Everybody's birthday! (Tsachi church visit)

I have always made cakes to share when we visit the Tsachi church, but this time I was not feeling very well before the trip, so Germán suggested we buy a couple of cakes, and celebrate everyone's birthday! It didn't matter when one was born, he/she deserved to be honored!

The short lady in the middle of the photo is Carán, a special friend, and I am right beside her - amusingly, the only one wearing a native skirt! My husband is beside me, and Primitivo (church leader) and his wife Tserere are on the other side of Carán.
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Sorry, I started at the end again...so let me change gears to the pre-cake events.

Very few attended the service - and none of the bunch of little children were there - but there was a great atmosphere, once more proving that "where one or two are gathered together", God is there and will bless. The pictures show only a few people...but the room was full! 

After singing in Spanish, I was invited to lead them in a few songs in Tsáfiki!  A surprise, but a pleasant one, as I firmly believe they should sing praises in their own language.

 Germán gave the message, and it was heartening to see the obvious attention in their faces...even when he had to raise his voice a bit because it started to pour rain!

In the picture, he is closing the devotional time with prayer.

I was grateful to feel better than usual during the after-service, and could enjoy talking with the ladies with more energy than any previous visit!

These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and reflect Revelation 15:4:  "ADONAI, who will not hear and glorify your name?  because You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for your righteous deeds have been revealed."

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This church is very close to where we had our house when my family first came among them 61 years ago (when I was 3!).  We cross over the little river  that provided us with so much fun as young children, and can see across to the area we lived in, now grown over with trees and bushes.   The wildlife we knew, like ocelots, jaguars, agoutis, armadillos, deer, monkeys...has pretty much disappeared with the advance of roads and construction.  But in a special place in my heart, this is still "home".

These dear people will be among those John refers to in Revelation 7:9:

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands."
                                                     
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Father...what can I say?  You are awesome, and your amazing love - that reaches out to every single person - brings tears to my eyes again...

                                                      Thank You!