Puerto Rico Mission

Feliz Navidad…Merry Christmas. A lot of energy is required to keep going…energy that at times seems hard to find 😊. Christmas is a busy time of the year! Before going forward let's back up to Thanksgiving, to the Sunday before. We invited three churches to travel and meet with us for the morning service. It had been years since something like this was done. It was a beautiful day. We had 90+ of our own and thirty-two guests for an attendance of over 130, an overflow crowd. There was good music, good preaching, and the day was completed by a scrumptious meal prepared by our men and women.

The following Sunday we had our annual ministries presentation. There are nineteen ways for people to become involved in the church, using their gifts and natural abilities to bless others and enrich the church. Like last year we had 90% of the church sign up to serve in one or even several ministries. It is encouraging to see the willingness of the people to plug in and bless others.

Last Sunday was a delight. A lady in our church years ago moved to the States. Recently she moved back and began attending the church services. She asked if she could be baptized to which of course I consented. Smiles and tears filled the faces of everyone. Also last Sunday one of the church members announced he was declared cancer free. The church broke out in an applause and spontaneous song. It was a beautiful moment.

Last Wednesday, we hosted a guest speaker from Honduras. He is Puerto Rican but has lived in Honduras for over 30 years. Those present enjoyed his presentation. He had asked for $80.00 to buy a mattress. We gave him $100.00 and prayers and blessings at the end of the service. Also, recently we gave one of our church members $400.00 to travel to the Dominican Republic to participate in a mission trip.

Last Saturday, the 7th, there was to be a wedding reenactment for a friend of one of the church members. Much to our surprise the event was a surprise party for Mary and me as we near our 50th anniversary mark this month. It was a beautiful event. So much time and effort were expended to prepare the meal, decorations, and invitations. Around sixty were there to celebrate with us. It was quite a moment, far beyond what Mary and I had ever suspected.

Coming up are two events. This coming Sunday, the 15th, we will enjoy a concert presenting traditional Christmas music with traditional instruments. The group, great musicians, has played for us on multiple occasions. I am sure this year will be equally delightful. The following Sunday, the 22nd, our drama team will present a Christmas drama written by one of our church leaders. The service will be consummated with a traditional dinner plus candy for everyone.

This will be the last of the monthly newsletters. Although we will continue to live and minister in Puerto Rico, we will no longer be under mission support. So, we will discontinue our monthly printed newsletters. We still intend to put up information about our ministry in PR but via our blog page but less frequently. We will provide a link via Johnathan's FaceBook page: Johnathan Reece. Blessings!

Johnathan and Mary Reece……Missionaries to Puerto Rico

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Hi everyone. I know almost all of you have transitioned from summer to fall with winter approaching. Finally
fall/winter is knocking at the door in PR. We had countless days where the heat index marked over 100 degrees
and everyone complained of the heat. Then the change of season finally began with the fall rains. Our rainiest month is October followed by November. Just a day or so ago one of our friends said that in the last 45 days…October to mid-November 26 inches of rain had fallen. So, this past week we have been drying out…fighting mud everywhere. Well, enough about weather…
There were a couple of events in October and November. First was Pastors' Day. October 20 was a Sunday in which the elders/pastors of the church were recognized. Our church has four elders/pastors; each, godly men who ably carry out their duties. All can and do teach if asked and perform a variety of duties and of course "call the shots" for the church. Their wives are also godly women and live out their faith and are examples for all the people in the congregation. This year our guest speaker had to cancel for health reasons, so they asked the wives to speak about the spiritual dimension/life of their husbands. Part of the program including gift-giving to these leaders. Afterwards everyone enjoyed a great dinner prepared by the church members. Nothing was left to be desired. It was a beautiful day

Moving into November, we hosted a concert presented to our church by the Aguadilla Municipal choir. Mary and I, as well as another church member, are members of that choir. I was a little concerned about attendance because of the abundance of rain that had fallen; but the church did their job, showed up, invited others and enjoyed a great concert of culturally oriented music. Some Christmas music crowned and closed the program. After the service we had refreshments for everyone. The choir was delighted with the reception of the church for the concert.
Then, this past Sunday we began preparing for 2025. As in past years, we have presented all the ways people can become involved in our congregation. Out goal is to have 100% participation although most of the time we hit about 90%. There are twenty ways to bless other people in the church. Although none of the job opportunities are too time consuming, if just a few had to do all that is involved in running a church it would be a very time-consuming task.

Looking on to this coming Sunday, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with a joint service from three other congregations plus ourselves. We are preparing for one-hundred and twenty mouths to feed. It should be a great day for all who attend! The day includes a guest speaker, dinner after the service and a great worship service.