“Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”
– Psalm 127:5
Hi James and Ellen,
How important do you think that it is that you have a home? How important do you think that it is to your dad and ma that they have kids? How important do you think that it is to God that you have a home and that your dad and ma have kids? A psalmist – who was quite possibly Solomon, scribed a psalm song – which is now Psalm 127 in the Psalm Book, claiming that unless a house is built by God, the guy who built the house has not accomplished anything. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song is not referring to a literal house; the guy is referring to the dad, ma and kids who are living in the house. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song is saying that if the dad, ma and kids who are living in a house do not let God build their lives, their lives will be worth nothing. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song has accepted as being an absolute truth that a dad’s watchful care of his family – along with a watchman’s vigilant guard over a city, cannot begin to be compared to God’s keeping a constant surveillance over a household – as well as over a city. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song seems to have personally experienced without first having had an intimate relationship with God, the futility of getting up early in the morning, staying up late at night and working hard so that he and his family would have food to eat. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song conveys a very genuine gratefulness to God that He has rewarded him with kids. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song refers to kids as being like ‘arrows in the hands of a warrior’ or kids becoming their dad’s fighters. The psalmist who scribed this psalm song identifies a son as being a special heritage from God for a dad.
Your Aunt Lynn and Uncle Chris attended the church yesterday morning where Raúl Pedraza is the pastor. Raúl and his family are living in a Santa Cruz, Bolivia barrio called Mongales. Your Aunt Lynn, Uncle Chris and one of their co-workers – Christy Torri-Tora, have spent a week in Bolivia. Your Aunt Lynn, Uncle Chris and Christy first went to Tambo – which is the name of the New Tribes boarding school in Bolivia. Your Aunt Lynn went to Tambo for seven years and your dad for three years. Your Aunt Lynn spent most of her growing up years in Bolivia. During the twelve years that your grandmaa and grandpaa lived in Bolivia – ministering as missionaries on South America Mission’s field missionary team, your grandmaa and grandpaa had Raúl and Mery Pedraza befriend them. Before your grandmaa and grandpaa initiated the rural resident Bible education and leadership training center program in Concepción, Nuflo de Chávez, Raúl traveled with your grandpaa when your grandpaa visited the rural churches that are affiliated with South America Mission – that are in eastern Bolivia, to promote the rural resident Bible education and leadership training program. When the Christ-follower leaders in these churches began referring to the rural resident Bible education and leadership training program that your grandpaa was promoting as being a centro de capacitación (center of learning in English), centro de capacitación stuck. Your grandpaa established as requirements for the centro de capacitación the recruiting of eight guys each year – six guys who are married and two guys who are single, to study in Concepción for two years in six – thirteen week trimesters, with each trimester having six – two week modules taught for three hours each morning – Monday through Friday, with each module taught by a South America Mission field team missionary unit or a Bolivian church leader and a single – one week module at the end of each trimester with a four week break between each trimester. This four week break between each trimester gave each of the centro de capacitación student units the opportunity to return to their homes. Your grandmaa taught many of the classes in the afternoon that were specific for the wives of the centro de capacitación students. Raúl was the Presidnet of the Asociación de la Iglesias Evangélico del Oriente when he made this trip with your grandpaa through eastern Bolivia. Asociación de la Iglesias Evangélico del Oriente are the churches that are affiliated with South America Mission in Bolivia. Not long before your grandmaa and grandpaa left for Concepción in two pickups – one pickup driven by Tim Davids and the other by Jon Depues, that were loaded with food, chairs, tables, etc., to implement the centro de capacitación, Raúl asked your grandpaa if he could be a student there, too. Raúl told your grandpaa that while he is a centro de capacitación student, that he hopes that your grandmaa will help his wife become more ‘couth’. To let Raúl study at the rural resident Bible education and leadership training center, your grandpaa had to ask a really good friend of Raúl – Aurelio Cabrera, to wait until the next year to . . .
The psalmist who scribed this psalm song says that a dad who has a full quiver – which is a tube that is made from an animal hide in which arrows are kept, of kids – with an optimum number of arrows in a quiver being five, being especially blessed. Verse 5 says, “Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” When Raúl and Mery arrived in Concepción, they had five young gals – Sandra, Sara, Susana, Silvia and Shirly. Raúl and Mery had one more kid while they were at the rural resident training center. It is really important to a Bolivian guy that he has a son. Raúl and Mery named their new baby son Juan. Juan has been a real blessing to his dad. Your dad has been a real blessing to your grandpaa.
Psalm 127 (1068)