Family Day of Joy and Tears

All four congregations in João Pessoa spent yesterday together at a small farm, 140 people present even though the day was sweltering hot. Worship, fellowship, sharing food, sharing stories, everybody was blessed, united as the Family of Christ.

This was a day of joy: we had a special moment to pray over the new converts of the year and to tell them how much they encourage us, how important their decision was, and how they can count on their brothers and sisters when facing the difficulties.

This was a day of joy: our AME class, Cristian, Daniel, Alana, Pamella, Sabrina, and Geissa, finished their training, and the church all together sent off them off to the field, praying over them, that our Father will use them effectively in His Kingdom, according to His will.

This was a day of tears: the church has grown fond of these young people. Saying goodbye is hard, they cried, we cried. Also Micah Barnes and Daniel Norwood, on our AIM team are returning home. We all had opportunity to share how they made a difference in our lives. We will miss them.

Heaven will something like this: everybody all together sharing, laughing, praising, filled with joy, but no more goodbyes, and hopefully not as hot.

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"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.

Men Preparing Themselves in the Word

Every Tuesday night for the last month we have been getting together to study God's Word. The subject is controversial but needed because it affects relationships and families in the church, and we as spiritual leaders will be more effective if we are united in teaching Jesus' will on marriage and divorce. Just like Jesus, we want to go back to beginning and uphold God's ideal when He created marriage: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

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