Home, Sweet Home

Where do I begin? We headed out Sunday the 29th of April and arrived in La Barra Tuesday morning. In times past the leadership of the village would have a meeting on whether or not we could camp on the beach. This has always been an issue because they have a rule that nobody can camp on the beach, not even their own people. This has also been a source of conflict in times past because some of the leadership do not want us there and it would be at that time that they would give us permission to sleep on the beach and do our clinics but not bring our religion. This year, a man named Jose Luis, the shortstop for the baseball team, said we could camp around his house where there was a toilet and a shower. So, we set up camp. The leadership ended up not having to meet at all. They did inform us that they would be having a fiesta May 2nd and 3rd so we probably wouldn't want to do our dental clinic then because everybody would be at the fiesta. So, that Wednesday we drove an hour to another city set back in a mountain called Chacalapa. There we were warmly received. We set up clinic on the front porch of the Agencia and saw about 45 patients that day. The following day, back in La Barra, we got a great taste of culture at the fiesta. We also saw effects of their bondage to sin. People of all ages were drinking beer and getting drunk. The following two days were filled with drilling and filling teeth! We opened clinic around 9 am and went until 6 pm or so. Saturday, the last day for clinic, we stayed open until 9:30 pm because we just couldn't turn people away. One of the last patients we saw said she was so grateful because she saw how we were tired and stayed anyway to see everybody. I pray she recognizes that as the love of Christ! Throughout the time we were in the dental clinic, our translators spent some time with the people in the village, visiting homes, and whatnot. There were many conversations regarding Christ and the gospel but the people of La Barra are still resistant and hardhearted. They want to continue in their sinful way of life. There is a family of a believers though. Roberto and his wife are fairly new believers. They held bible studies in their home for awhile until one of the men that came was threatened with a machete not to come back or that would be the last time. Roberto and his wife have quieted down under the persecution. Please pray for their strength, boldness, and endurance in preaching the gospel and that God would open up the unbelieving eyes to see the futility of their ways and their need of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope that our team was of some encouragement to Roberto. It is strange writing these things about persecution in that place because these people are our friends. There is a feeling of spiritual darkness there that we didn't feel in Chacalapa but they are our friends. David Sitton explained this to me as the "Palm Branch" phase. One day the people are laying palm branches down before Jesus and the next they are crucifying Him. I don't know how long this "palm branch" phase will last but I am sure as soon as the gospel is boldly and lovingly preached in that place the persecution will come. Please pray that God would raise up a team to go to La Barra and to go to Chacalapa where the name of Christ is not known and is not exalted. Pray that the gospel is preached no matter what the cost! The following Sunday we hung around La Barra to watch the baseball team play a game against another city. La Barra won and soon after that we headed out for the trip back home.
I want to thank you for all your prayers for me on this trip. Many times during the clinic I could feel God giving me strength to see another patient. Two days in a row my first patient took me about 3 hours due to so many cavities. God sustained me through those three hours and the following patients who had difficult cavities to get to and fix. I know without a shadow of a doubt that that was an answer to so many people's prayers. It truly is amazing when you know your attitude isn't quite right and you think you just can't go on and then you pray, or you know someone else is praying (thank you Mark!!), and that attitude is gone and you suddenly have this source of strength and endurance that only comes by God's grace. He is so good and able to sustain his children through any situation in life! Praise Him!! So, thank you again for your prayers. You are greatly appreciated!
Philippians 1:27
Cara