The light at the end of the tunnel

Well, it has been a long, hard week, but we are finally starting to come out of the haze of sadness that has seemed to envelope us from time to time this week. Thankfully, Scotty had much preparation for the sermon he preached this morning to keep him focused on God's Word and we had a flood of visitors, flowers, food, and over 150 emails to remind us that we were not alone in the suffering. My homework for ESI was to read, study, and meditate on Romans 5, in which Paul expresses his views on suffering- which leads us through the path to perserverance, character, and hope...a hope that does not disappoint. We hold on to this hope, through Jesus, knowing that God is ultimately good and works that good in our lives through all types of circumstances. We've found opportunities, even in tears, to share the hope we have with many around us. We can't even begin to thank all of you enough for the numerous prayers and words of encouragement that were sent our way- we felt your love and were confirmed by the community God has established in our lives, providing relationships that we depend on to help us push through and walk out our faith as a body.

Scotty was assigned the second of the 10 commandments to preach on at La Comunidad this morning. We prayed all week and he worked hard to prepare a message that hopefully transmitted this law as well as God's great love for us in desiring us to honor him above all other gods or images, knowing that He alone is great. Scotty did a fantastic job and I continue to be amazed by the abilities God has given him to communicate, even in a language that is not his own. We're looking forward to a week filled with prep for a church plant retreat we'll have next week, and enjoying various friends in the home as well as visiting others in their homes. Little by little, we see God opening doors for more relationships.