Two men, two stories

Dear Friends,

Our young adult group is growing! Last Saturday 24 men and women came out to our meeting. Every week we have some new people and I try to meet with all of the new men over lunch during the week following the meeting.

This week I met with Pepe on Tuesday and Marcos on Wednesday. Both are about 30 years old, single but in relationships. I met with Pepe, and we had a good time getting to know one another. I learned from his story that he was living with his girlfriend. I shared the gospel with him using the Four Spiritual Laws. When I came to the end of the booklet, his response was that he was sure he had Christ in his life. That made the challenge to receive Christ a little redundant.

We talked some about God being the author of life and the One who sets the standards of right and wrong. Pepe is a great guy, but the issue of sin is definitely not clear to him yet. We’ll spend more time together in the weeks to come talking about the holiness of God and His standard of perfection. Only when we understand His holiness does our need for a Savior come into clear focus.

The next day (today, actually, as I write this) I met with Marcos. We spent 45 minutes or so just chatting. He has almost completed his degree in English and works for a Tour company. Like Pepe, he is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. He lives with his younger sister. His parents have long since split up.

As I shared the Gospel with Marcos, I was thinking about Pepe and really wanted to make the issue of sin clear with him. I really emphasized why we need salvation. As I came to the point of decision in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet, I read him the prayer, but then explained again that it was a matter of faith in response to God’s offer of grace. We talked again about sin. He said that he wanted to pray to receive Christ. Again I explained that it was a matter between him and God, that God was calling him to repentance.

He responded, “Ron, I know I’m a sinner. I want to pray that prayer right now.” So he did, right out loud. We were both overcome with joy. I shared more with him from the Bible what it means to know Christ. My favorite thing to share with a man who receives Christ is John 1:12. I explained that since he had received Christ, he had a right to be called a son of God. I asked him who his Father was, Marcos responded, “God is”. I told him that 36 years ago I prayed to receive Christ as well, so God is my Father, too. Then I asked him if we had the same Father what that made us. A big smile spread across his face as he answered, “BROTHERS!”

Please pray for Marcos as he grows in Christ, and for Pepe that God will continue to draw him to Himself.

Blessings, Ron

Brrr in Bolivia

Well, about the time we read about warm tempertures in the U.S., the temperature begins to drop in Bolivia! This morning we had a low of 51 degrees, with 14 mph winds from the South (that's where cold comes from in our part of the world south of the equator). It is a hard time for poor people here, because no house has central heating. Coats and blankets are always scarce.

For us, it's kind of fun to feel the cold and think of life back home. Our new house out in the country has a wood cookstove that has stood idle through our first months - summertime - in the house. This morning Jeanie decided we would fire it up. As I left for the office, smoke was coming out of the chimney, the kitchen was warming up and Andrew was scrambling eggs!

We'll enjoy it while it lasts. On Saturday the forecast is for clear skies and 86 degrees.

Ron