Update from Delinda (November 9, 2010)
Hello!
The last month has been a whirlwind which has resulted in my not getting updates out. Please forgive me.
A month ago the ministry team in Timor had the privilege of having a week of training sessions with Steve Fairbanks. He did a wonderful job encouraging and teaching about how to continue moving forward with our house churches.
After our week of training I went for my last time to Lospalos to spend time with the people and pastors Sam and Ully. We had a wonderful time. I had the AMAZING privilege of walking along with pastor Ully to a few of the house churches in Lospalos. I got a chance to lead a Bible study at one and the music at another. I was deeply touched at the simplicity of worship. No special programs needed, no special chairs, just dirt floors provided by the good Lord, no special instruments or technology, just God's people worshipping and praising the Lord and learning more about His word.
One very striking thing as we went along was, in one home with just one family. The group began with just a young couple meeting with Sam and Ully, soon the young couple had begun sharing their faith with their parents and soon they began coming to the times of Bible study. I was able to sit among the young couple their children, two older women and an older man, (the young man's parents and an aunt). We had to have someone come along with us that spoke the local language because the older members of the family knew only their local language. I was struck, their prayer requests were; we want to know how to continue to walk forward with Christ and we want to learn more about God's word. In our fast-paced everything at your finger tips world, we lose that hunger for Christ and the hunger for the knowledge of His word.
That Saturday night all the church people of Lospalos had planned to come together and throw a going away party for me. It was beautiful. There weren't gifts passed around, but something SO much better than even words can express. The people showed me their appreciation and love in the words that they shared and in a very special time of song. Many people decided the only thing they had to give were their talents so we had a bit of a talent show. It was a wonderful VERY SAD time of worship and praise. Sunday morning I preached for the last time in Lospalos and hopped on a bus back to Dili for my last week there.
My last week in Dili was filled with tying up lose ends and preparations, lots of things to give away and MANY VERY HARD goodbyes. Again the Lord gave me many very special times together with the people of Dili with my friends and family there. Again, not many gifts passed around, but those things aren't important! What was important was spending time with those the Lord had placed in my life and those I had come to love as my family and friends. My last Sunday I preached and that afternoon we had a goodbye party at the beach (I know rough huh?). Monday I tearfully headed to the airport. So many things experienced, personal and spiritual growth, relationships made that again words can't express all wrapping up. I couldn't believe it was time to say goodbye. It was very hard.
>From Timor I headed to Indonesia, the Lord protecting me all the way, I was in Yogya while the volcanoes were erupting. While in Indonesia I also got to travel to Malang then back to Yogya and on to Singapore for a few days before finally arriving back in the states.
Yep! I'm baaaack. I've had a rough time of readjusting to the time difference, I still feel completely backward. As far as what comes next, that is and will always be in the Lord's hands where it belongs. My life and future are His, and I'm trusting Him with that.
Please continue to pray for Timor. Pray that doors will continue to open in Timor to minister to the people and bring the lost and hurting to Christ. Pray for Pastor Sam, who was able to go to Indonesia for more testing. The doctors have found that he has holes in his lungs. I'm not sure what the treatment for that will be, but we know the Great Healer! Pray that the Lord will miraculously heal Pastor Sam and give him many, many more years of ministry in Timor. Pray for his wife Ully who is taking all ministry responsibilities in Lospalos, she has a heavy weight on her shoulders, lots of work and a family to continue to keep together while Sam is away and getting treatment and rest.
Thanks again for ALL your prayers, thoughts, encouragement and help in this ministry.
Maromak fo bensa (God bless),
In His Service,
Delinda
Hello!
The last month has been a whirlwind which has resulted in my not getting updates out. Please forgive me.
A month ago the ministry team in Timor had the privilege of having a week of training sessions with Steve Fairbanks. He did a wonderful job encouraging and teaching about how to continue moving forward with our house churches.
After our week of training I went for my last time to Lospalos to spend time with the people and pastors Sam and Ully. We had a wonderful time. I had the AMAZING privilege of walking along with pastor Ully to a few of the house churches in Lospalos. I got a chance to lead a Bible study at one and the music at another. I was deeply touched at the simplicity of worship. No special programs needed, no special chairs, just dirt floors provided by the good Lord, no special instruments or technology, just God's people worshipping and praising the Lord and learning more about His word.
One very striking thing as we went along was, in one home with just one family. The group began with just a young couple meeting with Sam and Ully, soon the young couple had begun sharing their faith with their parents and soon they began coming to the times of Bible study. I was able to sit among the young couple their children, two older women and an older man, (the young man's parents and an aunt). We had to have someone come along with us that spoke the local language because the older members of the family knew only their local language. I was struck, their prayer requests were; we want to know how to continue to walk forward with Christ and we want to learn more about God's word. In our fast-
That Saturday night all the church people of Lospalos had planned to come together and throw a going away party for me. It was beautiful. There weren't gifts passed around, but something SO much better than even words can express. The people showed me their appreciation and love in the words that they shared and in a very special time of song. Many people decided the only thing they had to give were their talents so we had a bit of a talent show. It was a wonderful VERY SAD time of worship and praise. Sunday morning I preached for the last time in Lospalos and hopped on a bus back to Dili for my last week there.
My last week in Dili was filled with tying up lose ends and preparations, lots of things to give away and MANY VERY HARD goodbyes. Again the Lord gave me many very special times together with the people of Dili with my friends and family there. Again, not many gifts passed around, but those things aren't important! What was important was spending time with those the Lord had placed in my life and those I had come to love as my family and friends. My last Sunday I preached and that afternoon we had a goodbye party at the beach (I know rough huh?). Monday I tearfully headed to the airport. So many things experienced, personal and spiritual growth, relationships made that again words can't express all wrapping up. I couldn't believe it was time to say goodbye. It was very hard.
>From Timor I headed to Indonesia, the Lord protecting me all the way, I was in Yogya while the volcanoes were erupting. While in Indonesia I also got to travel to Malang then back to Yogya and on to Singapore for a few days before finally arriving back in the states.
Yep! I'm baaaack. I've had a rough time of readjusting to the time difference, I still feel completely backward. As far as what comes next, that is and will always be in the Lord's hands where it belongs. My life and future are His, and I'm trusting Him with that.
Please continue to pray for Timor. Pray that doors will continue to open in Timor to minister to the people and bring the lost and hurting to Christ. Pray for Pastor Sam, who was able to go to Indonesia for more testing. The doctors have found that he has holes in his lungs. I'm not sure what the treatment for that will be, but we know the Great Healer! Pray that the Lord will miraculously heal Pastor Sam and give him many, many more years of ministry in Timor. Pray for his wife Ully who is taking all ministry responsibilities in Lospalos, she has a heavy weight on her shoulders, lots of work and a family to continue to keep together while Sam is away and getting treatment and rest.
Thanks again for ALL your prayers, thoughts, encouragement and help in this ministry.
Maromak fo bensa (God bless),
In His Service,
Delinda
