Last Tuesday I ministered in La Pampa province
in the city of Realicó. The church was
packed to capacity with people even standing in the doorway. Pastor Carlos Farías and his wife had been
married the very same day as Frances and I.
He, like myself, is now widowed.
At the close of the service I requested that this 91 year old, vibrant man
of God bless me!
Sunday morning... What's going on? Felipe is charming kids and adults alike.
Sunday night: Oh how I wished you could have been in last
night’s service in the city of Coronel Moldes, just to catch the "taste"! I arrived at 6:30 PM during the closing time of
their children’s Sunday School. About 40
kids were singing at the top of their voices and doing hand motions to the
words. Not a bashful kid in the bunch! Even the 11 and 12 year old boys were
enjoying the hand and body movements with the songs! At 6:45 PM all the kids filed out to the kitchen
for a “tea.” This gave me 15 minutes or
so to set up my instruments, do a sound check and program the projector to
teach a new (old) chorus for the adults.
All the kids were back with their parents for the 7 PM service. The church was packed and excitement was
high. This church has no musicians at
all. They play video recorded songs with
the lyrics projected on the screen and the people sing with all their hearts.
On one song the girl who was leading turned off
the background music and had the whole church sing "a capella". And WOW did they belt it out! This was the exact opposite of some churches that have a wonderfully talented band of musicians and singers doing a
marvelous show up on the platform with almost nobody singing in the
congregation… as happens far too often it seems to me.
Ema, the beautiful young lady that was leading the worship, helped me with Felipe's suitcase.
Just before my sermon, I taught them an ancient chorus that impacted
my life when at 11 years old I heard it for the first time:
“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
(by Albert
Orsborn/Tom M. Jones)
Then I preached on my favorite theme: Jesus
At the close as usual the front of the church was filled with
kneeling people, including this darling little two year old girl, plus many youth and the
elderly… this time they are simply pleading for Christ’s beauty to become visible in
their lives.
Tomorrow I leave the Cordoba province and am
scheduled to start ministering in the San Luis province… again with services
every night in a different place and 3 services on the weekend… plus an optional
fourth children’s meeting on Saturday morning that a church is requesting and I
haven’t yet given confirmation.
God is good! My little year 2000 Peugeot diesel powered car
is running well. I have been eating and
drinking with several friends that are suffering colds and even fevers and sometimes sharing with others the same drinking glass. Thus far I have contracted none of their symptoms,
praise God. My energy level is high… and
my spirit is renewed in every service… again and again... walking down the street, in my hotel room or when I am
driving down the highway.
I am so very
blessed to be able to enjoy such a wonderful retirement!
Ralph
