So thankful for this day of rest...our Lord knew what He was doing when He told us to rest on the sabbath, as He created our bodies and He knows we are vulnerable and often frail. Sleep came eventually last night after a long time of tossing and turning and jumping up out of the baking tent in search of a draft of air to cool down. Even at 2am it was still 22C with dripping humidity, that made any physical activity an exertion. Out of desperation I tidied and ordered all my stuff that had to be removed from the gear truck like every week so it can get cleaned by the sweep team. Being outside is more tolerable than in the tent. Many of us slept in the hockey arena, but in there it is the other extreme (50F) and I did not want to catch a cold. However, it was great to put my liquid-molten chocolate bar on the ice to stiffen it up so I could eat it without a mess. It was a good evening last night with lots playing air hockey or skating and hockey games on the ice. Just we had no internet...tech out of our control again....so I cycled to the public library at 2pm todayafter we came home from a great celebration service in Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska. There was an avalanche of photographs on my memory stick, as the previous public library I tried some time last week wouldn't allow posting to websites. I can't send them from camp as they are too big and I don't have software or the know-how how to shrink them. Hope to learn soon if there is a way.
The celebration service was great and the pastor spoke on examples from the Bible that show how we should respectfully treat and help the poor, as all people have dignity and society unfortunately rates people according to their income, and they get the corresponding amount of respect, which is so wrong. He recommended we leave a margin in all aspects of our lives, time, skills and funds, so we have something to draw on to help another person in need when our paths should cross. He stressed the importance of developing a good biblical attitude in ourselves and our environment about the challenges related to poverty. also stressed the importance of helping the poor develop good work ethics, not just receiving hand-outs. Attitudes can be created and changed, and the Holy Spirit is there to help us in that, also to change and renew our lives for the better. This church has a strong prison ministry, and an inmate was baptized today, after we viewed his testimony on DVD, as well as another man. The sign board in front grabbed my attention immediately upon arrival after a bus ride of an hour. It said: "Welcome to Northern Lighthouse, a place of acceptance and direction". So often we sadly tend to cause churches to become places of judgement and rejection, with much heartbreak and pain, also for Jesus! Before I reached my seat to sit down for the service, seven different people had welcomed me and shook my hand warmly...wow! We were treated to hamburgers on the lawn where we chatted happily with the church members. The other half of the cyclists went to a church in Omaha.
When I came back in the searing heat from the library, I heard that some of the cyclists that stayed behind to guard the camp went into the Lutheran church service across the street. Beautiful brand new church with 900 members, who promptly decided to open the church up for us to sleep inside in a cool airconditioned environment so we can rest well for the arduous week ahead. They treated us all afternoon with all kinds of snacks and watermelon and other fruit, and welcomed us into the hall where we could use free Wifi! All of this quickly put together on the spur of the moment after church this morning when they learned about what we are doing. God's children are so great and their hospitality can be astonishing! I see divine intervention in this, so that we can get a good rest before tackling this arduous coming week. I'm sleeping in the foyer of the church on my air matress, cool and purring like a cat about this unexpected oasis of comfort ..... the world is as it should be tonight (our small and simple world, that is!). What a life!!! I feel like liking my chops like my dear cat Spot at home, who is searching for me all day, following Kobie around the house like a shadow and jumping on his lap with every opportunity. I miss her dearly!
Any comments from my blog readers welcomed to my personal e-mail mdp@rogers.com
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