FULL OF JOY!!!!!!

It has been a little over a year and a half since we have been here in Baños del Inca.  One of the first things that the Lord brought to our attention was the fact that many of the fathers are absent in the lives of their children.  The Lord put on our hearts to start a kids outreach and to love on the kids and show them they have a Father who loves them and sent His Son to die for them.

We started just by going out in the street in front of our house and playing with the kids.  This opened many doors and people would always stare at us.  Very, Very rarely would you ever see a father playing with his kids.  So people would stare and wonder what is this gringo doing.  The kids loved it though.

Across the street is the first family where we realized that the father was absent.  We were told that he travels around and it broke our hearts.  We loved the 2 boys in this house.  Since we started the church, the boys never came to sunday school until a couple weeks ago.  It was such a huge blessing and encouragement for us to have them.  The mother or father or anyone else in the house doesn't come, but we are over joyed that these boys are beginning to come.

The reason though that today I am full of joy is because this afternoon after church, I was resting on the couch while my two little ones napped and Annyka my oldest was watching a movie.  I heard laughing and playing outside.  So I got up and looked, and to my delight, the father of the two boys across the street was outside playing and having fun with them.  They were having so much fun.  Genuine laughter was coming from them, both the boys and the father!  They were all kicking the ball around and just plain goofing around.  It brought so much joy to my life to see this.

I can only pray that this continues and it will become contagious and other fathers in our neighborhood will start to play with their boys.  Please be praying for this.  Also pray every tuesday at 3 PM eastern time as we go into the street and play with the kids.  Pray that some of the fathers would join us and that it would cause a great impact in the lives here in Baños!!!!!!

Follow Me!!!!!

In Mark Chapter 1 verses 16-20 we see Jesus seek out 4 fisherman......Jesus issues a call......He doesn't give any more details......He says follow me......And the response of these men is they immediately leave all and follow Jesus.....

We know from the rest of the story that this call to discipleship is a call to take up your cross.  But the fact is Jesus didn't give the play by play before they responded.  They just picked up and left and followed Jesus.

This is the same call Jesus is giving us.  Are we willing to leave all our comforts?  All our financial security?  Our families?  Are we willing to forsake and leave all for the call of Jesus to FOLLOW ME!!!

This is a probing question.  This is a question that pierces right to the heart of the issue.  Will we leave all and find our comfort and security and family and everything else in Jesus.  Christian means Christ follower.

It may look and seem beyond crazy in the view of the world and those around us to follow Christ.  It may seem crazy to us.  The call of Christ is the call from the King.....From the Lord of Glory.......

Will we answer that call.....will we give all to the One who has truly given all.....Ask yourself that....I don't think right now I can come up with a better question to ponder........

Lets search our hearts and see what it is that is holding us back.  Lets remove whatever it is that keeps us from following Christ.