It seemed like every time we went out to the community to help establish relationships, a door would be closed. For instance, the first full day involved us helping out with playgroup in the morning, which is a daycare that is held every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the church run by the Pastor. After playgroup we all rested and then decided to go to the gorge for a swim. (The weather here is extremely hot and humid and a daily swim in the middle of the day has seemed to become a daily routine.) Before coming to the ministry site we were all told that do to the community being very active in drinking at night we were told to not go out at night so we preceded to head back before the sun went down. However, as we approached the church we were a bit taken back when we arrived and there was a group of guys drinking on the back porch of the church.We didn’t know if we had any authority in telling them to leave so we just went inside and bolted the door shut.
The devil used this opportunity to place fear into many of us. Even though we later found out that the men that were present that night were not of this community and that we do have the authority to tell them to leave or that we can approach the elders of the community to make them leave the devil kept a piece of that fear inside of us so that made many hinder relationships.
However, it was amazing to see how God created the beginning of a couple of relationships with the locals during a night of worship outside the church. Here the consumption of alcohol is a daily routine to many of the locals and thsi particular night was of no exception. It was a good night and contained a lot of confusion. There didn’t seem to be a lot of slurred speach, but a lot of conversations that were repeated. I’m sure that for one to consume the same amount of alcohol that they consumed that night one would be drunk, but to them this may help them function and forget about the things that they are so desperately trying to forget. It truly was a sad moment as I took a step back and seen how desperate they are for God, one who gives life.
