Good Friday

We had big plans for Wednesday night.  So did the Lord . . .

We’ve been studying the gospel of John with the Tokio youth group this year and just finished chapter 14 . . . a perfect lead into the Easter season.  Our plan was to show The Passion of the Christ on Wednesday night since it follows with our study of John and with the events leading up to Easter morning.  Pastor Larry and I thought that it would be a good idea to include the whole church (instead of just the youth), so we invited everyone to come.  Several people from the church had copies of the movie, but when Wednesday night came, all known copies of the movie had mysteriously disappeared . . . hmmm.  Pastor Larry had the screen and speakers all set up and there was a group of about 12 people who were at the church, ready for the movie.  We made a quick change of plans, deciding to show the movie on Friday night instead (and praying that we’d be able to find a copy by then!). 

Instead of showing the movie on Wednesday, Pastor Larry read Scripture and we had a very special time of sharing.  One lady spoke with deep conviction about the importance of “praying for our youth” (the youth on the reservation) and taking time to teach them about the Lord and to lead by example.  As she shared, she acknolwedged the two “beautiful young girls” who had come with me and were sitting there listening.  I was so encouraged by the words this woman spoke and by her willingness to share her heart with us.  We ended the evening, sharing prayer requests and praying together.  Pastor Larry and I also had an opportunity to share and answer questions with the girls before I took them home . . . their hearts are becoming so soft and tender to the Holy Spirit! 

Last night we gathered at the Tokio church to watch The Passion of the Christ for Good Friday (my parents, sister, and grandparents also joined us!).  I brought the girls again and we joined about 50 other people (!!) who came to watch the movie and hear the truth about who Jesus is and what He did so that we could know forgiveness, hope, and freedom!  Pastor Larry shared some powerful truths after the movie . . . the Gospel and the meaning of Easter was clear.  It was a joy to listen as Pastor Larry spoke truth to a church FULL of people.  When everyone was gone, we had another chance to talk with the girls and pray for them.  Please continue to pray for these young ladies, asking the Lord to make them hungry for Him and to give them a clear understanding of what it means to live for Him.

After all of this, I’m especially looking forward to Easter celebrations at Tokio tomorrow.  The girls have asked me to pick them up for church, so we’ll be there for Easter breakfast before the 11:00am service.  And to top it all off, Joe Rogers from Adventures In Missions will be joining us! 🙂  

May the truth of Jesus’ victory give you hope and freedom for whatever you are facing today . . . have a blessed Easter, dear friends!