The Work Has Begun

 Today started with services at International Christian Fellowship.  The church itself is mostly outside and open. Instead of a roaring air conditioner and cell phones, you heard birds during the prayer.Worship was much like home and the message was excellent and familiar; It was the begining sermon in a series on the BeAttitudes! The man delivering the sermon was named Mike. He began the sermon by telling a story of clowns that made peace. The KKK were staging a protest in Knoxville, TN, of all places. When the protest began a mass of people dressed as clowns arrived and started yelling White Flour! and throwing flour on one another. The KKK memers told them they had it wrong, "Oh, Okay," said the clowns and they began yelling white flowers and passing out white flowers. Still attempting to correct the mob of clowns the KK members toldthem once again it was white power. "oh" said the clowns " we think we have it this time", and clowns dressed in wedding dresses then appeared and sarted yelling Wife Power! The frustrated KKK members left. The pastor then connected how to be poor in spirit is to understand you are lost and helpless, on the wrong path and that God sometimes with much humor and never with hate places us back on the right path. Mrs. Tara took note in he announcements for the church how much the missionaries desired to felllowship with one another, meeting several times a week for bible studies. It was an awesome service.
 After worship we returned "Home" for lunch and to unpack all the supplies for the week. We even created an assembly line to make bags to pass out the to children of the village. Everyone had an amazing team spirit and pitched in to get the job done.
 We then took the ride to LosSanchez. We drove through the mountains and saw the pacific ocean, and saw the city of Diriamba. Once we arrived at Bethel Baptist in the village Pastor Ramirez and severalother church members greeted us to help canvas the neighborhood. We broke into four groups, each with a translator. Apparently one group went on a horticulture tour of the neighborhood with a guide who pointed out all the local plant life. In my group the local church member recieved a bite on the rear from a not so nice chiuahua!
In all seriousness, we talked to many locals and invited them to join us at the church during the week. We prayed with several of the villiagers as well and worshiped with them as well. Although we could not understand the songs it was obvious that the presence of the King was there. The children of the villiage did their best to improve the beauty of our teenage girls(which is hard to do!) by placing fresh flowers in their hair. They were so hospitable and grateful we had come. It was humbling to have someone who has so much less to give you their best because they want to bless you. Pray for these amazing people; that we may truly be Christ to them and that our eyes are opened to see Christ in them.
Dixie