missionary update

From: "Brenda Lange"
Date: December 18, 2011 5:17:59 AM CST
Subject: Blog, Dec. 18, 2011

VILLAGE CHURCHES EXPLODING AT THE SEAMS!

My Orphan Evangelical Team and I set off at 7:30a.m. in overcast skies that turned to a light downpour as we got near the Pequaria church.
That road has some areas that are pure clay, so needless to say it was like driving on a slip and slide trying to keep from falling into the ditch.
The pick-up had to be left on the road with someone to watch it as it was pouring rain, and the ground was too soft to drive on.
When the children saw me drive up they ran out into the rain jumping and shouting that I was here.
My first though was how did that many kids pack themselves into the church? I didn’t know you could stuff that many people in that small building!
But we managed to repack everyone in for an hour of praise, worship, and the story of Jesus’ birth.

More than 100 children and a hand full of adults attended our Sunday school this morning in the pouring rain, as many had to stand in the doors and windows to be able to see the story book.
An estimated 50 of these kids have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Many kids and a few adults came out of curiosity, and they left with lots to think about.
No doubt about it, we are going to have to enlarge that church next year.
Jesus is really moving among the children there.

At 9a.m., we drove off in the drizzle to see if we could get to the Naccaca church. I am now teaching at both churches each Sunday.
When we got near the small grass roofed veranda with open sides, it had the normal 20 adults and a hand full of kids in attendance that I’d seen the week before.
Two weeks ago, we bought a mud hut for Pastor Luis, who left the BBC to Pastor this church. ($300 mud hut investment)
He has been evangelizing the villagers ever since, and today we saw the fruit from his endless visits to their mud huts.

Again, I had to leave the truck about 100 yards away due to soft ground, and one of the orphan boys stayed there to protect it.
After we started singing at the church, a crowd of children and a few adults began to gather at the truck. I’d told, Egito, the orphan guard, that if people came to the truck, to tell them about Jesus.
Instead, he persuaded them to join us!
Adding 70 kids and 10 adults to our crowd made our little hut standing room only!
After telling them WHY God had to send Jesus, I told them HOW God sent Jesus.
Many things followed as they asked questions and the Holy Spirit sent the answers.
We talked about everything from heaven to hell and how to have faith for healing.
They were HUNGRY for JESUS and after an hour of teaching, one of the older men stood up and thanked me for clarifying why God sent Jesus.
He said it all made sense now and they asked me to please come back next week and teach them more.

FYI: Those 70 kids didn’t utter one peep during that hour of teaching and storytelling. They sat on the dirt floor with eyes as big as saucers, glued to our picture books. Most of these kids have never seen a book of any kind, much less one with poster size color pictures. (We use the picture books from Children’s Evangelical Fellowship.) They are great teaching tools.

Opening the mind of a child (or an adult) is one of the most fun things I get to do here.
The expressions on their faces are priceless!
The only thing better is seeing them respond to God’s love and having them receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

At the altar call, 3 men who had come in late, received Jesus as their Savior today.
So it looks like Pequaria was my training ground, as Naccaca village has over 5,000 people compared to Pequarias 1,000.
I told Pastor Luis and the church leaders to cut some more poles and enlarge their grass hut before next Sunday.
It’s obvious to all that a BIG CHURCH must be built next year as Naccaca is waking up to God’s message of salvation.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all of you.
TOGETHER, WE ARE GATHERING IN GOD’S END TIME HARVEST!

BUSH BUNNY AND THE BALAMA STAFF