The Night is Dark Out There

You would have loved to be with me tonight.  I was invited to minister in a little work about 30 miles from the big city of Salta.  Many Bolivians live here to work in the fields.  Pastor Herald Ovanda says that some of them have never had the opportunity to learn to read and write.  Pastor Herald is 7 years a widower.   He lives with his 22 year old son, Israel.   They have purchased two pieces of property to build a home and a church just outside this little town called Campo Quijano, an agricultural area.  He has the house up with a nice hall for church services, but no electricity yet.  He was able to connect to a neighbor’s electricity from across the street for tonight’s service.  They dug a little trench in the gravel road and buried the cable.  (Andes Foothills in background)  

We enjoyed a nice service outdoors.  Pastor tells me that a high percentage of these people there were “first timers”.  Pastor Herald held the suitcase while Felipe did his thing.

At the close of my brief message several parents of the children made their first steps toward following Jesus.  Then we prayed for the sick and needy.  The group was small, but full of needs.  One young mother came with a tiny nursing baby.  She said she has cancer in the stomach area.  I prayed for her, then she made an unexpected request.  “Please would you dedicate my baby?”  I wanted to give the task to the pastor, but he encouraged me to accept it since she especially wanted me, from the USA, to dedicate her beautiful little girl.  I did the dedication. 

And behold now another mother with a baby in her arms approached me... She wanted me to dedicate her baby boy, too.  The father, who looked like a teenage kid to me and grandmother came up to joined in the ceremony.

I barely finished that one when a mother who had a two year old boy to dedicate stepped in.  This little guy had the same grandmother as the previous one. 

Now another grandmother came to tell me that her daughter, the mother of this little girl, had died and she was raising her as her own daughter.  “Would I dedicate her, too?”  Why not!  I gave a little speech to each of the parents and grandparents about their responsibilities that come with this dedication.  And prayed a prayer of dedication.  Fortunately Pastor Herald will follow up on these families.

Then this darling little guy came up to me and held up both arms for me to pick him up.  I think he really wanted me to do the same thing for him that I had done for the others.  He probably could understand just enough to know that whatever was going on in my arms must be something good. 

So he got a unofficial dedication, too… with his sister hanging onto my pants.  I don’t even know for sure which one was their mother.

Check out these smiles!

This little guy whispered to me that he has diabetes and needed prayer.

He got a prayer of faith and a hug.  On the right a very sweet Christian worker, who comes faithfully by bus over 30 miles just to help, is seen encouraging the mother who said she had cancer.

After I thought I had prayed for almost everyone, these two children came with teary eyes to tell me that their mother was away in Buenos Aires (almost 1000 miles) and they wanted her to come home.  I don’t know what was behind all that, but someone told me that she went there for work.  I hope that was all… and that she returns soon… because these kids deeply need their mother.

The night is dark out there at the foot of the Andes Mountains… dark with ignorance, sadness, illness and fear.  Jesus, the “Light of the World” is piercing that darkness, bringing His love, hope and joy!

Ralph