Hello Americanos! Currently I just got back from a morning run through Arroyo Cano. I haven’t been that great with exercising this month, mostly because if I want a shower I have to go to the big barrel of cold water and use a bucket. But it’s actually pretty amazing how I’m adjusting to this lifestyle already. I already feel as comfortable and secure in my tent as I did in my room back home, now when I’m dirty and need a shower I look forward to a bucket instead of a shower and I’ve gotten very used to eating foods I don’t really care for. This might not mean much to some of you but for those of you that know me well will be shocked to know that I’ve eaten beans and avocados just about everyday. But all this has just shown me what home is. Because at the end of the day I don’t miss a house or car or shower, I miss my parents. I miss my church and my friends that make up my home. But don’t feel sorry for me that I’m roughing it out here and you’re sitting in your cozy homes or at work reading this.
I’ve almost been here a month, but I’ve heard God’s voice more clearly and frequently then ever before. I’ve seen firsthand what America has given up to be more “efficient”. I’ve seen the cost of productivity. Here they hand wash their clothes and dishes, don’t have cars or microwaves, no CVS, Wal-Mart, McDonalds or 24 hour grocery stores. They can’t “have it their way” or take a loan out for a new car. But where they lack these seemingly vital necessities they have relationships and community. And not the shallow relationships we’re used to, but where families who aren’t even related care about each others kids like they were their own because they are each others life insurance policies. Where if mine isn’t yours and yours isn’t mine, then neither of us have anything at all. And its here, in Arroyo Cano, that I’ve found something that the American church has lost for quite some time…community. And I’m not talking about monthly cover dishes or weekly men’s bible studies. I’m talking about how the church is your family, and your brothers and sisters in Christ are like your actual brothers and sisters, and you have everything in common not because you have the same hobbies or interests but because you share the same salvation and have the same passion in your hearts for serving Christ and all that those different hobbies and interests do is unite you further in how much better you can serve Christ together rather then individually. Whew, that felt good. That’s what happens when you get me on a mountaintop with God, which is exactly what happened this week.
Tuesday we all caught a truck hauling lumber and bags of cement for the hour long rollercoaster ride to Los Montecitos. Some people didn’t get as excited about the ride as I did, but what can you expect when you get me in the back of a truck going up bumpy and steep mountain roads with the most incredible views I’ve ever seen. Once in Los Montecitos we picked a good spot to make camp and spoke to pastor Kennedy. Luckily Gregorio decided to tag along as the eighth member of team manna so he knew his way around Los Montecitos and Los Frios. The next day I had to opportunity to use my computer knowledge to fix a bunch of computers the church in Los Montecitos got donated to them. And the rest of the group went and prayed over a handicapped man in the community before our hike to Los Frios. God was very faithful in speaking differently to each of us and giving us all different information as to what he wanted us to do there. We walked around Los Frios and prayed and then Pastor Kennedy took us into the house of a lady who was dying. It was very sad she had to only weigh 75 pounds. We started praying for her healing but in the middle of the prayers I felt the Spirit tell me that she would not be healed because of the lack of faith from her family who asked for the prayer. So then my prayer went from a prayer of healing to a prayer of increased faith for her family and for her to find salvation before she passed. But then we had the awesome opportunity to go and talk to an elderly lady who helped start the only Christian church in Los Frios. And the neat thing is that morning Stephanie was given some verses in Isaiah to read for her and encourage her. After they were read to her and prayed with her you could tell she was so excited and touched. The next day we spent some time with the towns people and then went back to Arroyo Cano in time for us all to clean up before church last night.
Thank you all for your prayers concerning this trip. I know that Gods hand was guiding us. Today we’ll be going to Bohechio because we heard it has a nice market and internet access and is only a 20 minute ride rather then an hour ride to San Juan. I have tons of photos to share with everyone, but I’ll probably wait until we’re back in San Juan for debrief so I can go ahead and upload them all at once. But we still have 5 more days in Arroyo Cano before we leave for good. So please keep us in your prayers that God would continue to use us here. Also start praying for our ministry in February for Haiti. We don’t know where we’ll be or what we’ll be doing so please pray that God would go ahead of us and prepare the way and that He would be preparing us as well.
