Monday, April 07, 2008

Bolivia Hallelujahs

God answered your prayers. Here’s how He displayed His glory as He worked through our team in Santa Cruz last week—

26 US team members working with . . .
. 139 Bolivia believers from several mother churches starting . . .
. . . 8 new baby churches and together they saw . . .
. . . . 990 professions of faith and then worked to have . . .
. . . . . 97% follow-up contacts (compared to POFs in neighborhoods)

While these stats are exciting, they do not communicate the depth of life change God was doing in people’s lives. For example, Bob talked to a man on a park bench one day. I don’t recall his name—let’s call him Juan. Bob learned that Juan had returned home to Bolivia from Spain to avenge the murder of his brother. A week before the same man had robbed Juan’s father. A couple days before Bob first met him, Juan had found the other man . . . and killed him. As Bob shared that God loved him and had sent His Son to die for him, Juan prayed to receive Christ.

The next day Bob saw Juan again on the same park bench (pic at left). Juan had decided to turn himself in to the police. When I met Juan and shook hands with him his hand was trembling. What a horrible situation he was in. But now he had the Comforter living inside him.

This week is even more important than last week.

Please pray for Juan and all the other new believers this week. Many will be making decisions about whether to walk with Christ, or turn back to their old way of life. Pray that they will take those first baby steps toward following our Savior. Pray also that God will raise up committed disciple makers to help them on their Jesus journey.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe the 'three legged dogs' analogy is one of the best I've ever read or heard. Not only is the story light hearted and laughable, but at the same time so much like we humans can be; just limping along for enough that 'gets us by', when in reality the least among us can do anything we ask in Jesus' name.
Thank you for sharing the rich experiences and blessings as He works through you.
Always in our thoughts and prayers...all of you!
In God's love,
Susan Smith-Massie