Colombian Hospitality

One of the results of Gospel proclamation is that the Holy Spirit moves people who hear the message to want to show their thankfulness. This is why people give offerings in church and try to serve the Lord in their lives. The members of the LATTE team who make regular trips to Colombia experience this thankfulness for the Gospel message in some very special ways. The members of the church in Colombia are not only thankful for the Gospel message itself, but they also want to show their gratefulness to those who have brought that message to them. The following are some of the things that happened during our latest teaching trip there. As usual free transportation was provided to the various places the missionaries needed to get to. During this trip the Lutheran school owned by one of the families who are members of the church had its end-of-the-year graduation ceremony while we were there. We the missionaries were invited to attend as special guests of honor. When we entered the room where the ceremony was to take place, the director of the school told us to “go on up” and pointed to the front of the room. We thought she meant that we should go up and sit behind the front rows of chairs where the graduates would be sitting. So we went and sat in those rows. When the director saw this, she came running up to us and said, “No, go on up to the table located up on the stage” where all the administrators of the school would be sitting. After the ceremony we were also invited to the private banquet for the school officials. Both at the ceremony and at the banquet we were presented as the highest guests of honor. We felt humbled but also grateful to the Lord for working these expressions of gratitude in the hearts of the Colombian members.

(Posted by Professor Philip)