Haircut!

Well, that was the Americans. They left yesterday and I have to say that they have been to a man (& woman) far more fun than I imagined. I have struck up lasting friendships, and I hope to meet these good people again on mission.

So what's knew to tell you?

Here's an incredible story: Andy & I have made frequent trips to the 'Internet Cafe' which has meant passing a bar called Ruby Rocks on the way back to base. This bar is frequented by many of the British Cabin crew. We have befriended a young Canadian bar girl who has taken an interest in what we do.She is dating the DJ who is a tough Hispanic looking guy who has never fully been comfortable with us. I think he thinks we are trying to hit on his girl. Well in a kind of way we are, and it turns out that she would like to visit Los Algodones with us on Tuesday.

Late on Sunday night, a group of six of us, three English, three yanks pop in there for a quick Brahma. The place was rocking. The music too loud to hear yourself speak, and too crowded with the kind of English Holidaymaker which makes you so proud to be a part of our historic Isle. (Not!) One of our crowd was the pastor from the Texan church. Joey' another man's man who although still relatively young (thirtysomething) has a seasoned look and seems phased by very little. You get the feeling Joey's seen quite a bit in his life but is now just sold out for God.

So, anyway, we go sit outside, and immediately our friend the DJ comes over. "Are you guys Christians?'
I'm thinking, he's going to give us a hard time. Sosua is the most hedonistic place I have ever visited. Its Sex Drugs & rock and Roll ! And he's a big part of it.

Never judge a book by its cover dear friend.
And never imagine that it isn't deep in everyones being to yearn for God to be real.

Dave the DJ went to Bible college, but got thrown out for having a liaison which he shouldn't! He faced a crossroads and he took the choice of running....away from the cross. His journey has taken him from one bed to another, from one hell raising party to another.

Here is a guy who knew his bible better than me, and who could explain theology to my Dad! In particular he knew the theology of Grace, (even down to the Greek) but he just could not believe that that same grace was sufficient for him.

And so he keeps running.

Perhaps six Christians walking into his bar will be the start of his redemption story. As Joey put it. In Gods eyes Dave will sin no more than him, he'll just have more fun doing it! But I'm not even convinced of that now. I think he's tired of it all, but he's stuck in a rut and fears he has too much to lose. We talked for ages. "I know its true' he would exclaim whilst punching his fist into the palm of his hand.

He may come to Los Algodones tomorrow. Perhaps he will see Christ in the eyes of the poor. Perhaps he saw something of Christ in the six Christian men who came into his bar for a beer.

This morning I went over to Ascension village which is where Tyson & Kylo live. However my intention was not to visit the Children, but to have the unique experience of getting my hair cut by a Hiatian barber! I mainly did it as a means of supporting a small business, but it was an experience to have my hair cut with no scissors, but a razor blade held flat against a comb. To my wife-sweetheart it will grow back!

It does look pretty awful though!

I am ready to go home now. I miss Debbie and the kids. We fly out on Wednesday. Recreation is fun, but with the bulk of my role completed I don't really want to hang around. The one 'trip' which every holidaymaker should partake of is the treck to the 27 waterfalls. Because of time, we were only able to climb as far as waterfall 12, at which point you descent on either your backside, sliding down the slides smoothed over millions of years of water over rock, or you fly through the air having jumped off a ledge (anything from 10 to 20 ft) into cool water pools below. The scenery is breathtaking. What added to it was the tropical rainstorm we experienced in the middle of the trip. The smell of the foliage, the sun drying the land, the sound of the insects all created this illusion that we were thousands of miles away in the Andes! Great fun!

Mission can be tough!