Roger's Birthday

There is a couple that lives at the end of the street where the Friday night Mallasilla Bible study is held. The wife, Cecilla, is Bolivian and her husband, Roger, is an American. Ceci comes frequently to the Bible study and although she is very open to what is discussed there, she has remained a professing Catholic and has yet convinced her husband to come with her. We ran into Ceci a week ago and she told us she was having a family birthday party for Roger and she wanted us and the Hursts to come. Until talking to Faith, I didn't realize that this party was just for close family, but how great an honor it was that we were included in that tight circle. We put on our Sunday best, actually better than that, baked some yummy (almost sinful) chocolate peanut butter bars for a little present, and drove over to their house last night around 8. I have to admit that when I walked in and saw her large, ornately decorated home and nicely dressed Bolivian family members sitting around sipping coke and whiskey, I felt a little out of place. The family continued to trickle in over the course of a couple hours and we had the chance to start getting to know Roger and many of Ceci's close relatives and friends. At one point, I was seated next to one of Ceci's brothers and having heard that we were evangelical missionaries he asked me, "So, what is the difference between what you guys believe and what us Catholics believe?" Whoa!! I stared blankly at him for a few seconds, trying to think how in the world I was going to answer this question intelligently, in Spanish, without 1)offending him; 2)making him feel like it was "us" against "them"; and 3)bumbling over myself as I did my best to share the gospel. Thankfully, God was not surprised by this question and was leading me through as we chatted. He was so open and frank with the little he believed about religion, not really being a practicing anything, just considering himself Catholic because that is the family background he came from. I was continually amazed at the leading questions he asked, giving me the opportunity to share the gospel clearly, explain how the Bible definitively states we are not saved by works but what Christ did for us on the cross, talk about how Mary was a mortal just like us who did sin (the Catholic church believes otherwise), that the Bible is the final authority on all spiritual matters, and the direct route we have to approach God through Jesus Christ. Wow! I invited this new friend to come to our church when we open last month and before leaving, he assured me he would be there. After we left, I found out that Scotty also had the chance to naturally share the gospel with the other brother he was talking to! And to think, I almost skipped out on the party because I didn't want to miss my ESI class... We continue to pray that God will give us more opportunities to spend time with Ceci and Roger. There is a natural connection to Roger because we are Americans, but I think a long way to go before he would be willing to attend anything church-like. What a privilege to share my hope in Christ!