Yesterday was a blast. We started our day off with quiet time, then we attended a worship service at a local church. What an amazing experience that was! When the music started to start the service, a whole bunch of children and teens made their way to the front of the room and starting singing and dancing. There was lots of interesting imagery in the building and throughout the service. The pastor of the church was a former Barrio 18 gang member in LA and Honduras. His church was founded by himself and other gang members coming out of prison, and they have a remarkable mission in Tegucigalpa to reach the least, the last, and the lost. There was probably more passion at this church than at any other church that I've attended. The pastor's story reminds us that God's redemptive mission is open to all people at all times in all places, even to prisoners in solitary confinement cells in prisons.
The pastor has invited me to come back to his church on Wednesday night to preach. That wasn't on the agenda, but I'll roll with it. Should be a lot of fun to point people toward Jesus in such a lively church!
Our BGU group of students had the opportunity to interview the pastor and his wife after the service. Our group is asking great questions and they're fully engaging with each of the site visits and guest lectures. After a few days together, there's starting to be lots of laughter and deeper conversations.
We at lunch at Power Chicken (my favorite!), then after some afternoon time to rest we joined Lisa at her property for an experiential learning experience. One of the themes of the trip is to train others in experiential education. Lisa has been training groups for 40 years, and she didn't disappoint with this group.
Play is at the heart of Lisa's training and ministry through Christian Camping International. Many of us stop playing when we grow up, but play is so fun and it's a great way to connect with other people. Lisa's property provides many opportunities for play.
Everyone here is up for an adventure. These urban immersions aren't for the faint of heart... we squeezed a lot into one day yesterday. There's always a fine balance between pushing a group with many activities and creating down time to rest and reflect. We probably never get it quite right because each immersion is unique. I'm thankful for this group and they've jumped in whole-heartedly!
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