Saturday, I prayed for a long while and asked God to show me the story from scripture that he wanted me to share. When I looked through the gospels I saw the one He wanted me to tell. I smiled and Loaise looked at me and said "What?" I told her that God had given me a specific story to tell today.
We went first to visit the new Christians with a drug history. Only the man and his children were there. We went into the home and the children said "Mommy left again yesterday." I asked what had happened, and he said. "Well, she had been fine since Tuesday, but she got paid yesterday. She couldn't resist the temptation. I thought she'd changed, but she did it again. How can I forgive her now? How many times can I forgive her?"
I knew my story was divinely chosen.
Peter asked Jesus "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus replied, "No, you should not forgive seven times, but rather seventy times seven. Because, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. . . (Matthew18:21-35)
After I told and then talked through the story with the man, he bowed his head. "I will forgive her. I have to forgive her. Can we pray for her now?"
Redemption is a wonderful thing. May God do his work of restoration and reconciliation in this family and in their bodies.
November 23, 2008
November 21, 2008
New starts and non-starts
Sunday, we began to meet in a new neighborhood in the big city. This is another poor neighborhood and we are meeting on the rooftop of a small general store and bakery. The family is wanting to establish a church in their neighborhood.
We had our first meeting which was just OK. 8 Christians 2 non-Christians and 3 kids. I would have preferred maybe 4 Christians and 8 non-Christians, but we'll make do. I told stories of Jesus from the book of Mark. Next week we should have more guests. We will meet Sunday afternoons until the end of the year, then launch on a weeknight in January.
Thursday, I also returned to the small town and met with the families on the hill. We told and talked about two stories. I am going to begin training Lu, in the wheel-chair to tell stories and assist me when I tell them. We talked about this and he is very interested in the possibility.
In all, I've been a little disappointed with how the meetings with the families on the hill have turned out. Unless we can get away to a retreat setting or something, I am not seeing how this group is going to transform into a church. They have come to faith in Jesus, and have put away their idols, but they are trusting in their infant baptism and don't see a reason to make a firm break with the cultural catholic religion of the small town.
We had our first meeting which was just OK. 8 Christians 2 non-Christians and 3 kids. I would have preferred maybe 4 Christians and 8 non-Christians, but we'll make do. I told stories of Jesus from the book of Mark. Next week we should have more guests. We will meet Sunday afternoons until the end of the year, then launch on a weeknight in January.
Thursday, I also returned to the small town and met with the families on the hill. We told and talked about two stories. I am going to begin training Lu, in the wheel-chair to tell stories and assist me when I tell them. We talked about this and he is very interested in the possibility.
In all, I've been a little disappointed with how the meetings with the families on the hill have turned out. Unless we can get away to a retreat setting or something, I am not seeing how this group is going to transform into a church. They have come to faith in Jesus, and have put away their idols, but they are trusting in their infant baptism and don't see a reason to make a firm break with the cultural catholic religion of the small town.
November 20, 2008
Now I believe.
The woman in the picture below came to church with her three children on Wednesday night. I told the story of Daniel 1. Daniel chose not to make himself impure by eating the king's food and had a few challenges to overcome to be able to do that, but the result was that he was healthier, wiser, smarter and as a result was given opportunities he would not have otherwise had.
When the service was over I asked her if she was able to hear the story I told. (She had been doing her best, and unsuccessfully, to keep her son from misbehaving.) She looked up and smiled and said, "Yes I heard the story. We need to stop putting things in our body that make us unable to serve God. I've been using crack for years, but since yesterday, I have no more desire for it.
I asked her if she listed to the recorded stories I gave her. She said yes. So I asked her another question "Do you believe now? Is Jesus your savior?" She replied "Now I believe. Yes. I believe, I know I do."
When the service was over I asked her if she was able to hear the story I told. (She had been doing her best, and unsuccessfully, to keep her son from misbehaving.) She looked up and smiled and said, "Yes I heard the story. We need to stop putting things in our body that make us unable to serve God. I've been using crack for years, but since yesterday, I have no more desire for it.
I asked her if she listed to the recorded stories I gave her. She said yes. So I asked her another question "Do you believe now? Is Jesus your savior?" She replied "Now I believe. Yes. I believe, I know I do."
November 18, 2008
Who is he, that I may believe in Him?
Saturday we returned to the same neighborhood I've mentioned in some previous posts. What's amazing to me about these families is that it is often easy to get a group of people together to hear God's Word. The family from the video, upon our arrival sent their children out to the neighbors and within 5 minutes the kitchen was full of people. There I told the story of Jesus at Levi's house from Mark and then from John, Jesus calling himself the light of the world, and the healing of the blind man in chapter 9.
One woman who has a son and a niece in prison for selling drugs and a daughter who is involved in drug use, told us that since we began meeting in her home that she is finally starting to believe that there is hope. She said that she wants to hear a little more about Jesus, but she is already decided that she wants to be baptized. (She reminds me of the blind man in the story I told. Jesus asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. He replied "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?")
Both the homes we visited have received us well, and want to bring more people to their homes to hear the good news. They have also come to our church to learn more and to worship. Our goal is to form a new church in their neighborhood which will meet in homes as we are and spread the Word of God orally, through telling the stories and teaching them one to another.
One woman who has a son and a niece in prison for selling drugs and a daughter who is involved in drug use, told us that since we began meeting in her home that she is finally starting to believe that there is hope. She said that she wants to hear a little more about Jesus, but she is already decided that she wants to be baptized. (She reminds me of the blind man in the story I told. Jesus asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. He replied "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?")
Both the homes we visited have received us well, and want to bring more people to their homes to hear the good news. They have also come to our church to learn more and to worship. Our goal is to form a new church in their neighborhood which will meet in homes as we are and spread the Word of God orally, through telling the stories and teaching them one to another.
November 14, 2008
Stories have a way of poking at your heart.
I made a trip to the small town yesterday. Falling out of rhythm is never a good thing, but the rain storms make it difficult. I was able to meet with the family by the bus station and tell the story of first man and woman and the garden in Eden.
I also visited the singer and his family. He is anxious to try to make some songs out of Bible stories, but we have not set a time to begin yet. I told the same story I've been telling on Sundays. The story of Josiah and his reform. As I told about how the idols were broken and smashed into pieces and burned and spread over graveyards, they couldn't help but look to the left and right at the many little statues in their home. The woman got up and left before the end of the story. The singer thanked me for telling it.
The families on the hill weren't at home. Neither were the usual men who collect on the street to talk on the street. I am not sure what was going on, but the neighborhood was nearly empty.
I also visited the singer and his family. He is anxious to try to make some songs out of Bible stories, but we have not set a time to begin yet. I told the same story I've been telling on Sundays. The story of Josiah and his reform. As I told about how the idols were broken and smashed into pieces and burned and spread over graveyards, they couldn't help but look to the left and right at the many little statues in their home. The woman got up and left before the end of the story. The singer thanked me for telling it.
The families on the hill weren't at home. Neither were the usual men who collect on the street to talk on the street. I am not sure what was going on, but the neighborhood was nearly empty.
November 10, 2008
Media page
I am experimenting with video. Below should be a link to the last visit we made on Saturday. I made a small video.
An example of evangelism through storying
An example of evangelism through storying
Rain ... and showers of blessing
Usually is does not rain much here in November. It has been raining every day. I was even kept from going to the small town this week due to a storm.
Saturday, however, even in between the rain storms, we were able to go to the high city and visit the man who received Christ last week. This time his girlfriend was there. As we entered the house she began to cry and say, "We need God in this house." I asked her if she knew Jesus and she said, "No, I don't think I do." She cried again and said that she needed God's help, because she can't beat the drugs on her own.
I remembered the story from Luke 7:36-50 of Jesus in Simon the Pharisee's house. I told that story of how the sinful woman went in and bowed down behind Jesus and cried at his feet. Her tears wet his feet and she kept drying them with her hair and pouring out expensive perfume on them. I told her that her tears reminded me of the tears of that woman who cried, because she discovered that Jesus was the one who could free her and forgive her.
She wanted to know about this Jesus. I told her other stories of Jesus and his teachings. I told stories of Jesus for about 45 minutes. I asked her if she wanted to believe in him and receive his forgiveness. She said she wanted to, but needed God's help to believe. We prayed for the family. and went to another visit. The youngest boy didn't want us to go. He threw a rock and hit one of our team members in the neck.
Here is a picture of the man and woman.
The next day, unexpectedly, they came to our church and sat in my Sunday school class. I told the stories of creation and the fall. The woman looked at me when a sign up sheet was passed around and said, "I can't read or write, would you put my name on the list?" She'd never heard these stories before. She asked us to pray for her to have the strength to believe in Jesus.
I can't be sure, but I think that between the sunday school hour and the worship service, when she went out, she got high. During the worship, she didn't seem "there." Pray that this whole family can come to Christ.
Saturday, however, even in between the rain storms, we were able to go to the high city and visit the man who received Christ last week. This time his girlfriend was there. As we entered the house she began to cry and say, "We need God in this house." I asked her if she knew Jesus and she said, "No, I don't think I do." She cried again and said that she needed God's help, because she can't beat the drugs on her own.
I remembered the story from Luke 7:36-50 of Jesus in Simon the Pharisee's house. I told that story of how the sinful woman went in and bowed down behind Jesus and cried at his feet. Her tears wet his feet and she kept drying them with her hair and pouring out expensive perfume on them. I told her that her tears reminded me of the tears of that woman who cried, because she discovered that Jesus was the one who could free her and forgive her.
She wanted to know about this Jesus. I told her other stories of Jesus and his teachings. I told stories of Jesus for about 45 minutes. I asked her if she wanted to believe in him and receive his forgiveness. She said she wanted to, but needed God's help to believe. We prayed for the family. and went to another visit. The youngest boy didn't want us to go. He threw a rock and hit one of our team members in the neck.
Here is a picture of the man and woman.
The next day, unexpectedly, they came to our church and sat in my Sunday school class. I told the stories of creation and the fall. The woman looked at me when a sign up sheet was passed around and said, "I can't read or write, would you put my name on the list?" She'd never heard these stories before. She asked us to pray for her to have the strength to believe in Jesus.I can't be sure, but I think that between the sunday school hour and the worship service, when she went out, she got high. During the worship, she didn't seem "there." Pray that this whole family can come to Christ.
November 2, 2008
Preaching the Good news to the poor
Bro Larry reminded me while he was here, how it can be essential in some cases to share the gospel and give and invitation in one meeting with a person. It may be the only chance you've got.
The storying through the scriptures is a great way to prepare people who have no frame of reference (as they would in the Bible belt, for example) to believe on and receive Christ Jesus. It also aids discipleship so that oral learners can be discipled to the core and not just follow the forms of religion divorced from the truth of God and his word. By storying, we help new Christians avoid syncretism.
Yesterday, I led a team of 4 to go to one of the poorest of neighborhoods in the big city. The first home we visited was a man and his 3 children. He is an ex drug user who stopped only because he discovered he has the HIV virus. He looks like he might already be somewhat symptomatic with AIDS, but it could just be malnutrition. I don't know. His girlfriend, with whom he has 3 kids, was gone. He said she still gets high and may come home next week, or maybe not.
As we entered into the home we saw how the children (5, 7 and 8) were starved for attention and emotionally underdeveloped. They immediately sat on our laps. As we began talking with this man, I sensed that he needed to really hear the message of Christ. I prayed that the Lord would put the message on my lips.
I started telling the story of creation and told through to the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience. As I told about the curse and expulsion from Eden, I highlighted the promise of God that one of Eve's descendants would smash the head of the serpent. I then began telling about the birth of Jesus, I told through his baptism and some teachings and miracles and told the story of his death and resurrection. I told about how he showed himself to his disciples and how he ascended into heaven. This narrative, which I just sort of wove together from smaller stories, took about 25 minutes to tell.
The man received Christ and wants to be baptized next Sunday. He told us that if his girlfriend ever comes home, he will catch her when she is sober and tell her the same story. He wants us to return next week and gather people on his street to hear this story.
I will write about some of the other visits in another post.
The storying through the scriptures is a great way to prepare people who have no frame of reference (as they would in the Bible belt, for example) to believe on and receive Christ Jesus. It also aids discipleship so that oral learners can be discipled to the core and not just follow the forms of religion divorced from the truth of God and his word. By storying, we help new Christians avoid syncretism.
Yesterday, I led a team of 4 to go to one of the poorest of neighborhoods in the big city. The first home we visited was a man and his 3 children. He is an ex drug user who stopped only because he discovered he has the HIV virus. He looks like he might already be somewhat symptomatic with AIDS, but it could just be malnutrition. I don't know. His girlfriend, with whom he has 3 kids, was gone. He said she still gets high and may come home next week, or maybe not.
As we entered into the home we saw how the children (5, 7 and 8) were starved for attention and emotionally underdeveloped. They immediately sat on our laps. As we began talking with this man, I sensed that he needed to really hear the message of Christ. I prayed that the Lord would put the message on my lips.
I started telling the story of creation and told through to the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience. As I told about the curse and expulsion from Eden, I highlighted the promise of God that one of Eve's descendants would smash the head of the serpent. I then began telling about the birth of Jesus, I told through his baptism and some teachings and miracles and told the story of his death and resurrection. I told about how he showed himself to his disciples and how he ascended into heaven. This narrative, which I just sort of wove together from smaller stories, took about 25 minutes to tell.
The man received Christ and wants to be baptized next Sunday. He told us that if his girlfriend ever comes home, he will catch her when she is sober and tell her the same story. He wants us to return next week and gather people on his street to hear this story.
I will write about some of the other visits in another post.
October 17, 2008
What a week!
We prepared ourselves to receive Bro Larry in our home this week and had everything just about ready. On Sunday, as we were returning from having lunch with Loaise's family, we had to stop at a police check-point. They asked for our documents, registration and driver's license. I handed them to the officer. It turns out there was a problem with our registration and so they impounded the car. I sat for about 4 hours waiting for the tow truck to arrive, so I could sign the receipt. I ended up befriending the policemen and, believe it or not, may be able to get them together for a home Bible study to share Christ with them.
On Monday morning we resolved the situation with our documents (something simple) and we went to pick up the car. It turns out that we had to wait for the computer system to catch up with us, so they told us that we wouldn't be able to get the car until Wednesday. Hmm. I ended up borrowing a car for the week, so we could take Bro Larry around. I then went to Rio de Janeiro and picked him up. We arrived home about midnight.
Tuesday, I took Bro Larry up to the high city and let him meet Pastor Ubiratan and see some of the places we are meeting in home groups and see our church building and a few other things. After lunch we went to the small town. There we met with a few people who participate in our Bible storying sessions. I took him to the family on the hill and there, he was able to experience one of our group meetings. We then went to the local bakery and met some others in the city. The baker made a special effort to go to the big city the next day to hear him preach. We arrived home about midnight.
On Wednesday morning, we walked around the neighborhood so I could show the life of the garbage chasers. People whose income is dependent on searching through trash for recyclables and such. There are tens of thousands of them in this city, some homeless, others living in simple homes. It wasn't a major garbage day in the neighborhood, but we did get to stop and speak to one older woman and her adult son. Later we went to the high city again and met with women who teach and learn crafts at the church and led a small worship service with them. Then, at night Bro Larry preached at the regular Wednesday night service with me translating.
Thursday was the day to go, we lost a lot of time trying to get our car back (successfully, finally), but it came at the cost of not being able to visit anymore people. I took Bro Larry around the city by bus and helped him purchase a little something for his wife. We came back to the house and had a snack and then I took him back to Rio to the airport.
I want to thank Southside Baptist Church in Mansfield, Louisiana. They have been very kind to loan their pastor to us for a week. This church has also blessed us in a number of ways that I won't list here. God is doing a great work here, and we thank you for being a part of it, and for your love for us.
On Monday morning we resolved the situation with our documents (something simple) and we went to pick up the car. It turns out that we had to wait for the computer system to catch up with us, so they told us that we wouldn't be able to get the car until Wednesday. Hmm. I ended up borrowing a car for the week, so we could take Bro Larry around. I then went to Rio de Janeiro and picked him up. We arrived home about midnight.
Tuesday, I took Bro Larry up to the high city and let him meet Pastor Ubiratan and see some of the places we are meeting in home groups and see our church building and a few other things. After lunch we went to the small town. There we met with a few people who participate in our Bible storying sessions. I took him to the family on the hill and there, he was able to experience one of our group meetings. We then went to the local bakery and met some others in the city. The baker made a special effort to go to the big city the next day to hear him preach. We arrived home about midnight.
On Wednesday morning, we walked around the neighborhood so I could show the life of the garbage chasers. People whose income is dependent on searching through trash for recyclables and such. There are tens of thousands of them in this city, some homeless, others living in simple homes. It wasn't a major garbage day in the neighborhood, but we did get to stop and speak to one older woman and her adult son. Later we went to the high city again and met with women who teach and learn crafts at the church and led a small worship service with them. Then, at night Bro Larry preached at the regular Wednesday night service with me translating.
Thursday was the day to go, we lost a lot of time trying to get our car back (successfully, finally), but it came at the cost of not being able to visit anymore people. I took Bro Larry around the city by bus and helped him purchase a little something for his wife. We came back to the house and had a snack and then I took him back to Rio to the airport.
I want to thank Southside Baptist Church in Mansfield, Louisiana. They have been very kind to loan their pastor to us for a week. This church has also blessed us in a number of ways that I won't list here. God is doing a great work here, and we thank you for being a part of it, and for your love for us.
October 10, 2008
Twice in the small town without telling a story.
Sunday after church, I took my wife, Loaise, and son Nilson to the small town. Since we lived there for a time, Loaise registered to vote there. Sunday was an election. Fortunately that is behind us now, and the political season here won't be interfering with our rhythm of meeting with families and telling the story of God week by week.
Thursday I returned and spent the evening meeting with families and establishing a regular .I also arranged for some people to meet Bro Larry Pridmore of Southside Baptist in Mansfield, LA. He will be arriving in Rio on Monday after a week of work in Maceió. I'll receive him in my home for a few days and show him were we are working and let him meet many people.
Thursday I returned and spent the evening meeting with families and establishing a regular .I also arranged for some people to meet Bro Larry Pridmore of Southside Baptist in Mansfield, LA. He will be arriving in Rio on Monday after a week of work in Maceió. I'll receive him in my home for a few days and show him were we are working and let him meet many people.
September 26, 2008
Neighborhood churches in the making
Since my hearing returned, I've led a number of workshops and training sessions at Igreja Batista da Vitória, to prepare Christian families to start small house-churches in their neighborhoods. Even yesterday I was able to visit a husband and wife who have a small grocery store in an area of the city I had not been to. They have an upper room with 80 chairs that they envision being used for worship services in the future.
I just wanted to put some names here and ask you to pray for these families that I am training and discipling to plant new churches in their neighborhoods.
José Antonio and Evándia - He is a construction worker and she is a housekeeper. They are inviting people to meet with them in their home each week to hear the gospel. They have two teenaged daughters. José António has been to the small town several times and is a good help there.
Valdecir and Cida - This couple works together in something similar to a hotdog stand 6 nights a week, but instead of hotdogs they sell brazilian style grilled steak. (You would like it if you ate it and you would have to be here to understand why it is so popular on the street.) They have been to several workshops and are planning to reach families in their home.
Julinho and Ana - This couple is the one that I mentioned that has the grocery store. They have one young daughter. They hope to begin a church in their upper room.
Rosa - This grandmother has a beauty salon. She wants to close business one day a week and use her salon to evangelize her long-time clients and their friends. She wants to use her salon to host church meetings in the future.
Bruno - This young man is a top-10 ranked Muai Thai fighter in the world. He has traveled to many countries to fight in tournaments and has had his heart broken in eastern countries seeing the people who don't know Jesus. He wants to learn to evangelize and start a church in his dojo and then in the future, go to an un-named far-eastern country and repeat the process.
Moisés and Patricia - This couple works at the University and have two young sons. They have participated in our training and want to begin a church in their home.
Marcia - This woman is a single mother of a teenaged daughter. She came to Christ later in life and lives in a poorer neighborhood. She and her mother have to walk a half hour up and down hills to come to our church. She wants to begin a work to reach people in her neighborhood and form a small church closer to her home and acquaintences.
There are others, but these are the ones with the most potential to really begin something. Please pray for them, perhaps one family a day for a week, then repeat.
I just wanted to put some names here and ask you to pray for these families that I am training and discipling to plant new churches in their neighborhoods.
José Antonio and Evándia - He is a construction worker and she is a housekeeper. They are inviting people to meet with them in their home each week to hear the gospel. They have two teenaged daughters. José António has been to the small town several times and is a good help there.
Valdecir and Cida - This couple works together in something similar to a hotdog stand 6 nights a week, but instead of hotdogs they sell brazilian style grilled steak. (You would like it if you ate it and you would have to be here to understand why it is so popular on the street.) They have been to several workshops and are planning to reach families in their home.
Julinho and Ana - This couple is the one that I mentioned that has the grocery store. They have one young daughter. They hope to begin a church in their upper room.
Rosa - This grandmother has a beauty salon. She wants to close business one day a week and use her salon to evangelize her long-time clients and their friends. She wants to use her salon to host church meetings in the future.
Bruno - This young man is a top-10 ranked Muai Thai fighter in the world. He has traveled to many countries to fight in tournaments and has had his heart broken in eastern countries seeing the people who don't know Jesus. He wants to learn to evangelize and start a church in his dojo and then in the future, go to an un-named far-eastern country and repeat the process.
Moisés and Patricia - This couple works at the University and have two young sons. They have participated in our training and want to begin a church in their home.
Marcia - This woman is a single mother of a teenaged daughter. She came to Christ later in life and lives in a poorer neighborhood. She and her mother have to walk a half hour up and down hills to come to our church. She wants to begin a work to reach people in her neighborhood and form a small church closer to her home and acquaintences.
There are others, but these are the ones with the most potential to really begin something. Please pray for them, perhaps one family a day for a week, then repeat.
September 25, 2008
Why stories and not sermons?
A mark of oral learners is that they do not trust conclusions based on abstract or propositional statements. It is firsthand experience -- either personal or vicarious -- that makes something concrete, hence trustworthy. --Telling God's Stories with Power
September 24, 2008
Barriers
We had some scheduling challenges this week, so I went in to the small town yesterday instead of waiting for Thursday. My partner is still unable to return with me. Perhaps next week.
Going on a different day has its problems. I was unable to meet with any of the regular scheduled groups as planned. I did, however get to meet with several people individually. This gave me a chance to talk through some of the things we've been doing these past several weeks.
The most interesting and perhaps deflating conversation was with the young mother De. We talked about the discipling we've been doing as a group, and I shared with her my desire for the families to be baptized and commissioned as a church. She told me that the idea was wonderful, but that there were two problems. One, calling it a church. "People will think we're changing religion," she said. The other problem was baptism. She restated the same thought that her uncle had shared two months ago. "We were baptized as babies, which we couldn't choose, but our faith now confirms that baptism."
Since this family I have been working with is fringe folk-catholic, they have assumed all along that these scripture stories they have been learning are the same teachings of the Roman Catholic church that they never learned before. Evidently I have not been good at making a distinction. I am going to need to re-evaluate some aspects of my evangelism approach.
Another aspect of our conversation was also interesting. I asked her who she thought was a natural leader in her family group. She seemed to want to indicate her father, but never did. In my questions about the family relationship, it is clear that her father has a lot of influence. He has never participated in our studies, but did hear one of my stories on the street last week. Her reasoning for him not being able to be a leader is because "He can't read."
I want to spend the next 4 weeks specifically evangelizing her father and her other uncles that stay out on the street talking at night. Perhaps this is the group that has the influence to lead this family....
Going on a different day has its problems. I was unable to meet with any of the regular scheduled groups as planned. I did, however get to meet with several people individually. This gave me a chance to talk through some of the things we've been doing these past several weeks.
The most interesting and perhaps deflating conversation was with the young mother De. We talked about the discipling we've been doing as a group, and I shared with her my desire for the families to be baptized and commissioned as a church. She told me that the idea was wonderful, but that there were two problems. One, calling it a church. "People will think we're changing religion," she said. The other problem was baptism. She restated the same thought that her uncle had shared two months ago. "We were baptized as babies, which we couldn't choose, but our faith now confirms that baptism."
Since this family I have been working with is fringe folk-catholic, they have assumed all along that these scripture stories they have been learning are the same teachings of the Roman Catholic church that they never learned before. Evidently I have not been good at making a distinction. I am going to need to re-evaluate some aspects of my evangelism approach.
Another aspect of our conversation was also interesting. I asked her who she thought was a natural leader in her family group. She seemed to want to indicate her father, but never did. In my questions about the family relationship, it is clear that her father has a lot of influence. He has never participated in our studies, but did hear one of my stories on the street last week. Her reasoning for him not being able to be a leader is because "He can't read."
I want to spend the next 4 weeks specifically evangelizing her father and her other uncles that stay out on the street talking at night. Perhaps this is the group that has the influence to lead this family....
September 17, 2008
Practice
Last night Loaise and I went to the high city again, to a home we have not been to before. We ended up telling a cluster of Bible stories to 8 Christians. This group was planed to be an evangelistic group with more non-Christians than Christians. The weather was bad, and I think that was a factor.
I told 3 stories from Luke.
Jesus tells the story of the pharisee and the tax collector Luke 18:9-14
Jesus and the rich religious leader Luke 18:18-27
Jesus and the rich tax collector Luke 19:1-10
These stories work well together because the two men that Jesus meets in the second two stories represent almost perfectly the two men in the parable he told. Luke probably planned it that way as he wrote the gospel.
Since the evening ended up being just a meeting of church members, I modeled once again how to tell a story from scripture and ask questions to help people think through the story. Hopefully these two families in the high city can evangelize a dozen or so people in their homes.
I told 3 stories from Luke.
Jesus tells the story of the pharisee and the tax collector Luke 18:9-14
Jesus and the rich religious leader Luke 18:18-27
Jesus and the rich tax collector Luke 19:1-10
These stories work well together because the two men that Jesus meets in the second two stories represent almost perfectly the two men in the parable he told. Luke probably planned it that way as he wrote the gospel.
Since the evening ended up being just a meeting of church members, I modeled once again how to tell a story from scripture and ask questions to help people think through the story. Hopefully these two families in the high city can evangelize a dozen or so people in their homes.
September 13, 2008
Politics
The last two homes I visited on Thursday were homes of men who were running for town council. I've been unable to meet with either of them because of the political stuff they've been doing on Thursday.
One, an unbaptized convert, (the man in the wheel chair in the picture on the sidebar) was saddened to learn that he was barred as a candidate because he had not been registered in his political party for more than a year. This hit him pretty hard because he is nearly quadriplegic and he had seen this as a way he could work again. He did, however, say that he is happy that he will begin again to meet with the rest of the families on the hill. (I have two more baptism stories to tell and then I will ask them to plan on being baptized)
The other man, the singer, as I've called him. Did not turn in his application before the deadline and can not be a candidate. He did successfully make the move from the big city back to the small town to be with his family. I told him that I wanted to tell him the stories of the Bible. He said he was reading a little of the Bible this past week and wanted to make a song. We agreed that we would meet each week for me to tell a story and for him to try to make a song of it. He and his family are very strong in folk-catholicism, so we must go forth in much prayer.
I made it home a little after midnight with no more car trouble.
Oh, yes, on Friday I also continued the Old Testament narrative at Loaise's workplace in the city. I told the story of Abram's call. There was one client who also stayed for the story.
One, an unbaptized convert, (the man in the wheel chair in the picture on the sidebar) was saddened to learn that he was barred as a candidate because he had not been registered in his political party for more than a year. This hit him pretty hard because he is nearly quadriplegic and he had seen this as a way he could work again. He did, however, say that he is happy that he will begin again to meet with the rest of the families on the hill. (I have two more baptism stories to tell and then I will ask them to plan on being baptized)
The other man, the singer, as I've called him. Did not turn in his application before the deadline and can not be a candidate. He did successfully make the move from the big city back to the small town to be with his family. I told him that I wanted to tell him the stories of the Bible. He said he was reading a little of the Bible this past week and wanted to make a song. We agreed that we would meet each week for me to tell a story and for him to try to make a song of it. He and his family are very strong in folk-catholicism, so we must go forth in much prayer.
I made it home a little after midnight with no more car trouble.
Oh, yes, on Friday I also continued the Old Testament narrative at Loaise's workplace in the city. I told the story of Abram's call. There was one client who also stayed for the story.
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