Two post in one day

Loaded up Carlos in the new improved Kia and headed up to Los Cañas de Lenaca to preach and hand out Christmas Shoeboxes. As always it was a full house of kids. It was a difficult service because one church family lost their 14 year old daughter a few days ago. Gracella got a fever, sick and died in just a couple of days. She had been faithful in church for several years and had a testimony of salvation from a few years ago. (I found a picture of her standing for salvation I believe a while back.) Carlos and I kinda tag teamed on preaching He started I butted in and he finished but in all it was good.
As we handed out the gifts its funny some kids just really tug at your heart. One little girl was wearing an old blue tee shirt. That’s it, with holes all over it and it was as dirty as she was. She took the gift cautiously walked over to the edge opened it just and beamed in smiles. Another child sheepishly said thank you. As she passed the aroma was strong. She had not bathed in a while. Likely her family does not have the water to spare as we are in a dry season and even rivers are drying up. When we left we visited the mother of Gracella. She was laying on her daughter’s bed in a mud hut mourning with old rags covering her head. She raised up to hug me and we prayed. I tried to comfort her but it was for not. I did give her the present that would have went to her daughter who was still on our list. And she thanked us for coming. Then a horn started blaring because the kia was blocking the road for a workers truck to pass by dropping off sugar cane laborers.

Carlos talked to me on the way back about many things. He is worried about his car because a new regular taxi inspection is going to start and he knows his will not pass the new rules without some major repairs. It is his lively hood and since he started preaching as a Baptist pastor his family has kind of cut him off for help. They are all catholic. He is struggling, as are we, financially because his car breaks down frequently. It currently needs tires and body/frame repairs. Totaling over $1000 to fix it right. (Replace the body with good used one). He had to make a choice to fix his car (bandaid it) the other day to keep it running and money coming in or pay his electric…He now has no electric and his daughter has a medical need to see a doctor. One better than the public hospital who told him to change the milk she drinks buy a special milk in his pharmacy and it will solve her problem… it did not. If anyone is in a position to help in some way let me know. I know he would be humbled by any amount of help.
Always in need of prayer...


Barry