First ... good news! On Friday, after my request for you guys to pray, an almighty storm came and it rained, and rained, and rained! These two boys (below) were pretending to swim on the road just before I snapped them! Our parched yellow grass at Sefton turned green almost overnight! And over the last few days there has been regular rainfalls ...which is great. We are still in a 'critical' situation here in Isabela, but keep praying that the Lord will send consistent rain in the next few weeks. Thanks.
After the challenge about 'desperation', I thought I would lighten the mood by sharing some of the funny moments over the last few weeks (there have been many!) When we have visitors, funny moments are never far away. Usually these are to do with communication or sometimes just cultural differences.
Before the team from Fraserburgh came out I phoned John Watt ... one of the team. He was telling me how excited they all were and that for David Strachan it would be a great trip because while he was here, he would celebrate his 40th birthday. Quote ..."Aye, when his big day comes he will be on a long haul flight to Asia." My goodness, what commitment!
I began to think, "If David is sacrificing his big 4-0 to come to Sefton then we are going to give him a day he will never forget. On the first real night that they were here I wrote in the Mission Plan that we would have a 'Welcome Service'. But really, it was going to be a birthday party for you-know-who!
I had it all organised ... we had 40 students with 40 candles, 40 roses and a Birthday song. We had a special 40th birthday cake made. We bought a lovely leather Bible as a gift. The students all wrote a 40th birthday message for him. The Children's home kids were going to do a dance. We had forty 'Happy 40th birthday David" balloons. This was going to be a night to remember.
Only one problem. It was his 39th Birthday ... he wasn't going to be 40 for one whole year! We found out an hour before the big event by his wife Grace. Good old John had got his facts a wee bit mixed up and put 2 and 2 together and got 39!
Anyway .. 'the show must go on' as they say. Everything went like clockwork. We sang a few praise songs and then suddenly the lights went out, music stopped. I shouted, "Ladies & gentlemen, you thought you were coming to a welcome service tonight ... but it's really a Birthday Party!" In marched the students with their candles, roses etc. etc. David was completely shocked. And, bless him, he went along with the whole '40th thing' until we finally confessed our sins. What a laugh. We will never forget that special night for a special guy. (The students were a bit smart and put a -1 after the 40 on every balloon!)
Mis-communication. It's a funny old world. It brings a lot of laughs. Even last Sunday, I was speaking passionately about the plight of 6 miners in Utah and Pastor Marlou was translating that there were 6 kids (minors) trapped in a mine in America. MMmm....
I had another classic recently when I was preaching in the Chinese Church in Cornerstone Singapore. I thought I would be smart and have a snappy title to my message. Jesus said that his meat (ministry) was to so the will of the one who sent Him. I was challenging the people about not only seeing the power of God in the church ... but on the street. So I named my message, "Our Meat is on the Street" (John Wimber was the original author of this title I believe!) Anyway, my Chinese interpreter was having a real time of it trying to explain my sermon title. In the end he said something and everyone started to laugh! I asked the Pastor what the guy said and apparently the had translated my message as "Our hamburgers are on the Pavement!" How on earth could I preach after that??!
So much for being smart Ritchie! Well, have a happy day today and watch our for those hamburgers on the pavement!
After the challenge about 'desperation', I thought I would lighten the mood by sharing some of the funny moments over the last few weeks (there have been many!) When we have visitors, funny moments are never far away. Usually these are to do with communication or sometimes just cultural differences.
Before the team from Fraserburgh came out I phoned John Watt ... one of the team. He was telling me how excited they all were and that for David Strachan it would be a great trip because while he was here, he would celebrate his 40th birthday. Quote ..."Aye, when his big day comes he will be on a long haul flight to Asia." My goodness, what commitment!
I began to think, "If David is sacrificing his big 4-0 to come to Sefton then we are going to give him a day he will never forget. On the first real night that they were here I wrote in the Mission Plan that we would have a 'Welcome Service'. But really, it was going to be a birthday party for you-know-who!
I had it all organised ... we had 40 students with 40 candles, 40 roses and a Birthday song. We had a special 40th birthday cake made. We bought a lovely leather Bible as a gift. The students all wrote a 40th birthday message for him. The Children's home kids were going to do a dance. We had forty 'Happy 40th birthday David" balloons. This was going to be a night to remember.Only one problem. It was his 39th Birthday ... he wasn't going to be 40 for one whole year! We found out an hour before the big event by his wife Grace. Good old John had got his facts a wee bit mixed up and put 2 and 2 together and got 39!
Anyway .. 'the show must go on' as they say. Everything went like clockwork. We sang a few praise songs and then suddenly the lights went out, music stopped. I shouted, "Ladies & gentlemen, you thought you were coming to a welcome service tonight ... but it's really a Birthday Party!" In marched the students with their candles, roses etc. etc. David was completely shocked. And, bless him, he went along with the whole '40th thing' until we finally confessed our sins. What a laugh. We will never forget that special night for a special guy. (The students were a bit smart and put a -1 after the 40 on every balloon!)
Mis-communication. It's a funny old world. It brings a lot of laughs. Even last Sunday, I was speaking passionately about the plight of 6 miners in Utah and Pastor Marlou was translating that there were 6 kids (minors) trapped in a mine in America. MMmm....
I had another classic recently when I was preaching in the Chinese Church in Cornerstone Singapore. I thought I would be smart and have a snappy title to my message. Jesus said that his meat (ministry) was to so the will of the one who sent Him. I was challenging the people about not only seeing the power of God in the church ... but on the street. So I named my message, "Our Meat is on the Street" (John Wimber was the original author of this title I believe!) Anyway, my Chinese interpreter was having a real time of it trying to explain my sermon title. In the end he said something and everyone started to laugh! I asked the Pastor what the guy said and apparently the had translated my message as "Our hamburgers are on the Pavement!" How on earth could I preach after that??!
So much for being smart Ritchie! Well, have a happy day today and watch our for those hamburgers on the pavement!
2 comments:
Thanks for the birthday laughs Mark! My 39th birthday party was a blast and so special with the Sefton family. As rain has fallen on Sefton, we pray for showers of blessings on God's Mission Field.
David,Grace,Peter and Grace Louise
great site! PRaise God for sending people like you here in our country. May your tribe increase. Blessings!
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