God's Word is the same in any language!
All morning during church, I couldn't help but think about Crew and how much I miss worshipping with ya'll! The church service I attended this morning was far from the usual service we would have at Crew. For starters, the lady I sat next to was breastfeeding her baby during the entire worship time! Kids were running in and out, asking parents for money so they could go buy a popsicle down the street. Oh, and to point out the obvious, it was all in Spanish! However, there were many things that our churches have in common.We sang and praised God in very much the same way, except, as I pointed out, in Spanish. We were taught from God's Word, the same Word Crew is taught from every week. And, we had a baptism service that was not the usual for churches in the States. (Kinda like our swimming pool baptism!)
After church, we all loaded up into a big truck like cattle to drive down to the river where four new believers wanted to publically share their faith. As we neared the river, I could see people jumping off rocks and swimming with their family and friends. We all unloaded from the truck and the pastor pulled out his guitar. As we began singing, the divers and swimmers started paying a little more attention to us, noticing something big was about to happen.One by one, the people who were going to be baptized shared their stories of how they came to know Christ. We sang some more as they walked down into the river. Wow! I can't
even explain what an awesome experience this was. To see these people so publically share their faith. It's one thing to get baptized in front of your church. It's an entirely different thing to get baptized in front of a bunch of strangers at a river. What amazing faith!
So, as you can see, my experiences here on Sunday morning are far from traditional. But, the thing that amazes me the most and keeps me going back is God's Word. It's just as much the same here, taught in Spanish, as it is at Crew, in English. I am SO thankful to God for His never changing Word!
posted by Beth Patton at
7:05 PM
3 Comments:
Awesome blog Beth. We miss you too. In fact this morning, outside of our room at Corbly, a gal was getting some coffee and from the side she looked like you. I took a double take and thought of you.
"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever, and ever. Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12)
You are in my prayers, Beth. Thank you for sharing your life and your faith with others! It is inspiring to be able to see first hand via the internet what you are experiencing and feeling. Thank you for your faithfulness. We miss you here in my classroom but know that you are in the center of God's will for your life and the lives of those children and people you are working with. Love you! Karen Dailey
I remember when we used to swim down there in the "baptistry" and jump off those rocks.
Sunny and I can't wait to visit with you in the Spring!
I'm proud of you, Missionary Beth! :)
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