What Bugs me is....Bugs!

Does your Baptismal Preparation List have these items?

1. Check for iguanas in the water. Remove iguana droppings.
2. Check for giant centipedes!

Well, ours does!

We found this large and dangerous insect yesterday. They are not deadly, but the pinchers are VERY powerful and they have painful venom. Fortunately, we have Poison Cane Toads in our yard to keep the numbers down!

The most noticeable wildlife is our whistling frogs, the Coquis. They are cute and musical, and (almost) make up for our more gruesome guests.

Non-Bug Bugs.
Two brothers come to church Sunday without their parents. One is in first grade and his big brother, Caesar, is in eighth. The little brother was disruptive in the service, to the point that he threw a hymnal. I used all the psychology I possessed to get him out of the service. I asked Irving, our helper from Barcelona, Spain, to preach that Sunday, so I was free to deal with the problem myself. I told Caesar that I thought we should take his brother home and explain to his mother what happened. So I took one hand, Caesar took the other, and we walked up the hill to their house.

I said to the mother, "We want to have your sons in church, and you too! But the little one is having trouble behaving today. I think the best solution would be for you to come and sit with him in church. You know best how to motivate him to behave. Please let Caesar keep coming. We will welcome you, and the little guy too, when you think he is ready"

I was a bit nervous on how the mom was going to take this.

She said, "Pastor, I know how he is. Do not worry. I will keep him home and punish him!"

I said, "It would be best, I think, if you came to church with him. I am not asking you to punish him. BUT, you are his mother, and know what is best for him!"

I think it went VERY WELL. This could have been an explosive situation. But, praise the Lord, she spoke respectfully to me AND trusted me to return to the church with her older son, Caesar. I know that God can transform an ugly bug into a butterfly. From what I saw Sunday, a transformation could be taking place in a home very near our church!