August 15

One-day VBS/Summer camp

Good afternoon. Let’s catch up on Mary and me and the church in Aguadilla. From a personal note, normally I take Mondays off; but not yesterday. One of our church leaders and I had to replace a seal on a toilet in the ladies’ bathroom. We had been putting it off for some time since it was going to be somewhat involved. Starting at 8:00 AM we finished by 12:00 PM, closed the church doors and headed home. After lunch I hopped on the lawnmower and brought our yard and surrounding areas back to a presentable appearance and then began to trim the hedge. Finished up at 2:30 PM.  Humm, I don't think there was a part of my body that wasn't protesting. (Okay, enough! I will stop whining! 😄) Why share all this? Well, I wonder if it is ever considered what missionaries do apart from teaching, preaching, etc. There is a similar mundane side to life that must go on whether you live in the States or on a beautiful Caribbean island like PR. 

On to more interesting things: Since our last blog we got to touch base off and on throughout the week, with thirty from the Farragut Christian Church from Knoxville, TN. I have had links with this church since I was twenty years old! Although they made the trip under the supervision and plans made by Praying Pelican Missions, we had daily opportunities to interact with the team. It was nice to see some friends of many years as well as get to know others from the congregation. 

Baptized into Christ 

A couple of weeks ago I was privileged to baptize a husband and wife from the Dominican Republic. They were visiting the husband’s mom and requested to be baptized. Sweet moments!

Our summer one-day camp has come and gone. We want to express our thanks to the Jones family from Robinson, IL. They organized the teaching and handcrafts and our church provided snacks, lunch and an inflatable house and waterslide for recreation for a couple of hours. We were a little concerned about the attendance since so many of our couples with kids have moved out of the area. Yet we had (counting babies) nineteen kids and a matching number of adults. It turned out to be a good event.

Church outing

Speaking of events; the church enjoyed an outing Saturday, August 5. We traveled to San German, the second oldest town in PR that dates to the early 1500’s. It is the home to one of the oldest church building in the Americas.  We took in two museums, and two historical structures (church and chapel) hundreds of years old. It was a good day!

Two Sundays ago, August 6, we had a guest evangelist preach the Sunday service. He did a fine job and at the end of the service many people came forward for prayer and others rededicated their lives. 

Evangelist: Javier Ortiz

On to other bits of news… Four of our church family have moved away; a young couple to the southwest side of the island, one to San Juan and another to FL to continue studies to become a pharmacist. Turnovers are constantly an issue here in PR. As the people of PR look for better opportunities, many of them move away from Aguadilla and often to the US. I lose track of how many have moved to the US throughout the years.  Yet not all is “outflow”. One of our families had been absent for three months. But they were in church two Sundays ago with three-month old twins in their arms. They were presented formally to the entire church. It was a sweet moment and smiles were plastered on all our faces.

This Friday we have a special concert ready to go. We are sure the church will be blessed by the performance.

I think that covers the highlights. Blessings to all.    

Johnathan and Mary

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Click to expand the photos

Women monthly prayer group

Oldest chapel in the Americas: 

Porta Coeli: Built in 1609

Mary and I: 
Dinner out with friends

A few moments with the youth 

missions team and adults from the

Farragut Christian Church