Buried In The Desert

I got back from a 14 hour round trip to Cajazeiras last night. I went to teach an evangelistic lesson to some of the young men in the soccer program. We studied the book of Romans. Some of the questions we answered were: What good news does the Gospel tell us? Can I be a sinner and a good person? With whom should I compare my goodness? How does Jesus' death on a cross nearly two thousand years ago save me today? When does God's salvation begin, here and now or only in heaven? From what have I been saved? What is sin? What do I need to do to be saved? How does the Holy Spirit guide me in my new life? In what way is our life changed by being a living sacrifice? What does it mean to offer God our "spiritual service of worship"?

These were some questions we discussed. I also taught them how to hug one another, maybe the most practical and memorable lesson for them. The best news of the whole event is that Samuel was baptized. He is a young boy who has been studying for some time. He has been a part of the Right Step Program (the soccer program) for about two years. Sunday, after the worship service, he was baptized. Now Samuel and his brother Sidney are the only two Christians in their family of five brothers and one sister.

Please pray:

· That God will guide Samuel and the church in Cajazeiras to spiritual maturity;

· That the church in Cajazeiras will understand God's will, revealed in His Word, and live with abandon for God;

· That God will keep the evil one from Samuel and Sidney as they begin walking the narrow path together.

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Consecration

We know that God can do anything. The question is what will He do? What will the Lord do in the lives of His people when they consecrate themselves to Him? We hope to find out. Friday, May 22 nd , the Luna congregation had an all night vigil of consecration. We went from 9 pm to 5:30 am, and over 50 people participated, from the ages of 10 to 75 years. In the prayer corner, brothers and sisters signed up for time slots so that we would have prayer without ceasing. The vigil focused on Consecrating our Lives, in Gratitude, in Unity, in Service, and in Sharing . Each part consisted of prayer, singing, Bible Reading and Reflection, and practical activities, like in Service, we washed everyone’s feet, and then everybody joined in making breakfast for the group: homemade bread, fruit, tapioca and eggs, juice, and coffee. In Sharing, we ended with a wonderful meal together in family, talking about people with whom we want to share the gospel. Spend

Luna Men

The men of the Luna church of Christ have a weekly meeting for the purpose of edification and planning God's work in the congregation. Some are going strong, others have family problems, and we all want to grew in God's purpose for our lives. Last night's meeting included a discussion of what really happened on the cross, on resting in Lord in the Psalms. We made plans about the upcoming Carnaval (Mardi Gras) retreat, and talked about the need to do some manual labor on our building. Though the group was smaller this week, there is a hunger to serve. Five out of the six committed spending Wednesday ripping up a big wall that needs to be redone. Whether leading, studying, admonishing, evangelizing, or tearing up a wall, let God use us to His glory!

Pentecost in Paraíba

"This is Pentecost in Cajazeiras," Rivaldo Café said, "Almost three thousand were baptized in Jerusalem, almost ten in Cajazeiras." A wild comparison, of course, but the excitement that produced it was legitimate. Six young men gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized on Saturday. I was blessed to be there: the sixteen hours on a bus, going and coming, was worth it. I went to teach a weekend couples' seminar on the theme "God Gave Me You". The couples (around 12) were mostly parents of kids in the Right Step Program. The changes in these boys' lives have made an impression on the families, many of which have started Bible studies too. Saturday morning, after the soccer practice, three of the boys asked to be baptized. We headed to the building. Café began filling the portable swimming pool while I talked to the boys about what it means to come into the Family of God. Franze (15 yrs), Luam (14 yrs), Jorcelam (17 yrs)

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