This team opted to work on the property so we went to visit a church in another community. We contacted Pastor Pedro in La Ero Blanco. It was excited about our visit to their church. Team arrived and Pastor Pedro and Maida prepared the layout of the service. We walked in and within five minutes the "bulletin" was complete. The order of service was amazingly smooth and filled with the Holy Spirit throughout the entire morning. The team during their commissioning service in North Carolina sang "How Great Thou Art" in Spanish. So I encouraged them to do so here in Honduras. They practiced each night in the mission house before singing on Sunday morning.
The congregation greeted the team as if they had known them for years. It was a heartfelt morning. After praising the Lord through music we led into testimonies. The first testimony was Julie. Julie is our first timer but not last to Honduras. Julie agreed to share her testimony after we heard her devotional one evening. Julie over came so many fears coming into Honduras. Mike and I hear of folks fear of flying into Tegus but Ms. Julie's was different. She denied God four times before accepting the call to come to Honduras and serve a "mighty God". Our God is so big and Julie found out this week just how big our God really is. So as she started sharing her testimony she had the full attention of the young people in the congregation. Julie did not elaborate on the part of flying since our Honduran friends have never flown before. Julie has many fears: heights, leaving her family behind and public speaking. She claims she has only shared one other time in public and this was about one week prior to Honduras. The opportunity came about two years ago to sign up for Honduras and Julie saw it in her church bulletin. God had been tugging at her heart to go to Honduras. She let that opportunity pass her by and two more before she came to Honduras. She had done a bible study on Jonah where she felt like she was Jonah. Julie was running from God and saying no to his calling to serve in Honduras. On the fourth chance to sign up to go to Honduras, Julie finally took the plunge. She shared on how she almost missed out on the sweetest blessing, coming to this beautiful country and to serve by the most amazing godly people. She shared on much she had learned by working beside her brothers and sisters in Christ while here in Honduras. Her many fears of heights, she was up on a scaffolding laying block with team leader Laura and she did an amazing job sharing her testimony. Like Jonah she ran from God because of her many fears gripping her life but like Jonah God spit out all those fears and allowed Julie to overcome them with great confidence. Julie got out of her box and allowed God to use her this week.
Wally shared a simple but profound word. God built this church many years ago and today we are serving and worshiping HIM here today.
Jimmy was saved for last as the "guest speaker". Jimmy shared about God's word being a love letter to each of us. God is doing mighty works here in Honduras. He sees God's love all around him as he served for his first time in Honduras. God's word shares we need to love our neighbors. Our neighbors can be next door or they can be in another country. How do we demonstrate HIS LOVE. First of all by speaking HIS LOVE daily to others, a small act of kindness, or simply by touching someone gently with a hug. Our jobs as Christian is to show the love of Christ with who ever we come in contact with on a daily basis. But if we really want to show God's love put those who are unlovable before us in front of us. Those are the hardest to love but through God we can do this. One day when we are called home and walk through those pearly gates and we do not see anyone we shared the gospel with, the love of Jesus Christ, what a sad day this will be. Go and share the love of Jesus with everyone we see today. What a testimony for all of us. Have you shared Jesus with someone today? Do you know Jesus today as your personal Lord and Savior today? If you are reading this today and you do not know this God who calms your fears, who builds His kingdom here on earth and who exhibits the most amazing love of all time I encourage you today, before it is too late, accept this free gift God offers, JESUS CHRIST.
After all the testimonies they saved "How Great Thou Art" for last. What a beautiful way to end a time filled with the Holy Spirit. The team encouraged the congregation to sing along with them as Katie sang the verses in Spanish and the team came in on the chorus. Tears formed as this beautiful act of love was shared on this day at this time in the presence of our Lord and Savior.
I encourage you to read the book of Jonah and see how Julie overcame her fears
1 Corinthians 13 is our love letter from God
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