The other board member, Andrew Crider, was to fly today to be here for the weekend, but he has tested positive for Covid, so he is unable. We’re disappointed he isn’t able to visit, but we are most disappointed about what his not coming means for the church here.
We were looking forward to a service this Sunday to officially recognize the church here, to receive the workers as members, and to appoint a leader. We have been without a pastor since Lamar has been away.
But that now cannot happen without the other board member. It felt like we finally had some momentum and were looking forward to growth as a group, but now it feels like we just hit another wall.
I spent the afternoon yesterday letting people know the service was canceled. We had a large group planning to come celebrate that milestone with us. That was hard to do.
I then talked with everyone here. They were all discouraged, but I think we managed to encourage each other. We will keep sharing the gospel even without an official recognition from the States, and we will pray for a leader for the group here.
I honestly think the rest of the group is more willing to keep on pushing forward than I am. I confess to feeling a deeper discouragement and sense of hopelessness in the face of the barrage of recent disappointments.
I know all the platitudes. I know the joy of the Lord is my strength, everything is in God’s hands, His timing is not my timing, and so on. But I can know that and believe it and still feel sad at the same time, I’ve found.
But, we just do the next right thing we know to do today. We’re looking forward to passing out tracts again as a group. I’m praying for an opportunity to talk with someone today about Jesus. That always lifts my spirits.
Juan David 