McKinney Report

by Diego (Extracted from Diego dos Anjos' newsletter. If you would like to receive his newsletter, please email him at: diego_dosanjos@hotmail.com )     We went to a youth camp last month in the city of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe. We took about 15 young people from Joao Pessoa and drove 4 hours to get there and met others youth groups from different cities. The theme for this camp was “Seeking the Kingdom of God”. The speakers really encouraged us to aim as a priority in our lives to seek God and His Kingdom. Raniere, one of the speakers, did an amazing job helping us think about this phrase: We are just able to seek God and His kingdom if we decide to have a daily relationship with God. What have you done about that? How is your relationship with our Father? Share your stories and let’s seek His kingdom together!      I have enjoyed the past weeks of our youth Sunday Bible class. We have studied about

Rivaldo Café in Cajazeiras has baptized two more people. Francisco, 40 years old, lives on a farm with his wife and eight kids, four of which participate in the Right Step Soccer Project. Café has been studying with this family for five months, and after one of the studies Francisco asked to be baptized. William, a 15 year old boy in the project, was there and also decided to follow Jesus. They went down to the creek and were born again in Christ.

   This last month and a half I have spent in João Pessoa.  I have not traveled to the interior but there is plenty to do here.  I taught a three week class to the members of the church on "Letters to Asia Minor" (Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians).  I am teaching Sunday School on "Contentment", looking at how Jesus, the apostles and the first Christians thought, taught and dealt with the material wealth that God entrusted to them.  We moved into a more personal and practical aspect this past Sunday and began working on our own personal budgets, living below our income to be able to serve more and not live in debt as so many do here.  I preached the Sunday after Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16) on how God told Moses what to do on this day, what the Jews do today and how Jesus fulfilled this day for all Christians and that the forgiveness we have in Christ is complete and forever as long as we remain faithful to Him.      Now that my class is over

by David McKinney      Beliza is a wonderful teenager who was invited to a youth camp last year by Iago, a Christian who, has left the flock. She immediately made a lot of friends began attending some Church meetings and our Monday basketball games.   Iago's sister, Leylane, who is the wife of my brother-in-law, began studying the Bible with her.  After many months she decided to give her life to Christ.  Her mom, who I do not know very well, came to her baptism and cried saying that she had prayed for years for this day to come. To me, it is interesting that it took years of prayer, an invitation from lost sheep, a Christian camp, basketball, friendship, Bible study, and who knows what else to bring Beliza into the arms of Christ. I know that all these people and things were important, even the basketball, because it allowed us to spend quality time with her. You can learn a lot about a person while sitting on a bench. Truly it is hard to know all that God does to win us over a

         Continent of Great Cities has a great service for missionaries called Continent Care Connection, in which they invite ministers from South America for a week of spiritual renewal in São Paulo. It is amazing how we, sharing the Gospel with others, end up pushing aside our own spiritual needs and become depleted.           I confess that I was needing this reconnection with God more than I realized, and it took stopping everything for a week and a lot of reflection and encouragement from a special group of men who volunteered to serve us and take care of us. I feel like I have tools to proceed in the work in a healthier way for myself and for my family.           Hundreds of people made this encounter possible and I pray that God will bless each one of them as much as He has blessed me through their effort.

Jeremy put a video on You Tube of the Bible Bowl winners being announced. Here is a link to the Bible Bowl video. The Bible Bowl was September 24. The kids from João Pessoa did great. Check out the video on youtube. The link is below. Samuel McKinney 88 out of 100 (1st place overall, including some up to 25 years old) Nicholas Newlin 83 out of 100 (3rd place in 1st Division, 4th place overall) Nicholas' team won 1st place in the 1st Division (6 to 12 years old) You can see the video announcing the prize winners. Link to video:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DByb2fj9e78