We Met Obedience on Good Friday

On Good Friday, we went with the District Superintendant to Shell, Ecuador, about a 3 hour drive east of Riobamba, for a cooperative Good Friday service that included 8 Nazarene churches in that jungle area. When we arrived, a little late due to road conditions, the church was full, but they had waited in the heat and humidity.  Children sat quietly and obediently in the laps of their parents.  The services began with two drama presentations by the teens, followed by congregational singing.  The hymns and choruses were in Spanish, but the melodies were familiar!   More rows of chairs were added until the back row extended almost out the back door.  The District Superintendant preached for 1 1/2 hours with fervor and the congregation unabashedly responded with great fervor!  After the service, several greeted us and asked questions in broken English and we answered in very broken Spanish, but their warm hospitality was genuine.  We felt as though we had met obedience in those families who had gathered to hear the gospel on Good Friday.  But, we saw more!   We met a young American Dr., his wife, and three adorable children who worked at the Shell Hospital.  They had accepted the assignment through Samaritan's Purse and had extended their stay once already.(www.samaritanspurse.org)   They could have stayed in American and had a lucrative career; they chose "something better," he said.  Their children attend a school for missionary children there, and they are active members of the Shell church. We also met another another American man and his family.  He is a bush pilot, and they have lived and raised their family there for almost 10 years.(www.maf.org)  They are active members of the Shell church.  Obedience had legs that day and it was walking on that property!  During our devotional time this morning, we thought of all the gifts and talent that we had met on Good Friday at the church in Shell, which was the base community for Jim Elliot.  Auca Indians are a part of the Church of the Nazarene because of the obedience of a few who went into the jungle 56 years ago.  Our churches are a small part of a community that God has linked together to bring His compassion and His Word to those who had for decades only seen God reflected through His creation.
It was a good day and a mighty big stepping stone that had obedience branded all over it!
Now, that was a Good Friday!.
   Keep looking up...and Celebrate Easter with great fervor and obedience.