La isla del Encanto - The Island of Enchantment

***scroll down to see new pics of our trip to PR***

Please pray for this guy.  He's a mess!

Hola!  Mi nombre es Maria, alias Lupita.

Too bad they're not always this nice to each other!

Have you ever seen a cuter smile?

Only Jasmine can look this tough in a watermelon dress. Boys beware!

All dressed up for Church.

Please pray for the sanity of these kid's parents!

________________________________________________________

THE FOLLOWING PICS AND COMMENTARY ARE OF OUR RECENT SURVEY TRIP TO PUERTO RICO.  WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE A BLESSING FROM THEM.

________________________________________________________

Bro. Charlie Meek aka "Grandpa" and I in Puerto Rico.  Bro. Meek has been a faithful missionary in Puerto Rico for over 30 years.  One of the most compassionate men I know.  He has been instrumental in helping to establish several Baptist churches in PR as well as assisting many missionaries over the years.  He and his wife are dear friends.

Iglesia Bautista El Buen Samaritano (The Good Samaritan Baptist Church) is the church Bro. Meek pastors in the mountains of Moca, PR.

I had the privilege to preach in Bro. Meek's church several times.

Some of the congregation at Iglesia Bautista El Buen Samaritano.

Hermana Aurelia making some good coffee.  Puerto Ricans make THE best coffee in the world! 

Jasmine and Clarissa made some new friends as they attended their first Sunday School class in Puerto Rico.

Jasmine and Clarissa singing their first speacial in Church!  They sang "The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me..."  They did a good job but we had to yank them off the stage though as they were about to sing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm"!  Uh...we're working on that.

Here is Maria preaching!  She let it rip!!  Actually, she was just giving a word of testimony.  ...she's gonna kill me for this.

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."  II Tim. 2:2 

Bro. Meek feeding God's people the precious word of God.  As you are viewing this picture, could you please take a second right now to bow your head and pray a little prayer for this old veteran's health as well as the health of his wife.  We need more faithful old saints of God like this who are good examples to the younger.

Puerto Rico is full of beautiful sights such as this.

Missionary Jim Shelton and I in Aguada, PR.  It was a pleasure to meet him and his family who are working in the area where we were staying. 

Bro. Shelton pastors this store-front church in Aguada.

A look inside Iglesia Bautista Aguada (Aguada Baptist Church)

I was happy to have the privilege to preach to over 100 students in the Christian day school of Iglesia Bautista Immanuel in San German, PR.  We have a burden for young people as God saved my wife and I in our youth.

Preaching on the street in front of the Catholic church in the town square of Aguada, PR.

Street preaching is not a popular practice in PR but it was a blessing to see the Lord use our efforts to open some doors to witness to some people who were curious as to what we had to say.

Jasmine passed out Gospel tracts while Daddy preached.

Maria offering a tract to the lady behind the counter in the Ice Cream shop.

We placed many tracts on cars.

Presenting the Gospel one-on-one.

Jasmine and Clarissa were the Dynamic Duel of the Gospel.  You couldn't find a bolder witness for the Lord as they chased people down the street to make sure everyone received a Gospel tract.

Missionary Jim Shelton and his children passing out tracts.

One thing that was nice to see in PR was that most people would take the time to actually read the Gospel tract right there and then.

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."  Isa. 55:11

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent?"  Rom. 10:14-15

This is one of the local radio stations in PR that Bro. Meek preaches on.  The owner of this station agreed to let me have a 30 minute program to preach the Gospel on a weekly basis.  Praise the Lord!  I look forward to getting started with this!

A peek into one of the Catholic churches in PR. 

Puerto Rico is 85% Catholic.

Mary worship is a common practice amongst Hispanic people.  The Catholic church teaches that Mary is the Mediatrix for this world.  But the Bible says contrary:  "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - I Tim. 2:5

When I was a little boy I spent much time confessing my sins to a priest at a confessional booth much like this.  I'm glad that now that I'm saved I can go straight to God with my problems rather than some earthly priest.  Only Christ has the power to forgive sins.  Had it not been for the grace of God, I'd still be in deception.  Thank God for the saving knowledge of the truth in God's word!

The Charismatic movement is the fastest growing religious movement amongst Hispanic people.

The 7th Day Adventists are also gaining lots of momentum amongst Hispanic people.

I preached the devil out of this ostrich!

We had time to visit some family that live in Ponce, PR.  This is my father's aunt Alicia standing with the girls.

Aunt Alicia may be small, but don't let that deceive you.  She'll straighten you out real fast!

These next couple of pics are of the streets where my Dad grew up on in Ponce.

Puerto Rico has it's share of poverty.

They don't show you this part of town in the tourist guide.

May God raise up missionaries who are willing to go where no one else will into the highways and hedges and compel sinners to the Gospel.

This is my Dad's uncle, Miguel.  He has a coffee farm up in the mountains of Ponce, PR.

I was thinking to myself, "Now what am I gonna do with all these bananas?!"

Jasmine liked feeding the ducks on Uncle Miguel's farm.

We had to explain to Clarissa that the corn was for the ducks, not her.

This duck fight reminded me of 2 average Baptists discussing doctrine. 

More beautiful sights

My beautiful wife enjoying the beautiful shores of PR.

The girls loved wading in the water.

The only bad part of our survey trip in PR was boarding the plane and leaving.

Who will go and tell these people the truth of the Gospel?

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Puerto Rico is that they might be saved.  Please pray that God will get us back to the field as soon as possible.