Brazil 2007 (#3)
Monday morning we were up early and eating by about 6:45. The sun comes up in Sao Luis at some point before 6, because that was the earliest I ever got out of bed and it was already light every time I got up. We met with Michael and the guys and divided up Bibles and tracts. We left the hotel by 8:30 for Sacavem. Once there, we split into teams. Each team had one American, one translator, and one or two church members from Sacavem who had helped set the appointments and knew where to take us. My team was me, Elmo, and a woman named Rosana (which in Portuguese is pronounced "Hosana" which I thought was cool).
Our first visit was with a young mother. Her husband was a at work but she was gracious to invite us into her home. She had been attending a Bible study and was in the process of learning about Christ and salvation. As I shared my testimony and then the gospel she was very attentive. She seemed to have a cognitive grasp of the things I was telling her. She understood that she was a sinner and that her sin separated her from God. And she understood that the only option for the removal of God's righteous anger toward her sin was to trust Jesus. But she was unwilling to do this. She said she needed to think about it some more. I praise God that she didn't just say what she thought we wanted to hear when there was no change in her heart. She said that she wanted her belief to be genuine and heartfelt, which I appreciated. I pressed her a little about the urgency of salvation, but ultimately left her in God's hands for Him to do His work. I truly believe that Malena will come to believe soon, and I pray that God will continue to draw her to Himself.
Our second visit was with another young mother named Anna. She was 18 years old and pregnant with her second child. Like Malena she listened intently and seemed to understand what we had told her. After my testimony and proclamation of the gospel, she indicated that she believed. I know it is sometimes difficult to determine the legitimacy of conversions like this, but I pray that she was genuinely born again and that I will see her in heaven one day.
Our third visit was with an older Catholic woman and her grandson. She seemed a little impatient and bothered that we were there. We kept hitting a brick wall with her as she kept insisting that she was a good person and was not separated from God by her sin. We must have established that truth from Scripture about 3 or 4 times when God interrupted our visit through the vehicle of my digestive system.
I don't know if it was the watermelon the night before or the sweltering heat, but I had to flee the house and find some indoor plumbing. 20 minutes later (or who knows, it may have been an hour later) I was back at the church letting a fan blow hot air on my face. I was done for the day. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the hotel drinking water and sleeping.
By dinner I was feeling well enough to join the group for dinner at a Brazilian restaurant. We ate some GREAT food - fruit juices, fried meat pastries, fried bananas, steak marinated in butter, chicken, fish - it was wonderful. After dinner I emailed home and then got to bed.
It was so satisfying to see people respond to the gospel and believe in Christ for salvation. It has been too long since I've seen this kind of hunger for the good news. Today was a remarkable day.
Our first visit was with a young mother. Her husband was a at work but she was gracious to invite us into her home. She had been attending a Bible study and was in the process of learning about Christ and salvation. As I shared my testimony and then the gospel she was very attentive. She seemed to have a cognitive grasp of the things I was telling her. She understood that she was a sinner and that her sin separated her from God. And she understood that the only option for the removal of God's righteous anger toward her sin was to trust Jesus. But she was unwilling to do this. She said she needed to think about it some more. I praise God that she didn't just say what she thought we wanted to hear when there was no change in her heart. She said that she wanted her belief to be genuine and heartfelt, which I appreciated. I pressed her a little about the urgency of salvation, but ultimately left her in God's hands for Him to do His work. I truly believe that Malena will come to believe soon, and I pray that God will continue to draw her to Himself.
Our second visit was with another young mother named Anna. She was 18 years old and pregnant with her second child. Like Malena she listened intently and seemed to understand what we had told her. After my testimony and proclamation of the gospel, she indicated that she believed. I know it is sometimes difficult to determine the legitimacy of conversions like this, but I pray that she was genuinely born again and that I will see her in heaven one day.
Our third visit was with an older Catholic woman and her grandson. She seemed a little impatient and bothered that we were there. We kept hitting a brick wall with her as she kept insisting that she was a good person and was not separated from God by her sin. We must have established that truth from Scripture about 3 or 4 times when God interrupted our visit through the vehicle of my digestive system.
I don't know if it was the watermelon the night before or the sweltering heat, but I had to flee the house and find some indoor plumbing. 20 minutes later (or who knows, it may have been an hour later) I was back at the church letting a fan blow hot air on my face. I was done for the day. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the hotel drinking water and sleeping.
By dinner I was feeling well enough to join the group for dinner at a Brazilian restaurant. We ate some GREAT food - fruit juices, fried meat pastries, fried bananas, steak marinated in butter, chicken, fish - it was wonderful. After dinner I emailed home and then got to bed.
It was so satisfying to see people respond to the gospel and believe in Christ for salvation. It has been too long since I've seen this kind of hunger for the good news. Today was a remarkable day.
posted by dave woodbury | 1:18 PM
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