Yesterday I wrote about strawberries. Today I'm going to write about a different kind of fruit. Did you know that the Bible calls the good things that God does in our hearts "fruit"? It says in John 15 that God is like a tree trunk and we Christians are like the tree's branches. If a branch gets cut off from the tree and is lying on the ground, can it grow new fruit? No way! It's not the branch that grows the fruit, at all! Sure, the fruit grows off of the branches, but only when the branches are connected to deep roots and a healthy trunk. The Bible uses this example to teach us that we aren't the ones that make spiritual fruit (good things) grow in anybody's heart, not even our own! Only God can do that. It also teaches us that we need to have a lot of patience when we really, really, really want to taste that juicy fruit and we want to taste it RIGHT NOW! Have you ever eaten a piece of fruit that's not ripe, yet? Pretty sour, huh? Did any of you go out blueberry picking, this year? When did you go? Can you go blueberry picking in October? What about December? March? May? No way! You can only go blueberry picking in June and July. There is NOTHING that blueberry tree branches can do to make the blueberries grow faster than that. Well, we don't have blueberry bushes, here, but we have orange trees. And let me tell you, sometimes being a missionary is like being an orange tree. Or a blueberry bush. You just have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait to see God do good things in people's hearts. But I'm learning to trust that God is even more faithful than blueberry trees. As long as we don't cut ourselves off from Him, He WILL cause fruit to grow in us and through us, when it's the right time.
This morning when I went to church, I finally got to see some people fruit (remember I'm using this word to mean the good things that God does in people's hearts)! 2 months ago, Sarah, Rachel, and Amy Breuer came down to Paraguay with some other people, and we invited a bunch of my students to go to church with them. Well, three of my 2nd graders came- Camilla, Wanda, and Gerardo. Ever since then, I've been praying that God would be making their parents' hearts lonesome for Him so that they would come back to church. And when I came to church, this morning, I saw Camilla there with her mom! I was SOOOOOO excited. And not only did I see Camilla and her mom there, but 4 of my other students and their parents who don't usually come, too! AND, as if it could even get any better that this- on the way to church I got to pick up 2 little kids from the market and bring THEM to church with me, for the first time ever! Do you remember that picture I posted, yesterday, of the market where I buy my fruits and veggies? Well, I usually buy them from the same woman, and we've become friends. One day a few months ago, I invited her over for lunch and she brought 3 of her kids. Ever since then, I've been praying for her, too, that God would make her feel lonesome for Him, and give me chances to tell her about His love. So two weeks ago I was passing through the market on my way to church and invited her 12 year old daughter to come with me... AND SHE CAME!!! Her name was Blanca. "Blanca" means "white" in Spanish. This morning I passed by and invited her, again. This time she couldn't come because her mom needed her to work, so I asked if I could take Blanca's little brother and sister, Fernando (who's 5) and Sasha (who's 6). They were really dirty, so right there in the middle of the street she used water from a bucket that she'd gotten to wash the fruits off and gave them mini-baths! And then she let me take them to church.
When it was time for the kids to go to Sunday School, I took them down to their class, and 2 of my third graders from school, Berenice and Silene, came over to meet them! I was so proud of Berenice and Silene. They were both wearing skirts, and their hair had pretty ribbons in it. Sasha and Fernando were still wearing their dirty clothes they had been wearing in the market! But Berenice and Silene helped them and made them feel welcome. That showed me that God's fruit of kindness and love is growing in Bere and Silene's hearts, too! Did you know that in the book of James, the Bible says that if 2 people come to church and one is rich and the other is poor, it's really important that we are especially kind to the poor person? The Bible says that if we're nicer to the rich person than the poor person, the love of God isn't really in our hearts. Do you ever have visitors that come to your Sunday School class? This year, maybe God will even send a new kid into your class at school. I hope when He does, you can remember the example of Berenice and Silene, and be extra kind to new people so that they don't feel weird or left out.
After church, Sasha and Fernando and I went back to the market. Next week we're having a special church service outside. Oh yeah! The Breuers know about that. It'll be like the one we had when you were here. Do you remember that, where you guys sat in a circle and learned that game, "Presi, Presi, Vice, Vice, Secre, Secre, and Burra, Burra"? Well, we have those outdoor services and lunch on the second Sunday of every month. I invited Blanca, Sasha, and Fernando's whole family, including their mom. I hope they come! It might be hard for them because they normally sell their fruits and veggies on Sunday mornings, and they need that money to buy their own food, but I told their mom that if they all come, I'll use the money that you guys send me every month to pay for all the fruits and veggies that they don't get to sell, that day. And then maybe instead of selling fruit, God will make some of His fruit grow in their hearts! Thank you so much for praying for the children of Paraguay, you guys! Keep praying for Camilla, Aaron, Isaac, Mati, Gerardo, Wanda, Blanca, Fernando, Sasha, and their moms and dads!
This morning when I went to church, I finally got to see some people fruit (remember I'm using this word to mean the good things that God does in people's hearts)! 2 months ago, Sarah, Rachel, and Amy Breuer came down to Paraguay with some other people, and we invited a bunch of my students to go to church with them. Well, three of my 2nd graders came- Camilla, Wanda, and Gerardo. Ever since then, I've been praying that God would be making their parents' hearts lonesome for Him so that they would come back to church. And when I came to church, this morning, I saw Camilla there with her mom! I was SOOOOOO excited. And not only did I see Camilla and her mom there, but 4 of my other students and their parents who don't usually come, too! AND, as if it could even get any better that this- on the way to church I got to pick up 2 little kids from the market and bring THEM to church with me, for the first time ever! Do you remember that picture I posted, yesterday, of the market where I buy my fruits and veggies? Well, I usually buy them from the same woman, and we've become friends. One day a few months ago, I invited her over for lunch and she brought 3 of her kids. Ever since then, I've been praying for her, too, that God would make her feel lonesome for Him, and give me chances to tell her about His love. So two weeks ago I was passing through the market on my way to church and invited her 12 year old daughter to come with me... AND SHE CAME!!! Her name was Blanca. "Blanca" means "white" in Spanish. This morning I passed by and invited her, again. This time she couldn't come because her mom needed her to work, so I asked if I could take Blanca's little brother and sister, Fernando (who's 5) and Sasha (who's 6). They were really dirty, so right there in the middle of the street she used water from a bucket that she'd gotten to wash the fruits off and gave them mini-baths! And then she let me take them to church.
When it was time for the kids to go to Sunday School, I took them down to their class, and 2 of my third graders from school, Berenice and Silene, came over to meet them! I was so proud of Berenice and Silene. They were both wearing skirts, and their hair had pretty ribbons in it. Sasha and Fernando were still wearing their dirty clothes they had been wearing in the market! But Berenice and Silene helped them and made them feel welcome. That showed me that God's fruit of kindness and love is growing in Bere and Silene's hearts, too! Did you know that in the book of James, the Bible says that if 2 people come to church and one is rich and the other is poor, it's really important that we are especially kind to the poor person? The Bible says that if we're nicer to the rich person than the poor person, the love of God isn't really in our hearts. Do you ever have visitors that come to your Sunday School class? This year, maybe God will even send a new kid into your class at school. I hope when He does, you can remember the example of Berenice and Silene, and be extra kind to new people so that they don't feel weird or left out.
After church, Sasha and Fernando and I went back to the market. Next week we're having a special church service outside. Oh yeah! The Breuers know about that. It'll be like the one we had when you were here. Do you remember that, where you guys sat in a circle and learned that game, "Presi, Presi, Vice, Vice, Secre, Secre, and Burra, Burra"? Well, we have those outdoor services and lunch on the second Sunday of every month. I invited Blanca, Sasha, and Fernando's whole family, including their mom. I hope they come! It might be hard for them because they normally sell their fruits and veggies on Sunday mornings, and they need that money to buy their own food, but I told their mom that if they all come, I'll use the money that you guys send me every month to pay for all the fruits and veggies that they don't get to sell, that day. And then maybe instead of selling fruit, God will make some of His fruit grow in their hearts! Thank you so much for praying for the children of Paraguay, you guys! Keep praying for Camilla, Aaron, Isaac, Mati, Gerardo, Wanda, Blanca, Fernando, Sasha, and their moms and dads!
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