Answered Prayers

Today´s VBS was much the same as yesterday´s: fun, exciting, and tiring! Some of the kids from the community (a.k.a. favellas) that our team met yesterday came to VBS this morning. It was so encouraging to see their bright, smiling faces and recognize them from the day before. One thing that many of us noticed today especially was a growing attachment to the kids. We have formed stronger friendships with the translators as well. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to all of our new friends on our last day tomorrow!
The Evangelism team witnessed many answers to prayer today. To start, it was pouring rain in the morning, and the team was worried that they might not be able to go out. But just in time, the rain stopped. They ventured out and encouraged some believers and evangelized to non-believers. Some people on the E-team talked to one man who was very opposed to the message; one member prayed nearby for those who were talking to him, and by the end of their long conversation, he trusted Christ. Perhaps the most amazing ¨God-thing¨ that happened to the team today was that, while they were returning, Robin prayed that she would get to talk to a young man she had met the day before. Soon after she finished, she and Wilson (a translator) saw him! She had been praying that that young man would hear the gospel from a male perspective, and coincidentally Pastor Craig was there today with her. He was able to witness to the young man, and he responded positively. The interesting part of the story is that this man had commited murder and was on temporary release for good behavior. He was due back at jail in fifteen minutes! Talk about divine intervention!
By far the best part of the day for many of us was the church service in the evening. Before it began, the only people sitting in the room were us Americans and the church staff. To be honest, it looked pretty pitiful. Many of us had invited people from the favellas to come, and we weren´t seeing much of a result. Morgan prayed that God would fill all the chairs that had been set up. While the music was playing and we were worshipping, more and more people showed up at the back gate. Many of them were kids from VBS who had come with their friends, and most of the the others were the families of kids who had attended VBS. Not only were all the chairs filled, but some of the boys had to bring in more chairs! It was a very awe-inspiring moment, to look at all of those people and see what this week has done in the lives of the locals. In all, there were 97, including our team, that attended. The worship ended with the song ¨God is Able¨ in Portuguese - a truly perfect song for what we were seeing God do. After the service, several of the first-timers trusted Christ and prayed with Pastor Lecciu and Pastor Darril. It was a beautiful service, and a fitting end to a day that far-surpassed our expectations...but not God´s.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has left comments on our blog. They have been very encouraging to us, and we look forward to hearing from you more.