1. Good Friday Fishing
Easter and the following Monday were national holidays, so the streets of Buenos Aires seemed to be empty as students went out of town to their hometowns. But we decided to trust in God and went out for fishing on Good Friday. We prepared 36 boiled eggs and enough hot coffee for 40 people in a thermos. The weather was warm in the morning and I wondered if anybody would want hot coffee. But God was with us. Brothers Pedro and Pablo and Sister Maria Cho, Jr. joined M. Ruth and me for fishing at around 5 pm. All of a sudden, it began to rain, but we kept up our fishing and began to share the gospel with a young man who wore dark clothes and a metal rings in his nose, lip, and ears. Then we preached to four very quiet students. The main point of our message was 횂징횂째Jesus died for our sins. So should we keep on sinning? Jesus rose from the dead to make us new creations who live righteous lives. On this Easter, won횂징횂짱t you make a decision to change your lives?횂징횂짹 Then the rain began to pour down more heavily. Twelve Bolivian football team members stopped playing and stood under a tree because of rain. They were so happy to have the hot coffee and boiled eggs we offered. We again preached to them the gospel and invited them to our Easter worship service. It was getting chilly so we gathered together and prayed. After prayer, the rain poured down even more heavily. We didn횂징횂짱t know what to do. Then we saw the bus stop right across from where we were. We noticed lots of people standing under the roof of the bus stop to avoid rain, and waiting for their buses. So we decided to stay at the bus stop and share the gospel to those who came there. We offered hot coffee and boiled eggs and preached the gospel to about 10 young men and women while they waited for their buses. My message was 횂징횂째Be a new man in Christ and live by the Holy Spirit.횂징횂짹 Because of heavy rain, they couldn횂징횂짱t go anywhere but stayed there and listened to our message. We thanked God who made our fishing day rainy and cold, knowing that we prepared hot coffee and the gospel. On our way back to center, we were filled with new spirit like young men. We experienced that God is our wonderful and almighty Father.
2. Easter Worship Service; Young man, I say to you, get up!
At our Easter worship service, I delivered a message based on Luke 7:11-17: 횂징횂째Young man, I say to you, get up!횂징횂짹 The main point of the message was that a young man who suffers from sin and death cannot live like a young man. On the other hand, one who has resurrection faith can live like a young man regardless of his or her age. Now we must live by the Holy Spirit and continue to grow in fellowship with God and live as young men of God. Sister Dorka and Brother Pablo presented a duo drama. M. Ruth Kim and Maria Cho performed two music pieces with the flute and violin. Sisters Dorka, Rocio and I recited personal poems to the risen Jesus. Sister Diana confessed before how she lived like an old woman. M. Ruth Kim testified that she lived a miserable life due to her chronic earache, but Jesus made her live like a young woman. None of the people we invited on our Good Friday fishing came to the conference. But Pablo brought his mother, and Brother Javier brought his brother Juan. I thank God I could restore 1:1 Bible study relationships with them. A total of 20 people attended our Easter worship service.
The fruit of this Easter was our Good Friday fishing meeting. We want to continue this fishing meeting with prayer to gain 12 disciples and 12 mothers of prayer. Praise God who blessed us to live as righteous children of God through the Risen Jesus. Many Latin American people have a strange concept of the grace of God, thinking that they can believe in Jesus to a degree and enjoy the world. We want to preach continuously the message of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
