Thursday Night

Thursday morning John and our neighbor took our car to the mechanic to change some parts that needed replacement and to make an appointment to take it to the DMV check. The mechanic takes it for us, which is a lot better in many ways. The DMV is about an hour and a half from here, and we don't enjoy driving,  and it is better when a local mechanic takes it. They do a complete check up of the car, not just smog control, but the make sure that all the essential parts are working properly. We found out that every single car in the country has to change license plates by July 1st. The Post Office actually takes care of this. When John turned in his papers at the PO and showed his passport, the numbers did not match because we bought the car under the old passport and, as you know, in the US they give you a new passport number every time that it is renewed. Here in this country, you have a national ID number, which is the same number on your passport. It never changes. They don't know what to do about that. Bob, I hope you find John's old passport in our house, if we can't come up with the old, expired passport, we have to go to a lawyer here and get an affidavit. Another hassle!

The real excitement was last night. The plan was to go to the regular Thursday night service at our little town, which is better attended than Sunday mornings, and drive to the other town afterwards to the big, new church for the wedding rehearsal.  But, as it happens often in this country, there was a slight change in plans when we got to church. The pastor told us that they have been visiting a women with terminal cancer in town every night, and that she had accepted the Lord. He wanted all of us to go there and have the service at her house. It was just a couple of blocks away. We prayed and collected the offering and walked to the house. I though we were going to see an old woman, but she is in her thirties. We arrived to a very humble house with pictures of saints all over the tiny living room. She was lying on a small bed in the living room, just skin and bones and a huge stomach. Most of us stayed outside in the porch, since the place was already crowded with relatives. The pastor talked about when Jesus said "I am the door," and what that meant. Then we took another collection to help the family. She has a little eight-year-old boy and no husband. She seemed to sincerely believe in Jesus and was tracking with what the pastor was saying. It was a very sobering experience because from there we were going to practice for a wedding. John was reminded of Ecclesiastes when the Preacher says "There is a time to laugh and a time to cry."

There are 10 couples and four children involved in the wedding. The bride said that everybody involved in our Saturday Bible study wanted to participate, and it kept growing. They all got matching dresses and the works. What we thought was going to be an intimate affair with family and a few close friends has turned into a big event. This is also the pastor's first wedding ever, so everybody is a little nervous. The way they do it here, everybody enters the church and walks down the aisle, including the pastor. I am going to take a lot of pictures. We had a good time practicing! Yirardi's parents are in the wedding, of course. They told the pastor that they had to drive to the capital today for an MRI, I believe, but they would be back tonight. After the rehearsal, we all gathered around them and the pastor prayed for them again, and for the wedding on Saturday.  We got home at about eleven, and they had to get up at 3:00 am today!

Please pray for the Lord's blessing on this wedding, A lot of people who do not know the Lord will be there, and the pastor is going to present the Gospel. Pray for good weather. The reception is outdoors. Pray for all of of Christians to be a good witness in the community.

I still haven't been to the beach, but I know it is there! So, until next time...from the beach...