December 17, 2018

It is almost here...Christmas. After last year and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria with no water or lights, the island is lit up and the stores are full, getting ready for Christmas the 24th, 25th and Three Kings, the 6th of January. I have seen homes decorated since October. As for Mary and I, we are decorated to the nines. Mary enjoys all of that particularly...me too!

The church has been busy in many ways. As always, it has been involved, looking beyond its walls, trying to live love and not just preach it. After all, we are the hands and feet of Christ in a sense.  Let me explain with some details:

Children's hospital visit

 1.  Last month, around Thanksgiving, in addition to using money from the general fund, the church people in a special offering, donated $179.00 to buy gifts for hospitalized children and their parents who stay with the wee ones as is the tradition here in PR. Five of the church's finest headed up the event.

2.   Last Saturday, seven from the church, along with some guest musicians, presented a Christmas caroling event to an elderly retirement home run by the city of Mayagüez. Again we took up an offering to leave gifts with the care center to be used as the need arises.

Singing to the elderly

3. The church is planning ahead to summer and participating in a fund raiser for a missions trip project planned by our friend and colleague Santos Torres. Santos and I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic in June and among the projects will be an effort to supply school supplies for over two-hundred children. So, as a Christmas offering, many people are signing up to sponsor a child or two or even a family with a gift of $15.00, the amount of a bag of  groceries. So far the church is responding well to the appeal.

4. In an inter-denominational event, Amor in Acción (Love in Action), several church members donated clothing, time, and talent to reach out to hundreds of people of limited resources in our area. In addition, our church provided $150.00 in Bibles bought through Gideon's International. Santos Torres supervised this purchase and distribution.

Crew 288 feeding the under-privileged

5. Crew 288, a very active co-ed Scouts team, working under the sponsorship of our church, Iglesia Cristiana de Aguadilla, provided eighty meals last Saturday for the poor and homeless in downtown Aguadilla.

Although not an official event planned by the church leadership, I know of individuals who are helping the less fortunate among us, not only in the church but also in the community. Many in the church are generous.

IDES project: A new home

The IDES projects are proceeding well.  One of the homes started in August has been plastered inside and out. I was told the next step is the primer and then on with the floor, doors and windows and hook up the electricity. The other project, started in early October, is well under way. The family decided to add a second story as is pictured here. Imagine the blessing from no house and no money to a brand new house paid for by donors to IDES. I encourage donating to that organization.

Yes, that is a halo on Johnathan's head.  :-)))

Finally: Church events. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a fine dinner after church. Then, two weeks ago, we had a concert by a local musician who is fabulous, playing the "cuatro", a local stringed instrument. Our church's bass player helped out, as well as some of our church members who played some percussion instruments and sang in an improvised choir. It was as "down home" as you can get it. Lots of fun!

This Sunday a men's trio is coming in to play and sing. We will eat Christmas dinner after the service....all traditional food; roast pork, rice and pigeon peas and different types of salads and desserts.

The 30th we have a year in review planned; photos of what the church did in 2018. And finally, if I may include it here,we will have a Christmas play January 6, Three Kings Day. The "Kings" will show up and have candy for the kids and cake for everyone.

That catches the high lights. It has been a busy time since our last blog. Thanks for your friendship and interest in what we do. We are doing our best to practice the admonition of the Apostle Paul. "And whatsoever you do, do it with all your might as unto the Lord and not unto men."  So we lived in 2018 and intend to live in 2019, with God's help.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!