This Sunday morning we got up to fog so thick that it sounded like it was raining listening to the dew drops falling off the trees. It is winter season here, and it is cold and damp and many nights to go by and families can not sleep well because they are cold.

I was excited to go to church this morning to see how many would come for class to be baptized in November. Last week was sign-up week and 12 people signed the rooster. I watched and listened to the questions of how to fill out the application. Many of the students can not read but what struck me more, was that many did not know when their birthday was. I thought, "now this is sad! Birthday's are a big deal!' As I sat and listened to the chatter and laughter I thought about how a birth day is not of much importance here. It is the celebration of each day that they recognize. This daily celebration makes "Life Real Here" Life is so very fragile. The need is urgent for Jesus, to know about His life and His salvation. Much to my dismay only two came to class today. But onward we go, more will come as the class continues and they hear about the treats I am taking next week:)

Today was a special day for Val because her son Sean was giving the message. The funny thing about this was, Sean was too sick to go on a road trip to a retreat in the bush but wasn't too sick to preach. When I heard he was staying back I thought, "well, I just wonder if he is well enough to speak?" I called the Pastor and he gave his permission so Sean was the man up to give the word.

There were more attending church this morning which made me smile knowing that fewer were sick and not in the fields today. But most of all they were able to hear the message taken from 1 John 4:7-11 about love. It reminded me of when I first came to Centro Emissor and I was struggling about what to teach at women's bible study times. There are so many who don't know how to read and they really didn't know a lot about what the bible says, even the basic things like, "train up a child in the way he should go" The Lord made it very clear to me at that time I was to teach them about what He says about love. It has been a never ending process. Learning about love is good for all of us and remembering who loved us first.

Is Jesus first in your life!

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:19-21

Our Destiny's Are One

Our destiny's are one. There is a message just in those few words. A promise given to those of us who trust in Jesus. Isn't this a wonderful thought? Two bodies of believers in two different locations in the world, with two different languages, two different economic levels, one considered to be rich and the other poor and yet the same destination because of our belief in Jesus. We are one in Christ Jesus.

I am excited to see what God is going to do through our obedience in trusting Him concerning the partnerships of
Maranatha Bible and Centro Emissor church. What does this look like to those of us who have never done anything like this before? The scriptures tell us that, Is. 55:8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (NLT) God has a plan and we can not even imagine what it holds for us. Matt. 16:18 “...I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (NLT) No matter what we plan for the church, God's plan is to build His church and nothing will stop it. This is an honor and a privilege to work with the poor.

We can start our partnership by doing this:
Eph. 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (NLT)

To introduce you to what happens on an average Sunday morning it looks something very similar to what we know at MBC.
This is what I recorded last Sunday during the service as each segment happened. I give the leader, Zito and his 3 children, Deborah 9, Noemia 6 and Robson 2 a ride to church each Sunday morning. If you remember last November his wife and the baby she was carrying died of malaria.

It's 10 am and the servcie is about to begin. There are 10 adults here, the women sitting on the right side with children in front and the men sit on the left side of the sanctuary. We have two visitors here this morning from Caiya that are going through Discipleship training at YWAM in Dondo. It is rice harvest time now and many of our members are in the fields today to reap their crop. Isa. 59 is our opening scripture for the service and then we are asked to take a moment to repent of our sins.

A guitar plays softly and gently as we sit before the Lord confessing our sins. It is a beautiful moment. You can hear the birds singing and the sounds of creation beyond the walls of the church. This time ends with a long prayer in Portuguese asking the Lord for His forgiveness for all of the church and then a question to all of us, "Are you willing to receive His forgiveness?"

Psalm 150 is our next scripture. This one is used almost every Sunday in all of the church plants and the mother church because there are so many who do not know how to read, using rote as their tool of learning the word. Then on to 3 songs of Praise and 1 Worship to bring in the presence of the Lord in a more powerful manner.

Each week we have a performance of some sort. A presentation of the youth, 13-20, or children, old enough to be there to 12 or the adult choir. This week is a presentation of worship by 3 women. The words to the song were: "With the Lord I am working with Him, With the Lord I am singing with Him" These words over and over in different patterns and harmonies. The singing and dancing was beautiful to me and I am sure in the sight of our Lord. The next song, "I am the Lord Your God" The verses asking God, "Will I be able to be a leader? Yes, I will be a leader, I will be a leader in my home first!"

A very compelling message was given by Zito and was taken from Matt. 5:13-15 about being the salt and the light of the world. Valerie and I attend a church in a village where a large percentage of people still go to the witch doctors for advice because of tradition, or family pressure or for whatever reason, who knows. This message stating that we are different, we are set apart, we are a small sector of the world but we are God's children and Jesus died for us. There is no hope in the witch doctor, this was good. Good for them to hear the truth, and for me to hear the simple truths, the witchdoctor's nothing more than idols in my own life.

I love it here. I am inviting you once again to join in on the work here. I am inviting you to join in on the partnership of two church's becoming sisters, becoming one. They are praying each week already for you, won't you join them and pray for God's purposes to come to fruition?

Eph. 4:16 “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (NLT)