Technology is amazing. No really – we take it for granted most of the time. It is something that we expect to be there when we need it or before! Here, in the jungle, we do not take it for granted because without it we would not be able to listen to sermons from our home church – Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas. For us Sunday worship is just a little different than it used to be. Okay well maybe more than just a little.

We start off the morning at 7:30 am serving breakfast to 100 children at El Salvador church. After we wash those dishes, we walk 4 blocks back to our apartment to gather up more meals (yes we cook in our kitchen! no health inspectors here…), grab a MotoKar taxi  and head to Luz Divina church to serve an additional 70 meals around  11 am. Getting to a church service during the morning is difficult because of our schedule and the timing. So we have turned to technology to help us in this area.

After downloading numerous sermons online, church is held in our apartment listening to Pete Briscoe, senior pastor at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. Although the entire service is not available online – or at least we haven’t been able to find it – we still sing songs we know or listen to praise and worship through itunes before “tuning into” Pete. Plus Pete speaks in english so we understand more! 

We are “obedient” to stand when Pete says stand to pray before he begins delivering God’s words and we are equally as obedient if he says to stand at the end of his sermon and pray. It’s a little odd to stand up in our kitchen with no one else around, but we do it! When he says to greet those around you – well, we are great at following through with that – there are just 2 of us here (for the moment) so greeting is easy and quick!!  

Our bi-lingual bibles are on the kitchen table and we follow along taking notes. For many families and friends lots of great things happen around the kitchen table and this is no exception! It is an amazing experience – our version of corporate worship. Thank you Pete and Bent Tree for making these sermons available online. You never know who is watching you and whose lives you are impacting. Well Pete – you are touching lives here in Pucallpa, Peru.  When your name is called at “The Bema,” and the Lord says, “will all those who have been touched by Pete please stand,”  Cindy and I are going to be cheering for you and we will be excited to watch all people from Peru that will rise to their feet, unbeknowest to you, that have been impacted by your teachings. Over the past 5 years – there are many in the Amazon villages and jungle as well as various cities in Peru that are impacted because of you and you didn’t even know it!!! Don’t you just love that concept. Paying it forward.  GRACIAS PETE.

We definitely have the offering basket and tithing part down. We just haven’t quite figured out the communion thing yet but we will. No grape juice here – guess we will just make our own…

As Pete says…

“On our knees, palms up” In His Mighty Grip worshipping,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org