BORDER CROSSING

Good times the past few weeks. We got back from ecuador a couple weeks ago now ( time flys), we had a fantastic time with P. mike stevens and the church up there. Me and stambo stayed at Edwardos house with his wife and two daughters. ( His last name might be Ramerez but i am not sure, sounds good but it could be another edwardo i know because i know so many..i think i just botched his name too, its all good he wont see it) The crazy part of staying with him was that he lived in Baltimore for 7 years with his family going to Bible college and i remember seeing him all the time but i never talked to him. He is such a cool guy, the whole time i was staying there I was thinking 'should i apologize to him for never saying hi to him in the hallway when i saw him all the time at church...',Ah it s all good.. Its so funny when your in Baltimore the amount of people in the church that you dont know at all, then you end up living with them on the mission field, like the thortons. Never talked to P. Gary or Lecet thorton in my life, didnt really even know of them. They both have been in the ministry for like 30 yrs, in Baltimore for ever and I never bumped into them. Probably saw them a million times but never stopped and introduced. So i guess the moral of the story is, You know. Introduce yourself to that foreign bible school student that you see all the time because you may end up at there kitchen table thinking " I used to see these people all the time and never talked to them". Actually right before I left to come down here on a Wednesday night. My dad had us pray with our neighbor in church, so i turned and introduced myself to the man next to me. We prayed together then finished a little early so we had a chance to exchange a few words. My comment to him was "Oh is this your first time to this church", were he replied "No i have been in the church now for about 5 yrs." I could not believe that. Its probably because i sit in the same spot most of the time for some strange reason. Actually I think alot of people are like that, I dont know why we do that but we do.(shout out to all you who sit on the right side of church, you know who you are.. We are like a family over there, sticking together.) The discovery channel could do a show on us and how we allways migrate to the same position for service. When you go on the other side of the chapel its kind of funny because you see people you havent seen in a long time, and you think "oh thats where they have been".... This blog is probably pretty random right now because i am just rolling, its all good... But back to edwardo , what a cool guy, we had a great time with him. Making us breakfast every morning, KFC delivery for dinner, late night history lessons that where so interesting on South American politics, and religion, (this continent is pretty corrupt, whats new). Then on the last night around 1 in the morning we popped in "sea biscuit" , actually a really good movie which takes place at pimlico.. Just a good time with an Ecuadorian brother.. We were there for 5 days with 2 full days of travel there and back. It took 28 hours to get back with all the border crossing schananagins that those police officers love to do. The line could be 100 deep, babies screaming, people passing out in line, but they still move at a pace that would make my 87 year grandmother look like a Speedster at the crossing. Flipping through every page of every persons passport, checking mabey to see what, I dont know, i am still trying to figure that one out. Then they allways have to stop and go in the back room to crack a couple of jokes with the other hard working crossing guards. I really think they are in some sort of time warp where time doesnt exist. Or mabey they enjoy seeing people suffer in those lines. That is my only conclusion with those guys, pure enjoyment from the mental suffering of people in line. Those guys kill me. Looking at you like you are strapped with gun powder from head to toe. Looking at your cell phone as though it could be a detinator. I understand they are just doing there job, but pick up the pace Gomez.. God teaches you patience.


We have had a good time since we got back. The church is doing fantastic, along with Bible college. P.stan has been in Budapest and Romania for the past 2 weeks.. Its amazing he entrusted us with the church, and thank God we havent had church split since he has been gone. He is coming home on Tuesday, which will be great. I know as soon as he gets home we are heading right down to the b-ball court to have a "21" battle. He is itching for Stambo and Schaller on the court, I know he is..

The nets down at the courts have been going south as of late so we decided to get some chain nets last week. Man was that a good call. You should have seen the players when they caught wind that we got some nets. They were all staring at me while i was holding the nets in a bag.(chain nets are a notch up from normal ones, because they have a better look plus they last longer) When i took them out to show them it was if i was pulling gold bars out of the bag, they watched with such delight when they came out of the plastic bag. It was if i had the keys to a new car for each person down there. Rejoicing!!!! I honestly think one of the hoopers was close to tears as he watched them go up. (It was a beautiful site). Me and Stambo became over night living legends down there, they love us cause of those nets. Popularity down here comes for a simple 8.99 purchase of some hoop nets....

A little side note for those who it is directed too.. Team peru (collins, stambo, thorton, schaller) is getting ready for defending champs norman, colban, and robbins, at the annual b-ball convention tourney in Baltimore this summer. You boys better be getting ready because we are coming at you full steam. Plays are even being drawn up. Plays you guys have never seen or heard of like "Carolina , Motion, and West Point", watch out.. Norman I know of the weight gain so i hope that membership at Lynn Bricks is paying off because those extra plates at the family gatherings will be owing you on the court.. Robbins, I know you are going to be in the love clouds out there and Colban we are going to be all over that baby J.... Ha ha!!!!


We had class tonight, I was loving it, I didnt want to stop. taught hermanutics and Acts, its fun when you start rolling on a subject and get into it. Acts 15 tonight, with the apostles dealing with the legalism creeeping in. That we dont put any legalism on people but rather give them life and let the spirit convict and change people. That its not my job to go around and tell people the "101" things to do to be a an upstanding christian. Rather i know that God takes things out of our lives and we really dont know how exactly it happened, But that i have the testimony that God took it out of my life. Peter says in that chapter "We are not going to put the yoke of bondage on men, the same yoke that our fathers could not even bare". You talk to people and they say "yes I believe that its grace that you are saved, but you also have to change". The "also" is never good. Grace also.. These people underestimate the power of the Spirit. Romans 7.22 " I delight in the law of the inward man". That i have the newness of life in Romans 6.4 and thats what will change a person. If a person comes into the church and they curse, drink and what not, do i condemn or do I love and watch God change them. Its so good the message we preach because if it was not for the Spirit it would produce lawlessness. But rather it produces liberty to serve and in James the fruit is good works. Not because we have to but that this is Gods life in me. Imagine if pauls ministry was to go to Galatia, Ephesus, Corinth and lay on them that if they want eternal life that they must first change, or stop immediatley there wayward living. I dont think I would be here right now, actually i know i wouldnt be here. But rather except christ and follow him to see your life change. I love it...
Allright my battery is about to run out so i am rolling over to the couch to pass out.. Sunday is a Big Day.. Abd, Service, Radio, evangelism, and then Bible study. Me and stambo did grace hour last week, all we talked about was Bible college, we were pushing it. This week i think we are doing the same. We took a few of our Bible college students with us unknown to them that they would be talking on nation wide radio. You should have seen the young mans face when he was in the booth with us and I called on him on air to share his testimony. He was caught off guard... So good... Thanks for the prayers.. Also last note, i got an email from gabe aluisy and sliva that they are heading out for the other side of the world. Its awesome. I mention this because if anyone has a chance to check out slivas blog its so funny, classic sliva. I was laughing so hard reading it.When i was reading it i could hear sliva in my head.. If you read it you have to imagine sliva saying it to you.. Its priceless. I love that guy...... Adios!!!!!