Baptism has no upper age limit!

Here's a look at some stories from the past two days of ministry...

This is my friend Jose in action on the skateboard ramps during our Saturday skate session. He brings a real "surfing" style to his skateboarding. I've enjoyed setting up for the skate sessions and talking to the kids and watching them three+ days a week. I make sure the kids are equipped with skateboards and helmets and I also get to be the music "dj". The job has its frustrating moments, like when kids fight over equipment, or break the rules over and over, but through this experience, God has given me a better understanding of how abundant His mercy is towards me when I disobey Him. Another lesson God showed me this week is that we all, like these children, fight for what we think is "ours", not realizing that everything in the universe belongs to God (Deut. 10:14). For the kids it might be a helmet that they think is theirs, but for us it might be that we we feel entitled to a certain luxury item or luxury service.

Here is Ronnie, guest preaching at the Baptist Church in Limon, which is about an hour's drive from Puerto Viejo. We went up to support him and his family as friends and team-members. He did a great job teaching on the prodigal son!

Three people were baptized during the service, including this elderly man. Seeing him being lowered into the water by these men reminded me of the story in John's gospel of the lame man whom Jesus healed at the pool of Bethesda. That man had said to Jesus:

"I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred."

Well, the man pictured above had no shortage of help getting into the baptismal pool. Praise God!

The Cruces: aren't they an adorable family?

Makena and Samantha enjoy ice cream and a ride on "Dumbo" at a restaurant in Limon. I would adopt either one in a heartbeat!

A couple of you have asked about my personal prayer requests. The main one I have right now is for my housing, that God would provide something safe, clean, and peaceful. The past couple nights have been uncomfortable at the hostel (loud music from the nearby disco until 3 a.m., plus a horrible dead animal smell that after two days was discovered to be a mouse that had electrocuted itself in the circuit box in my room.) Then last night I came home to a rat scampering off my food shelf, so that was disheartening. Rats and roaches aren't the end of the world, but when you're sharing the same 10' x 10' hotel room, you sort of feel like your in their environment rather than vice versa! Still I'm thankful to have a place to stay, and to have no worries for food or clothing or anything like that!

p.s. the sloth has moved out to greener pastures. No doubt it grew hungry after its long siesta!