It was a cold wet morning on my journey up the Quichua mountain just past the little town of Guamote. Dark stains of mud from recently cleared landslides, quilt-like patches of hand and oxen plowed fields, and the thin (12,000 ft) air of the Andes were all part of the journey to Capulispungo, the remote Quichua village of one of our students, Pastor Antonio. I stopped to wait for a small group of drunken men as they danced in front of my Jeep to the irregular beat of an out of tune hand drum. Today was Carnival, (the MardiGras of Latin America), a religious holiday that spans three days of fiestas that celebrates the coming of Lent. The Evangelical Quichua often host conferences and workshops this time of year to provide their families with an alternative to the drunken revelry that is laced throughout the fiestas. For this little church, Carnival is a time when families travel great distances to gather and worship together in their home town.
I was privileged to lead this humble church through the portion on forgiveness from Neil Anderson's Steps to Freedom. We took some time to look at the bondage of bitterness, and how forgiveness can set us free from the heavy burdens of broken relationships. We moved into small groups and they asked God to reveal the names of those who have hurt them in the past. Then one by one they began the process to forgive and release their pain. Some wept, others just poured out their hearts before the Lord. It was a time of healing.
Please pray for the Quichua church of Capulusipugu. The process of forgiveness often evokes spiritual opposition.
Pray for pastor Antonio as he continues to guide his church through this process.
Pray for pastor Antonio as he continues to guide his church through this process.
No comments:
Post a Comment