on the
island. They saw Blake’s arm and how good he can throw a few weeks back and
want him to start ASAP! Tonight we went to practice and Blake was given a helmet
by a team mate and a pair of cleats by one of the coaches! What a blessing
Praise Jesus! Dallas went back to Younglife this week too; they had been of for
the last two weeks. She was very excited to go.
Small groups
start up this month at church this means we will be in Dorado at least four
days a week. Sunday for class and church, Monday for football and younglife, Wednesday
for small group and football and Friday for football. Dorado is about 45 min
from home so we drive a lot. Thank God our truck is running well again.
We received word
from Pastor George today from IHOP West Georgia; he has purchased his tickets
and will be coming down here March 28- April 3rd. I am excited because he will
be here for our prayer service at church that Sunday! We are hoping to have my
ordination service that Sunday as well. Jennifer and I are still praying about
the location of the service. We are so excited for this ministry partnership
with these guys. We are praying our friend Tom can come down as well.
The main thing I wanted to blog about today
was what happened at church this past Sunday.
Over the past four weeks Pastor Efren has been teaching a
series called I Love My CCPR Church. You can watch these online or on their FB
page if you wish. The whole Idea was not about loving our physical church but
The Church of Jesus Christ. Some of the best teaching I have heard. This past
week was the last week and it was about giving. If any of you are pastors
reading this or have ever sat in a service where this message is preached it is
not a fun message to preach. For some reason when the pastor talks about
letting go of our money lips pucker, people squirm and sometimes people even
tune right out. However, this is a message that the church needs to hear. I
personally have never taught this message so I would not know firsthand what it
is like to have to teach it but I can imagine. Well, Pastor Efren did an
amazing job. I mean his teaching was of the chart awesome. Why wouldn’t it be?
He taught what the Bible teaches. But that was not what really gave me a jolt.
Pastor Efren did something that I have never seen any other pastor do. I was
bold, courageous and probably even a little scary. But it was what God called
him to do. Through the whole service there was a box sitting up front. At the
end of his teaching on Acts 2:42-47 he did what should not be amazing but it
was. He actually asked us to do what The Bible said. Ya really he did. He asked
us all if we would be willing to give everything we had, right at that moment,
away so that those in need would not be in need any longer. Then he took his
wallet and put every dollar he had in the box and asked us to do the same! Yes
he literally asked us to empty our purses or wallets into the box and at the
end of the service that money was going to go to those in the church (CCPR)
that were in need. It was amazing to see as people walked up and literally
dumped out their purses and wallets. There was change, ones, fives, tens, twenties
and fifties that were visible. It was amazing to see the body in action. Then
Pastor said anyone who is in need, this box is available to you. Whatever you
need take it. He had mentioned that there were a few people that he knew of
their needs. No one came up to take the money during the service. Then the
shocking, yet not so shocking at the same time part happened. After the service
had ended and people were leaving Pastor came up to Jennifer and me and said
that part of this service was for you guys. I want you to take whatever you
need out of that box. If you need it all then take it all. I want you to know
your needs are met! Wow, talk about overwhelmed. Now the next part I share with
you not because we are anything but because God is so amazing and his promises
never fail. God is so loving and so kind and so full of grace that I am able to
share this next part with you. After Jennifer and I had talked about how much
money we needed, we really could find no immediate need. So we felt that we
should leave all the money in the box and let those with immediate needs take
the money. God has met our needs, daily. We received $200 out of the blue just
a week ago, a former supporter sent us $600 just this week, I have been able to
find used tires in my size which are a hard size to find used on the island, we
had a solid wood 8 person table given to us and two bunk beds given to us just
last week, we just had literally today our property tax paid for us $800! We
felt that we have been blessed so we should be the blessing. When you trust God
to provide and are obedient to his call he provides. Again I do not say this to
brag on us but to brag on God! He is so amazing! Words cannot describe my God.
They just can't. All I can say is that I felt something happen Sunday.
Something new it was like something broke and the flood waters just spilled
out.
Tomorrow morning
I am meeting with Pastor Efren to share my personal testimony with him. All of
it. I really feel God wanting me to get my testimony, more like the testimony
of Jesus, out. I have been praying for God to open these doors. I really feel
The Lord wanting this to be shared with our church here. Not many people back
home even know my full testimony. I have share bits and pieces but never the
whole thing. Please pray for me tomorrow.
We have made some
new friends in Cabo Rojo and have been asked to help co-teach or teach a kids
service at their church. Julio is the pastor I met last week with the mission
team from Penn. Not sure how soon we can make it over there. March is a busy
month for us and in April we start teaching our Christian Basics class at CCPR.
Praying for God to show us the right timing.
Jennifer ran The World’s
Best 10K yesterday in San Juan. She did great! We all went along with Jenn aunt
and cousins. We even road a train for a little. You know you a new place is
becoming home when in a crowd of 30,000 people you run into people you know! It
felt really nice to run into some friends from the church we first went to when
we got to the island. It made it feel more like home.
Prayer Requests before I go.
-Continued blessings
-Doors to be opened for me to share my testimony
-Prayer for our new class we are going to teach
-Prayer for Pastor George to get here safe
-Prayer for Jesus to be preached boldly
-Prayers for our family as we continue to adjust to island
life and being away from home.
-Territories to be widened
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