After several irritating traffic delays in route to my fellow worker's house and arriving 45 minutes later than I planned, we were off to pick up Jose, his wife Felicia, and, as it turned out, their 10 year old son. (Quick introduction: Jose is a leader in some of the work, is an aggressive witness, and has a heart to see people come to know the Lord.)
After driving to their house in Atenas we made the hour and a half trip to Caldera, on the Pacific coast, where we visited several families. This village is very poor, but the people are friendly and polite, and we had a good time making some new friends, talking about the Lord, and sharing some Bible passages...and, at one home, petting the pet pig. (small pig, actually got more affection than all the dogs laying around. Ran in and out of the house at will.)
One visit was particularly significant. We were actually looking for a family that had been contacted earlier by a volunteer group, but "happened" upon another family. The young mother was a Christian, but her husband wasn't. At their invitation, we went into the house and sat in the plastic chairs that are so popular there. (No doubt because they are so cheap...but very comfortable.) Jose and Steve, with an occasional comment from me, began to tell the young man about Jesus. However no sooner had they begun than a guy next door...(pause for explanation...Next door is like 5 feet away...nothing between him and us except a board wall.)..anyway, a guy next door began to do karaoke...very loud, very off key. This choral offering evidently inspired the rooster outside the window, and he joined in. So now we have the wannabe crooner completely lost in his off key concert, which gets louder with each offering, the rooster, and, oh. Did I mention that the house is only a few meters away from the highway? Trucks, etc.
Well, either the people who live there are used to all the racket or God just shut out all that other stuff. I don't know which, but somehow through all that, the young man seemed to understand the gospel and accepted Christ as his savior.
Good day.
