National Council Meeting of the ILAG: Stewardship

Four to Six times a year, the leaders from the various churches in the ILAG gather in one of the communities to report, to connect, to worship and to attend theology classes. Some traveled 2 nights and three days to get to La Esmerelda... by bus and in the back of pick-up trucks... leaving behind family, and responsiblities in the fields to come. I had packed a large bag... and felt a bit guilty when the five men riding in the back of the pick-up for the last half of the trek (8 hours driving total, but we did over a day and the next morning) had less room because I had brought so much. We reached La Esmerelda early on Saturday morning and the Council Meeting began at 9am. After devotion time each congregation presented the acts of their parish in the last four months, including their financial reports. The financial reports recorded expendatures down to the Quetzal and then the representative reached into their pockets and pulled out their tithe... 10% of the offering for the last 4 months... for many it was not more than 30 or 50Q (about $4 to 6)... but the reality and the humbleness of their tithe was inescapeable. Stewardship.