Seven seems like a strange number to symbolize perfection or completion, but God seems to like that number. He instituted seven days in a week. The Bible speaks of the seven spirits of God and the seven churches in Revelation as well as other groupings of seven. In music there are seven notes in the major scale. Completing seven, eight stands for new beginnings and starting anew.
On August 28 the Gualaceo house church celebrated seven years since the baptism of the first believers. A day-long celebration was planned beside the river. Anticipation was high as a busload of believers from Arenillas arrived, along with extended family members of the Gomez family from Guayaquil where Luis Gomez, father of the family, as shared and encouraged a house church to begin meeting. Believers also gathered from the neighboring towns of Chordeleg and Zhondeleg where the Gualaceo believers have begun house church meetings.
The day's program was filled with singing, testimonies, and a challenging message to live out true worship in daily life. Between 150 and 170 people were served a delicious noon meal. As at last year's anniversary, after we ate, we gathered at the river for the testimonies and baptism of five people. God keeps calling and people take the step of faith to follow Christ.
God worked in some amazing ways in the days preceding the anniversary. At last year's anniversary celebration Libia's mother, Carmelina, was baptized. At the time I thought, Libia may say she wants nothing to do with Jorge's "religion," but God is bringing His truth in through the "back door" of her life. While Libia resisted Jorge's faith, her mother decided to make a public declaration of her faith. (Libia and her mother are seated, second and third from right. The man at left is Miguel, also baptized last year.)
Jorge watches as Clayton and Jesus baptize Libia.
The day held special surprises. Maria Magdalena and Edi's son Mathias was born on July 26. From his first moments his little life was marked by struggle. First of all, he was born with a cleft palette. The parents were totally unprepared for this. Within three days he needed surgery on inner organs that needed to be properly located in his abdominal cavity. The doctors were pretty pessimistic that he would pull through. But Maria Magdalena was not about to give up on this son they had so eagerly waited for. Contrary to the doctors' dismal predictions, Mathias began to rally. Though they were told he would have to be fed with a special bottle, he was nursing normally before he left the hospital. He went home at age two weeks, and has been gaining strength and weight since. His presence at the anniversary was a HUGE answer to prayer. Maria Magdalena says, "God has already answered so many prayers for this baby, so I just keep asking Him for what we need."
The day's festivities ended with joyful praise to God. Dressed in traditional Ecuadorian costumes, aunts and nieces presented a colorful, choreographed, symbolic tribute to the harvest God is bringing in Gualaceo. Everyone felt the spirit of jubilation and praise to God.
What will God do in this house church as the eighth year of its life together as the Body of Christ begins? How many other surrounding towns will be touched by the shining light of the Gospel? Who of these precious young people will be the leaders taking the church forward? We believe God has only begun to do what He desires to do in this part of Ecuador. Please pause to praise God for His amazing grace, patience, love and transforming power.
1 comment:
This is so exciting! I am amazed at how God softens even the hardest of hearts. We are excited to see what year #8 has too!
Marcia
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