El Ministerio

Hi there!

Whenever people ask me what my favorite part of living here is, my answer is always the same: the ministry. Here are some experiences that explain why. 

I started my first Spanish Bible study this week! I've really wanted to make my ministry here meaningful, as opposed to just handing out magazines and doing a simple presentation. Of course, that was good for me to do when I first started learning Spanish, but if I really want to make progress with it, I need to push harder and take more risks with it. The effort to start a study was well worth it - the man I spoke with believes that Jesus is God's son, and has great respect for the Bible. I read John 17:3 to him, and he agreed that it is very important to learn about God and Jesus. I opened up the Bible Teach book and asked him if there were any topics that interested him, and he said all of them were excellent topics! I opened up to the pages with the illustrations of paradise, and he read Revelation 21:4 right off the page without me even asking him to do so! I look forward to speaking with him more. Simon & I have both been making efforts to start studies, and this Saturday, we have the whole morning into the afternoon filled with studies!

Out in Ojo de Agua, ready to preach!

Something that I find fascinating is the amount of children in Ojo de Agua's territory that want to talk about the Bible. We've called on several kids while their parents aren't home, and they want us to bring them Bible Story books!

Simon, myself, Joel, & Roberto crossing a bridge in our territory...

...and crossing it with style!

Once a week, I go out with the English congregation. One reason is because I'm covering an English study for a brother who is currently away in his home country. A lot of times, they do censusing - looking for people who speak English. Many of the people they find prefer reading English literature even though Spanish is their first language. For example, I went with Moises on one of his return visits, who was waiting to receive an English Bible. When Moises gave him the new Bible, the man was overjoyed. He said, "This right here is the truth! This is God's word!"

Moi and I having some banter between doors.

A couple weeks ago, Moises & I found two women in their 40s who have just moved down here from the United States. They had Bible studies back in America, and although they can speak Spanish, they have requested to have Bible studies in English! That is really good news for the sisters in the English congregation - a lot of the English-speaking people they find who want to study are men, and hence need to be passed onto brothers.

The other day, we went into the depths of the Chinandega marketplace to do some censusing. It's actually pretty fun - if you can handle the various smells! 

Baby in a basket?

While preaching in the marketplace, I found a guy who spoke English fluently. He had gone to high school in California. Of course, the only piece of English literature I had on me was a Truth tract. I simply read through the first paragraph (Does God really care about us?), and offered it to him. He loved it, and was completely engrossed in it. I read him 1 Peter 5:6, 7. I thought he wanted the conversation to end, but he actually wanted to discuss the question dealing with what happens to us when we die! He said, "These are all excellent questions. Could you come back so we can talk more?" Took the words right out of my mouth!

Simon having a good conversation with an interested English-speaking man. 

This morning, Simon & I showed up for the group only to realize that we were the only ones out today. Nonetheless, we had a great morning! 

I've said it many times before: the ministry here is unlike any other. One thing I love about it is that no matter what your level of Spanish is, whether you're explaining the 70 weeks prophecy or placing a small tract, people listen very well and show great interest. That, combined with a nice English field, makes for an incredible territory. Don't believe me? Come down here and see for yourself!

Hope everyone is well,

Sam