November 2013 Newsletter

We spilled out of church after the first worship service on Sunday and headed, as usual, for the shady park across the street. It’s where we greet each other and chat about the week. A small group of us stayed in the park longer than usual, waiting for the second service to end. We would soon pile into cars and drive to a church across town that has a small concrete pool for baptisms. Ten people were going to be baptized. Two of them, a young man and a teenage girl, sat beside us in the park, along with Lucila who was waiting to help out in children’s church. Since Bob would be helping with the “dunking”, he began to ask the young people why they wanted to be baptized. From there the conversation naturally turned to what God had been doing in their lives. Lucila’s face suddenly lit up as she excitedly shared, “My life has been turned around completely! During the past nine months when my husband was out of work, we prayed all the time. We learned that we could trust in God. We never lacked for anything!” The young man at her side smiled and began to tell us how God is changing his desires, and even his spending habits. He makes only a modest salary, but since putting his faith in Christ, and letting some of his old habits go, for the first time he has money left over at the end of the month. After the baptism, a large family group gathered for a photo. Three members of that family have come to Christ within the last year, and it looks like more are on the way! Seeing and hearing how God is working in people’s lives energizes us, and makes us appreciate all the more those of you who enable our ministry through your gifts and empower us through your prayers. The church is not only growing numerically as the believers encourage their friends and family to come, but there’s also a deepening desire on the part of many to study and know God’s Word. We recently asked the students in the Leadership Training Center to attend a conference at a nearby church instead of coming to class that Tuesday. A well-known theologian and Bible teacher from Spain would be teaching through the book of Matthew. Many of the students, along with a large contingent of others from church, eagerly decided to attend all three nights of the conference. All of this is so much in contrast to the increasing materialism and delinquency in the city of Santiago. We see a despondency and unrest in the hearts of those who don’t yet know Christ and His sufficiency. With increasing frequency, people are venting their frustrations by demonstrating in the streets. We recently drove through a neighborhood after a demonstration. The streets were marked by black smudges from burning tires; and we had to drive around rocks, trash and broken glass. Pray that we and the believers here will be bold to talk about the difference Christ is making in our lives. Recently, Bob has had the opportunity to hand out evangelistic tracts and talk to those who came to check out our church bazaar, to the guy who pumped gas into our car, and the guy who carried out our groceries. The contact is brief, but most people respond that they will read the tract. We’ve shared God’s truth with a young woman during weekly English classes, and over dinner with the two lawyers who helped us with the apartment. Pray for open doors to be able to share more, and for receptive hearts. We’d love to see them experience God’s peace in the present and His presence for all of eternity. Our current study of eschatology in our doctrine class reminds us that the Lord may come at any time. Pray that we make the most of the time at hand.