A Sunday of Visits

What a blessing it is to have one day a week to rest!  During my Sunday break from office work and housework, I have more time to minister to those around me in edifying conversations.

After our church’s worship service today, I spent the noon hour conversing with a new member, Cândida, hearing her testimony.  She grew up Catholic, then three years ago God used a Christian friend to open her eyes to the necessity of a vital, personal faith in Christ.  She bubbled with joy as she recounted to me her conversion and resultant burning desire to live for the Lord.  Pray that God will sustain her passion for Him as He sanctifies her and brings her to spiritual maturity.

Next I sat with Letícia, who is the only believer in her family.  As with Cândida, I’d requested ahead of time to speak with Letícia about her spiritual well-being.  In our conversation, I encouraged her to resume daily Bible reading and to participate in the ladies’ Bible study I lead on Mondays, and she said she would.  Pray that she would be faithful in that commitment.

On my way home, I stopped at Ancha’s home to pay her a visit.  She’s been absent from church for nearly two months while recovering from surgery.  Sitting under a tree in her front yard, she told me the story of her operation and subsequent complications and recuperation.  She hopes to make it to her sister’s wedding this Saturday, though she’s unsure of how she’ll hold up as the maid of honor.

After lunch at home, Blaine and I headed off to visit a family we know in a nearby village.  There I snapped this photo of the mother, Cristina, with all of her children except the oldest, who was napping.  The father was overseeing the construction of a wall at their carpentry shop two blocks away, so after an hour of conversing with Cristina and the children, we stopped by to greet him and tour the facility on our way home.

We arrived home around 5:00 pm.  I played harp while singing hymns, then sat down to compose this blog post.  Before I could finish, Graciela texted me, asking me to call her.  She is an earnest Christian who lives in a remote area two provinces away; we often speak on Sundays for discipleship of sorts over the phone.  Today she wanted to know why we should work out our own salvation, as Philippians 2:12 says, when the next verse states that God is the one who does the working.  She was also confused about the law and mediator described in Galatians 3:18-20.  I gave her my understanding of these passages, and she was grateful.

How I thank God for surrounding me with so many folks who are eager to discuss spiritual things with me.  Pray that He will continually sustain me with energy and wisdom to comfort, encourage, challenge, and at times even reprove the dear Africans whom I serve.