Fruits In The Workplace

Think of coming out of a freezer and walking into an oven. That is close to what I felt when I arrived in Brazil after spending 2 ½ months in the States. I know it was not all that cold this past winter, but I still felt the difference. Thank you, God, for giving us winter, spring, and then summer. Jumping from winter to summer is a shock.

Well, after a couple of weeks back I traveled to Patos with Elias who is one of our full-time workers and coordinates the SEARA (Servants Sent to Announce the Kingdom of Love – I know the acronym doesn't match but it does in Portuguese). He taught 1 & 2 Peter and Judas, and I taught on the book of James. It was nice to hear someone else teach, and he did a great job. Elias is leaving us to work with a church in the South of Brazil. He will be greatly missed. I am now coordinating SEARA courses and classes in Patos.

While we were in Patos, we were told of two baptisms just a couple of weeks before. We also had the privilege of witnessing another couple give their lives to Christ. They live about 7 miles from the city but the husband works in Patos at a grocery store. Cicero, a member of the church, works at the same store. Both couples baptized this year in Patos are fruit of Cicero's never-ending desire to tell others about Christ at his workplace. What a great example for the church and for all of us. With patience, perseverance, and love, the seeds that are being planted will grow and produce fruit.

Please pray for:

Anderson and Patricia, Nino and his wife, Isliâne, as they are beginning their walk with Christ.
Cicero, that God may continue to bless him with courage and opportunities to tell others about Christ.

Comments

The Planting, the Watering, and the Increase

Emesson started coming to Bible Club over a year ago, when Neil Schultz and Cait Beckloff, our AIM team, were teaching it. For several months, they planted the seed in his and his sister's hearts. Unfortunately Neil and Cait's time in João Pessoa ended. In 2014 Bible Club received a boon when Erick and Jenny Paddy, former AIMers, returned to the field and picked up teaching the Bible Study for English speakers. They watered the sprouting seed in Emesson's life until God's Word became more important for him than just practicing his English. Last Wednesday night, God gave the increase, adding Emesson to the Family of Christ. Sometimes things don't happen when we think they should, but God is in control; His time is best, and we must thank Him for playing a small part in His plan.

"What About Baptism?"

Edda and I went to a nearby city to study the Bible with a family, Genilda (who is already a Christian), Ana, Mariana, Luiza, and Jefferson. While we were reading God's Word, Ana's husband, Silva, came in and sat down, and then blurted out: "What about baptism?" It took me by surprise because he has barely studied with us, but, most certainly, is already thinking about spiritual matters. Our Bible study then took a lot of detours, answering this question or that. Silva said he still has a lot of questions, and we pray that the Lord will use us to answer them, bringing him to understand the Good News!

Samuel McKinney's New Life in Christ

It has been only three days since Samuel gave his life to Christ, but it is so exciting to see my young son exercising his faith, like getting upset when his history teacher at school taught that miracles in the book of Exodus can be explained by natural phenomena: low and high tides in the crossing of the sea, natural disasters for the plagues, etc. The day after his baptism, Samuel went on a trip with his school and received a new nickname: the boy who reads the Bible. He read 1 Samuel, chapters 1 through 6, out loud for the whole bus to hear. His eagerness to take the Lord's Supper for the first time was refreshing. May our Father bless all our families with life changing faith.

McKinney Report

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