Last Sunday night my team and I entered church in the village we will be spending most of our time in. We sat down in the hot building not knowing what to expect from our first service here. We then stood and began to clap along to songs and listen to scripture being read trying to focus on our purpose there in the midst of off key singing and a whole lot of Spanish. Then we were surprisingly called up to sing a song for them in English. After singing “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord” we returned to our seats. A few minutes later one of the pastors began sharing scripture and in the middle of his sentence he dropped to the floor. Immediately prayers filled the room, the man was carried out of the building, and the service continued. During the last song it was announced that he died.  As we comforted and prayed over the shocked and saddened congregation we were reminded of our need to share Christ’s love with these people.

     Although there is a church in the village of Bethel a lot of the people are caught up in legalism and don’t have a full understanding of the Lord’s grace. The death of this man reminded me of the reason I am here and gives us a great opportunity to share the joy of the Lord in the midst of sorrow.  It reminds me of the urgency here, people are not as healthy as in America. I am thankful that I am here and am able to share the love of the Lord with this village.

   Almost every afternoon we go to Bethel to build relationships with the people. The kids think we are awesome, partly because we are and partly because we are white.  While there I have learned to make tortillas in this little tiny make shift kitchen, been tackled in the dirt several times by the kids, painted girls nails, learned these hand clapping games, and have just been with the people.  It is amazing how much you can communicate with them even though you can’t speak the language.  Pray that we are able to share the true love of Christ with them, that we are able to teach them that it is a relationship and not a set of rules, that legalism is broken in Bethel, and that lives are changed.  

A few of my teamates and I with some of the people in Bethel!