As we enter upon 2016, we have cause to thank God for His help throughout another year. We rejoice that there has been a little blessing in some areas where we have laboured and we long that further showers of blessing might result in this year that we have entered upon. We highly value prayer for us and the work here in the interior of the Rio Grande do Sul.
During these past weeks, we tried Gospel Meetings here in Santa Maria in the Gospel Hall. Recently the assembly has been encouraged by some young men who have been added to the fellowship. Some of these have a nice gift for the preaching of the Gospel, and an exercise about the need of the unsaved. During these weeks, four of these shared in the meetings, and this proved to be very worthwhile. We all were encouraged to hear of a young RC man in his early twenties, having professed faith in Christ, two weeks ago. He has been attending the weekly Gospel Meetings over this past year, and we could see that God was speaking to him. This week, I am having three nights Bible Readings with the believers, taking up the three enemies of the believer. We long to see these young believers preserved and raised up by God to help in the work in this area.
Next Tuesday, (9th Feb) we have a national holiday here in Brazil, which coincides with the Brazilian Carnival. As in previous years, we plan to have two Bible Readings here in Santa Maria during the afternoon. Brother Lindsay Carswell will open Ephesians 2 and Carlos da Silva, a national worker, is responsible for Chapter 3. The assembly hosts these especially for the benefit of believers from small assemblies here in the interior of our state, who normally travel in to be with us. We pray that these saints will be enriched spiritually as a result.
During November and December, I had five weeks meetings with brother Lindsay Carswell, in two different towns where there are small assemblies. We had Monday and Tuesday nights in Cachoeira do Sul, where there are only eight in fellowship. We were preaching in the home of one of these believers and were thankful to have had as many as 26 to listen to the Gospel. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, we were preaching in a building located in a very poor area of Candelaria. We covered the area from door to door, and we thank God for quite a few who attended. We value prayer for two married men who attended well. Both are relatives of believers and have been long prayed for. We long to see God awakening them to their need.
Previous to this during September and October, brother Roberto Ploia and I had seven weeks in Sao Gabriel. We thank God for blessing in salvation. One case especially gave great encouragement. Two years ago, Roberto and I saw a married lady saved there. She is now in fellowship in the assembly. At the time of her salvation, her husband who is a policeman, was deeply opposed and often sat in his car outside the hall, while the meetings were going on. Over the intervening years, his wife's testimony had shown him that salvation was a reality, and right from the first night of these recent meetings, we could see he was listening with interest. It gave us joy to hear of his salvation at the end of the fifth week.
During this past month, the work here was saddened to lose our brother and sister, Crawford and Heather Brown. After exercise before the Lord, they have gone to live in the distant state of Bahia, where there is no assembly work or worker. We value the prayers of the saints for them as they seek to labour among contacts that Crawford has made through the literature work. We all face difficulties in the work here, but starting a new work certainly will not be easy. We long to see their vacancy here being filled by the Lord of the Harvest. So much of the states of the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina lies still unreached by the Gospel.
"Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest!" Matt 9:38
Spring 2016
Written by John & Christine McCann - BRAZIL
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