10 Days in Engenho Da Pointe

4 hardworking men from South Carolina, 4 evangelists from Georgia, 10 volunteer workers from the village, 10 paid bricklayers from the nearest town, 5 translators, the Jefferson's, and I beheld the Lord in what felt like the middle of nowhere these last ten days.

When we arrived there was only a cement slab in place. 5 days later we welcomed over 100 curious Quilombolas from villages near and far to hear one of the clearest gospel presentations I have ever heard from a pulpit!


2 days later we returned for church service and found a local mother with a circle of 16 kids closing out their Bible lesson, and adults arriving for worship and teaching.

Highlights include:

• Watching the church fill to overflowing and 2o more people standing outside the church to watch and listen through the windows on the evening of the first service.

• Being welcomed into people's mud homes and having the deep joy of sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ with them. Watching the spiritual battle as they shifted in their chairs, and denied that they'd ever committed one single sin showed the hardness of many hearts in that region. Many others were ready to put their faith in Jesus. Let us continue to pray for them as the enemy swoops into try to steal the seeds that have been planted.

• Deep conversations and tearful prayer times with my 2 new and dear gal friends that came as translators.



• Long conversations with our unbelieving male translators about many spiritual topics and the Truth of Christ.



• Almost being trampelled by an angry bull on a narrow path. We were thankful to get away from the chase with mere broken flip flops and scrapes from the prickly bushes we jumped into. One girl fell on her butt down an incline and the heavy, out of control bull skimmed by within a foot of her.


• Working/sweating on high, shaky scaffolding.


• Oreos, pretzel Combos, oatmeal pies, Starbursts, and a stomach ache...compliments of the American visitors!
  
• Playing with the same kids day after day! They are so precious!
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• Lesson's from God in the depths of my heart.

We played games with the kids, taught the women about prayer and worship in song, kept the 25 men watered and fed, painted ceiling panels and walls, testified to Christ in homes, ate good food at our hotel, and enjoyed sweet fellowship in Christ.

Today I am resting and packing to leave for a ladies retreat in another city tomorrow at 6:30am. Supposedly I'm singing...but that's all I know so far.
Thanks for your prayers and emails! Glory to God who does ALL things well!