Skip to main content

Training, Training and More Training

          I was off to Patos just two days after arriving home from the church retreat, which by the way was in Patos.  I participated in the SEARA class taught by Elias Campos, David McKinney's brother-in-law, on the role of women in the church, instruments in worship, and how to conduct one's self while directing the church meeting.  He did a great job handling questions and comments on the subjects. 
          I slipped away to study the Bible with a group of young people on Saturday night so that Betinho, who studies with them could stay for the class.  On Sunday, after three church services (one with the Bonfim congregation, one on a nearby farm, and the last with the Patos church), we traveled two hours to Cubati, stayed up talking with brother Afonso till 2:17 a.m.  I pulled up a chair, propped up my legs, laid my head back, and at 2:19 a.m. they "woke me up" to leave for João Pessoa.  We arrived at 5:30 a.m., from there I met up with Joseph who took me to help Raniere Menezes move and then I went to an intensive class on the book of Joshua Monday morning. A little tired from the trip, I stood up in class, trying to stay awake but ended up falling asleep on my feet.  Not to worry, I woke up before I fell.
          It was a very productive trip.  After two months away, many things needed to be discussed. 

Please pray:
·         that God will raise up men and women to serve in His Kingdom;
·         that God's people will live with a good conscience, doing what they know to be God's will.

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!

For the Kids, Part III

    In the USA, there are two special days during the year that children love: birthday and Christmas. Brazil adds one more: Children's Day. On this day, children receive a present and since it coincides with Our Lady of Appeared Conception, Brazil's patron saint, it is also a national holiday.     Each week we get kids from the Castelo Branco neighborhood together at the square in front of Dona Terezinha's house to talk about Jesus. For Children's Day, we invited the parents to watch the kids perform a play of the "Prodigal Son," then each kid receives his or her fill of cotton candy, cake, and a sack full of goodies. The parents who came received a Today's Portuguese New Testament and an invitation to the weekly Bible study at Terezinha's.     Lori Hagewood has organized this activity for three year with the help from Terezinha, Joseph, and Michel (from the China Taiwan restaurant). Michael, Ashton, and Tif...

Walking With A Holy God

            I was invited to teach a youth class in Recife, a city about 2 hours south of João Pessoa.   I have been focusing my time and attention on teaching and training Christians in Paraíba.   This would take one of my weekends away from Paraíba.   Besides the time away and focus off the state, the subject I was asked to teach on also brought some discomfort: "Masturbation: A Sin Against Holiness."   This is not a subject you just bring up in a casual conversation with young people who you do not know.               I decided to accept the invitation so that I could better prepare myself to help other young men deal with this problem, and I do confess, I had already been thinking about how to talk to my own sons about this subject.   Thankfully, they is not ready yet, but unfortunately, I'm sure it will not be too far off.    ...