Wow, these last four days have been very full. Let me give you the short or at least the shorter version..... Because of slow internet I will not be able to post pictures right now.
We have had on going conversations with Pastor Rogerio and Pastor Eustaquio all week which has been very informative on many levels. We have walked around the streets surrounding the church visiting with families. We have met families that have been directly impacted by the water well project. Last night, during the weekly service on Thursday nights, we heard more testimonies from families. One family especially blessed our hearts. This is a story of an elderly lady who had fallen and was bedridden. During this time while in bed her condition took a severe turn for the worse. One of her family members had heard about the "good water" at the Agata Church. He went and received the free water. Once this grandmother began to drink it she began to make almost immediate improvement. She is continuing to heal with her hip and is still not able to walk but she told Leoni that she feels much better now since drinking the "good water". Leoni mentioned that this woman's mind was very sharp and alert. She loves Jesus and gives all the glory to God. That visit is one of my personal favorites so far.
We have been following the work on the Mission House - they have begun to pour the foundation. The workers have been working in some major heat, and like I said earlier its winter! We have arranged one of the young ladies of the church to take weekly pictures for us and have asked her to send them to me via Face Book. You gotta love technology! We have asked her to take the pictures at the same spot so we can get a good perspective on the progress.
During our conversations with Pastor Rogerio and Pastor Eustaquio, we have also talked about the last remaining work to complete the details on the water well and bathrooms. For example, on the water well they will plaster it to cover the bricks and they well be painting "The Good Samaritan Well" on the side. I so appreciate these two men and their heart of integrity with the work!
We have made visits to some of the major ministries of Agata and it is exciting. One of the projects involves sports, its called Athletes for Christ, led by Philipe. This project gets children and youth involved in soccer. They have requirements and expectations for the students and of course it centers around building relationships and sharing the Gospel. We visited two different groups, one that played outside (in the rain that day) and one that was a fenced in complex with concrete. They work very hard in keeping track of these kids with their school work and with family needs.
On Tuesday night, I got to share with the youth along with Leoni and Pastor Jose. It was a blessing! One thing is for sure, kids are kids no matter where they live. Patricia, does a great job with the youth and I love her heart and spirit. She also helps with leading worship as well and has a beautiful voice. I also got reacquainted with a young man who helps lead the music ministry project. Ebenezer is a very talented young man and plays several different instruments. He helps teach individuals who want to learn to play.....and uses this as an opportunity to reach beyond the church walls.
Wednesday was filled with visiting classes in schools. The schools are very open to the Gospel right now and Agata is taking advantage of this opportunity. One ministry project called Amar e Educar (Love and Educate), will meet on Saturday mornings. Kids who are having trouble or are the ones making trouble are told that they have to go on Saturday mornings. Agata is making a positive twist to it and using this as a chance to tutor kids, have music and other activities to help them educationally and emotionally.... all along building relationships and looking for opportunities to share about Jesus. (this is a theme of all the projects). The school is allowing the activities to be held in their building - what a blessing. Members of the church work at the school and have been instrumental in seeing this project begin. We used the chance to visit the classes to promote this ministry project. We also visited another school as well and they had more older students. I taught some English words and another sister and her daughter who is from Columbia taught the same words in Spanish. Those words, LOVE, LIVE, LAUGH, PRAY. Leoni ended our time with a quick word that shared about Christ's love - I didn't understand all the words! LOL
Wednesday evening finished with Leoni and I participating in the Women's Prayer meeting. We shared from our hearts about prayer and of course prayed. These ladies were delightful and it was a good time.
Thursday we had a powerful time of sharing together with Pastor Rogerio and Pastor Eustaquio. We shared about the state of the ministry projects, plans and dreams for the future. One thing I do know....these men love Jesus and are committed to loving people. Time does not allow me to share all of the stories.
This morning, we have to leave our "family" here to head back to Manaus. We are meeting Pastor Mario and his wife this afternoon. Not really sure the exact agenda. I am learning more and more to go with the flow!
All three of us, Pastor Jose, Leoni and myself are doing well and healthy! I have fallen in love with sleeping in a hammock! We are seeking His heart and plans for future partnerships - right now we have been doing a lot of listening and praying. Opportunities are all around us, but we want to be sure we are right on target with His plans for us.
Until next time......and thank you again for your prayers! God is good!
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