Going Fishing

The silvery projectile bounced off my arm and fell to the floor, wriggling in the black plastic bag holding my lunch. It´s a flying fish, fresh out of the Ucayali river, that just flew in the side of the peki peki.

I thought about picking it up. I thought about taking a picture of it, as it´s shining, almost-white silver body writhed between my feet. But, I´ve never been a fisherman. And, I was scared. Not white, what-am-I-going-to-do-now scared, but do-I-really-want-to-touch-this, what-if-it-has-spines scared. And before I could get over that, it flopped down the crack between floor slats into the belly of the boat, still visible 4 inches below. I got out my camera, but found to my dismay that the batteries were, very inconveniently, completely dead. (I supply a fairly close approximation. I´m going to get my camera in full working order, and I will use it. I will force myself. Even though I hate to - because it makes me stand out more like a tourist or spectator, less like one of the crowd. But I know I´ll wish for more pictures later. And I know you wish for more pictures now!) And Brent and I laughed - such is ordinary weirdness of Ucayali River travel. Our trip to Masisea, (to visit and check up on a new church planted this last summer) was right on track.

When we got to the port, the motokar drivers all squeesed onto the narrow space a the bow, pushing forward, bent double under the wooden roofrack/sunshade trying to secure passengers. Of course, two white boys must be needing a motokar, so we were the first targets. When we didn´t show interest in any of their offers, the let us out and up the muddy clay bank, where we were again barraged by offers. Oh, the looks on their faces as I told them we were walking! They informed us that Masisea was still three and a half kilometers away; I laughed inside. I´d walked it in 15 minutes the last time I came. I won´t argue with the distance though. I´ll just let myself think that Brent and I are simply amazing, 10 mph speedwalkers, even at what seems to us a leisurely pace! (That time´d make for a two-and-a-half hour marathon time - just imagine if we tried running!)

As we walked past the church on the way into town, we noticed the doors open and the Ruis family already inside, who told us they were waiting for sundown worship at 5 o´clock. The time: 4:52 pm. Brent and I rushed to the hostel to drop off our backpacks and switch out our sweaty t-shirts. I even sneaked a quick rinse-shower, and we walked the 3 blocks back to the church (5:13 pm) to find no one there! Hermano Ruis, who lives right across the street, sitting outside his house, and appologized to him for getting there so late, thinking that the worship had been unusually short. My puzzlement was justified - he told me they were still waiting for more people to arrive. We finally had worship, and a good one at that, at around 6:10pm. I never did find out if we´d simply been told the wrong time, or if we experienced Perú reaching new heights of excellence.

Sabbath morning brought new happy surprizes: more people at Sabbath School, a children´s Sabbath School leader, everything more organized, and the members participating, confidently and competently. When I first visited in October, one couple, the only Adventists in town before July, had to lead having prayers up font, I-whisper-to-you, you-repeat-after-me style. I´d come ready and expecting to be called on to fill in any/almost all of the service, like I´d had happen on previous visits. Today, everything was so under control, everyone prepared and organized, all I found to do was join in as a second adult present in children´s Sabbath School! After the sermon, we got to see the inauguration of the new grupos peqeños (small groups of 1-3 couples that meet together for Bible study and work together to invite new people into their circle). Each had put a lot of thought and work into deciding on and presenting their group´s name, key verse, and goals, and we prayed for God´s blessing on groups Luz Divina, El Rey David, y Jose (Divine Light, King David, and Joseph).

After a couple hours for lunch and descanso (rest), we met again, at the other end of town, to visit church members who hadn´t shown up or other people interested. At each house we´d sing a couple greeting, handshaking songs, had a short thought from the Bible, talked a little and had prayer.
I even got the chance to visit some people I knew. Nahi Flores, and her little boy, Jan, who I´d met the last time I´d come. Jan loves coloring and Bible stories. He wants to learn to read too. But the only book the family has is the old Bible - and Mom´s eyes are too old now to see the little print. No one sells Bibles in Masisea; the smiles on their faces were incredible when they saw the Giant Print Bible from Pucallpa. And the family of the pastor of the Living Water church - they stopped me in the street when they saw me walking into town with the Bible for Nahi on Friday, and wanted to send money with me to bring another one. When they asked where I was going to church, my answer was met with the exclamation ¨Across from the our friends the Ruis´ house?¨ Yup, that same Ruis house, where they´re having Bible study twice a week.

It´s amazing how friendly and receptive people are - not a one person we visited seemed in the least annoyed! At worship that night, during sharing time about the day, I realized, ¨This is the best Sabbath afternoon I can remember.¨ Really fulfilling - a Sabbath spent like it was meant to be - reaching out, not hiding away. And despite having walked all afternoon, I felt rested and ready for the week to come. Hey, they always said fishing was relaxing - I just happen to like the happy, handshaking fish betterh than slimy silvery ones! (¨Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men.¨ - Matthew 4:19 NIV)

Before, a few people showed up late Sabbath morning, fumbled through the motions, and headed home. No one made the trip for Friday vespers or Sabbath afternoon programs. The difference in the church´s atmosphere, the energy the members have for spiritual growth and reaching out - it´s incredible. They´re ALIVE!

The difference? The last two weeks, a Bible worker has been in Masisea. He´s not running the church, or leading the small groups. He´s not doing all the preaching, or teaching the Sabbath School classes. The members are. But he´s made a huge difference.

Imagine yourself a new church member, just baptized after an evangelistic campaign. You´ve never spent any time in a church before. Maybe you´ve never been at all. Or you´ve been to a couple Christmas masses, and were baptized as a baby. After the baptisms are over, the campaigns are done, what are you supposed to do? You´ve no examples, no mentors, no idea where to get materials or ideas. But you´re pretty much on your own, to grow or fall away.

In many areas, there really are no Adventists around. In others, while there are, they´re already full up with responsibilities. One pastor may have 20 or 30 churches under his care (you can imagine how much individual attention he can give!).

You don´t take a baby, buy it a house, and ask it to grow up and take care of itself. But spiritually, that´s awfully close to what´s happening. Why? There´s simply not been ¨parents¨ available. But that can change. That needs to change. How? Leave a Bible worker behind, after each evangelistic campaign, to be there to answer those important questions: ¨We´re suposed to ´grow in faith,´ - but how? ¨I liked that idea about personal devotions - but what if I don´t understand what I´m reading?¨ ¨How do I know what to say when someone asks me about why I keep Sabbath - I remember reading about it in the Bible, but where was that?¨ ¨And how am I supposed to find Habakkuk, anyway?¨

The results can be amazing. It´s not too long before those ¨babes in the faith¨ are growing up, ready to talk, share what they´ve found. Then standing confidently, even helping new Brothers and Sisters. And not too long after that, they´ll be ready to move out, starting up new churches, in new places, walking firm in the Spirit. Only there are so many churches that need nourishing, never enough people or resources to send them with. Pray that God will tap some shoulders.

¨Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,¨ - 1 Peter 2:2 NIV

¨When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.¨ 1 Corinthians 13:11, NIV