March 27

Good morning. March is almost gone. It was a month of three major events for the Aguadilla church, the first being the church's thirtieth anniversary. The theme was the "Unconquerable Church". Our typical Sunday morning service was moved to 3:00 P.M. The celebration included a guest singer/violinist and a guest speaker from a church in the area. Afterwards, we enjoyed a dinner prepared by the church members. The attendance was one-hundred and fifteen.

Two weeks later, our youth enjoyed the first of two annual retreats. The entire weekend was centered around Romans 12:1-2, "...present your bodies as living sacrifices...and do not be conformed to the pattern of this world...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." We focused on issues that all youth face as they march toward adulthood and independence. The youth listened carefully to the teaching of the faculty, composed of seven of our church leaders. Mary and I did the cooking (Mary) and preaching (I) for the two night one day retreat. Twenty-four participated.

Last weekend was the third major event in the church calendar, Easter week. The biggest religious event all across the island is Good Friday, reflecting its Spanish Catholic heritage. Our building was filled to overflowing with at least one-hundred and thirty present for the service. Additional chairs were added to handle the crowd. This year our church presented a drama. Written by two of our church members, it portrayed seven events in the life of Christ, culminating with his resurrection. I counted participation by twenty-eight of our church members. Some acted while others built the scenery and made the costumes. It was the biggest production we have ever done.

Then, Easter  Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection with a sunrise service. One of our church members, Julio Irizarry, a former pastor, presented the message. We finished the morning with a breakfast prepared by several of the ladies. Later that morning I preached a message on the impact of the resurrection on the apostles' lives and by extension, ours. The attendance was good, one-hundred and six. Outside, the children hunted Easter eggs and enjoyed some candy...after we taught them the true meaning of Easter.

At the end of the service I was delighted to help an attendee of our church of several years with her baptism. It was a sweet time for us all.

Attendance has been good. Excluding Good Friday, since mid-February it has ranged from one-hundred and five to one-hundred and twenty-three. The highest attendance was in part due to a visit from a great team of students and coaches/leaders from Union University. They were here to do a service project under the supervision of Chad Mayes.

In spite of good attendances we still struggle to hold young couples. The economy is so bad that many all across the island are leaving for the States in search of job opportunities.We have lost four young families in the past twelve months. Nevertheless, God is in control of all things including his congregation of believers in Aguadilla, PR. By faith we move forward with the goal of expanding the building. The church now has $32,000.00 in a building fund. We truly need the space.

I could speak of the Benevolence Ministry's visit to a local hospital, or the attempt to form a men's organization at the church or perhaps what all fifteen ministries at the church are doing. But  I better stop. Don't you agree?  Blessings!