(Photos: Our kids hunting eggs)
We had a nice Easter weekend. Our group (what is left of it) came together on Sunday morning to sing and read scripture and celebrate the risen Lord. We dyed some eggs and did the traditional hunt and then sat down to a delicious meal complete with pumpkin pie (I know, wrong holiday, but when someone gives you a pumpkin, what else are you going to do with it?). In the afternoon we went to a beautiful beach to join our brothers and sisters from the island (and other nations) in swimming and relaxing. My teammate, his son and I were out there body surfing with island kids and having a grand time.
But in some ways what made our Easter celebrations really special were the things that happened after and before Sunday. On Saturday, we talked about this important holiday with our English club, and then on Tuesday we had a special party at our house to tell the story again to another group of islanders. It was a great way to share with people things that are important to us in a friendly and relaxed way, but everyone one left having heard the story of Easter and we had many great talks, and many questions to answer.
Do you ever take the story for granted? You’ve heard it so many times, or seen so many movies about it, or so many books, has it lost some of its power? Before watching part of a movie about it I asked my guests to tell me everything they knew about Easter. The answer was nothing! They really didn’t have anything to give me. They didn’t know the story. They hadn’t heard it before. They didn’t even know that it was important or why! Have you ever considered it an honor to share a story with someone? Have you ever thought of it as a responsibility? Maybe you think everybody you know already knows the story. Maybe they do and maybe they don’t, but try to imagine what it would be like to tell someone the story for the first time. What would you say? What details would you include? What questions do you think they would ask?
PRAYERS ANSWERED
We asked for prayers about our various gatherings. All of them went really well. Thanks for your prayers! The Tuesday gathering exceeded expectations as ten people showed up. (That may not sound like a lot but it was perfect attendance plus one!)
PRAYERS REQUESTED
This is the last week for our teammates and their kids before they return to the States for several months. Please pray for them as they say goodbyes and have to pack all their things into storage. A man who worked on the islands with our group some years ago is here visiting the third island to encourage brothers and sisters there. Pray for him and his times of teaching and encouraging.
