Follow Jesus

Eric Dry is the associate director and has been here for more than ten years. From Eric I learned some new things to incorporate into my vocabulary like "fetch"and"it's a pleasure", he taught us how to make his delicious chickens and gravy, and from him I almost got my first job tarantula-sitting. Linda is his faithful pet tarantula who randomly causes him to dive across the sidewalk as he seeks large cockroaches for her dinner. 

This was his final week here. Sadly, I missed his last time at church last week where they had several special songs and messages planned for him. Wednesday was a holiday so Tuesday was his final workday here. He came to devotions to give a word to the men. He said, "you come here every day and hear about God. I want to tell you to listen to what you hear because it's the truth. Jesus is coming back very soon. He will take those who follow Him to heaven and those who don't will be left here to experience hell on earth. Follow Jesus. Do good and not bad." It was short, simple and to the point. The people here have much respect for him and there are even several children here named Eric (or Erica) because of him. 

On Wednesday we surprised him and made custard and chocolate cake to go with our lunch of rice and juko beans--which also were a treat and surprise because we eat mantega beans everyday. He had no idea so it was a perfect surprise. On Thursday morning Hannah and I gave home two cards that we had made with the preschool kids and said our goodbyes (to Eric and Linda who had been safely prepped for her journey) and then we had to go get the food distribution set up while he finished his final preparations. About a hour later he drove up and stopped the truck in front of the center and about ten women ran over to the truck... It was so cute that they rushed over because they wanted to make sure they got to say goodbye.

He was the resident mechanic, welder, tech guy, solar power expert, and radio program recorder, etc. While Manuel has been trained to take over some of those things and Brenda knows how to do some things, he will be sorely missed. 

Here he is happily oiling the swings which have been swinging non-stop since they were installed about 2 months ago.

If you need a good read, I just finished "The End of the Spear" by Steve Saint, it was an incredible book and I recommend it! Here is an excerpt from an interview that Steve did with his aunt, Rachel Saint who learned the language and culture of the Waorani Indians that she might share the good news of Christ with them. These are the same people who less than three years earlier had speared and killed her own brother and four other missionaries who made contact with them. She lived among the tribe for more than twenty years and translated the Bible into their language and then taught them to read so they could learn on their own. This interview was shortly before she passed away. "Isn't it something, that The Lord Jesus would have used someone like me to do His work in this special place? I was too old by the time I could apply for missionary service. I couldn't help the Waodani much medically, I was not a Bible scholar, and if was never really a superior translator."... "Well Aunt Rachel, why do you think God gave you this assignment? What do you think He saw in you that He could use?" Her eyes brightened, and this eighty-two year-old hero of mine responded with a formula for living. "Well Stevie boy, I loved The Lord Jesus with all my heart, and I trusted Him completely, and I guess I just learned to persevere in whatever He gave me to do."

I pray that this is true of me--and all of us. May we follow Jesus, May we do good and may we persevere in whatever He gives us to do.