Skip to main content

SMYRNAEANS, by David McKinney



                We were privileged to receive a  wonderful group from Highland Heights Church of Christ, Smyrna - TN.  Zachary Bannister, who works with the college age, brought a group of fourteen young men and women down to João Pessoa to work with us for nine days. Some were crazy, some were sweet, but all of them were determined to serve at the Lord's feet.
                They visited four church meetings on Sunday, the day after they arrived, and I don't recall any of them falling asleep. They worked hard evangelizing, door-knocking, enjoying fellowship with the brethren, participating in youth devotionals and activities, making new friends, visiting homes, catching the mid-night restaurant Bible study, interacting with English students from our Bible Clubs, throwing an English party to invite people to Let's Start Talking. They invaded the streets and the college campus, handing out flyers. They gave them out at bus stops, busy downtown walkways, classrooms, and even at the drive thru at McDonald’s (from inside the restaurant). Many seeds were planted, many contacts were made. May the Lord bless the harvest.
                They also worked hard on our church building: fixing fences and swing sets, scraping metal, sanding wood, pulling weeds, painting walls, playgrounds, parking area, and so forth. They touched our hearts and blessed our lives. We laughed a lot and shed a tear.
                Thanks for coming! Thanks to Zachary for planning and organizing the trip. Thanks to all those who contributed to their trip with prayers and donations.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"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!

One More Goodbye

This year has been rough for Borges's family. They lost a pillar in their family, his wife's mother in February. Now her brother has passed, buried today. He was diagnosed with prostrate cancer 18 months ago. A policeman, used to taking care of the family, he had to settle with being taken care of by the family as his body gradually shut down when the cancer metastasized to his bones. Borges and Geilza have spent every free moment taking care of Demilson's needs, and it has been torture watching him slowly wear away. His colleagues in the Military Police carried his casket, played taps on a trumpet, presented his family with a Paraiba flag, and thanked his family for supporting him in defending society for nearly thirty years. It was a nice gesture, but the event that gives us believers hope in the face of death is Jesus winning over the grave. He is our certainty that a grave is not the end.

Prayers and Fasting for our Families

One of the most devastating attacks of the enemy against God's people is when he invests in our families. We pray for protection for our loved ones, but we live in a world that never tires of trying to divide our families, constantly pulling and poking at our faith to find a vulnerable spot.   The congregation in João Pessoa, in the face of one difficult situation after another, has taken a whole Sunday this month to stay together in prayer and fasting for our families.   We are praying for couples in the church losing hope of solving their differences, Christian wives tearfully bearing the responsibility of maintaining the marriage with non-Christian husbands, mothers and daughters in unrelenting tugs of war, unemployment and financial strains, and the most shocking of all, one of our teenager, who is barely beyond childhood, confessed to the church that she is 8 months pregnant (her own mother only found out a week before). It g...