Worship Service

 We traveled a different direction into the community called Colonia Unidas to where Pastor Carlos' shepherds about one hundred people and forty plus children.  We entered the sanctuary with warm hugs and welcomes from everyone who had arrived along side of us.  Nelson who leads the worship service also teaches Sunday School along with Saul who also helps lead the music in the worship service.  Mike and I shared with the team how we watched these two young men along with many more grow up as teenagers in this church and now they are helping lead and serve the children in their church.  They asked for specials during the service as Sr. Domingo made his way up to the front of the church to thank God first for his salvation and for his home the North Americans were providing for him and Marie this week.

Before Pastor Larry started his sermon, he asked if Pastor Carlos and his wife, Suyamada would come forward.  Pastor Larry encouraged the church to pray and appreciate Pastor Carlos daily as the shepherds them and teaches them God's Word weekly and more than once a week.  You are blessed to have this godly man as your pastor.  As you could hear amens  going through the church.  Pastor Carlos also shared at the end of the service he knew he was loved by this congregation as he loves them as well.

Pastor Larry asked everyone to turn in their Bibles to 1 Samuel 16:1-16 as he shared about the life of David and how he became the next King.  David not like the world's standards of a future king.  But God does not look at the outside of a person but God looks at their heart.  King Saul did evil in the eyes of the Lord for his good.  So when David chose a small shepherd boy to be king everyone was surprised this was the son chosen from Jesse.  As Pastor Larry shared like King Saul's life of power and authority can cause us to stray away from God.  It can cause us to put ourselves before God as well as others.  David as a young man even before becoming king protected his people from the giant Goliath.  David's strength, power and focus was all on God's will for his life. As in 2 Samuel 5:3 says we all need to seek God. As God's children we can become anything God wants us to become if we are willing and obedient to God. Pastor Larry said 32 year old me was not a follower of Jesus Christ but 30 year old David was called by God to be a King.  At the age of 32 I was called into the ministry.  So when we are obedient to God, God can take anyone who is nothing and make something amazing out of their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

As the children gathered back in to recite their bible verses it still amazes me how they recite God's Word with such joy and confidence.  Also there was a young lady there who Mike and I watched grow up as a small child along beside her parents and now she is a Sunday School teacher as well.  Pastor Carlos is making disciples of all ages in this church at the top of the hills of Colonia Unidas.  Saul came in to close out the worship service with a huge surprise for the North American team.  He sang "Open the Eyes to My Heart Lord in Spanish and in English.  What an amazing way to close out our morning worshiping and praising our Lord.