Rejoicing in the Midst of Sorrow

8 days ago we were at our first church service in Bethel, which was an interesting experience, to say the least. We walk in and the worship music is blaring, the people using the microphones feel the need to shout at all times, and everything is in Spanish (obviously). It was loud. It was difficult to understand what was going on. It involved a lot of clapping and a lot of sweat.  

They worshipped for a while (with a brief missionary performance/worship jam of “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord”), and then worshipped some more, and one of the pastors gets up to sing a song. He starts singing, and everything is good, but then he just falls to the ground. And he doesn’t get up. So we start praying for him, and he still doesn’t get up. They eventually carry him out of the church and into someone’s house and pray and try to figure out what’s going on with him. We continue on with church, all a bit shaken up. They preach a message I hardly understand, and then start to worship some more, until a woman comes up to give a message to the pastor. We then learn that the pastor that fell down in the beginning has passed away. There was so much sorrow in the room, and yet so much prayer. I kept hearing “Gloria Dios! Gloria Dios!” as we spread out to pray over the congregation.

We went to the funeral a couple of days later, and what I experienced was the opposite of what I expected. There was so much praise and worship and joy the whole time. It was as if no one had even died. The kids played like it was any other day, we worshipped like any other day, we talked like any other day, life just went on. I love the way funerals are here. There is so much rejoicing, and that is how it should be. Why do we mourn, when our loved one gets to go be with Jesus? Yes, they are taken from us for a time, but we get to see them again soon! The funeral was such a great reminder to me of how  life here isn’t permanent, of how there’s no point in storing up treasures here, because what really matters, our relationships, will be with us in Heaven anyway. The funeral was beautiful, and even though there was some sadness, there was rejoicing. Rejoice with me, hermanos, because this pastor is now with our incredible Father in Heaven for eternity.'

You are loved, and you are blessed.