“I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.”
~ Colossians 4:8
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like getting mail? Your grandmaa and grandpaa like getting mail. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are living right now in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Your grandmaa and grandpaa like to hear what is taking place back home in the United Sates in the lives of their family and friends. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are often encouraged by what a guy or gal says in the letter that he or she took the time to write and send to your grandmaa and grandpaa. It is encouraging to your grandmaa and grandpaa to have a guy or gal write in his or her letter telling your grandmaa and grandpaa that they are regularly praying for your grandmaa and grandpaa. It is encouraging to your grandmaa and grandpaa to know that they have not been forgotten by their family and friends back home in the United States. Your grandpaa a couple of days ago received a very encouraging e-mail. The e-mail was from Humberto Lopez. Humberto studied for two years at the rural resident leadership training center (Centro de Capacitación) that your grandmaa and grandpaa implemented in January of 1982 in Concepción, Ñuflo de Chávez, Bolivia. The first time that Humberto preached as a practical assignment in the church that is in Concepción, your grandpaa wanted to put his hands over his ears as your grandpaa felt really embarrassed for Humberto. It was the first time that Humberto had to preach in front of a church full of guys, gals and kids. Almost two years later – not long before Humberto finished his studies at the Centro de Capacitación, your grandpaa heard Humberto preach on the identical Bible passage that he had preached on about two years earlier. Your grandpaa was really proud this time of the way that Humberto preached and in what Humbert said as he preached. The main reason that Humberto sent an e-mail to your grandpaa was to wish your grandpaa a Happy Birthday. The last time that your grandpaa saw Humberto was about thirteen years ago. This was the first time since your grandmaa and grandma left Bolivia thirteen years ago for the United States that your grandpaa heard from Humberto. Humberto also told your grandpaa that he has remained the church leader for the past thirteen years in a church that is located on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Your grandmaa and grandpaa received a letter last week from Joe Irizzary. When your grandpaa was a student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, your grandpaa in order to graduate was required to take two Spanish classes. Joe Irizzary was your grandpaa’s Spanish teacher when your grandpaa took the two classes. Your grandpaa really struggled to do okay in the two Spanish classes that he had with Joe Irizzary as his teacher. Joe Irizzary one day asked your grandpaa to stop at his office to talk with him. When your grandpaa went to Joe Irizzary’s office to talk with him, Joe Irizzary asked your grandpaa to tell him just one thing that he had learned in the Spanish class that was taking. Your grandpaa did not know it at the time but Joe Irizzary had to give your grandpaa at least a C in the Spanish class that he was taking as your grandpaa was one of the guys who was being considered to receive a brand new grant called the Palmer Award. The Palmer Award was a $200 grant that would be given each year to a married student who exemplified . . . your grandpaa does not remember what he told Joe Irizzary what he had learned in his Spanish class but . . . Joe Irizzary gave your grandpaa a C for the Spanish class that he was teaching. Your grandpaa was the first guy to receive the Palmer Award. Joe Irizzary wrote your grandmaa and grandpaa to tell your grandmaa and grandpaa that he and his wife had moved from where they had been living and were now living with their daughter. Joe Irizzary wanted to make sure that he and his wife would continue to receive the prayer/news letters that your grandmaa and grandpaa regularly mailed to family, friends, acquaintances and churches – because he wanted to continue to pray regularly for your grandmaa and grandpaa.
The Christ-follower fellowship in Colosse about 1950 years ago received a letter from Paul. Paul sometimes would send a circular letter to a Christ-follower fellowship that he had helped to begin and to regions where he knew that there were Christ-followers who were known as Christians. Because of his probably really bad eyesight, Paul would dictate to another guy what he wanted written in the letters that he sent to various Christ-follower fellowships and to the different regions where he knew that Christ-follower guys, gals and kids lived. Paul was confined in a Rome jail or under house arrest in Rome when he wrote the letter that he sent to the Christ-follower fellowship that was in Colosse. Several guys were in Rome at this time to be near Paul so that they could encourage him. These guys sent their greetings at the end of the letter that Paul sent to the Christ-follower fellowships that were located in the region of Colosse. Colossians 4 has Aristarchus, Mark – who was the dude who Paul had gotten really upset with about twelve years earlier, Justus, Epaphras, Luke – Paul’s doctor friend who wrote the Luke and Acts Books, and Demas sending their greetings to the Colosse Christ-follower fellowship. Tychicus and Onesimus – two other guys who were staying in Rome to encourage to Paul, couriered the letter that Paul wrote to the Christ-follower guys and gals who lived in Colosse. Paul sent Tychicus to Colosse to do what verse 8 says Paul was expecting Tychicus to do, “I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.” What are you doing to encourage kids to let them know that you think that they are special? Ever since South America Mission in 1976 accepted your grandmaa and grandpaa as missionaries, your grandmaa and grandpaa have regularly sent prayer/news and personal letters to family, friends, acquaintances and churches.
Colossians 4 (371)