Hi, faithful ones who are holding us up in prayer,

It's Susan again tonight.  Jenny Hanks had volunteered to blog for Tuesday but today is hers and Monte's 40th wedding anniversary and they went out with the team, so I offered to write for her.  And Happy Anniversary, Jenny and Monte!!  What a great way to make a memory for this anniversary!

Today was quite different than we expected.  A group of eleven children and adults from a learning center in Campos (five hours away) was supposed to arrive here at 8:00 this morning but they didn't make it until maybe 3:30, so we had a rather light day until they arrived.  (There was another group we were expecting after lunch that somehow was told to come another day.)  The group from Campos had had problems with their transportation and been up most of the night, yet their caregivers told us that they had not even slept on the way because they were all too excited about getting a wheelchair!  They were precious!  We knew at breakfast this morning that they had had problems and that they would be delayed, so we began praying for them, that God would meet them right where they were and supply every need and bring them safely to us.  After lunch, our group sang and prayed more for them, so we were all very ready to love on them and take extra good care of them when they arrived.

The therapists all worked hard, looking for just the right chair for each person, and the mechanics made all the necessary adjustments so that that particular chair would meet the person's needs as ideally as possible.  Once again, I was touched to see such thoughtful consideration and attention given to each person's situation.  And I LOVED seeing the love of God ooze through every pore of their being to surround and undergird each life.  Talk about the body of Christ in action!  I saw Jesus with skin on!!

One neat thing that happens while the therapist and mechanic are looking for the right chair (or perhaps making adjustments to the chair) is that the support person will ask the client a few questions about his or her interests and then go select a bag of gifts for the person.  There might be a toy, some hair bands, a paint set, socks, or some candy, but in every bag there is a Bible and a gospel bracelet.  The support person shares the gospel story briefly, using the colored beads on the bracelet, and this is yet another way that the person's heart is prepared for the follow-up time when an evangelist shares more in depth about our Lord Jesus Christ.

One older gentleman who came this morning was very touched by the kindness of his physical therapist, mechanic, and support person.  He couldn't stop thanking them for what they were doing for him and he cried as the gospel bracelet was shared with him.  After finishing with all the adjustments to his wheelchair, he was taken to the evangelism station where the gospel was further explained.  He said that he was not a Christian, that he had searched everywhere for peace but was full of anguish.  Today, though, he understood God's offer of salvation and was ready to accept Christ as Savior!  He said that he felt his burden lift when he prayed.  Hmmmm....sound like the work of anyone you know?  Someone who might have said something like, "Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  The man also said that if he had had to choose between leaving with a wheelchair and leaving with the new peace he had found, he would choose the peace!  Yep, that gives it away for sure, because He IS our peace!!!  This man's decision was made even sweeter by the joy of the young lady (Noelle) who had so carefully shared the gospel bracelet presentation with him through the interpreter.  It was the first time anyone she had shared the gospel with had responded (accepted Christ) and she was overcome with emotion!  We all cried with her!  Group hug?  You bet.  Group puddle?  Pretty much. 

There you have it--for now, at least.  I didn't get to hear stories from the other therapists yet so maybe someone will write some of those tomorrow night.

On duty gladly...as an eyewitness of His majesty,

Susan Cross, for the team