March 30

Aguadilla Bay in our home town

Good afternoon. Since my last blog I have traveled to TN and SC for a short two week furlough. Several years ago I began doing these two week stints instead of one lasting several months. It has worked out well. There are several amply qualified people in the church who take over for me in my absence in order that the church goes unaffected. Plus, I do not have to be gone too long from Mary who works at the University of Puerto Rico and cannot travel with me this time of the year.

I want to thank several people who made the furlough possible. The kind folk at Northside Christian Church in Walterboro, SC were warm and generous in their reception and hospitality. I was delighted to be able to preach and talk about the church here in Aguadilla.

And certainly, I found the same warmth at Farragut Christian Church in Knoxville, TN as well as the Christian Church in Madisonville, TN. Several people in these congregations have been friends for over forty years. I was touched to hear them reaffirm their enduring ties and that they were praying for Mary and I.

Uncles, cousins, sister and brother-in-law. What a blessing!

I also had the privilege to go to Mountain City, TN with my sister and brother-in-law and visit with some of my cousins as well as a couple of my uncles. It was a short one-day trip but delightful none the less. My thanks to my cousin Joan and her husband John Payne for their hospitality.

Finally, during the first week in the States I stayed on campus at Johnson University, which provided excellent housing for me. I am grateful. My brother and sister-in-law teach at Johnson and so I took every advantage to spend time with them and visit with several friends who work there as well. The second week I stayed with my sister and brother-in-law in Cleveland, TN. They always do all they can to make my stay special.

On to other things; this coming Friday is Good Friday. It is the BIG DAY in the Christian calendar in Latin America. I fully expect to have a full house if not an overflow crowd. I'll post pictures with details of the event the next time I blog.

Until next time.

Johnathan Reece
Puerto Rico Mission