Day 3 – August 5, 2009
Woke up at 6:30am. Read my Proverbs of the day, then meditated on the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians. What a blessing it is to remember the wonderful treasure that God has placed in us “earthen vessels” (i.e., clay pots). The treasure of the gospel is the greatest treasure ever known and, yet, God placed it in fragile clay pots. We again are reminded that it is not the vessel that is the value, but it is the content of the vessel. . .The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Mrs. Ashley provided a wonderful breakfast. The rest of the morning was spent discussing missions and biblical issues. Bro. Ashley is a serious student of the Bible. With two earned doctorates, he has spent multiplied hours in the study and exposition of the Scriptures.
Lunch was at Noon and was a great meal. Mrs. Ashley prepared steak, corn-on-the-cob, and broccoli and cheese. It was all very good.
Around 2:00pm, we all got in the van and began the journey to the Northeastern coast, to the community of Ceiba. That is where the Maranatha Baptist Church is located, and I was to preach this evening. The pastor was out-of-town, and had asked Bro. Ashley to preach. However, I was asked to fill the pulpit. The service only had about seventeen people in attendance, including us and the Ashley family. From what I have seen of the independent Baptist churches here, this is somewhat typical. The cultural and historical differences make it a slow process to reach people and grow a church. The service went well, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have fellowshipped with like-minded believers.
Since the church was located so far from Bayamon, we left around 2:00pm so that we might avoid a great delay from the “rush hour” traffic in San Juan. This provided us time to veer from the route and visit the El Yunque National Park and Rain forest. It was a beautiful sight. The abundant rain of the forest provides a luscious green covering and produces brilliant colors in the foilage. It is the only rain forest that is owned by the USA.
What a blessing it was to see the hand of the Lord in His creation, and then in His redemption at church.
