Day 4 - Sabbath, July 14, 2007

By Daniela Ortiz

What a blessing the Sabbath! It is such a needed rest for all of us, and we could not wait to worship with our Brazilian brothers and sisters. During Sabbath School, we went to two churches that Pastor Ortiz built previously with other missionaries groups and had special music. It is incredible how friendly people are and happy to see us.

For the main service, we went to a big district church that is extremely beautiful. There, Judi gave a touching testimony about God's healing hand in her life. We learned that God can turn every problem into a blessing if we give it to Him. Pastor Ortiz gave a powerful message about the five keys to the heart of God.

After a very tasty lunch that we each had in our families' homes, we went for a nature walk in a jungle Botanical garden. The tour guide kind of scared us in the beginning, warning us not to touch trees because of the animals around, but it turned out it was just a precautionary thing. We did not see animals, but were impressed with the huge trees. Trees in the jungle need to grow tall fast, otherwise they get chocked by others. We learned a good spiritual lesson about growing in Christ and not stagnating so the world won't choke us.

At night, some of us went to a touristic area for icecream, whereas others stayed home and mingled with host families. All in all, it was an incredible blessing, and we have only words of praise to God.

Tomorrow, we will be back to work, with new forces.