The grand adventure continued today. Today was our longest day, but in the humble opinion of this author, it was my favorite so far.
Both the worship and the message were, once again, top-notch. Pat Schmeling continued with his theme, “The King’s Heart”—what is it? The answer is in the scriptures.
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”
1 Corinthians 9:20-22
“To the Jews I became a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means, I might save some.”
Luke 15:7
“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
After the message, it was off to the races. Some of us worked on building projects (Senda De Vida, LMD Warehouse, Kaleo Classrooms), some attended the Casa De Fe Joy Tour, and the rest were involved in festival preparations at Alianza Cristiana. Never would I ever minimize the importance of the building projects, but what made the day truly special was the festival.
The Festival
I estimated at least 3,000 children in attendance—plus parents, grandparents, and other family members. This festival is a highlight for the community of Reynosa. At the festival, the Power Team men helped run games, took family photos, and handed out plenty of popcorn and cotton candy. All of this was made possible with the help of volunteers from the church and students from the Instituto Bíblico Magdiel.
Though the games were simple and the prizes—stuffed animals and soccer balls—were modest, the joy on the faces of the children and their parents was priceless. Despite barely speaking Spanish, and most of the families not speaking English, the language barrier was not a challenge today.
It was a hot day—101°F—but the time flew by. I noticed some parents at first watching us from a distance, unsure of the men from the other side of the border and why we were there. But soon, they were bringing their children up to play the games, their faces filled with smiles of gratitude. Regardless of what side of the border you are from, today was a reminder that:
- Communities on both sides of the border need their churches.
- Kids love to have fun.
- Parents love to see their kids having fun.
- God loves us all.
With the festival and cleanup behind us, we enjoyed a hearty meal at the Sirloin Stockade, just a block from the festival site. Then came the trek to the border. This time, on the Mexico side, it took almost 90 minutes and two checkpoints before we reached the actual U.S. border, which took only about five minutes to cross. It’s interesting to see how things at the border have changed.
Well, tonight is daylight savings time, and unfortunately, we “spring forward” and lose an hour of sleep. So, this writer is calling it a night.
Today was another very good day.