August 10, 2022

Johnathan

I want to begin this blog by announcing that this month I will have been in Puerto Rico fifty years and Mary fifty-two. Mercy sakes! 

One last bit of data. Since we began publishing,  53,376 have visited the blog site. We are glad you are one of them. 

That said, good morning. Summer vacations are now a pleasant memory and school begins next week for most. I drove past several beaches Saturday and was surprised that they were relatively empty. I concluded many people were off to the malls to buy school uniforms and supplies. 

As summer ends, the peak of hurricane season takes off, from mid-August through mid-October. Non-perishable items such as batteries, lanterns, canned food, gasoline, and extra water are stockpiled, and extra cash is on hand in the event of a catastrophic storm such as Hurricane Maria in 2017.  This past Saturday our church offered a workshop on inexpensive long-term food storage. We had a nice turn out of sixteen. We are contemplating offering the workshop again but to the community. It is a way to care for our neighbor and let the town know who/where we are. 

Mary, the daughters-in-law
and granddaughter

Two weekends ago we had a church outing. It is the first church outing we have done in a long time due to the pandemic. We had a nice turnout. Thirty-five climbed on the bus for a trip to the other side of the island to eat roast pork and other delicacies at a place called Guavate, known for specialty foods. There was a lot of fun and laughter coming and going. Such events are wonderful ways to draw Christians closer and practice the teaching of Romans 12:10. We are to be “devoted to one another with mutual affection.” The GNB version says: “Love one another warmly as Christians…” 

I see that practiced here...not only on church outings. We also are quick to respond to people in need, especially to the church people, but not exclusively. In the last two months around a third of the church income was used to bless church members going through health and legal crises. We believe very much that the church should be known by the way we love one another. This Sunday a special offering is being taken to buy school supplies for families short on resources, so their children will have all they need to start the school year. 

The Jones

Toward the end of end of July, we had our first VBS in three years. Yep, you guessed it. COVID. We were blessed with a visit from a family of three, the Jones (pictured), from Robinson, IL. They took charge and ran the “show”. The kids had a great time. We also offered two handcraft workshops to the adults present. Several took advantage of the moment. They had a ball. 

This Sunday the youth are presenting a drama written by one of our worship leaders. The services lately have been very upbeat, and a positive spirit seems to pervade the service. We are anticipating good things in the coming months. Visitors continue to return each Sunday. That is positive isn’t it!  Well. I had better close. Blessings!

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Smiling faces on the church outing

Atlantic coast near Aguadilla