Author of Today’s Post is Karie
Pastor Chris had the opportunity to share with church leaders about how Resurrection practices radical hospitality and how the church in Ciudad might take some of those practices and implement them. He emphasized the concept of the outwardly focused church and welcoming the stranger…and concept I am absolutely certain was not new to them…and there were great points about who we are as the Church (with a capital C) – one body with many parts. There was even a fun and crazy version of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to drive home the point, and it was definitely memorable to see all the adults perform the popular song as the kids had done earlier in the week. Chris made sure to let everyone know it was okay if they couldn’t quite reach their toes.
Following the talk on hospitality, the team was blessed with Pastor Hector’s testimony. We sat in a circle in the sanctuary and listened with rapt attention to the story about how he came to be pastor at the Iglesia Metodista del Cristo Resucitado in Ciudad this past year. It was a breathtaking account of his interaction with the gangs in the neighborhood of his previous church, overcoming the preconception that his young age would be a barrier to transforming the church through the gospel, and his consternation when he learned that he would be reappointed to the church in Ciudad. He has taken on his new appointment with the gusto and energy of only someone who is passionate and wholly believes in the transformative power of the gospel – and with the vigor that only someone with his youthful energy could muster. Through his leadership, he will surely bring new dynamism, and he has already exhibited his commitment to an outwardly focused direction when he directed creation of the Love Baskets our team delivered in the Ciudad community this week. It will be exciting to watch how Pastor Hector’s presence impacts the church in Ciudad Espana.
The team is doing well, and we will be having our Celebration dinner at the Patio tonight, along with the RezLife team and all the staff that worked side-by-side with us this week. The staff have exemplified hospitality in so many ways while we have been here, and now we get to celebrate them and our time here. We are looking forward to a little fun and light-hearted revelry as we break bread together and seal the bonds we’ve formed on this trip. Tomorrow we leave, but we have formed a special relationship with our brothers and sisters in Honduras. There is already talk about when we each plan to return.
Hasta la proxima vez! Until next time!