THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It's ironic; we teach, preach, and write books about prayer; then we languish for lack of it.
I decided that before I leave tomorrow I wanted to give our gifts to our employees instead of just leaving them to be opened at their big party December 17. So, we bought a cake and had a little party this afternoon. Cheryl and I bought each of the ladies a hand mixer; and each of the guys a nice shirt. We also got Nicholas something special. He's a great fan of Andrea Bocelli, so we got him one of his CD/DVD’s. The party started about an hour late because we were at the Landau factory receiving the nine industrial sewing machines that they have donated to us. What a blessing. In addition to the sewing machines we have also gained two enthusiastic supporters in their general manager, and their head accountant... I learned yesterday that those who have received the water filters in their homes are sharing clean water with their friends and neighbors. That's a great blessing too…. I will be leaving tomorrow morning; I should be in Tulsa by tomorrow night.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It's ironic; we teach, preach, and write books about prayer; then we languish for lack of it. The congregation at the village church this afternoon was mostly kids. Selvin did a great job of choosing songs and delivering a sermon that was just for them. Perla and I started out at opposite ends of the pew and little by little she continued inching my way until she was right under my arm. Her dad abandoned the family about eight years ago and she is starved for love…I recently came across two child sized violins in the closet here at the mission center. It reminded me of a dream I've had almost since the beginning—to start a Suzuki violin program. I know what young children can accomplish because of Marisa’s experience . Cheryl started teaching her violin at a very early age; some teachers report students as young as 3 and 4 years old. I feel sure there are little kids in the village sleeping on dirt floors that have the gift of music. They only need an opportunity. There is a very fine music school in San Pedro Sula begun by a man from Canada years ago; that would be a natural progression.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It seems like we speak of prayer warriors from the past as if they were from a different dispensation, one that has drawn to a close. However, if we could peek behind the curtain I think we would see they were ordinary people just like us. Why, then, are we not more like them? It might be partly because they lived in a different world; less busy and hectic than ours. For example, Martin Luther said that if he felt too busy to spend an hour in prayer and devotion he immediately stopped everything and took two hours. While there are exceptions in our day, most of us don't have time for that. However, we can work toward it. Their practice should be the norm for God's people, then and now. Yesterday we made it through the high waters and handed out 300 gifts in El Sauce. Once we got there, all went pretty well. As usual, the crowd was more orderly than in Seis. Last time I saw water that high back there was about 10 years ago. Jennifer and I were headed for sewing class; she was wearing fireman’s boots and riding on the back of a horse... In the afternoon Joel and I went to Seis to inspect the water filters. We want to be up-to-date when the OSU engineering students arrive January 3 to continue the project. Oscar was by yesterday. His church is targeting parents that send their kids but don't attend. The kids will receive a Christmas gift if they bring their parents to church. Great idea. We’ll be helping him with gifts. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday a friend at church said with sadness that when her son went away to college he pretty much stopped going to church. Unfortunately, that's happening a lot. The Barna group recently reported, “... about 3 out of 10 people who grow up with a Christian background stay faithful to the church and to faith throughout their transition from the teen years through their 20s”. LifeWay Research found the same thing—30% stay, 70% leave. The first time I came across those figures I was shocked. It's tempting to blame peer pressure or professors teaching about evolution. But the young people say that’s not the case; they put the problem inside the church. So what are they seeing in us that makes them want to leave? I'm sure there are no easy answers, but it's something we need think about. |