While distributing food baskets for the project Serviendo con Amor[i]
with my in-laws' church, my group visited Don Felipe. Don Felipe is
97 years old and lives alone. We found him preparing breakfast with his cowboy
hat on. He pulled up some chairs for us and then took a seat in the hammock. He
used to make brooms and sell them but now his fingers aren’t nimble enough and
his sight is failing. He has family that visits him every couple of weeks, and
God always provides. “I always have something to eat" he assured us.
“Would you like us to sing for you? Do you have a favorite
hymn?” we asked.
“When the roll is called up yonder.” He responded
immediately. “This song brought me to the truth. When I was young I had a dream
where I heard the music as if it were passing by my house, but when I woke up I
heard nothing. I only had the strong impression that I should go to church the
coming Saturday. There was only one church in town that met on Saturday, and
that was the Adventist church. The next Saturday I met up with a friend and I
asked him when was the last time he thought of going to church. I told him
about my dream and the strong impression that followed, and he said,
‘Well, let’s go then, what are we waiting for?’ He threw away
his cigarettes and I threw away mine and we went to church! After the service
my friend and I stayed around and I asked if anyone knew the song I had heard
in my dream. I still had the melody clear in my head, so I whistled a little
piece, and right away the brothers said;
‘Hey, we have that one in the hymnal!’
And wouldn’t you know, it was ‘When the roll is called up
yonder! So now you know why I like that song so much. And you know, I never
left the church since that day!”
Don
Felipe never knew how that song got stuck in his dream. Maybe his angel
sung it in his ear, or who knows, maybe some faithful soul, joyful in the
promise of a soon coming savior, was whistling on his way to work early in the
morning.
Work together!
Brother Silvestre, a thin elderly man with a white mustache,
is Don Felipe’s son. He had the sermon this last Sabbath. He said that when he
used to do door-to-door work he met a man, a former Adventist who told him “I
have three blows against you. If you can answer them, then I’ll listen to you.
First of all there is this brother X that goes to your church. He is so
unloving.”
In response, Silvestre told the man a story: “There was a farmer who planted his whole
field full of radishes, and just a few tomatoes. Hardly anybody bought the radishes,
but the tomatoes sold very well at a high price. Is there a shortage of love in
the church? Don’t leave! Plant something worthwhile! Plant some love and
kindness!” Brother Silvestre never did tell us how the man liked his
answer, nor what the other two “blows” were, but I thought his little parable
was worth sharing. But the next story he told was one I will never forget:
"There was a small boy who was lost in a huge rice field. The
rice was thick and lush and as high as an elephant’s eye. The boy’s parents
searched and searched and called and called to no avail. They called the
neighbors and the local authorities, and soon a large force of search and
rescue volunteers showed up to help. Everyone struck out into the field, but
after hours of fruitless searching they were ready to give up. Finally someone
had the idea that they link hands and form a chain that spanned the entire width
of the field. The search began again, but together this time. The rescuers
systematically covered every inch of that rice field. Somewhere in the middle
they found the boy. Sadly, it was too late. He was already dead.”
How much more could be done if we as
churches would organize ourselves in united and intentional soul winning? How
many are dying today because we each launch off on our own individual
endeavors without bothering to involve others, or worse still, never go to work at all? May God give us more love
for the perishing, and a sense of urgency that will inspire us to more fervent
and united action!
[i] "Serving with love" The project was planned on Sabbath afternoon at the Belize mission congress.
(See post below.)
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| Don Felipe |
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Taking food baskets door-to-door |
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