Mom the missionary day 2

Dear all-

It is Sunday evening and we have had an incredibly full day. It started early.... We had breakfast at 7:00 and left for the Cathedral of Leon for mass. It was way cool. The cathedral was wide open and you could hear the sounds from the street mingling with the sounds of worship. It was odd, too, that there was so much going on during the worship. People just wandered in off the street; a man walked in with his bicycle and young daughter; another man (looked to be homeless?) walked down the center aisle muttering to himself and headed right out the door; a janitor mopped the marble floor during the service. It was quite unusual. But with all that going on, there was a tremendous sense of reverence and worship. The people there were intent on their God and the distractions didn't seem to phase them.... I bet God likes that. =-)



After the Catholic service we boarded the bus and went straight to the small Methodist church in the barrio right near El Ayudante. The pastor there was so glad to see us and said he remembered Robbie and me. He welcomed us all with great hospitality. The worship service was so sweet. There were several young people helping lead worship this time. Last year, it was just the pastor and one young lady singing. This year, there were about five to six young teenage girls who sang, read scripture, danced, etc. That shows the growth of the church. I'm glad the church is thriving. We went with the children when they left for children's Sunday School. The teachers (again, teenage girls) told the story of Daniel in the lion's den. We served juice and cookies to about 120 kids. It was amazing!



These two groups of people truly worshipped this morning. They had no hymnals or projected song lyrics. They sang from their hearts and souls. They worship with their whole being. There are lessons to be learned here. Also, I was again struck by how big our God is... all around our world this morning people joined together in worship. The pastor of the Methodist church even spoke to that. He said that no matter where we come from, where we live, etc. we are bound in unity through our faith in God. I like that thought. There is great comfort there.



This afternoon we took several kids from the center to see the movie, Ice Age 3. It was fun, though the movie was in Spanish with no English subtitles. You'd be surprised how much you can figure out from just watching an animated movie! After the movie, we all had dinner together because many will be leaving tomorrow and going to their homes or extended family. School is out here next week and the Ministry of Family likes them to maintain the family connection. They will be gone until Saturday. Bill said that they will be sent home with a week's worth of groceries to ensure that they are fed while they are away. Some, however, don't have homes to go to so they will remain here.



I told you this morning that I would let you know about Dina. I saw her last night when we went over to the kids' house. I called her name and she turned around and grinned. I know she didn't remember me, but she came to me and hugged me. She took me by the hand and wanted me to lay on the floor with her and watch Cinderella. It was sweet. We then went outside and played a while. She has really grown and seems to be doing well. We saw her again this afternoon for dinner. We ate dinner together and enjoyed playing.



Some random thoughts.... On our way to El Ayudante we passed over a stream and there were three young men bathing in the water. Also, with all our differences, we are all still so very much alike. There are mothers worried about feeding their children; there are families going to the movies; there are kids who are scared of the dark....



Tomorrow we will go into the barrio that nearly took us to our knees last year. Carey, Allen and I will do the lesson about Noah's Ark. We have lots of games to play with the kids and activities that go along with the story. We were to plan for 75 kids. We'll see. If it's like last year, they just begin to appear from nowhere! Then in the afternoon, we will take the teen girls shopping for things for their new home. It will be fun.



Please continue to pray that we are all open to God's direction and that the work we do here this week will be meaningful to the people we meet and to us, as well. (Not to mention worthy in God's eyes...)



Blessings to all-

D'Leigh