Skip to main content

Taking Men To Ephesus

By
I traveled to Campina Grande on Sunday afternoon with four other men from the congregation in Luna. My hope: to spend time with these men and get to know them better, begin to broaden their vision of the work that needs to be done and can be done by them, and challenge them to look at their home congregation to see what they can do to help God's kingdom grow.
I believe this threefold mission was accomplished. I know it may sound boring, reading about such a thing, but I guarantee you that this small baby step is anything but boring. Some years back Ricardo Sobral and I began training members of the congregation in Luna (now the main congregation in João Pessoa, at that time the only congregation). They had classes on most Saturdays; on the other weekends, I would take some with me on trips to visit and care for other congregations. Years have passed. One of the couples we went to visit in Campina Grande was one of the couples that traveled the most with me. I am not saying that they became missionaries because they traveled with me, but it did open their eyes to see, think and pray about the needs of those without Christ. The little things we do, God uses too, taking the weeds and rocks out of the gardens of our hearts so that His seed may produce fruit.
The congregation in Campina Grande has just rented a building, and they are excited. One person has been baptized this year. Before they rented the building, they were meeting in Júnior and Kátia's house. Those who live around the church building are curious. With our prayers and the teams work some, if not all, of these families will be saved.

Please pray:

  • That God may continue to give wisdom, energy, and health to the missionaries in Campina Grande: Júnior and Kátia, Isac and Solange and Danny and Lee.
  • That God may go before the team into the homes and hearts of those who live around the church building.
  • God may give increase to their efforts to evangelize the second largest city in Paraíba and what is, in many respects, the Ephesus of Paraíba.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Planting, the Watering, and the Increase

By
Emesson started coming to Bible Club over a year ago, when Neil Schultz and Cait Beckloff, our AIM team, were teaching it. For several months, they planted the seed in his and his sister's hearts. Unfortunately Neil and Cait's time in João Pessoa ended. In 2014 Bible Club received a boon when Erick and Jenny Paddy, former AIMers, returned to the field and picked up teaching the Bible Study for English speakers. They watered the sprouting seed in Emesson's life until God's Word became more important for him than just practicing his English. Last Wednesday night, God gave the increase, adding Emesson to the Family of Christ. Sometimes things don't happen when we think they should, but God is in control; His time is best, and we must thank Him for playing a small part in His plan. 
Post a Comment
Read more

"What About Baptism?"

By
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!
Post a Comment
Read more

Samuel McKinney's New Life in Christ

By
It has been only three days since Samuel gave his life to Christ, but it is so exciting to see my young son exercising his faith, like getting upset when his history teacher at school taught that miracles in the book of Exodus can be explained by natural phenomena: low and high tides in the crossing of the sea, natural disasters for the plagues, etc. The day after his baptism, Samuel went on a trip with his school and received a new nickname: the boy who reads the Bible. He read 1 Samuel, chapters 1 through 6, out loud for the whole bus to hear. His eagerness to take the Lord's Supper for the first time was refreshing. May our Father bless all our families with life changing faith.
Post a Comment
Read more