The "Affectionate Ones"

Sunday morning, May 6, I ministered in a very “special” Assemblies of God church in the city of Rosario.  Pastor Gabriel Tarico and his wife have drawn into their group a large percentage of disabled people, mentally and otherwise… and in fact, they are building a housing facility for them to live in!


After I had agreed to minister there… I received an invitation to minister that same Sunday morning for a famous pastor, (not AG) with a congregation of thousands and his own TV program, and where I have ministered previously in the 90s.  The suggestion was that I cancel the small church and minister to thousands.  I turned him down.  I thought Jesus would probably choose the disabled. 

During the service Pastor Gabriel called up their choir of “Afectos” (my loose translation: “Affectionate Ones”) to sing for me.  You should see and hear them sing!  They clapped their hands with great enthusiasm and joyful expression.  Some were out of rhythm, some may have been off key by my standards… but right on by heaven's standards.   I could almost hear the angels singing and rejoicing with them.

The man is the dark jacket with hood is blind. He came to the Lord both deaf and blind and was healed of his deafness through prayer.  Before service started he played several tunes on a little pocket“flute”just for me. Why didn’t the Lord heal him of blindness while he was at it? Maybe the Lord needed a special, very happy blind man for His divine purposes.


Then the "Afectos" presented me with a gift. It is a beautiful little wooden box crafted with inlaid wood showing a world holding hands, made in their own carpenter’s and crafts shop in the back of the church. Inside it was filled with their home-made greeting cards of love for me! How would these dear ones have felt if I had canceled out on them at the last minute?

They tell me the pastor of this church was a professional soccer player in his earlier years.  They had three sons, two with mental deficiencies, one of which died young.  The other was miraculously and totally healed.

I am so thankful that all three of our sons were normal.  But my heart goes out to the parents of those that have to give special care to their children for many years because they never grow capable of caring for themselves. 








The service ended with hugs from everybody.  I'm talking about "Hugs" with a capital "H".  The kind that don't let go quickly. 







I confess that I am having a difficult time keeping up with my blogging these days.  Wonderful things are happening, but in such rapid succession I don't find time to blog them.  Last week I preached eleven times plus hundreds of miles of travel and am scheduled to minister 8 times this week.


Here's a hug for YOU!


Ralph