Forced Fellowship

I used to tell our folks at Mohave Baptist Church that I was purposely involving them in "forced fellowship" when we would have work days or take trips or plan various activities.  Every now and then I would try to get a group together to do something especially when we had the opportunity and privilege of having a missionary around.  I found that it was a great way of helping new Christians grow and older Christians continue to mature and not loose their zeal.

Now for those of you who know me personally, you know that sitting around talking is not my forte, not even close.  Send me to the dentist for a root canal, sew me up without anesthetic but please don't make me sit around and talk about nothing in general.

So guess what the Mexican people just love to do.  Yes, you got it, sit around and talk for hours on end!  The shoe is now on the other foot.  We are now in our fourth week of institute classes and while our folks are sponging up the material they are also loving the opportunity to sit around after wards and sip coffee and fellowship.

Last Sunday one of our families who is struggling just to put food on their table invited us over after evening services to enjoy more fellowship with a cookout at their house.  The invite ended up for the whole church and so we all met at their house after leaving the evening services and spent another couple of hours in "forced fellowship".  These folks have nothing and little worldly hope of getting more tomorrow yet they are willing to happily share what they have at the time with anyone.

In the end God blessed their desire to be a blessing and they enjoyed a buffet of ribs, pizza, potato salad, mac and cheese, chips and salsa and fellowship.  In the end the fellowship was enjoyed and not forced.

 Las Chicas of the work

Los Hermanos of the work

Cooking ribs by the flashlight

Just sitting and talking : Fellowship

 Transporting the Seed: 13,800 John & Romans