A "One of these Days" Person Comes to Christ in Our Church on Sunday.

"One of these days" Manuel would always say.

"Some time soon I will get into it, but not just now" said this owner of a video rental shop in town.

But his business of many years slowly faded away. He tried again by converting his video rental store into a "Colmado," a small convenience store for his neighbourhood. But that too did not go as he had hoped.

Manuel has a brother in our church and began visiting. Then, to my surprise, he started bringing in presents. At Christmas, he brought in a large number of poinsettias to decorate the church. Every few weeks he would bring something, like a special desert to share after the service.

Then the hugs started. When he came in the door, his face would light up and a handshake would be followed by a strong hug. He would give a smile that was not simple happiness, but had the feeling of a sincere and deeply felt gratitude attached to it. He always looked attentive and content to hear our preaching.

This last Sunday, I asked one of our deacons, Wilfredo, to preach for me. At the end of his sermon, Wilfredo had the privilege of seeing Manuel respond and come forward to accept Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

A suspected cancerous tumor in Manuel's kidney area is part of this story. We are sorry to hear of Manuel's health problems, but happy that he brought them to the right place and is seeking help from the right Person: He who can heal body, soul and spirit.

Welcome Manuel. We will be praying for you and hope to serve with you in our church in the days ahead.