A Powerful Night In Praia Grande

We have recently started working with Igreja Batista Cidade Ocian in Praia Grande to help them to share Jesus in their community. It is a very nice church that is growing steadily.The church is led by Pr. Eduardo, and he invited me to preach in the church. A member of the church, Carla, helped as my interpreter. Even though we can speak well in Portuguese, we always speak in English and use interpreters to translate into Portuguese, to be different and also to encourage people in the churches and schools to learn English. This would help them to have better opportunities in their lives, and to have a better chance to have a good job and a promising future.

I spoke a message to challenge and encourage every member of the church to participate in God's work and mission to seek and to save the lost. The Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way last night, and many church members seemed to take the message to heart. At the end of the message we shared the Good News of a restored relationship with God through Jesus, and God moved in a powerful way and 16 people accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him.

Three of the people who accepted Christ were a couple and their daughter who were visiting the church for the 2nd time. Pastor Eduardo told me that they were "Spiritists", which is a religion or philosophy that many Brazilians follow. Spiritism is a belief in various spirit beings and in reincarnation, and is a mixture of philosophy, science, and moral beliefs. Apparently they had studied spiritism quite seriously for many years. God touched their hearts in a very powerful way and all of them accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him. Afterwards we got to meet them and chat with them for awhile. This morning they sent me an email, and they are very excited about their new restored relationship with God. They also said that their daughter wants to help us as an interpreter in our project in the schools. It is always great to see God powerfully working in the lives of others.

God At Work

Last night I had the privilege of speaking at Primeria Igreja Batista Sao Vicente. I spoke there on Mothers Day, and Pastor Gilberto invited me back to speak again, which is always a privilege. Last night I spoke on God's Word and how He reveals His plans through His word and the Holy Spirit, and also that God will always do what He plans, says, and promises. The church responded very well to God's message, and in the end of the service I shared the Gospel and God moved in many hearts, and 9 people received Jesus as their Lord & Savior and committed their lives to Him.

One young man named Fernando was one of these that received Christ. After the service he told us the incredible story of how he came to be there at the church. He lives in a city called Guaruja, and on Sunday afternoon he was visiting a girl he knows in the city of Mongagua, which is about an hour from Guaruja and about 30-40 minutes from the church in Sao Vicente. He said he has a Catholic background, and that he has been seeking God alot lately. He was talking to the girl in Mongagua about God and religion and church, and how he felt there must be more to knowing God than church or religion. They also talked about evangelical churches. While on his way back to Guaruja he had to go through Sao Vicente, and while he was driving he was praying and calling out to God, asking Him to reveal who He is and to show him more about Himself, and that he wasn't going to go home until God answered his prayer.

The next part of the story is a bit strange. He said when he arrived in Sao Vicente he felt God wanted him to go buy a container of milk from a store, so he went and did that. Next he felt God was telling him to go knock on a door of a house near the store, so he did. He heard a man's voice and the man seemed angry, so he started to leave. The man opened the door and asked him what he wanted. He told the man he was there to give them some milk. The man went and got his wife, and the lady said that her husband was angry because he did not have enough money to buy their child some milk, and that she was on her knees praying to God to help them and then he showed up.

After leaving the family Fernando felt that he needed to find an evangelical chuch, and he was going to go into the first one he saw. At that point he saw Primeira Igreja Batista Sao Vicente, and he went in. He had never been to the church before. He said that he heard me say many things which were exactly what he had been asking God to show him, such as that church or religion will not save us from our sins and will not give us a restored relationship with God, and peace with Him and eternal life. And other things such as if we seek God with all of our hearts we will find Him, and others. He said it was as if God was speaking directly into his heart through my words, which of course is exactly what happened. We always pray that God will send people who are without Christ to the churches we speak in, and God clearly led Fernando to the church last night. God has some special plans for this young man who is earnestly seeking God, and we are thrilled that we could be a part of God's work in his life.

part of the worship team of the church

Pastor Gilberto, interpreter Leticia, and I

Speaking with interpreter Leticia

sharing the Good News of Jesus at the end of the service

Evangelism In Poa' - Sunday

We had a very busy and productive day in Poa' on Sunday. First we drove 1 1/2 hours to get to Poa', and then I preached in the morning service at Primeira Igreja Batista Cidade Kemel. After the service we went to our friends Eliane & Joseniel's brother's house in Poa' for a great Brazilian lunch and for some fun & relaxation. After that the church made some appointments for us, and we visited 2 families to share Christ with them. First we visitied Jose and his wife, who is a member of the church. For years Jose did not want to hear about God's love and His salvation through Jesus, and he had no interest in church or in anything related to God. But God touched Jose that day, and he accepted Christ. After that we visited with Cristiana's family, who also were not believers. Cristiana is a faithful member of the church and already a believer, and we had a wonderful visit with her Mom and Dad and her sister. Again God did a wonderful work and all 3 members of Cristiana's family accepted Christ.

At 5:30 pm, after the visits, John and I led part of the People Sharing Jesus seminar in the church, and then after that I preached in the evening service at 7:00 pm. 7 more people accepted Christ in the evening service, and many of the members were challenged by God to be faithful in sharing Christ with others. It was a long weekend (thank God for strong Brazilian coffee), but it was a privilege and a joy to help the churches to share Christ in Poa', and we have many new friends there. 41 people accepted Christ over the weekend, and we praise God for that.

Interpreter Elizabete, me, and Pastor Goes in the morning serviceNeto, me, and Pastor Goes visiting Jose and his wifeVisiting Cristiana's familyElizabete and I leading the People Sharing Jesus seminarJohn and Elizabete leading a part of the seminarChildren singing in English in the evening serviceSome of the people in the evening servicePreaching and sharing Christ in the evening service

A Changed Life

Antonio is a retired policeman living in the bairro of Pq. Boa Esperanca, which is a poor area in the far East Zone of Sao Paulo. We met him when we were speaking this week on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the school EE Brenno Rossi, located in Pq. Boa Esperanca. Like many poor areas and favellas, Pq. Boa Esperanca has many problems with violence, drugs, and crime.

Antonio worked for many years as a policemen in the Pq. Boa Esperanca area. Last year through the ministry of Igreja Batista Pq. Boa Esperanca Antonio accepted Christ, and Jesus has totally changed his life for the better. Antonio told me that he had always lived in fear when he was a policeman and even after he retired last year, because of the violence and crime in his neighborhood. He said that since he accepted Christ in early 2008 he no longer lives in fear, and he has found true joy and peace and hope in Christ. Now Antonio is an active member of Igreja Batista Pq. Boa Esperanca, living to help others. He is always involved in the church's projects and events to reach out to others in God's love and share the message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. Please pray for Antonio's wife and family, as they still do not have a restored personal relationship with God through Jesus.

Speaking in the school this week (Sergio, me, Guilherme, and Antonio)

Antonio passing out "Livro Da Vida" (Book Of Life) to students

God At Work

This week we worked with Pastor Enio and Igreja Batista Vila Primavera in EE Luiza Mendes school in the East Zone of Sao Paulo, and we saw God do many wonderful things in people's lives. We spoke in 18 classes on Monday and in 18 again on Tuesday, and then in 10 classes on Wed. night (yes this is very tiring to speak so many times), and we praise God that 1233 students and 17 teachers and the vice-principal accepted Christ. One teacher told John that she was having trouble with her husband and she was depressed and sad when she came to school, but after she accepted Christ she felt much better and she knows that things will get better with God's help. One student said that she had been feeling very dark and empty inside, and the morning we came to speak she had prayed to God for help and to show her that He is real. When John spoke in her class she knew God sent us, and she was very happy after she accepted Christ. We never get tired of seeing how God lovingly works in people's lives.

John, Nancy & I with the group from Igreja Batista Vila Primavera

Pastor Enio passing out "Livro Da Vida" (the Book Of Life) to students

Interpretor Eduardo and I sharing Jesus in a class

Salvation Stories

What a joy it is to see God working in people's lives. What a privilege it is to be a part of His work to reach out to lost people that are without Christ. Yesterday (Sunday) morning we were at Igreja Batista Ipiranga in Sao Paulo leading the 1st of 2 parts of a People Sharing Jesus seminar. The seminar was well attended by a majority of the church and it was a blessing to be there and see church members and leaders commit to share Christ with others. We received a special surprise in that there were some people visiting the church, so at the end of the training period I shared the Gospel and 7 people accepted Christ.

One of these was an elderly woman named Cidinha. Cidinha was raised in the church (Presbyterian), and her family was very actively involved. She has been attending a small group Bible study in the home of one of the members of Igreja Batista Ipiranga, and various people have shared Christ with her. But for many years for whatever reason she could not understand or accept the wonderful Gospel message ... until yesterday. God opened her heart and revealed the saving truth of the Gospel of Christ to her, and now she is a new believer and follower of Christ.

Another person that received Christ was Junior. Junior's girlfriend Tatiani tearfully told me that she and others have tried for 5 years to get Junior to accept Christ and give his life to Him, but he resisted and resisted... until yesterday. I am so glad that we have a God who does not give up on us, a God who is patient, and whose love never waivers or falters.