Zeal

Imagine that you work from 8AM to 6PM from Monday through Saturday. On Monday and Friday nights you attend Bible study at church. On Wednesday night you go to choir practice. On Sunday morning you attend worship service. What would you do on Sunday afternoons?


Recently, I was invited to accompany a friend, who is a member of the Moca congregation, on her Sunday outing who actually has this as her weekly schedule. We did not go out for coffee. We didn't see a movie. We didn't go to visit her family. Instead, she took me to a different area of the city I had not previously seen. The roads were not paved and most of the homes were made of wood with tin roofs. We visited two homes where I was able to participate in three different classes, two with adults and one with a group of teenage girls.


After working all week, this young lady dedicates Sunday afternoon to carrying the good news of the gospel to families who have not heard the message of free forgiveness. It was a wonderful thing to witness and a tremendous motivation to continue working for the Lord.


After a long week working as a secretary, her only free afternoon is spent teaching others about their Savior. The Holy Spirit has motivated her to share the gospel with others so He can create faith in their hearts. Thank you Lord for such zeal. May He work the same in me!

Baptisms, January 2011

What thoughts went through your mind when you held your firstborn for the first time? While your heart brimmed over with joy and contentment at seeing your child for the first time, what were you thinking? Didn't you promise yourself that you would do everything in your power to protect this new life from any harm? Wouldn't you face any enemy, stand in front of a speeding train, tear out your heart to protect your child?

While you were promising yourself to dedicate all your efforts to protect this new life, were you also promising yourself that you would baptize your child as soon as possible, that you would have daily family devotions to feed that faith and that you would faithfully bring this child to church to strengthen that faith?

With questions such as these, Pastor Alex encouraged his congregation to keep their focus on the spiritual welfare of their children. The physical things have their importance in the life and development of the child but the spiritual blessings carry an eternal promise. His message was directed especially to the parents of the two families who brought their children to be baptized today: Laura, 9 days old and Alexander, 3 yrs.

Praise and thanks be to God who continues to work faith in the hearts of those who hear His Word. Today, according to His promise, a child of 9 days and another 3 years of age, received the gift of forgiveness and faith. We rejoice with the angels.

Promises

Do you promise to remain faithful to the teachings of the Scriptures? I do.
Do you promise to support to work of the church with your time, talents and treasures? I do.

With promises such as these two new members were received into fellowship in the Moca congregation. It was a wonderful way to start the new year and there was much rejoicing among the other members of the congregation.

As we were rejoicing over the work of the Holy Spirit in creating and sustaining faith in these new members, someone tapped me on the shoulder and pulled me aside to tell me that their spouse had been unfaithful.

Do you promise to love and cherish..? I do
Do you promise to remain faithful and to forsake all others? I do.

Promises, when given produce much joy for the person who receives the pledge. But when promises are broken many hearts are crushed and lives thrown into disarray and sadness. How easy it is for us to move closer and closer to the "gray" areas of sin, so that when the prowling Satan attacks all he has to do is "pounce" and those promises easily become broken marriages and delinquent members. Satan doesn't have to run us down because we are already so comfortable dancing around in the gray areas.

There is someone who keeps all his promises. Someone who runs after us, seeks us out, calls us - our Savior. When we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. He keeps all His promises. And when we are unfaithful - He forgives.

Promises, promises. May He give us the strength to remain faithful to the promises we have given. May we always rejoice in Him - the only one who always remains faithful. With Jesus, a promise given is a promise kept.

Dec. 31, 2010

A large crowd of over 100 people gathered at the Moca church on New Year's Eve for a worship celebration of all the blessings the congregation has received in the past year. Among the many blessings listed by Pastor Alex were moving into the new building, the numerous baptisms and confirmations, the increase in attendance, greater participation by the members in evangelism. These were a few of the many bounties God has showered on us in this past year.


The evening continued with a drama presented by the children and the Sunday School teacher. A brief re-enactment of the Christmas story (with just a few giggles) was very well done and immensely appreciated by the audience. The Sunday School teacher had also taught the children a song with movements that they presented at the end of the drama.


All of the adults were involved in the following activity which was a sort of Bible trivia. Someone from the audience was picked and asked to answer a Bible based question and then this person would choose the next person to play the game. Everyone was very enthused and enjoyed the game very much.

The evening finished with the traditional holiday meal of rice, lechon (roasted pork), potato salad and yuca. The thirty pounds of rice was barely enough to feed the entire crowd!

At midnight, everyone wished each other the Lord's richest blessings for the coming year.
Que Dios le bendiga y le prospere.

Christmas 2010, Santiago

Roast pork, seasoned chicken, rice, pasteles, salad, Christmas bread...just a few of the delicious foods that fill your plate at a typical Dominican Christmas meal. Many families prepare their own meat or you can buy it on any street corner during the Christmas-New Year holiday season.

Telara bread is also only prepared and sold at Christmas time. This is a traditional bread that accompanies the holiday meal and is available only at this time of the year. On Christmas eve, it also is sold on every street corner.


After the main meal, candies, raisins and apples are enjoyed along with holiday punch.


The main Christmas celebration is usually held on Christmas Eve beginning with the traditional meal that is usually eaten with family members. Family members spend the evening together and gifts are exchanged and opened. At midnight fireworks are set off to announce the arrival of Christmas day.