El Carrizo

Do you know who the baby is in the picture, Dr. Juan?

Santa Marta and the Sharefish Library

Sunday Worship at Iglesia Bautista Huerto Getsemany

The Pastor's broad smile and way with the kids; our team singing "Alabare", the song Egla taught us this week; presenting the Pastor his new study Bible from the team; Egla leading the children as they sang the songs she taught them this week including "God Is So Good" in English and Spanish; doing the chicken dance with the Pastor as the kids and adults roared with laughter; Dudley's powerful preaching; Tom and Egla's beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace" in Spanish and English; laughter, joy, fellowship, hugs, tears and the moving of the Spirit --- Worship!

Saul: The First King of Israel

We did not meet him until Saturday. He walked up with Nelson, the Sunday School teacher. He had a hat pulled down on his head. He was quiet and soft spoken. He picked up a shovel and started helping mix concreto. You could tell he was not as physically strong as the others --- he even made a joke about it --- but he worked just as hard. He was at first shy and soft spoken, and when Steve asked him his name, Steve could not make out what he was saying and so asked again. This time he answered more forcefully and said in perfect English, "Saul --- like the first king of Israel." A short while later he began to sing in a quiet but beautiful tenor voice Casting Crown's "Because of Jesus" in English. As the day went on he played gently with the children, worked hard, laughed and played with the other workers as they mixed the concrete. He quoted scripture, talked about how he learned English, a little in school, mostly by reading, and by listening to American music, including contemporary Christian music. We discovered he, like Nelson, with whom he was obviously a close friend, taught Sunday School. Steve shared at devotion Friday night how he had been touched by this young man and the song he had sung, and we read the words to the song.

Then came Sunday morning. As people were still filing in to the worship service, Nelson and three other young men took up their instruments and began to play. One young man whom we had not met began to sing with a beautiful voice. Those who were already there, including us, began to worship. After the first song, the young man who had sung moved to the piano and began to play and in walked Saul. He had no hat but a full head of hair meticulously styled. He was no longer shy as he stepped confidently to the stage with a broad smile. He picked up the microphone and began to sing, and boy could he sing. Now his voice rang out as he led worship and sang in Spanish an American praise song, "Because He Lives", Latin American contemporary Christian songs, and more traditional North American and Latin American hymns and songs of worship. He lifted up our our hearts and minds to God as all of us, Americanos, Honduran children and adults, clapped and sang with him (when we could), accompanied by the driving beat of Nelson's bass playing and the rest of the excellent praise band. They had graciously invited Bob to join them, and Bob played his guitar with them forcefully and rapidly with a huge smile on his face. Together we made a joyful noise to the Lord, as talked about in the Psalms of David, the second king of Israel. The spirit moved and we worshiped excitedly our true King together.

We are amazed every time we come to this poor country how God is working here, through young, talented committed Christians like Nelson, Egla, and Saul. We are honored and humbled to meet them, work with them, serve with them and worship with them.

Jill, This Is How Bryan Deserves to Be Treated Everyday!

He is a special guy, and we treat him special. We thought the fresh cut flowers were an especially nice touch.

(This ad was paid for by Bryan Simpson)

Our Helpers!

These young men mixed and hauled our mezcla and concreto all week, backbreaking work, with smiles, high fives, hugs, songs, and laughter. We could not have done it without them. Today we worshiped joyfully with them. God bless them all.

Pastor G!

Pastor G is the man with the hat. Pastor G is the man with the million dollar smile. Pastor G is the new construction site coordinator for all of the Baptist Men construction teams. Pastor G speaks almost no English, but the two English words he knows and uses best are: "No problem." Pastor G can look at a mess made by a foolish gringo who thought he knew what he was doing, and with a hug, a smile, a "no problem" and a fast and efficient demonstration teach a new way of doing things and quietly, joyously fix the problem and put the gringo back to work. When we leave Colonias Unidas we will have built the walls, doors and windows of a substantial, two room block Sunday School building. But the work we will have done will have been better, easier, and more fun because of a little man with a big hat, a big smile and a big love for his God. We have been blessed, led and taught by Pastor G and we thank God for him.