750 Beans in the Jar

Joseph came to Managua from North Carolina, leaving a wife and three darling little girls at home.  It was his third (at least) trip and we've had the pleasure to work with him all three times.  In order to help his girls understand why their dad is spending 8 days away from them, he and his wife came up with this idea.  A jar painted black is filled with beans.  Another jar (clear) is empty.  At the end of each day Joseph called home to tell the girls how many professions of faith were made . . . . and they moved the beans from the black jar (dead in their sin) to the clear jar (washed clean by the blood of Jesus.)  

We didn't get an update for the week before the team left, so I sent Joseph (and several others) the total.  This morning I got a FB message from Joseph which read, "750 beans in the jar!  Enjoyed serving along side Vida Nueva."

Praise the Lord for Joseph and the 40 others who invested a week sharing the gospel in Managua.  

Early Morning

One of the best things about retirement is not needing to use an alarm clock.  Since living in El Salvado we have adjusted to the 7/11 schedule--up at 7; bed at 11.  Only on rare occasions do we need to be up early (like today when the alarm sounded at 4:15 a.m.)  As we headed to the airport at 4:40, we passed groups of people standing along the side of the road waiting for the bus.  Some of them were children!  It is a reminder of the difficult life of most Salvadorans--their everyday routine means rising in the middle of the night, walking to the bus stop and waiting in the dark.  I remember that most of my students told me they got up by 5:00 a.m. on school days.  It is no wonder that the Awana night at our church is Friday because kids have to go to bed really early on school nights.

Although we will be in the states tonight and won't see it, many of those who were waiting this morning will be dropped off at the bus stop after dark tonight.  They will walk home, eat dinner, spend a little time with their kids and then fall into bed exhausted.  All the while, most are thankful to God that they have a job, food to eat and a roof over their heads.  They are very far removed from the soccer practices, karate lessons, organized sports, school and church activities, etc.that occupy so many of the evenings of the typical American family.  Here in El Salvador, for most, necessities take all their energy, but, overall, they are happy and even content.  Can the same be said for their average American family counterparts