Pastor Wilmar tried and tried all morning to get hold of Dario, or his mu: but sadly, wasn’t able to. Last night to lunchtime today was probably wishful thinking on our part that we could manage it, but someone like Dario moves about a great deal (he was recently shot in the leg, one of the reasons I so wanted to see him, as he’s due surgery next week). The lifestyle of and the ‘status’ (if that’s the right word!!) of guys like hi is incomprehensible to people outside of a culture like this: it’s pretty hard for someone like me, who’s been here a lot, to comprehend, so – next time, which, when all’s said and done, is only 11 weeks away….(25 October I’m back here).

For my ‘golden’ anniversary visit, the 50th time I’ve been to Cali in 16 years, bearing in mind that it was a different sort of visit, as I wrote in the last blog, it was pretty amazing. What was it that Jesus said to John’s disciples about the coming Kingdom that he was here to introduce? Matthew 11: 4 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me.

This week, the blind received their sight, the lame walked, the deaf heard, the poor heard the Good News of the gospel: didn’t quite manage any the lepers (I’ve never seen any here!), and we weren’t introduced to any dead people… a stroke victim got out of his wheelchair and walked out of the church, leaving his chair at the front of the church, and a lovely elderly man of 81 was not only re-visioned (his sight was fully restored), his back healed, so he could walk into the NEW vision and dream that God had for him for the future. Oh for a church of people like him, nowhere near satisfied with retirement, just a raging passion to work for the King of Kings.

So it’s been a wonderful 11 days: roll on 11 weeks’ time! BUT – a week after I get home, on Wednesday morning, I head back for the airport once again, this time headed for my fantastic friends Benny & Paty Osorio, in Mexico City. It’s always great there, too, so bring it on Lord! Then home again 21 August, only to head back to Heathrow on 6 September, en route to Australia, so I reckon these 11 weeks will fly by!