Gospel

One final story to share with you this week. Just before I got to my haircut the other day, I ran into another ESL student, Claudia. She approached me apologizing for not having been at the graduation party the previous evening.

"Teacher, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there, I knew I was supposed to bring something, but we have had some hard times this week. My brother's wife was pregnant with twins and she had them on Monday. They took them both out by c-section and they are fine. They're big! But the mother got preeclampsia and her blood pressure dropped. they gave her transfusions of blood and gave her a shot to raise her pressure, but she lost so much blood. She died. Now the babies will grow up without a mother."

Ugh. I couldn't believe it. I told her how our friend passed away a few years ago now during the birth of their first son. Such heartache at the loss of a life with the simultaneous joy of new life is hard to stomach. Click Here To Continue »

Anyone who has seen me in the last week or so could probably attest to the my need for a haircut. So, yesterday I went to get one. On my way I ran into Claudia, a student in our ESL class, who has a story of her own. After talking with her, I opened the door to the barber shop and said hi to Leonora (Leo for short), the lady who usually cuts my hair.

That's about all I said before she jumped right into a long conglomeration of stories all running together.

"The owner of the shop is selling it, so the smoothie store next door is moving in, so she hasn't been here to work at all! I've been here cutting everyone's hair. It's a lot of extra work, but I don't mind because I can use the money. I have to find somewhere else to go to cut hair, so I think I'm going to go over to the corner or down the street with the paesanos. But, I have to talk to them and see who will pay me better.  Click Here To Continue »

Though things recently have been rather dismal God gave us some motivation to keep us going. Some of our neighbors are passing through difficult times. Since they know we talk to God, they have come to us to ask to ask for prayer. Let me tell you a few stories, and please join us in prayer.

Last Sunday a young girl walked into church badly beaten and seeking shelter from her father, who was on his way to beat her some more. Some of the folks hid her in the office, called the police, and got her on the way to the hospital.

Later that night we got a call from a friend who is a doctor in the ER saying that she had spent eight hours with this girl whose father beat her. She didn't know it, but it was the same girl God had brought into our church!

Since then, though security is tight and they have been turned away a few times, Lauren, other women from the church, and our friend from the ER have been back to visit, pray for, and encourage her. Click Here To Continue »