Puerto Rico Mission: November 17, 2024

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.