Souls Saved and several preparing for Baptism!
It has been a very busy and productive month! Sometimes it seems that the two don’t always go together. It has been a month of teaching and preaching and preparing a group to be baptized.
There is always so much work that goes on behind the scenes that doesn’t make it into the reports. The ups and downs when you are working with and praying with people about their lives is a real thing. I have observed many times in my ministry that it seems when the Lord is about to do some great thing in someone’s life, the devil seems to work his hardest to stop or at least slow down what God is doing. Please pray for Marcelo’s family. Last week he went to the hospital because he had gotten a piece of metal in his eye. A week or two before that his son had to get stitches for his hand. Marcelo’s wife has been having a lot of neck pain. Despite all the problems they have faced they are still doing their best to remain faithful.
One of the highlights of the month of January was Elisabeth being saved. Realizing that she had never been truly saved, in tears of repentance, she asked the Lord to save her! Then at the beginning of February, Jonathan and Elijah led their two friends to the Lord! This was a true answer to prayer as we have been working with these two young men for several years!
Later that evening Jonathan and Elijah shared with us the account. Joanna was listening as they described the whole salvation conversation. After they finished sharing, Joanna came to my wife and I asking how she can know if she is saved. We have had many conversations about salvation before, but this time was different as she, brokenheartedly, prayed to receive Christ! It is amazing the difference in real fruit of a new child of God as they make their first steps in their eternal walk with the Lord!
At the end of December, Marcelo, excited to have a baptismal service purchased a small swimming pool. We are looking to baptize at least seven, maybe more soon. We have spent more than a month focusing on each person’s testimony, making sure that each one is saved and knows exactly what they are doing. It has been a great time of growth as a group where several have definitely deepened in their walk and understanding with the Lord. There were some that realized that they did not have a testimony to give. One asked the question, why is it that none of the other churches they attended in the past had ever taken the time to teach salvation? It is definitely a question that will be asked at the judgment seat of Christ one day. Please keep praying for all of us as we continue to teach and prepare them for the next steps.
