The rest of the El Dorado AR team arrived Saturday afternoon. Everyone got settled and we had dinner and orientation. Sherry made lasagna, salad and cake for our dinner and we all enjoyed it very much!
Sunday was a blessed day with 4 church services in the morning and 4 in the evening. The services were full of worship and 8 people accepted the Lord. Most of the church bodies were filled with Christians. Everyone enjoyed the time with fellow Christians in each other’s languages.
We had a wonderful lunch of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. The mashed potatoes and plain corn kernels were something different for the cooks, but they did great. (they think we eat weird sometimes) We have finally convinced them that mashed potatoes are a huge side dish, like rice, and not something to serve by just a tablespoon amount. They made plenty of potatoes and we enjoyed them very much! I guess I talk a lot about the food, but it has improved so much since Sherry is here. Even the returning teams this summer have mentioned it. It’s an important thing for us!
The weather has been very hot and we’ve had some rain storms off and on. The rains wash streets and mud away and then it gets hot and humid again. Usually, when it storms, we lose electricity. Today we lost it a few times and when we got back from dinner, it’s still out. We really miss the fans during that time!
Today we did our first 2 Fiestas and 1 radio spot (advertising the Crusade). There were 109 salvations today at the Fiestas. The team did a good job with the drama and many of them got to go out street witnessing. It was really hot today. Not much of a breeze to speak of. We would get wringing wet just standing still. Our VOH team is pretty much used to it, and the visiting teams struggle with it, but they know that it is only temporary for them. It makes me think about the Nicaraguan people and how they live in tiny 1 or 2 room houses made of plastic or tin, or if they are lucky, concrete. There are few windows, if any, and very little ventilation. It must be stifling for their families to pile into those small, enclosed spaces with no fans. We are so spoiled. They are so strong.
This afternoon most of the team went into town for ice cream and shopping at the square. A couple of the guys and I stayed back at the team house. I was working on my Bible Study and they were just hanging out. When the power went out, it was too hot to stay in my room, so I went upstairs to set out on the veranda for the wonderful breeze. They guys had pulled mattresses out onto the floor and took naps. I settled into a rocker with my feet up on a chair and dozed off myself. I was facing right into the breeze from the ocean. It was a wonderful nap!
The team and all of VOH staff went to Suyapa for dinner. Everyone enjoyed it very much. Since this team is not going to have a Fun Day (they leave on Friday), this was a great time for them. They appreciated it very much.
We got home and the power is still off. We’re using flashlights to prepare for bed. I’ve got all the little windows and the big window by my bed open. I don’t get a breeze here in my room because of where it is situated in relation to the house, but it feels a little better getting the cooler air from after the rain. When I say cooler, I mean it’s still in the 70’s, but better than during the daytime.
Tomorrow we will have 2 more Fiestas, 1 radio spot, a Youth Conference during the morning and then the first night of the Crusade tomorrow night. It will be a pretty late night, since it takes over an hour to drive back home.
Wednesday will be the same, except for switching out a Woman’s Conference for the Youth Conference.
Then Thursday will be 2 Fiestas, 1 radio spot, Pastor/Leadership Conference, then feeding of 5,000 in afternoon and then the last night of the Crusade. That will be a very long day and then the team will get home late, pack their stuff and leave for the airport at 2:30am. They will be very tired! I told Haley that I would sleep for her. ☺
It’s only 8:20pm, but it’s dark and I think I’ll actually read and try to go to sleep early. Nothing else to do anyway. I can hear some of the team in the house singing. I’m sure that they are outside on the veranda where they can get a breeze. Hopefully, we’ll get power back on tonight so that we can have fans for sleeping later. But if not, we’ll make it. God keeps us humble and thankful for what He provides.
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