Skip to main content

33% Growth So Far in 2015

By




         When you belong to a church of 6 brothers and sisters, each conversion is a huge leap in growth percentagewise. The small Colinas congregation is excited. On the first Sunday of the year, Marcos`s brother decided to give his life to Jesus and was baptized. 6 turned into 7.
          Then on the first Sunday in February, a neighbor, Antonia, who had been eavesdropping on her daughter's Bible study, came through the door and said, "I know all that and I want it for my life." She was baptized, expressing great joy in her newfound salvation. 7 became 8.
          I jokingly said to the Colinas brethren, "A baptism on the first Sunday of January, now another one on the first Sunday of February – I like this tradition that you are starting! I can't wait for the first Sunday in March!"
          I don't think they took it as a joke, because Marcos said seriously, "We are working on it." God be praised through this small group.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Second Generation, Part II

By
In 1993 when we came in contact with a young struggling couple in Caruaru, Paulo and Simone, we never imagined what plans God had in store for them. Now 18 years later (Wow, has it been that long?), after conversion, ups and downs, growing pains, working to further the Kingdom and living it, they have had the pleasure to witness the beginning of their daughter's life in Christ. Juliana (age ten) was baptized by her older brother, Jheymerson, who was also ten years old when he gave his life to Jesus. What a wonderful blessing to have one's whole family saved in Christ! Maria and Cícero were also converted when we lived in Caruaru, though single at the time. They dated and got married, the ceremony performed by yours truly. Maria has been faithful to Jesus all these years though going through several difficulties. Cícero, on the other hand, fell away, but came back and renewed his life and his marriage, and now, along with Juliana, his daughter Vitória (age ten) was baptize...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank You, Patrick

By
February 28, 2011 was a tragic day for the McKinney family: Patrick, our friend and companion of four years, died. He was our pet cockatiel. A cockatiel can live up to twenty-five years, but Patrick's life was cut short when he got stepped on.     On the day,  intense grief cut short my breath, like a stone weighed on my sternum, blocking the air. The kids were devastated, and I couldn`t talk to anybody without my eyes tearing up.     I was embarrassed - I had to cancel the visits and Bible study I had lined up that day. I had comforted that very week three people, one who lost a father, and two who lost mothers, and here I was all torn up over a stupid bird. I was ashamed.     But then again, he wasn`t just a stupid bird. Patrick woke up every morning whistling the Brazilian national anthem. In his own way, he ruled the house, using his cage only for meals or to sleep. He was a bird free to come and go as he pleased - you`d think he ...
Post a Comment
Read more