Venezuelans This Week
Such was the name of a WhatsApp group I was invited to last week as I joined a team of colleagues in supporting 12 Venezuelan pastors during a brief sojourn in the DR.
Much like last October, their time consisted of a 1-day FORO followed by a Luther Academy conference ("Revelation: A Message of Hope to a Church under the Cross"), and LOTS of lovin'. In addition to the below, the DR missionaries took up an offering of corn flour, pasta, rice, coffee, black beans, sugar, soap, and gently used clothes, shoes, and toys. The collection table filled up not once, but twice, a la Exodus 36:3-7.
I wasn't the only one worried about them having enough room (in terms of both space and weight) to comply with LASER Airlines' strict requirements, but God is faithful. Everyone and everything made it back to Caracas without incident and will be a blessing to so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are living in circumstances unfathomable to me.
Welcome bags! Paperclipped to the outside of each is a card signed by all DR missionaries in an envelope hand lettered by fellow missionary Lizz.
Inside:
Spanish devotional books
Daily planner
Coffee
Communion wafers
Baptismal cloths
The infamous clergy shirts.
Shopping spree! Each pastor was able to select one pair of shoes from Payless and then given free reign of the mall and a stipend for other items needed by him and his family.
Missionary RN Jamielynn worked tirelessly tracking down medications from SIX different pharmacies and packaging them for the pastors, their families, and members of their congregations.
Lord-willing, these steadfast servants will reunite in Santiago in late October. All the while, we continue to pray for peace and stability and look forward to the day when WE can travel to THEM.
Until next time, blessings!
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