I don't believe our consistent close calls with regard to being able to meet financial obligations is a sign of our spirituality. Rather, it is evidence of God's love, mercy, and grace.
As we have been walking through department stores gearing up for the holidays this thought came to mind.... Looking at 21st-century America -- such incredible technology for communicating; so incredibly little to say.
Just a thought I have been having.... to the extent we decide to live in the comfort zone, we will never know for sure what we really believe about God
Earlier this week there was an article in the Tulsa World about a massacre that took place in San Pedro Sula, the city where we lived our first 10 years in Honduras. According to the San Pedro newspaper the incident was gang related. The article said a member of one of the gangs stepped into a shoe factory and began shooting, killing 17 people. We have our share of violence here in the U.S. but these acts seem unthinkable. I remember the first time I encountered something like this. Shortly after we arrived in Honduras we went to the youth reformatory one evening to show the Jesus film. I say "reformatory"; it was really a maximum-security prison for adolescents found guilty of murder, robbery, drug trafficking, etc. We were warned of the dangers and had made a plan to be sure that the two most violent gangs, Mara Alvatrucha and Diez y Ocho would not come near each other at any time during the evening. As it turned out, something went wrong, and the two groups began showing up in the cafeteria at the same time. It was too late to change anything so we began to pray our best prayers. God was merciful. It was as if one side of the room could not see the other; as if there were curtains down the middle of the room. Both groups watched the film without even glancing at the other. At the end of the evening there was an altar call and several members of both groups came forward.... nothing short of a miracle.
Denny Boersema and I were talking today about our work in Honduras and how important it is that the people we serve make some sort of payment for the benefits they receive. People just don't seem to appreciate what is given away free. I mentioned that a good example is our students. The computer and English students pay a small amount of tuition, and they are required to pay each month in order to continue with the classes. On the other hand, the sewing students do not pay tuition. I was telling Denny that when we have a rainy day, every single one of the computer and English students show up for class even though there may be a downpour. On the other hand, when it is raining, not a single one of the sewing students will show. Evidence that what we have come to believe is really true.
This morning I attended the weekly meeting of some of the businessmen from First Methodist Church here in Tulsa which meets at Larry Voight's house. It's always a very encouraging time. They have an interest in what we are doing in Honduras and it's always fulfilling to me to bring them up-to-date. This morning I talked about the program we are trying to put together that will result in our people producing goods that can be marketed here in the United States. We also talked about the new church in the village; Rosel, our new shop teacher; and a variety of other things. It was good to be able to talk with Larry and Jim Redyke as they have been with us almost from the start of the construction of the mission center. Every time I attend that 7 AM meeting I come away encouraged.
After classes today we went for a walk through Seis de Mayo and I showed our guests the different places we held classes after we left the "jungle". First there was Hector Garcia's front porch; then the huge tent next to the food store; and then the rent house. Lots of memories, good and not so good. As we walked along kids came out to greet us that weren't even born when we first came. Tonight we had come free time on our hands. We finished dinner anound 7; we don't have TV and for security reasons we can't go out after dark. Seemed like "there was nothing left to do but pray" (I've heard that one before). So we adjourned to the living room and spent the rest of the evening praying. It was an enriching experience. Once when I was speaking to a young adult Sunday School class a young man asked, "Are you saying that sometimes our lifestyle here in America makes it harder to live the Christian life?" I had the feeling he was answering his own question.
As I sat in the office this afternoon catching up on some work the book Prayer, Key to Revival by Paul Y. Cho caught my eye. In the preface he says, "I have had pastors and evangelists ask me how they can experience the same growth in their church as we are accustomed to in Korea. Yet, after meetiings , they go out and eat and spend many hours in fellowship. In the morning they are too tired to pray. Having experienced this all over the world for many years, I decided to write this book. I hope men and women of God will get serious enough about revival to get serious about their prayer life." * Back in 1984 Cho's church was adding 12000 new converts each month. Today is payday and up until last night we didn't have enought to cover that and all the other expenses. Other expenses are things like when Nickolas called me a few minutes ago to say that as he as driving through Chaloma someone threw a rock through his window. He was shook up but thank God not hurt. Anyway, as I was saying, we didn't have enough until I received an email from Donna late in the afternoon showing she had made a deposit (unexpected) that should cover most eveything.
After this last trip I see a real need for us modify our method--same goal expanded approach. Travel, at our age and health status takes allot of time, energy and is rather disorienting. God has provided good workers here in Honduras and is drawing others from U.S. I think we should begin to concentrate on, for example, reporting back to our supporters how God has so exactly answered their prayers for us. Doing so encourages their faith and ours.
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