Colombo Finale

Sunday July 8, 2007

After a change of plans and a hastily called service for 4pm on Sunday, we headed back to Colombo on Sunday morning. The Sunday service in Colombo normally starts at 9am, but on this Sunday there would be a change to 4pm. The original service was cancelled. We left Kandy on Sunday morning for the 3 1/2 hour bus ride back to Colombo. We arrived in Colombo at approximately 2:30pm with enough time to grab a bite to eat, get our new rooms, freshen up and get back on the bus and head to church. We arrived a few minutes after the service began at 4pm. The singing and worshipping could be heard as we approached the sanctuary. For a service time that was called that day, the sanctuary was mostly filled. This hot and humid afternoon was visible through our nearly drenched faces and clothing, but God’s presence was much more evident, so we didn’t seem to mind. We were just glad to be having service and we were thankful that everyone had arrived safely.

We sang a number of songs before Bro. Harold Linder preached. After a powerful message the altar call was given. The people responded as usual and the Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way. At least 10 people were filled with the Holy Ghost and many lives were touched by the power of God. Bro. Mathiasz told us that unless he calls altar service to a close at some point, it would go on forever. Although only ten people went up when Brother Mathiasz called those who had received the Holy Ghost to come up to the front, many of us looked around for more that we had been praying with that had been filled. Many of them may have been too shy to come up or had left service already. The altar service this night lasted for about 1 1/2 hours.

At the end of all of this, there was a request for the choir to sing another song. The altar area was cleared and we obliged with one more song, There's No God Like Our God. It was a fitting song selection to end a great service and a great trip. When the service ended we all said our goodbyes to these beautiful people. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the work in Sri Lanka. This was a life-changing trip for all of us. Thank you Bethel and everyone else who was praying for us back home. You were with us in our hearts and you were there in Spirit. Please continue to pray for the people of Sri Lanka, for the work that God has already done and for what he will do in the future. The best is yet to come.