This
month we have had several congregants get the virus. We also had our
youth pastors (Lucas and Dayane) and their family, our church planters (Cleiton
and Cristiane) and their family, and our associate pastor (Timoteo and Nilma)
get the virus. Our associate pastor, Timoteo, lungs were 50% compromised
and he was sent to the hospital and put on oxygen. This also happen to
Pastor Felipe in Macapá. Praise the Lord they are all feeling much
better. Not yet 100%, or some even 70%, but they are moving into
healing. Timoteo and Felipe have both been released from the hospital.
Below are their pictures if you would like to pray for them.
This
month the “lockdown” in our city ramped up and the authorities were getting
stricter on people’s movement to only be for essential business. If
caught outside without doing essential business you were fined
monetarily.
Since the virus, we have only filmed our online church service at the church with a few people. However, we were ordered that we could no longer do that during this extreme lockdown. So, we had to do the church service from our homes. Our worship leader did the worship portion from her home, and then Elba preached from our living room. We are also doing our church prayers via Zoom.
We respected the mandate from the authorities even though we believe that the risk was extremely low. We want to believe in our hearts that everyone here, and throughout the world, are trying to do the best they can with the information at hand. I have seen throughout the world that sometimes we get it right, and at other time, really wrong. I TRY not to judge because I know that if any of us were in these positions. We would have similar results. I keep praying for our leaders for wisdom.
On a funnier note, we were just
about to go to bed when the girls got us to come and play a game with
them. We got to the kitchen, and there were 2 pillows with flour on
them. We were given a series of questions, and whichever daughter best
represented the question, we got to put their head in the flour. It was
really fun for me and Elba. I think Elba enjoyed it just a little too
much. LOL. We posted it on Facebook if you are interested in
watching.
Thank you for your prayers for my trip to take
the young man to get psychological
help. Praise the Lord he was able to get there safely, but, it was an
adventure and stressful. The doctor that saw him said that he is the 2nd
worse case she has ever seen in Brazil. Please pray for Leandro.
Continued
prayers request:
·
Thanks for your prayers. We heard back from buyers and it appears all is
still moving forward. However, no date. Please pray for our buyers
financial situation and that we could move forward soon with the sale.
·
Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation that we help people
draw close to God as we navigate this time.
Please pray for spiritual, physical, emotional and financial health for us.
Thanks and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa
