Category — Updates

I would like to say thank you to everyone who remember to pray for us yesterday as we took a trip to Jesús-María, down by the Pacific coast, to participate in an open-air outreach event with pastor Juan Carlos (JuanCa). Everything went great!

Four of us from Eastside Church went: Jorge “el pelón,” Andrés (the guy who runs our soccer field), Stephanie (and recent college graduate from the States living here now, and teaching at my kids’ school), and myself. The trip down there and back was long but without incident, thankfully.

JuanCa selected a neighborhood close to the church where we preached open-air last year. He invited folks from his church in Jesús-María and also from the church he started and pastors in Labrador (about 15 west of Jesús-María). We basically had an open-air church service. While folks got the sound system set up, me and mine went door to door inviting the people to the activity (and leaving tracts with them). And then JuanCa started with prayer, singing, testimonies, etc. and I wrapped it up with a message on Christ, the Gospel and salvation. It was a wonderful time! We had well over 50 people present.

There is one testimony I’d like to share with you: When JuanCa announced the outreach event this last Sunday in church, a lady came up to him afterward. She had been in his church most of the past year, and her husband had even started coming with her. They are now regular attenders and members of JuanCa’s church there in Jesús-María. She told JuanCa that she was in church because of that outreach event in that very same barrio last year. She didn’t want to come out of her house (being timid and a little shy and ashamed), but she sat in her house listening to everything — the songs, the prayer, and the Gospel message. She got save that night last year and has been faithfully attending church ever since. He somewhat “problematic” husband eventually came around, too, and is also a faithful member with her. All I have to say about this is what Paul said:

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. . . . For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. [1Cor 1.18-21]

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [Rom 10.17]