Abraham Avila Prayer Letter: Confidence in Soul Winning

I whispered, “I love you,” and she replied, “I love you too.”

I found myself talking to a husband and wife from one of our churches. The conversation started to shift towards an impromptu counseling moment. They were worried because they were having issues with their adolescent daughter. The problem was that their daughter was starting to exhibit no interest in her parents or her family. I listened to them for a few more minutes and then had the opportunity to give them some advice. They listened intently to my advice, and then I told them that they should take some time out of their week to talk to their pastor without any outside distractions. They agreed and walked away with a smile.

This got me thinking about my growing children. My wife and I have already come to the realization that our time is limited when it comes to how long we will have our children under our roof. We have less than six years with two of our children, and then they will be off to college, “wiping tear from cheek.” Really nothing has changed in our family as far as routines go, except for the better. We love on them; we kiss them a lot throughout the day; we talk about their future; we pray together, etc. Yet before I’m about to go to bed, I walk around the house to ensure that all the doors and windows are locked, and then I work my way to their bedrooms. I stand there in the barely lit hallway and listen to my children sleep. I pray and thank God for my children. I ask God to show them His will for their lives. I ask God to give them wisdom. Then I ask myself if I could have done a little more with them that day. Could I have shown or taught them something more that day? Could I have expressed more love to them that day? I slowly walk to their bedside and whisper, “I love you” one more time and kiss them on the cheek.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we find ourselves in a Sunday evening service. My wife and I are holding hands, and we feel a little finger trying to wiggle itself into our clasp. I glance down and see that it is our daughter Lani. She doesn’t even look at us when she smiles, acknowledging my squeezing a little harder. I whispered, “I love you,” and she replied, “I love you too.” These are the little moments that every parent cherishes. May we never become accustomed to those moments.

They quickly gained their confidence.

My family and I were soul winning one day and stumbled upon a group of kids. We had already prayed and asked God to lead us that day. My children played with the kids while my wife made conversation with a lady. I watched as they quickly gained their confidence. After a while my family had the opportunity to witness to the group. Five children and a resting mom trusted Christ as their Saviour that afternoon. It was beautiful seeing my children put into action what we have been teaching them about soul winning. It was even more beautiful to see my children soul winning!

To be continued . . .
I am thankful for praying and giving friends such as you. If it weren’t for you, my family and I would not be able to be here in Lima, Peru. We love you and pray for you often. I pray that the Lord continues to bless you and your family.

Prayer Requests

• Safety for our family, our team leader Bro. Zach Foust, and the other families of Team Peru
• Additional monthly financial support
• Health for the families of Team Peru
• My dad’s physical therapy
• Spring Program in San Gabriel, which will begin in October

Blessings

• We had 47 souls saved.
• Our Sunday school class children are soul winning and bringing visitors to church.
• My dad is gaining more movement through his therapy and is starting to become more
confident in his mobility.
• My children have made more friends.

Thank you once again for your prayers and support.

Your co-laborers to Peru,

Abraham, Fabiola, Marco, Leilani, and Joaquin Avila