Monday kicked off the Annual SAMBO (South America Mission Bolivia) conference! The conference was quite unusual because it was held right here in Santa Cruz due to some political unrest that kept us from traveling. We spent a lot of time and gas going back and forth between home and Hotel Cortez where the conference was held. Nonetheless, it was time well spent.
O
n Saturday we went out to one of the Ayore villages to do the Sunday School lesson since we missed our normal Thursday visit. We were also able to take the guests from the conference. There was something magical about this visit.
We arrived and the church where we've been meeting with the kids was locked. So we decided to me
et in front of Benial's house. Benial is an Ayore himself who met Christ through SAM missionaries Toni and Placido a few years ago. This year various teams have come and built a house for Benial and his family. Just this week it was finished. So it was quite a site to have all the children line up on the front porch of this new house. Also, one of the visitors was from the church that funded the majority of Benial's house! Not only did all the children come, but many of the adults were present as well. Matt, one of the visitors, led the music with his talented singing and guitar abilities. Then I taught the lesson (in 
Spanish) on Jacob tricking Isaac to receive the birthright. Pablo and Charles were holding up the flannel board, telling the story through the characters. Then, and here's the magical part, Benial walks up and begins translating the story. He teaches for about 15 minutes in Ayore with every child and parent alike very attentive. He was doing it with such passion, as if begging them to believe him. It hit me in that moment, this is what every missionary longs to see. A national believer teaching his community in his own native tongue. It was beautiful. I stood there in awe until he finished teaching. I saw the childrens' faces and thought....this is what it was like when Jesus ca
me and taught; Every child and parent alike completely captivated by the Bible story, and the story teller completely convinced that it is true. It was a moment like no other that I experienced here.
O
n Saturday we went out to one of the Ayore villages to do the Sunday School lesson since we missed our normal Thursday visit. We were also able to take the guests from the conference. There was something magical about this visit.We arrived and the church where we've been meeting with the kids was locked. So we decided to me
et in front of Benial's house. Benial is an Ayore himself who met Christ through SAM missionaries Toni and Placido a few years ago. This year various teams have come and built a house for Benial and his family. Just this week it was finished. So it was quite a site to have all the children line up on the front porch of this new house. Also, one of the visitors was from the church that funded the majority of Benial's house! Not only did all the children come, but many of the adults were present as well. Matt, one of the visitors, led the music with his talented singing and guitar abilities. Then I taught the lesson (in 
Spanish) on Jacob tricking Isaac to receive the birthright. Pablo and Charles were holding up the flannel board, telling the story through the characters. Then, and here's the magical part, Benial walks up and begins translating the story. He teaches for about 15 minutes in Ayore with every child and parent alike very attentive. He was doing it with such passion, as if begging them to believe him. It hit me in that moment, this is what every missionary longs to see. A national believer teaching his community in his own native tongue. It was beautiful. I stood there in awe until he finished teaching. I saw the childrens' faces and thought....this is what it was like when Jesus ca
me and taught; Every child and parent alike completely captivated by the Bible story, and the story teller completely convinced that it is true. It was a moment like no other that I experienced here.
2 comments:
Great image! Thanks for sharing this story. I'll forward the page onto the Trinity team.
What a great story. The pictures are fun to see. Hope you all are well!
Post a Comment