November was much more normal than October. We are doing well, and our church is continuing to grow stronger. We are rehearsing for our Christmas Program coming up this weekend, and our choir is getting excited. We have been inviting just about everyone we meet at the grocery stores and other places we go to see our program! Please be praying that people will accept the invitation so that they can come to our church and hear the gospel. We pray that this upcoming season will bring many people to faith in Christ.
An interesting story that happened on a Sunday evening…a man who was completely drunk came pounding on our church door in the middle of our services. We usually leave our doors locked to help with the safety of our church. John Yelle was preaching, one of our men and I answered the door to try and talk with the guy. We could already tell that this guy wasn’t going to remember this interaction by the morning, but we tried to help him understand that he had come to a Baptist church, and we were having services. He spoke so loudly that the people inside could still hear him. By the end of the conversation, he told me that I am not a man of God, that I have a spirit of vengeance, and that the other man who was with me was going to run this church one day… I told him to have a good night, and God bless you. I was just grateful that I didn’t try to tell him that I was the pastor of the church! I have no idea what he would have said!
It was admittedly a bit discouraging; no one likes to hear anyone accuse them of such things. But I am grateful that I am here by God’s calling. I have my authority from God and my identity in Christ, and no accusations from a drunk man is going to change that. I pray for that man. We never got his name, but God knows who he is, and he desperately needs Jesus. If you could pray for him too…he is not the first drunk man that has come knocking on our church door.
Otherwise, like I said, this month has been normal. We had an event on the 15th for the Brazilian Proclamation of the Republic! (basically the Brazilian 4th of July) We had the whole church at our house for a big barbecue, and we all had fun in perfect 82 degree, sunny weather. It was a great time of church fellowship with our people.
We also finished discipleship this month! Our four ladies finished the discipleship course, and we celebrated the victory with them. Their lives have changed from 5 months ago. We took time to discuss what they had learned in 5 months of discipleship, and their responses were beautiful. God had changed their lives, even in areas that discipleship didn’t discuss! The mentioned areas like patience, modesty, trust in the Lord, and other areas like better Biblical understanding and boldness. We are so proud of them. Keep praying for them as discipleship doesn’t end when the course ends, but it continues for the rest of their lives.
That’s been our month! Several victories; a few moments of discouragement; good health; great fellowship with our church. Keep praying for us, especially in the Christmas season.
Thank you and God bless you.