"Day Off" ?

Today, was a “day off” when it came to our soccer game schedule, but was not a “day off” when it came to work that needed to be done around the camp. Because of the late game with Estudiantil last night, an even later supper (10:00 pm), and some soreness and injuries, we let the guys sleep in later and did not have breakfast until 9:30 am. We have also found that eating meals late at night can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. However, the Uruguayans do it regularly. It seems to be a part of their routine. Many restaurants do not even open until 8:00 pm and are usually busy until well after midnight, even as late as 2:00 am.

After breakfast we had team devotions in Galatians 5. These team times are very special as we gather around the wood stove and share what God’s Word says and what He is teaching us through the experiences we are having together in Uruguay. These are also special times of praying for each other.

After team devotions we began work. There are always plenty of things to be done around the camp. Today we began work on sidewalk that is being poured around the new camp office building. We also gathered more firewood. It seems that we are using more than our “fair share” to keep warm. Wood is needed for the wood stoves that heat the buildings, as well as for cooking some meals, and for heating the water for showers in the bathhouse. There seems to be an abundance of it around the campground, but it is a never-ending project to gather it during this time of year.

After lunch the guys rested for a while and then gathered to work on our special object lessons/magic tricks that we will be using for the Children’s Day Bible story lessons. Our practice audience was the four Vallette children. We found out quickly that they were a “tough audience”, especially Bryan. He tried to figure out every trick and point out how it worked. It was a good “trial run” for the guys before they face the Children’s Day audience on Sunday.

At about 5:00 pm we picked up some “sack suppers” to hold us over until the “big meal of the day” tonight at 10:00 pm and then went over to the Vallette home to watch the Uruguayan national soccer team play a friendly match against Angola. We were only able to watch the first half (0-0) before we left for town. We wanted to get into town early so the guys could meet with some of the church youth group and do a little souvenir shopping before prayer meeting. We found out later that Uruguay eventually won the game 2-0.

At prayer meeting, Jason Lorch shared his testimony in Spanish and Paul Reece preached. The prayer time included mixed groups of English speakers and Spanish speakers all praying to their same Heavenly Father in their own language. The bond that has been formed between the two separate groups was instant and will, no doubt be long-lasting. After a time of fellowship at the church, we returned to camp around 10:00 pm for the evening meal. After that, there was a little time for playing ping-pong before going to bed. We woke up early the next morning (2:00 am) to the sound of heavy rain falling on the metal roof of our lodge.

Team Testimony from Jason Lorch:
Earlier this week I was talking with a few other guys about how long it seemed we had been here, but with less than a week before we head back to Northland, I feel like time has flown. For those of you who have been keeping up with our blog, I’m sure you’ve read about the forgotten bag at the airport. Although I take responsibility for it (seeing that my name was clearly printed on it), I just want to say that there’s a good explanation. I won’t bore you with all the details, though, because you’d probably just write it off as a lame excuse anyway.

The time we have spent here has been great. As I write, I hear the steady pounding of rain drops on the roof, which explains why I also hear the not-so-steady bouncing of a ping pong ball. It’s been raining all day, and because everything is soaked, there’s no work to be done. To pass the time we are holding a ping pong tournament, and right now I’m not very happy because Josh Netz just beat me in a close game! As nice as it is to take a break from working around the camp, I have enjoyed being a blessing to the Vallettes. Our team has been able to mix and pour cement, shovel dirt, and gather lots of fire wood. In addition to working in the mornings and playing soccer games in the evenings, our team has also spent some time with the teens from the church (a few of them even play on our team). They’ve been a big blessing to me.

Every morning after breakfast we get together and take some time to talk about the book of Galatians. It’s been awesome. This morning we discussed verses 13-15 of chapter 5. In verse 14, Paul simplifies the whole law into one phrase: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” To be honest, most of the time I love myself a lot more than I love others. My selfishness and pride get in the way of Christ’s love that I should be showing to others. This is the main reason we are even in Uruguay – to show Christ’s love. It doesn’t matter how many soccer games we win or how much cement we can mix. It’s all about showing Christ’s love. That should be my focus, not just in Uruguay, but wherever I am. God is so good in providing everything I needed to come on this trip. He has blessed, and I hope and pray that we can continue to show Christ’s love to others while we are here.

Jason