11/11/2017: Receptive Hearts or Guiding Hand?

Receptive Hearts or Guiding Hand?

Ministering in Panama through a Vacation Bible School and medical missionary work.

Here at Living Springs, we feel privileged to be alive at this time in Earth’s history. Even amidst challenges, God is in control and we can lift up our eyes because our salvation is near!

Two girls enjoying Vacation Bible School.

As first elder of our local church, my husband Pablo has been making it his goal to encourage church members to develop a closer relationship with God. We realized last year that since most of our church attendees are children, we needed to get more involved in children’s ministry. When the school break came, we held a Vacation Bible School, with about 44 children attending regularly. They made an enthusiastic crowd, joyfully singing Bible songs and listening to the Bible stories. It was a blessing to see young minds attracted to our Savior!

God provided extra help for Vacation Bible School.

One family that attended is a missionary family from another denomination that we have been giving Bible studies to for some time. When we invited their children to the VBS, the parents not only accepted, but asked if we needed help. We did need extra hands, so we put them to work with the sister from our church who was in charge of the food. They seemed to really enjoy the VBS, and one day the mother commented that one of her boys had told her that he had the Bible songs playing over and over in his head. I just smiled and said, “That is the idea!” She agreed.

We continue to feel God’s guiding hand in our medical missionary work as well. With many cases, we know that only a miracle can truly heal the patient. Such is the case of Diana, a 64-year-old with severe rheumatoid arthritis, who despite having visited many specialists and naturopaths still suffered from pain so severe she could hardly sleep. After assessing her, we placed her on a simple fruit diet, showed her how to do hydrotherapy treatments, and told her about God’s health laws. Above all, we spoke with her about the mind and the effect that thoughts and feelings have on physical health. We gave her a list of Bible promises to claim as she put the health program in practice. For more informatin, see here.

Working at the health fair.

At this, Diana opened up and talked about the many disappointments she had had in life and how they may have contributed to her health problems. It seemed that no one had talked to her about these issues before, and she kept saying how thankful she was for our talk. At our next visit she had a smile on her face. She told us she felt better and that she knew it would take time but that she trusted God to help her recuperate her health.

When a group of students from Uchee Pines Institute came and put on a health seminar about an hour and a half away from us, we took the opportunity to help put on a health fair. Some of those attending were people that God had already placed in our path to instruct in the health message. Now they had come back to learn more! The Uchee Pines seminar went so well that we hope to work in conjunction with another ministry to follow up with more health seminars in the churches of this conference.

As we move forward in faith, knowing that the end is near, we pray that we may all be found faithful and at the end of our journey be able to say, “Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23, 24.

Author

Zaida Acosta

Zaida and her family run Living Springs of Health and Education. 4livingsprings@gmail.com

How You Can Help

Pray for the children who attended the VBS and for the missionary family that is searching for the truth.

Pray for the Actostas’ medical missionary work, including the health seminars, that people may be healed both physically and spiritually.

Donate. Living Springs needs funds to pay off their farm and to continue operations. Donations may be made through Mission Projects International marked “Panama.”

Thank You

To all who assist Living Springs with prayers and donations, the Acostas say, “Thank you for being part of our ministry through your prayers and support!”