Monday, November 28, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Evangelista
We just got back from a walk along the harbour...it was an interesting time. We ate our packed lunch of bread, oranges, and granola bars on the sea wall. Then we meandered through the downtown area, buying some bananas and some cotton yarn for crocheting, and of course, some maní confitado (candied nuts) from a street vendor. I was approached by a gypsy woman with the offer of my fortune read. She looked as though her life had been very hard. The few teeth she had were brown and broken, and her clothing was ragged and dirty. I told her that I had God in my heart, and didn´t need my fortune read. She replied, "Oh, of course, everybody has God in their hearts.." and went on to say how things in this life and people in this life cause bad things to happen (evidently as proof that we need some extra help from magic). I then emphasized, "No...I have Jesus in my life." Her eyes sparked and she smiled, "Ah! Tú eres evangelista!" (Oh, you´re an evangelist!). I nodded. She then asked that I would pray for the healing of her daughter. I said I would and we shared a tight hug.
It just occured to me as I wrote this last paragraph that God may be trying to tell me something. Last night we had one of a series of meetings with Antonio Ulboa, an EMM worker down here for a week, with the church here in our home. Eduardo and Juanita and their two children arrived early as a meeting they were going to go to first was postponed. They showed up wet and eagerly accepted the invitation to have some food and hot drinks. While they ate I dried their jackets and the little girl´s clothes in the dryer. Much later, when our meeting was done and they were getting ready to head out in the rain to catch the ferry back to their island, Eduardo shook my hand, hugged me, and told me that "I had the heart of an evangelist". What? For serving some food and drying some clothes?
When I think of an evangelist, I can´t help but picture Benny Hinn, and that is an image I cringe at. I´d like your feedback, what is an evangelist? Is it someone so consumed with the conversions of others that it drives them to door knocking and street preaching? Or is it the by-product of living a life of transparency and service? What do you think?
It just occured to me as I wrote this last paragraph that God may be trying to tell me something. Last night we had one of a series of meetings with Antonio Ulboa, an EMM worker down here for a week, with the church here in our home. Eduardo and Juanita and their two children arrived early as a meeting they were going to go to first was postponed. They showed up wet and eagerly accepted the invitation to have some food and hot drinks. While they ate I dried their jackets and the little girl´s clothes in the dryer. Much later, when our meeting was done and they were getting ready to head out in the rain to catch the ferry back to their island, Eduardo shook my hand, hugged me, and told me that "I had the heart of an evangelist". What? For serving some food and drying some clothes?
When I think of an evangelist, I can´t help but picture Benny Hinn, and that is an image I cringe at. I´d like your feedback, what is an evangelist? Is it someone so consumed with the conversions of others that it drives them to door knocking and street preaching? Or is it the by-product of living a life of transparency and service? What do you think?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Over the River
Hey Friends,
More adventures...Dustin had a great trip hiking in the Andes. He and Michael (our fellow missionary) and Eduardo (our fellow Chilean missionary) took a four day boat and backpack trip up in to the mountains to visit and encourage the isolated believers in those areas. For many of the people this is their only fellowship with other believers, and for some, this is their only exposure to the good news of Christ. The guys were always asked to come in to the homes, drink maté (an herbal drink passed around in a common gourd), and eat bread fried in pig fat. Then they mostly listened to and prayed for the people.
So where was I? Turning green with envy at home with the kids! But, big smile here, I´ll be going along next time, because the weather will be warmer for the kiddos so we´ll be able to camp outside of the homes (the homes are too small for such a large group). I´m very excited to go! The next outreach is to the islands sometime next week.
¡Estoy felíz porque mí español es un poco mejor cada día! In other words, my spanish is getting better. Dustin is improving too, the man can´t not talk. It´s against his nature.
So, anyways, I wanted to post our info. Our mailing address is: Dustin and Sarah Gingrich c/o Mike Hostetter, Casilla 760, Puerto Montt, Chile. And make the 7 with a slash through the middle or else they´ll think it´s a one! Our phone number is: 56-65-27-4476. Miss you all!
More adventures...Dustin had a great trip hiking in the Andes. He and Michael (our fellow missionary) and Eduardo (our fellow Chilean missionary) took a four day boat and backpack trip up in to the mountains to visit and encourage the isolated believers in those areas. For many of the people this is their only fellowship with other believers, and for some, this is their only exposure to the good news of Christ. The guys were always asked to come in to the homes, drink maté (an herbal drink passed around in a common gourd), and eat bread fried in pig fat. Then they mostly listened to and prayed for the people.
So where was I? Turning green with envy at home with the kids! But, big smile here, I´ll be going along next time, because the weather will be warmer for the kiddos so we´ll be able to camp outside of the homes (the homes are too small for such a large group). I´m very excited to go! The next outreach is to the islands sometime next week.
¡Estoy felíz porque mí español es un poco mejor cada día! In other words, my spanish is getting better. Dustin is improving too, the man can´t not talk. It´s against his nature.
So, anyways, I wanted to post our info. Our mailing address is: Dustin and Sarah Gingrich c/o Mike Hostetter, Casilla 760, Puerto Montt, Chile. And make the 7 with a slash through the middle or else they´ll think it´s a one! Our phone number is: 56-65-27-4476. Miss you all!
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