Surprised by the progress

For a few weeks now we’ve been knocking on doors and getting to know the people in their homes.  We’re moving slowly and with the hope of getting to know our neighbors.  The map shows that each team just finished visiting ONE street, and they’re not very long.

After talking with the teams, several mentioned the desire to visit every single apartment and not skip one so that no ones misses out on the message of hope.  So, we’re noting the responses in each home, that is, NO one home, YES they accepted our tracts, YES they spoke with us, YES they accepted the message of salvation or YES they want follow-up.

A few weeks ago the teams went to make maps of our area writing down the names of the streets and praying for the salvation of the families that live there.  We believe that prayers made on our behalf and on behalf of the people have allowed us to see through God’s eyes the great need that the families in Bosques have and we’re motivated.

Help us pray for a week of activities from December 10-23, when the children are out of school for vacation, in order to bring together all the people that we’ve gotten to know.  It will be a Vacation Bible School type of activity.  Would you be willing to pray for us?  What do you think would be a good name to put on the event so that the entire family will feel welcome attending?

Map of the area

Finding answers

An unpleasant encounter

In the morning, God led us to a home where the mom opened her heart to Jesus.  Cynthia and I were speaking with her about our hope in Christ.  While her three children distracted her, she prayed with us for faith. 

Well, a few visits after that we knocked on the door of a young university student.  While speaking with him, he let us know by his questions that we had no evidence of a life after death.  His angry attitude scared Cynthia, but when we let him know that we knew someone who had died and come back to tell us that there is a life after death, he couldn’t refute us and just decided to end the conversation.  I told my partner, “I like these kinds of encounters because I know God is at work making this young man wrestle with his own mortality.

A few doors after this, God surprised us when a young man of about the same age opened his heart to Jesus.  We prayed for him and offering him a Bible study.  God has got us following his footsteps in this incredible adventure.  Thanks all for your prayers.

Our team

Amazed by his love

Last week, our visits helped us to see how God is working in the lives of our neighbors. Some opened their hearts to trust Christ while others shared their needs with us.  Since it was the first time for several who had not visited new people, God was compassionate with us opening the door to many families for us.

Tuesday was no different.  We took our time visiting and getting to know our neighbors.  There were people both interested and not interested, but despite that God allowed us to see people open their hearts to him as well as share prayer requests for their family with us.  God has surprised us each time we’ve knocked on a new door.

In addition, as a team we are getting to know each other better and growing closer in our love for the people and work of God.  The people on the team who have visited new people more were training those who haven’t.  And the members of team who are new provide that “spark” that made each visit a new adventure for all.   

“We had an experience...” John shares, “with one of the neighbors that wasn’t as positive, at least not for my partner...”  (more to come)

Visiting the neighbors

We didn’t know what to expect when we began to look for our neighbors in their homes.  It was midday and we didn’t see very many people on the street.  But with lots of courage each team of two took Christian magazines to give to the people we found.

Our three teams went out for the first time in the apartment section of our area taking one side of the street each to knock on doors.  Some went slowly and others a bit quicker, but each went with both fear and the hope of meeting the people God had prepared for us to talk to.

Beginning our search

We believe that God has got some amazing experiences in store for us as a family and as a team.

We’ve been praying, trying to understand and looking for what God wants to show us.  But we’re all in agreement that the journey that God wants us to undertake will change us and bring us closer together.

We’ve just begun to pray and get to know each other and the neighborhood.  And what we really need is you and your prayers.  So please prayer that we seek what God wants and that we find “one more for Christ.”