February 2019 Update
“He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
- 1 Samuel 7:12
As you may know, January is very hot in Brazil. It’s our summer season. So students go on vacation and many workers go on vacation too. We also took a few days at the beginning of the year to have a rest too. STL received many tourists and we also received our family in our home.
The brothers and sisters took the opportunity to work in hostels, restaurants, and stores in the city because since STL is a small city, it does not offer many job opportunities along the year so when it is holiday or vacation they have more chances to work.
The church has been keeping the work with the children and youth. We also work with counseling, helping people according to God’s word.
We had a situation some days ago where a woman who attends the church was to jail because she robbed a cellphone in the hospital. She has two girls who take part in our church too and the girls were taken to their aunt’s house in Rio de Janeiro. She is out of prison now and the kids are again with their mom. But it was a difficult time for her and for us because we wanted to help but there are certain things we cannot do much.
Since we arrived in STL we were introduced to a group of 8 siblings who live in a shelter because their parents were drug-dealers and used the children to sell drugs. They didn’t go to school for a long time and lived in the streets. These children were attending the church since we got in STL. 4 of them were baptized. Last Sunday we were noticed that they are going to move to Três Corações, which is 40 km away. The judge determined that they can live with their parents again. The father is attending a church in Três Corações and we need to pray for this family and that they may keep their commitment to God. We are going to visit them Always it is possible and help them with a basic food basket.
In January we studied the book of Acts with the church on the Wednesdays services. We shared about the importance of standing in God’s presence despite persecutions in order to glorify God.
The youth also was responsible for one Sunday service in January. One young man lead the service and another group rehearsed to sing. It was quite simple, but they always get anxious desiring to do their best. And this is one strategy for them to take courage to get the front and participate more actively since the adults are very shy or sometimes don’t have the commitment, we expect to train the youth to be the opposite.
Once again we want to thank you for your prayers and support.
Prayer Requests:
For the siblings who are going to come back to their parents home, so they do not come back to do the things they did in the past and their parents find a job to keep their 8 children;
Pastor Porfirio and the church in Sarapui;
For the maturity of the church in STL;
That God may send people to help us in the mission. Leaders, ministers, singers, caravans, to stay continually with us or just for a weekend to train the people here. Especially people who live near STL;
Pray for the missionary awakening of the churches in Três Corações, which has great Baptist churches to help our mission in STL or even in São Bento Abade;
For us, as both family and ministers.
God bless you!