El Salvador Mission Report - Day 11, Amanda
Aug 22, 2010Friday
August 19, 2010
Today was an interesting day. After a strange rainshower of various and sundry items over the top of the wall separating our room and the guy’s room – including pillows and toilet paper – we started off with worship. This morning was my turn to give the devotional thought so I shared briefly a few thoughts on the previous night’s message and how God had worked even in the midst of my feelings of unwellness. We also all had the opportunity to sample the joys of Pedialyte (an electrolite replacer). We had decided to visit a local vegetarian restaurant and I was looking forward to it. So shortly, after worship, all of us except Greg Shaffer, who was going on visitation with his pastor, pilled into Oscar’s van. Oscar is our driver for activity days. Once we reached the restaurant, we discovered that they had a great lunch buffet, so we decided to do to run to the supermarket, Super Selectos, first and then return for lunch.
Oscar was really sweet. throughout that morning and afternoon, he called Pastor Tara to check in with us and make sure we were all right. We passed him with his other appointment in downtown Santa Ana, and all of his riders smiled and said hi to us. Oscar has a lot of Adventist family, but does not himself believe. He loves our faith though, and I pray that we will influence him to make a decision.
We got to the mall, and in a short time Pastor Cruz arrived to pick me up. At first I was afraid my flip-flops were too casual, but as we picked our way through the rain-puddles and ubiquitous litter mixed with mud, I realized the practicality of my chosen footwear. We started by picking up Hermano Hugo and his wife, Hermana Silvia, leaders of the church where I preach and driver of the truck picking up and dropping off the people each night. Pastor Cruz has nine churches so it is really his elders and deacons who run the churches. Hermano Hugo is one of 3 or 4 men who help and support me each night and on Sabbath morning. Then we picked up another active church member, and her mother and daughter. We went to see Marta about two or three houses down in their same neighborhood.
Marta, was one of the girls who had hung back to talk with me after the sermons, once or twice. She had asked me how old I was, if I was married, and if I had children. I remember smiling and explaining that I was only 24, and that I was single and childless. I had been surprised to learn that she was just 14 and remember thinking the whole thing was just cute. But as we talked to her, her child started crying, and the Pastor told her to go ahead and attend to the child. She came back with a little girl (I think) and started to nurse, and at that point I realized that the child was her’s. It suddenly clicked for me. She must have assumed that someone my age would have almost certainly had a child.
I have never really been on a pastoral visit before and had been looking forward to it. I watched as Pastor Cruz patiently and simply explained the process of re-birth and repeatedly emphasized that, while it was ultimately her decision; Now, was the time for baptism. I watched as he answered her objections and fielded her excuses, the way he was gentle yet persistent with her. It was as if he were making an alter call except that it was just for her. It struck me that this is what Paul was talking about in 1 Cor 4:15-17, Gal 4:19, & 1 Peter 5:1-5. I began to understand that to pastor or elder, meant not just preaching and teaching, but bringing new infant christians into the world, nurturing them into maturity, and launching them to do likewise, as Pastor Cruz demonstrated through his labor pains with Marta, and his apprenticeship of his church members and their children (and me).
Marta did not then make a decision for Christ and for baptism, but Pastor Cruz and Hugo both assured me that they would continue to labor with her. I pray for her now, daily. Please add your prayers to mine, both for Marta, and for the many others who stand at the brink of decision but have not yet been re-born in Christ.
In His Service,
Amanda Archer
El Salvador Mission Report - Day 10, Greg
Aug 22, 2010Today was a crazy day! We started today with horseback riding which was very scary! My horse was very disobedient and didn’t want to stop but started to run like crazy the only thing that I could do was hold on for my life! I prayed to God and asked him to keep me safe! I yanked on the reins and the horse came to a sudden hault and it almost through me over board! Later on we went to the thermal spring it was beautiful there with tall water slides and nice palm trees! We went down the water slides and then we went in the wave pool!
Tonight I preached on the Sabbath! The crowd was very attentive and every one there accepted the Sabbath truth! Later the pastor made a appeal and 7 people came forward! Today was a awesome day and God was with us and portected us from the horses! It is simply amazing to see God work!
- Greg Shaffer
Day 10
El Salvador Mission Report - Day 9, Delon
Aug 21, 2010Today was an incredible day. I was given the task of directing the mornining devotional. My topic was being brainwashed by meditation. The main point was that after we see that God is perfect by testing his word, we must get to a point where we follow him completely. We must allow his law to be completely seen in our lives. The way we do this is by allowing him to brainwash us. David said in Psalms 1 “For in his law doth he meditate day and night.” By meditating on God’s word day and night, we allow our brains to undergo a transformation that is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. The term brainwash in this sense therefore does not imply that God forces us to believe anything. Instead it refers to the ability of God to cleanse our brain of ignorance after we give it to him by choice. When we give God our brain by meditation of his word, conviction to do right will occur as the holy Spirit reconfigures us. Responding to God’s unfailing grace therefore becomes easier. God is grand!!
Devotion was not the only incredible thing that happened today. God used the night’s message to create a major change in my understanding of the law, sin, justification, and grace. I won’t go into detail about this enlightenment. All I will say is thank God that we are under grace. Can you believe that just a few weeks ago, I asked Greg Shaffer what grace was? This was because the Holy Spirit brought to my attention that the definition of grace was one of the furthest things from my mind. Even though this subject is a part of our basic adventist doctrine, God revealed it to me today in a marvellous way for the first time. During Preperation for today’s sermon, the Holy spirit lead me to see that grace is when we are pardoned when punishment is what we truly deserved. The law says that death is the penalty for all the sin we ever commited. The Grace of God steps in and allows us to recieve not just life, but life everlasting through Jesus Christ. God is grand.
Today’s revelation made clearer just how much I am responsible for following God’s law after he has given me grace. God pardoned me even though he hated my actions. The least I can do now is follow him in the best way possible. I don’t believe that I fully understand God’s grace, justification, sin, the law and the other components of salvation. However, today God started me on a new path towards fully understanding these concepts. Truly, There is only one God that is Grand!
- Delon Lawrence
Day 9
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