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| Our team, Dennis (far left), Pastor Juan Carlos and his wife. |
Amy Kuntz is the sister of Dave and she is on the trip with us. Amy is a great writer and Dave and I asked her to write the update for today. Here it is, enjoy!
This morning we piled into our fifteen-passenger van and crossed
the border from Texas into Mexico just like we have the past two mornings. But
today our agenda wasn’t to gather children in preparation for kid’s club or to
strap on tool belts to mud and tape drywall. This morning as we walked through
the doors of Iglesias Baptista Acuna we were greeted with the sounds of worship
music playing and smiling faces extending hands of welcome as locals gathered
for their Sunday church service. We took our seats front and center as we
waited with much anticipation and some curiosity about what the next couple of
hours would bring. As the praise
team took the stage and began singing songs in Spanish a very powerful thing
happened. The Spirit of God crossed barriers. Language. Cultural. Comfort
level. There we were smack dab in
the middle of a room full of people we couldn’t understand. Singing songs of
praise in a language we didn’t speak. The songs lyrics flashed across a screen
overhead and every now and then an easily recognizable word like hallelujah,
holy, freedom, and Christ is Lord would give us an aha moment. It was just
enough insight into the passionate praise we saw demonstrated around us as
young girls danced with ribbons at the front of the stage and women gathered in
the aisles with tambourines. Voices, hands, hearts and instruments were lifted
in sincere adoration to Jesus Christo. Different language. Different culture.
Different styles. Same God.
As the praise music ended, Pastor Juan Carlos took the stage
and began to preach in Spanish. His text for the sermon appeared on the screen.
The only part I could read was the reference. As I turned to 2 Corinthians I
was especially thankful for my English Bible and prayed that the Spirit would
teach through Pastor Juan and through His Word. Do you ever come across
passages of Scripture you know you have read before, but perhaps haven’t seen?
I mean like really seen. As the Pastor spoke on being content where you are and
living a life of thanks expressed through action, I found myself stuck on this
one verse found in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth.
I will most gladly
spend and be spent for your souls. 2 Corinthians 12:15
We do a lot of spending in the American culture. We spend our
money, time, thoughts, attention, energy and on and on. We are in the business
of spending and our spending does in fact keep us busy. But I think the really
challenge here from Paul is do we “spend” on what matters, ultimately people’s
souls? And do we do so “most gladly”? It’s often times easier to gladly spend
and be spent for souls when we are on mission trips. I mean isn’t that
ultimately why we are here? Of
course we are going to do that. Seven days. Check. Going home. But if we shrink
our lives and our mission down to that we are missing it. Jesus came for more,
He died for more and the abundant life in Christ offers us more.
So our mission here reminds us of our ultimate mission at
home, to reach beyond the barriers of culture and comfort level. To
intentionally spend ourselves on the things that last and to do so gladly for
the souls of those the Lord has placed in our path today.
We are so grateful to you for your prayers towards us as we
minister in Acuna. Tomorrow we return to kid’s club and construction. We have
two full days of ministry left. Please pray for strength, rest and the health
of the team and for the gospel to continue to go forth in all of our efforts
here. We are thrilled at the
relationships the Lord is allowing us to build this week and we can’t wait to
see what future ministry will look like here.
Blessings to you today.
Amy
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