Joy in the Midst of Sorrow
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!
Love hearing about your growth Christy! “The kids think that we are awesome, partly because we are…” Nice 🙂
I echo Matthew’s comment above. That made me laugh! 🙂 Christy, I love what you are doing for the Lord. He will bless you in many ways for what you have done and what you are doing. 🙂 You know I sponsore kids, and time and time again I am reminded of the luxury here in America. And by “luxury” i mean health. Abd also just basic neccessities that we as Americans take for granted. Nothing shocked me more than when my sponsored child, Mark, told me what his “dream house” was. It was a cemeted house with a driveway and flowers. THat is my house! My house is his dream. God never ceases to amaze me. And to put me in my place.
I’m glad to hear you are doing well. I agree that the pastor dying really shows the urgency of the gospel. Keep loving the people, as I’m sure you are. Keep relying on God, it’s by His power that any communication or salvation will be made.
Thank you for sharing this touching story, Christy. You and your team are in my prayers. My weekly Bible study group is also praying for you. I believe the love of Christ is all the language you need to communicate to the people you meet. Your post is such a reminder of how blessed we are here in the USA.