Our Mission, our Vision, by Jeremy Newlin

The last time I wrote you about the Christian Congresso, which unites brethren from all nine states in the Northeast of Brazil, was in 2012. At that event, a lot of people got sick from food poisoning. This time that did not happen. At this Congresso, the 30th,, there were two baptisms, 340 people stayed the four days, and close to 600 came for the Sunday meeting. Mateus (from Maceió) and Lucas McKinney, both 13 years old, were baptized.

The theme was “Our Mission, Our Vision”. The idea was to focus on gratitude and evangelism. I left the event excited to tell others about Jesus and edified by the joy in the atmosphere, where I felt I was with family. I do not remember hearing anyone complain about anything. What a great time we had together. Heaven is going to be better than we could ever imagine.

One a side note, Dylan, my youngest son is learning to ask for discounts when he buys things. He asked for a discount at the Congresso’s snack bar, but came to me telling me that they would not give him a discount. I explained to him that we should not ask for a discount at a church event from our brothers and sisters who are volunteering, and that we should gladly pay what they are charging. He was using his own money, so he didn’t buy anything. I talked to the brothers at the snack bar later on, and they laughed and said how they were impressed with his determination. One the last day, I suggested that he buy something at full price, even though they were wanting to give him a discount. He did buy something, but I do not know if he got his discount. I will have to ask him.

Please pray for Mateus and Lucas, that they will be light among their friends; for our vision, that it will continue to be God’s vision to reconcile the World to Him through His Son Jesus.

Comments

"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.

Prayers and Fasting for our Families

One of the most devastating attacks of the enemy against God's people is when he invests in our families. We pray for protection for our loved ones, but we live in a world that never tires of trying to divide our families, constantly pulling and poking at our faith to find a vulnerable spot. The congregation in João Pessoa, in the face of one difficult situation after another, has taken a whole Sunday this month to stay together in prayer and fasting for our families. We are praying for couples in the church losing hope of solving their differences, Christian wives tearfully bearing the responsibility of maintaining the marriage with non-Christian husbands, mothers and daughters in unrelenting tugs of war, unemployment and financial strains, and the most shocking of all, one of our teenager, who is barely beyond childhood, confessed to the church that she is 8 months pregnant (her own mother only found out a week before). It g...

McKinney Report

Search This Blog