River Island Church

I just got back at my borrowed "Prophet's Chamber" after a wonderful long day at the delta island church. It’s a 3 ½ hour trip out there on one of our five small church bus boats (35 to 45 passengers) and about the same to return. Left early this morning.

Pastor Cocholo is at the helm of the "Betel de los Alcanfores" boat and his wife, Lilia, always smiling, sitting beside him.

"Lip-burnng hot mate" (a strong tea drawn through a metal straw) is shared by all on board.

After one hour on Canal Arias, we turned to drive down a narrow canal for 25 minutes to pick up two families.

It is late spring and the flowers were blooming, especially the hydrangeas and camellias.

We stopped along the way to pick up more families, among them Juan and Juana Chico and their son, Victor. Juan was on the verge of suicide in 1984 when the Holy Spirit literally struck me in the chest alerting me to stop as I was driving the Messenger of Peace boat past their little shack alongside the river. Victor was a baby in arms then. He is now a musician who leads the worship at the island church.

I hugged and kissed the cheeks of some of the dearest people in my life. We reached many of them for Jesus years ago. One by one we stopped with the Messenger of Peace boat at their little shacks on stilts. We shared the wonderful story of Jesus with them and flooded them with His divine love. Some of them were little kids back then.

Now they are married and delighted to have their children meet Felipe. Many of our first converts are already with Jesus.

What a blessing to be able to minister to them one more time!

One of our five church bus boats, the Nelly, the one that hit a submerged tree trunk and sunk last year, has been restored. Some boys are the first ones aboard her as she will soon load up to carry many families back to their homes, some left their homes this morning at 6 AM and won't get home until 10 PM. All day at church with Jesus and His friends is the best day of the week for them... and for me, too.

It's bed time and I am exhausted and hungry. I lost the apple I was planning to eat for dinner… somewhere along the line. I'm hungry, yes, but so very full of the joy of the Lord!

Buenas noches.

Ralph