January 24, 2016

Unfulfilled hopes.  Saturday at the end of the study, Kelly said they would be there for services Sunday.  When I headed back home from dropping them off I saw Wendy and Oscar in the street and they said they would be there also.  On Saturday during the bread and coffee several people said they might come for services the next day and Mr. Rivas and his grandmother both said they would come.  In the end Mr. Rivas was our only visitor.  I remember when I was in college and rooming with the young man who baptized me.  I would say I might come to services and then often not bother.  I could not understand why he was so clearly disappointed when I did not show up.  It is disappointing to us now but to people who are not Christians making it to a service just isn't important so we have to just be patient with them.  We have also been told that here people especially do not like to say no so they always say yes to everything but don't really mean it.  We did have a good number of members including some who were visiting from other places. Charlotte taught the children’s class along with Eliza.  Bessie, her mother-in law Isabella and her brother-in-law Giovani and his two kids plus Bessie's daughter came and we invited them over after services for lunch.  We did not know they were coming so it took us a little bit to get lunch together and by the time they left it was almost time to go to the services in Salcoatitan.  They had at least one visitor also, a man who has come several times now.  I always sit with him and visit since I met him at the family breakfast back in December.  He always sings a word or two behind everyone else and it is a challenge not to get messed up when sitting beside him. Charlotte helped Linda with the children’s class, mostly helping with her youngest child, Briana.  We gave sister Regina and Arnoldo a ride there and back and brought Elizabeth back, she had ridden a bus there.  It was a good day just need to keep working and trusting. 

Great time of fellowship over lunch!