Dear partners in ministry,
What a privilege it is to serve the Lord! Let us never forget that Jesus is coming again, and it may very well be soon!
In our last letter, we mentioned the donation of property by another church to the church in which we are now serving. The church that donated the property had to formulate a legal document, stating that they were, indeed, donating the property. When the document was taken to a notary’s office to be legalized, there was something that the notary noticed that was done in error. As a result, the document was not notarized, and the land donation has not been officially transferred over yet. It’s a lot of “red tape,” but we are not discouraged by this delay, believing that God has something great in store for this area called, “Guacuri.”
Dan has been going out door-to-door in this neighborhood, and has had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a good number of people. Time or space will not permit us to go into great detail, but Dan has encountered a Seventh-Day Adventist, a Mormon, a Spiritist, many that were not a part of any religious organization, and many that claim to be Catholic. This area is saturated with many Pentecostal churches, complete with loud sound systems, women preachers, and speaking in tongues. We have our work cut out for us here, but great opposition means great opportunities. Thanks for your fervent, faithful prayers on our behalf!
Dan and Becky have been going to make visits in the homes of the families in the church. We have been well received, but were also excited to be asked to return to teach them the Bible. Discipleship is lacking here, so we plan to go back and teach them in the area of Christian living, and Bible principles.
Dan also recently went to the home of the parents of a deaf man that goes to our church. His parents are hearing, and claim to be Catholic. Dan was able to give a clear Gospel witness for ninety minutes, but their minds have been indoctrinated for so long in their religion. Although they did not make a profession of faith, they invited Dan to go back again. They had many questions, and before Dan left, he encouraged them to read the Gospel of John three times. The man said that he would, but the lady was more closed-minded. Please remember Ivanildo and Maria in your prayers regarding their salvation.
We were able to visit another elderly lady that is not saved, but has heard the Gospel on several occasions over the past few years. She was in the hospital, and we feared she might be dying. This is the lady that was hit by a motorcycle about five years ago, and Dan picked her up and took her to physical therapy three times a week. We made the trip out to see her, and she was pleased to see us. We were able to clearly give her the Gospel, but like the times before, she did not make a profession of faith. We did encourage her to repent and put her faith in Jesus Christ that night, since we never know when our last day will be. Please remember to pray for the salvation of Mrs. Moretti.
Becky: Our family is doing fine. Rachel and Joseph are in the second year at West Coast Baptist College and really loving it. Nathan is in his senior year of high school, while Anna is trying to do both her junior and senior classes this year in order to graduate next May with Nathan. Deborah is in the 5th grade, and Matthew is in the second. Christine is a cute “little mess” and we all love having her around. She is 2 1/2 and learning so much! We thank the Lord for our family. We are looking forward to having Rachel and Joseph with us this year for Christmas!
While you probably hear this from every missionary, “Thank you for your prayers” is not just an empty cliché. We truly do covet and appreciate your prayers. Thank you, again, for partnering with us financially in this needy harvest field of Brazil.
Your representatives in Brazil,
Dan & Becky Bennett