Greetings brothers and sisters, loved by God and called to be saints!
Just introducing myself. My name is Pastor Shiloh Monday, WELS Missionary to the Dominican Republic. I've been mentioned in some of our previous posts, but have not posted until now. Consider me now blogged on.
Let me also introduce my family: my wife Molly and our three children, Samuel (3 1/2), Sophia (1 1/2), and Santiago (1 1/2 months). (You can find pictures of us in previous posts, or follow my profile link to the right.)
We have lived and served in Santiago for nearly four years now, and though many circumstances have changed here in that short time, our mission has remained the same: to uncover the gleaming treasure of Christ in the deathly darkness of sin.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6,7)
The darkness found in the DR is not essentially any different than the darkness that at one time was in your own heart or the darkness that still hangs over many people in your particular spot on the globe. It is the darkness of groping about day after day, unaware that the sins we commit offend God and condemn us, yet strangely aware that we are guilty creatures disconnected from our Creator.
We have lived and served in Santiago for nearly four years now, and though many circumstances have changed here in that short time, our mission has remained the same: to uncover the gleaming treasure of Christ in the deathly darkness of sin.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6,7)The darkness found in the DR is not essentially any different than the darkness that at one time was in your own heart or the darkness that still hangs over many people in your particular spot on the globe. It is the darkness of groping about day after day, unaware that the sins we commit offend God and condemn us, yet strangely aware that we are guilty creatures disconnected from our Creator.
The gleaming treasure that dispels this darkness is not any different either: simply, Christ, the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the sin of the world who gives forgiveness, eternal life and salvation to all who believe in him.
We who uncover this treasure here are no different from you either, brothers and sisters, or from Paul or Luther or any other of our spiritual ancestors. We are jars of clay holding the most precious treasure.
God bless our humble efforts to let the saving light of Christ shine out of these clay vessels. Out of yours and mine.
Grace and Peace!
Pastor Shiloh
Posts
Do you have any songs in Spanish we could use in a worship setting, such as Jesus Loves Me? Missionary Monday will be presenting and we would like to use some music.
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Yes, I'll gladly send you the translation for some popular hymns. Email me directly at *newagen@hotmail.com* and we can communicate better :-)
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