We finished our 2nd retreat yesterday and it was very successful. Many happy, refreshed women returning to the field! I´m amazed at the strength of some of these women. One lady works in Columbia with the drug lords and people you´d be nervous to associate with. She has seen at least one of them come to the Lord and now serve as a Pastor.
Another one is going through difficult times because she was robbed at gunpoint in her home and tied up while her children watched. The things some of these ladies endure is just amazing. SOOOooo glad I´ve had the opportunity to lead worship for them.
I had a couple of dear ladies from Paraguay share how much the worship times meant to them. One gal has been on the field for only 2 years, but she says she had forgotten what it was like to sing in English with other English speaking women. It so filled her heart that she felt like she recieved what she came for after the first night together!
As wonderful as it´s been for the ladies, it´s been probably the most difficult time leading that I´ve had! For all but the last day, I´ve had little voice to sing because of my cold. The evening before our last day, the couple that we had borrowed the keyboard from said that something came up and they needed it back. So... I led an entire worship service with no instruments. It actually went really well and God has been so tremendously faithful to me in using me even in my weakness. So thankful that when we are so weak, we are strong in Christ!
Was able to connect with the guy doing our sound this week. He speaks very little English, but I found out that he attends the university in Santiago but misses his family very much. He plays piano, but taught himself by ear when he has opportunity. No money for a piano. I asked him to play for me and he proceeded to play a Bach fugue. Wow! I was blown away. Found out he is a non-practicing Catholic but he enjoyed the "high quality" of Christian music that we were using. Of course I took that opportunity and ran with it! There is a Christian bookstore next to the hotel and I purchased a Hillsong CD done in Spanish to give him. Hillsong is very popular with the 20 something crowd here so I´m hoping it will speak to him. He was so appreciative at the gift I gave him and was noticibly touched that someone would give him a gift. One of our missionaries from Santiago connected with him as well to invite him to her church. It was awesome! Pray for Fabion.
As for other prayers, we have some severe sickness in our group right now. Not sure if it´s food poisoning or the flu, but half our group is sick in the hotel today and was not able to go sightseeing. So far I´m still healthy and I really hope to stay that way! Please pray for us these last few days and for our journey home. It´s been a good trip, but I´m weary and ready to be home as are many of our women.
Blessings!
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