Friends - Old and New

On our recent trip we were delighted to visit with many friends both old and new.  At the two churches we visited in Fortaleza it was great to see many new Christians and hear about how they came to know the Lord.  It was also our privilege to see many old familiar faces of those who accepted Jesus as Savior during our time of ministry.

At the church in the Joao XXIII bairro, I am always delighted to see one certain lady.  For two years I made visits and did Bible studies with a certain woman whom I had met at the boys' swimming lessons.  All during that time she never made a decision about God in her life.  She didn't know how to handle the fact that all of her family went to church on Saturday!  And what would they think about her going on Sunday!  If you don't know what church meets on Saturday, send me a note and I'll tell you!

After we moved away she began to go to church for Sunday school only with her children, while still going with her extended family to the other church on Saturdays.  Finally one day she realized that her problem was not a day of the week but a problem of the heart, mind and soul.  The day arrived when she accepted Jesus as her Lord of all her life.  Then she knew that she had never really wanted to admit that the church of her family was not teaching the facts about what salvation by faith for all truly is!

On the morning we went to visit the church where she has now been attending for several years, I did not see her.  I was a little disappointed, but she arrived, just a little late.  After the Sunday school hour we hugged and kissed and I was able to say how happy I am to see her there each time that I visit.

I saw many others that we thought we never come to make a decision that morning. One fellow with whom we had spoken for years was taking the roll - he is the Sunday school superintendent.  Another fellow who was saved as a result of visits with my husband was called to helped with the Lord's Supper - he is a deacon.  A third young man who got saved while we were at the church and married to a Christian girl in the church with my husband preaching his first wedding was present - he leads the music on Sunday mornings!

Thank you, Lord!  Thank you for allowing us to see some of the fruit of our labors.  As our task in our current field of harvest seems dry and often difficult, we thank you for giving us some time to refresh and see friends!

p.s.  Mom, the top photo of a little girl named Kesia is Neide's daughter.  She now has a little boy named Kalebe.  He's in the other corner of the collage with her.  Nalva has two children as well!  Misraela is going to get married they say at the end of this year after graduating from high school to a boy in the church named Josimar.