About a year ago, we found an ugly note waiting for us on the trail coming into our houses. In crude writing was a threatening message. Immediately we guessed it had come from one of our neighbors (we’ll call him Dan) who has been somewhat antagonistic towards us over the years. The note was a reminder to pray for Dan, and we began to look for opportunities to do something kind for him and his family.
A few weeks ago Paulino came upon Dan sitting in his house, with a bloody cloth wrapped around his hand. Immediately Paulino took it upon himself to help him take care of his injury. Dan said several hours earlier he had been using a power tool, a grinder, when it jumped and ran across the back of his left hand, leaving a series of scrapes and rather deep cuts. “Let’s go to Lita, cousin,” Paulino said, but Dan refused. He just continued to sit there, watching the blood drip down. Paulino’s next suggestion was to find the community health promoter, who might at least be able to bandage it up. Again, Dan refused. “Well, let’s go up to the missionaries, then!” Paulino said at last. “They’ll help!”
And so the Lord gave us another opportunity to show kindness to Dan, as we stopped the bleeding, cleaned and wrapped his hand, and talked with him about what had happened. We sent him home with his bandaged hand resting in an arm sling, and with materials and instructions on how to clean the wounds and change the bandage the next morning. And we do pray that he also went home having experienced just a small touch of God’s love.The Lord provides many opportunities like this (with never-ending variety!) each week here at the Outpost. Pray that we will be faithful as God’s ambassadors to not only show His love with our hands, but also to be His voice, calling this people to Himself. Often experiencing a touch of His love is the catalyst that awakens a hunger to later hear God’s word. (I suppose that is true of people of any culture!)
Family update:
The picture says it all! In August we had a wonderful three weeks in the USA with Kenny and Keilah and the rest of the Bruce family. We thoroughly enjoyed spending two Sundays at our church in New Hampshire and seeing many of our friends. We’re just sorry we couldn’t see the rest of you around the country!
The highlight of our trip was a week at my dad’s cabin with our three kids, Kenny’s girlfriend Hannah, and my parents. What a blessing! :-) We are now back in Ecuador with Kimberly, while Kenny digs back into his studies at Liberty in Virginia, and Keilah settles into her new life at NTBI in Wisconsin.
In Christ,
Kevin & Kathy
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