After 10 years God Answered My Prayer

When we began our first church in Brazil, a lady about 50 years of age name Josefa attended.  She lived nearby and had two sons ages 10 and 8.  She was smiling from ear to ear and was just happy to be there.  We figured she would get over it.  She came the next night and was the same way: smiling.  That night she even brought a visitor.  She came four days the first week and then five days the second week.  She was smiling most every time she came.

Then on the second Sunday evening service, she came forward [with a smile on her face] and asked if she could give a short testimony.  We asked her what it was about.  She told us and then we told her, by all means, please share your testimony.

Josefa told the congregation that when she was 17 years of age, she attended a church near her house, heard the gospel and accepted Christ as her Savior.  A few months later, she married a Catholic, and moved from one side of São Paulo to the other.  A few years passed by and she had a son named Hugo.  After Hugo was born, Josefa began praying: "God put a Bible believing church in my area where I can send my son to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ."  Two years later, she had another son and named him Edwardo.  She continued praying: "God put a Bible believing church in my area where I can send my sons to hear the gospel.."  She continued praying this for eight more years.

The week before we began our first service, she received a flyer inviting her to the inaugural service of the Esperança [Hope] Baptist Church.  Then that night, with tears running down her face, she said that for 10 years she had prayed that God would put a Bible believing church in her area so that she could send her children to it." Still with tears running down her face she said: "God has answered my prayers.  Not only am I going to send my two sons to this church, but I am going to bring them here and attend with them."  Two weeks later, her sons Hugo and Edwardo accepted Christ as their Savior.  She did not quit and God answered her prayer.

All across Brazil and the world, there are people praying: "God put a church in my area where I can take my family to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ."  The fields are ripe unto harvest, but the Laborers are few.  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that He would send forth Laborers into his harvest".  Matthew 9:38. 

David & Geri Smith: Missionaries to Brazil

Hugo and Edwardo are just two of 1000 people that have made salvation decisions at the Esperança [Hope] Baptist Church in down town São Paulo, Brazil.  David and Geri Smith -Missionaries with Baptist Mid-Missions- helped to start this work and ministered in São Paulo for 7 years.  This same work recently had 341 in Sunday School.  In 1995, the Smiths moved to Curitiba, Brazil and assumed the leadership of a small struggling work.  In less than nine months, that church grew from 12 to have a high of 84.  It is now averaging 60 people.  The Smiths returned to Brazil in April of 1997 to resume their church planting ministry at their second work.  Let's remember to pray for the Smith family as they minister there in Curitiba, Brazil.

S. David & Geri Smith - Curitiba, Brazil

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