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| (Click on any picture to enlarge it.) |
Hello
Friends!
I enjoyed Sabbath days with the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church (Wisconsin) and the North Loup SDBs (Nebraska). I was especially glad to visit some of the people who helped me grow in the faith as a youth; Francie Van Horn and Rev. Mynor and Marian Soper. I also made a brief stop at Rez Connection on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to catch up with the Marks Family; yet another example of godly people who have influenced me for good. I’m so thankful for all of them.
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| North Loup, Nebraska, SDB Church |
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| Milton Seventh Day Baptist (where I was baptized, age 12) |
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| Rev. Mynor and Marian Soper |
On October 24 in Boulder, Colorado, my son, Paul, married
Aimée Joy Woodard. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a great celebratory
supper. They chose to be barefooted for the ceremony (Paul loves to run
barefoot, Aimée is a dancer) and included washing each other’s feet to demonstrate their
commitment to care for one another. They are a wonderful couple, ready to serve
the Lord in Navigator’s ministry at the CU Boulder Campus. I’m very excited to
have a new daughter in the family and look forward to spending time with them
during Christmas break.
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| Scenic overlook in Aguadilla |
On Monday following the wedding it was off to Puerto Rico with pastors Judith and Joel Houts. They invited me here to help with gathering the documents needed to request membership in the SDB General Conference. The temperatures are in the 80s every day and low 70s at night. Rough, huh? Just keep in mind it comes with high humidity (sweat, sweat). The scenery is beautiful with lush forests, abundant flowers and sandy beaches.
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| Trinitaria (Bougainvillea) |
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| Pastora Judith Houts |
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and many people
speak some English but Spanish is the primary language. The longer I’m here the
better I can speak it but comprehension of rapid-fire speech is a challenge. As
a missionary I’m often asked to pray aloud, which I’m glad to do but it takes
some thinking to put the right sentences together. (Ever heard of the subjunctive
tense?) About the time I get the hang of it, someone chimes in with “Sí,
Señor!” or “Amen!” and I’m so startled I lose my next thought. I manage to recover
but it makes me laugh inside.
Fridays
are Talent Night and people share testimonies, poems, Scripture, a teaching, and various
talents. I brought my guitar and have contributed a few songs that I learned in
my missionary days in Honduras (1980s).
The church has cement walls and a tile floor like
most buildings here, where termites can be a problem for wood structures. It was
previously a small grocery store and they’ve made it attractive inside and out.
The music worship team is terrific, led by Marizta and her husband, Adrian. I especially
enjoy the praise songs in Spanish with a Caribbean rhythm. (Search YouTube, “Paseate Nazareno, Faba
Marin”.) We have many tambourines and maracas going during the singing time! |
| Café Sabatino |
The church is actively reaching out to
the community in many ways. One is the "Café Sabatino", coffee offered to people who wander by on Sabbath morning
before church (as in 7:30 am). The price is “just a smile” (Solo una Sonrisa).
They also host a monthly meal for the needy of the community (same price). In November we served over 20 meals. I enjoy hearing about people’s lives and answering questions. One man asked what we believed about the second coming of Christ and we started reading passages in the Bible about that. He asked if I had ever read the Bible cover to cover and I was glad for the YouVersion daily Bible reading plans (smart phone app). I’ve read through the Bible 3 times in three years – good stuff!
I’m staying with the Houts in the lower level of
their home. The gate at the front of the house says “Agape” (the Greek word for
God’s love, also their ministry name). The house is on a hillside. Below my
level is the patio where I have access to a 5’x6’ kitchen just right for one.
I
have a small refrigerator and cook with a two-burner propane gas stove. Works
great!
Behind the house are 1.5 acres of fenced land where they hold summer camp
for the youth (that little patio kitchen puts out a lot of food for the campers). They
made a cross from a small standing tree and have other creative structures.
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| Pastor Joel Houts at the camp cross |
On a tour of the land, Pastor Joel showed me how he
harvests the avocados from 15’ up in the trees using a long pole with a wire
basket on the end. I’ve been enjoying those avocados, along with grapefruit
from their trees, and bananas! 
I watched Pao (church member and caretaker) push down a small tree to collect the bananas. A banana tree is really a large stalk that blooms and bears fruit just once. It also produces a new shoot before dying, so they harvest the bananas and remove the old tree to make room for the new one.
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| Not oak leaves - Pana leaves |
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| Farmer's Market featuring "Bacalao" - dried codfish |
I’ve been happy NOT to drive, accepting rides when I need to get somewhere, like a weekly trip to town with resident missionary, Ruth Russell, to get groceries and go to the Post Office. She’s also taken me to the Farmer’s Market where more traditional fare is found - like native fruits, root vegetables and hand-woven baskets.
To do my work on the church documents I use a small table on the lower level, under stairs and next to the door to the side yard (where I often hear a chorus of wild chickens next door). So far I’ve helped consolidate their statement of belief, updated the English version of the Covenant, and translated the existing Constitution into English from Spanish. Next up is adding By Laws to cover additional church processes.
I enjoyed helping with a visit to a local nursing
home (another outreach of the church), singing with the residents and giving a
short salvation message.
One of the highlights for me each week is meeting with
an older brother named Adam to teach basic Christian beliefs in preparation for
baptism. His home is a small cement structure with a hammock on the porch. He
made me a type of coconut candy that I liked despite not being a fan of
coconut! (“Where He leads me I will follow, what He feeds me I will swallow.”)
I hope you all enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving. The
Houts celebrated with a traditional turkey dinner along with Puerto Rican rice with gandules (small beans aka “pigeon peas” and they grow in the back yard, too).
I enjoyed meeting members of their extended family. We closed the day with a
small campfire, toasting marshmallows and singing camp songs with guitar
accompaniment.
I’m very thankful for God’s many blessings, including all of you for
your friendship, prayers and donations. Year-end gifts are much appreciated and can be made
out to the SDB Missionary Society,
19 Hillside Ave, Ashaway RI, 02804. Email: Office@sdbmissions.org, Phone: 401-596-4326. (Or mail
it to me directly, but it would not be tax-deductible.)
I return to Colorado on December 14 and look
forward to some down time. In mid-January I’ll load up the car again and drive
to the Seattle area to serve the new Spanish-speaking church under the
leadership of Pastor Ben and Marcela Figueroa. Please pray for safe travel and
for God’s provision for housing (it’s on the expensive side there). Also pray
for these new church plants as they seek to love their communities and grow new
believers.
Merry Christmas to you all! Feliz Navidad!
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| View from our neighborhood along one of my walking routes |
