Praise the Lord for making us into His vessels!
Today began with devotions over Acts 14:22 and a reminder of the fact that we will experience tribulation prior to enter God’s kingdom in order to be refined and made vessels of mercy led by Zoey. Following devotions we had scrambled eggs, meat, cheese, yogurt, and apples for breakfast and then we went to church here on the grounds.
It is always exciting to participate in worship here at Iglesia Bida Nobo. Worship songs this morning were in Dutch and English and the students were surprised at the number of worship songs the congregation sings. Despite the length, I know they enjoyed the upbeat nature of the songs as well as the enthusiasm of the worshippers. Pastor Thijm covered Acts 27 and 28. It was a fantastic message about trials and how we need to cling to the Lord and fix our eyes on Him through them all. People notice that Christians are different just like Paul’s captors, shipmates, and the natives of Malta saw that he was different and that God protected him and carried out His plan for Paul’s life through a series of trials. We were all struck how closely knit the message and our devotion this morning turned out to be. I love it when God makes things so abundantly clear! When the service was over, we spent time fellowshipping with member of the congregation and then got ready to head to the beach lunch and swimming.
Today we went to Kokomo Beach. The food was outstanding and the weather was perfect! We made reservations so we could sit right next to the side of the cliff where the iguanas live so I am sure you will see some entertaining iguana photos! After lunch we spent time snorkeling, swimming, and resting on the gorgeous beach while listening to the palm trees and waves. It was the perfect way to spend our day of rest and enjoy God’s great aquarium.
When we returned to the Youth Center it was time to shower quickly and then attend the International Church Service. The service tonight was probably closer to what most of our students are used to in the states (one hour total for worship, announcements, and message). Pastor Tim began a new series tonight called, “The Road to Easter”. He walked us all the way through the Old Testament highlighting many of the Heroes of the Faith. His emphasis was on the fact they all sinned but they acknowledged their sins, repented, and sought to be used by God despite the fact they were flawed individuals. We were also able to spend some time in fellowship after the service and then we had to head over to the kitchen as Jersley had dinner waiting for us.
We were treated to salad, roast chicken, couscous with a variety of vegetables, an amazing sauce, and ice cream for dessert. Due to all of the swimming this afternoon and the late dinner, the kids were famished and really appreciated the feast he prepared for them! Stuffed to the gills we cleaned up and then debriefed. As I write this, a couple of the girls are already asleep which is a good thing as we leave early in the am (6:55) for our service project at the elementary school.
It has been a wonderful Sabbath day and we are so blessed!
May God bless you all,
Lisa
Today began with devotions over Acts 14:22 and a reminder of the fact that we will experience tribulation prior to enter God’s kingdom in order to be refined and made vessels of mercy led by Zoey. Following devotions we had scrambled eggs, meat, cheese, yogurt, and apples for breakfast and then we went to church here on the grounds.
It is always exciting to participate in worship here at Iglesia Bida Nobo. Worship songs this morning were in Dutch and English and the students were surprised at the number of worship songs the congregation sings. Despite the length, I know they enjoyed the upbeat nature of the songs as well as the enthusiasm of the worshippers. Pastor Thijm covered Acts 27 and 28. It was a fantastic message about trials and how we need to cling to the Lord and fix our eyes on Him through them all. People notice that Christians are different just like Paul’s captors, shipmates, and the natives of Malta saw that he was different and that God protected him and carried out His plan for Paul’s life through a series of trials. We were all struck how closely knit the message and our devotion this morning turned out to be. I love it when God makes things so abundantly clear! When the service was over, we spent time fellowshipping with member of the congregation and then got ready to head to the beach lunch and swimming.
Today we went to Kokomo Beach. The food was outstanding and the weather was perfect! We made reservations so we could sit right next to the side of the cliff where the iguanas live so I am sure you will see some entertaining iguana photos! After lunch we spent time snorkeling, swimming, and resting on the gorgeous beach while listening to the palm trees and waves. It was the perfect way to spend our day of rest and enjoy God’s great aquarium.
When we returned to the Youth Center it was time to shower quickly and then attend the International Church Service. The service tonight was probably closer to what most of our students are used to in the states (one hour total for worship, announcements, and message). Pastor Tim began a new series tonight called, “The Road to Easter”. He walked us all the way through the Old Testament highlighting many of the Heroes of the Faith. His emphasis was on the fact they all sinned but they acknowledged their sins, repented, and sought to be used by God despite the fact they were flawed individuals. We were also able to spend some time in fellowship after the service and then we had to head over to the kitchen as Jersley had dinner waiting for us.
We were treated to salad, roast chicken, couscous with a variety of vegetables, an amazing sauce, and ice cream for dessert. Due to all of the swimming this afternoon and the late dinner, the kids were famished and really appreciated the feast he prepared for them! Stuffed to the gills we cleaned up and then debriefed. As I write this, a couple of the girls are already asleep which is a good thing as we leave early in the am (6:55) for our service project at the elementary school.
It has been a wonderful Sabbath day and we are so blessed!
May God bless you all,
Lisa