I’d like to introduce you to Samuel:
Samuel reminds me of a big Hawaiian teddy bear with an absolute heart of gold. He is the definition of love and joy. He has a passion for God that is evident from the moment you meet him. His smile and laugh are contagious and his sense of humor is hilarious even through the language barrier. Samuel is one of our main contacts here in Palenque, and has helped line up many of the logistics for our time here. He is also one of the most generous people I have ever met. He owns a beautiful piece of land along the Palapa River which he has graciously opened up to us several times for our days off. Samuel is also an amazing cook. Last weekend when we camped at Palapa he invited us all over to his home for dinner. We arrived to find a beautiful candle lit dinner set up outside for all 30 of us! He served us a wonderful meal and truly looks for ways to bless us every chance he gets. His gift of hospitality is overwhelming.
Last week when he stopped by to visit, he invited us to a baptism service that was going to be held at the river this weekend. Talia, Jon, and Eric have never been baptized and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity. We arrived at Palapa around 10:30 and were surprised to see that all the other teams from Squad A were there too! It was a fun unexpected reunion. Around noon a charter bus pulled up and a group of at least 100 people joined us. We found out that Samuel was also connected with a church in Villahermosa, and many from that church had come to join in the baptism service. They brought a full band and tons of energy. We had the most amazing worship service complete with tambourines, flags, and conga lines.
The presence of God was definitely among us as we worshipped. There was singing, dancing, intense prayer and so much joy and celebration. There was one man who looked to be at least 60 years old jumping up and down just praising Jesus. It was so encouraging and so much fun!
After the service we all walked down to the river to watch the baptisms. There was literally a gallery standing along the bank watching…what a special memory that I’m sure they will always remember!
The baptisms were followed with…of course…more food! As we were driving through the mountains back to our village I couldn’t help but be struck by what an amazing opportunity I have been given to live this life for the next 10 months. Traveling around the world, experiencing God in so many different cultures and seeing so much of His creation…what a blessing! Every day is a new adventure and I’m doing my best to cherish every moment.
