traveling team from Neffsville Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA
We arrived in Montevideo yesterday, mid-morning and have been surrounded by Marilyn's friends and co-workers (Matt and Toni Daniel's family) since we landed. Friendly faces welcomed us at the airport giving us an enthusiastic beginning for this leg of the trip.
This morning, we gave the gifts of the tools from our Vacation Bible School children to Matt & Toni Daniels, and Ms. Marilyn. Wish you could have seen all the joy and smiles. It was like Christmas morning! Or hitting open a candy filled piñata and all the love falls out. Thank-you VBS kids! Matt picked up the tools, showed his children these "new toys," inspecting them, and started talking about all the projects we will be able to do this week. Starting with VBS kids giving. Thanks for caring. Your dollars and coins last week helped buy these gifts. Pat yourself on the back - as Matt says a, " BIG THANKS!"
When we arrived at Marilyn's apartment yesterday, we met her neighbor who owns the store downstairs (Angela). Later on Matt spent some time with us giving an overview of the work of missions in Uruguay and Christian Associates' part in God's work here. This is a widely secular and un-churched area of Latin America.
Which accentuates the connection we had through the wonderful experience of worship with Marilyn, Matt & Toni's set of friends, listening to their spiritual journeys and sharing their personal struggles, singing and praying together. We had to adjust to their pace of life since most evening meals and activities start after 9:30 or 10:00 pm! I (Phil) went to bed this morning at 12:30 a.m., after spending hours talking with everyone in the group along with Matt and Toni after everyone left!
This morning we had the opportunity to worship with Marilyn again at the English-speaking international church that she attends, and listened to Becky preach to our group about the openings hospitality provides to allow God to speak in our situations. Christ's Church was a very welcoming group, and we found them reaching out to a group of sailors from Ghana and Sierre Leone who were stranded in Uruguay due to an unfortunate situation where they were treated badly.
We have received overwhelming hospitality from Marilyn and her friends here, and we have graciously become part of her community in such a short time. Marilyn's friends have helped us feel right at home and loved, even though we don't speak the same first language. Thanks for praying!
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