Opportunities...

Thursday night we had a unique opportunity.  Two doors down from the church is an auto school that has been in that location for the last 44 years with the same owner.  His name is George.  He has cancer.  He knows this neighborhood like he knows his auto school manual. 

George has come to church several times when he feels well enough to sit through a service.  He loves to say "hello" to our children in english.  George likes what we are doing, likes the impact we are making on the community.  In fact he told us that the whole neighborhood is talking about us and they all finally came to the conclusion that our church being there was of God.  Interesting that unbelievers would come to a conclusion like that.  He said before our building was the church, it was a bar and before that it was a night club.

Violence was the reputation of the building, now we are trying to establish a reputation of peace. 

Thursday night was George's birthday.  True to culture, he threw his own party complete with soda pop, cake and salgadinhos (fried appetizers served at EVERY party!).  Also true to culture several speeches were made.  George had asked BJ ahead of time to please come and do a small church service.  He wanted to use his birthday as a way to share the gospel with his auto school students.  George himself is not sure of his salvation, and yet he wants to share with others. 

Please pray with us that God would bring some of those students to our church.  George made sure each one knew exactly where the church is located!  It was an interesting experience but afterward we felt certain it was exactly what God wanted us to do and so we trust Him with the results.