Good-Friday Morning!

I hope Internet stays active for at least a few minutes. I've been trying since 2:00 this morning to activate it, but it seems to be on vacation.

Yesterday afternoon I went with Steve and Kari and their pastor and visited two sites where churches are being planted in their district. There are about 40 who have been meeting in a private house-church. This is a humble tin building, and the family have moved their “parlor” things into the bedroom so that the living/dining room area can be used as a church.

The group is longing to build a chapel. We went to a site available about a block away, up the dirt road from their place. It is a very adequate house and yard. The land is about 60 feet wide and 150 deep, going from one street to another. It is an ideal place to expand the house into a church. They hope to make this a community center for various types of church outreach programs. The owner wanted US$25,000 but has dropped it to $24,000. We asked him where he would live then, if he sold it. He said he has another property and house that they could move into.

What an opportunity for church growth in that area!

The pastor took us by another place where they have the walls up, and need to put on a roof so that this other group can meet there also. There are so many needs down here, and the people so enthused and in love with the Lord and His remnant church.

The evening meeting went quite well. Traffic was very light on the road. People on vacation and other things besides work. We had a full house, meaning around 200 there.

At my site they will have a citywide workshop (or something) tomorrow afternoon with a Bible professor from our college in Costa Rica.

I will be preaching there in the morning, and will no doubt attend the meeting in the afternoon.

Well, the clock is ticking, and days running out for our stay here in Nicaragua. It has been, and continues to be, a wonderful experience. The Lord has been very good to all involved, both the visiting teams and the local brethren.

Harvey

Saturday, March 22, 2008 12:19 PM
Nicaragua-16

Plans do change from time to time. I had been invited out for dinner at the pastor's (at one time) but there was no follow-up. So my driver brought me back to the hotel. There are one or two others of our group who are also here, and we'll have lunch together. Others are at potlucks at their respective churches.

Last night's service went quite well. There was a good attendance. I spoke on the New Earth, and that is always a good topic, in my opinion.

On our way back we passed a procession, and then when we arrived at the hotel the Catholic church in front was just finishing its procession also, with the burial of an image of Christ. Somber marching music, etc.

This morning I went with Pastor Barr and Randy to the radio station (with the station manager). He did an interview with us about the meetings and our impressions of Nicaragua. During the session they also received a phone call from Panama, where there are more than 120 Nicaraguan Pathfinders and Master Guides at a big Camporee.

Sabbath School this morning began at 8:45. I heard once that preaching service was to end at 11:00. But not so. It went until 12:00. I promised I would not go until 1:00. I spoke on “God Interrogates Man,” a compilation of questions God posed directly to several Bible personalities. I will not preach it now, but will save it for some future edition.

It was sure neat yesterday afternoon when the principal of Sandia View Academy hooked me up with Skype [Internet phone service]. Amazing. Marvelous. I didn't want to take too much time from the professor as he walked me through the process. Modern technology is fabulous. Imagine talking anywhere in the world. Free. At most, two cents a minute.

Clock is ticking, and it won't be long until we're on our way “home.” Last night the church gave me a hammock. One problem is that the poles at the end are quite long, and I'm not sure how to handle the shipping back to the States. Will have to try to figure out something.

Well, I think that brings us sort of up to date. Won't have anything to tell when I get back, as you've heard it all already!

My friends from Montana, including Pastor Barr, want me to go up there for their camp meeting in late June. I promised we'd do our best to go. The lady from Pocatello, Idaho, wants me to go and speak to their Spanish group also. That's just up the road from Salt Lake City, and we might just take a run up there one of these weekends.

Harvey

Nicaragua email reports: March 2-3 | March 4-5 | March 6-8 | March 9-10 | March 11-12 | March 14-15 | March 16-17 | March 21-22 | March 23