God is Good

                                                                                                           Today we have been out shopping for VBS and doing some other odds and ends. We got to go to the Cuiaba fish museum this morning and see all of the fish that are native to the Cuiaba river! It is amazing how many different kinds of fish there are just in one river! God’s creation sure is awe inspiring!

It is amazing to see how God chooses to use us in His service! It is awesome and yet humbling to realize that God DOES NOT need us, but has chosen to use us in His perfect plan! It has been exciting the last several weeks to see how God has been working in the church! As you may recall from a post a week ago I told you about a lady named Fatima who accepted the Lord as her Savior after a Sunday evening service, and it is obvious the Lord has been working in her life! Two weeks ago she asked to have the Saturday evening service at her house (The Duartes try to have the Sat. evening service in different peoples homes to try and make it more of a family time/ Bible Study). The following pictures were all taken the night we held the service at her house!

                                                                                                            It is also very exciting to see the concern she has for her family. She has been praying for her husband to come to know the Lord ever since she got saved! She did not just stop there but asked Pastor Duarte to come by the house and visit him! The first time Pastor Duarte and I went over he could barely sit up and was obviously drunk. He has had a chronic drinking problem for years which has caused his liver to start shutting down. It was not the best visit, but we were able to read some verses to him and pray with him. Last Saturday we went by again, and I thought we were talking to a completely different person! He was sober, and stood outside and talked to us about the Bible and promised that he would come to church! Needless to say Mr. Duarte and I were excited to see how the Lord was working in his life!

     This past Sunday evening Fatima, her daughter, her grandson, and HER HUSBAND, were all in church! Praise the Lord! This was the second week in a row that her daughter has been to church! At the end of the service Fatima’s husband made a profession of faith! God still is answering prayers!

     I thing that I have come to greatly admire about the Duartes is not only their concern to see people saved, but also keeping with the people through a thorough discipleship program. I believe that many churches and people fall short in the area of discipleship. Many people see thousand of people saved in a year, but those people never shadow the door of a church and never truly grow in the Lord. Some people would argue as to the genuiness of such conversions, but I believe that is between them and God. It can be said however, it is our duty not only to win souls but to teach and train them to go out and win others! How much more productive it is if we can train others to help in the cause of Christ! Just a thought not a message. Fatima has begun her comprehensive discipleship with Mrs. Duarte, and Mr. Duarte will be following up very soon to start the discipleship program with her husband!

     Please continue to pray for VBS coming up on Monday! We now have the banners ready to go up and posters have been put up all over Pedra! Exciting to see what God is going to do this coming week!