May the Lord bless you for your faithful prayers and support! We thank the Lord for visitors and souls saved every week out at the new church plant on the campsite. The services are held under a tree in the open air, yet we are blessed to see people showing up for church early and even waiting for the service to start. One afternoon I was busy cutting down large, heavy branches from trees, and my wife was preparing a cake and tea. We rushed to the service to find everyone already there! These are dear people with a very confused understanding of God. It is evident that God is working, and they are responding to the preaching of the truth of the Gospel, as some will ask to give a testimony of how they are dealing with exactly what I preached about.
My wife and I, along with the twins, visited Moises, Maria, and several neighbors on a steep path near the campsite. The dad of one of the soccer boys invited us in and listened as I explained the Gospel. He trusted Christ as His Saviour and would like to visit the church soon. This was 1 of about 50 souls we have had the privilege of leading to the Saviour during the past two months!
The Soccer Ministry has proven to be a real success! Not only do we present the boys and teens with the Gospel, but Amy also spends time teaching memory verses and a Bible lesson before they come for the preaching. They recite their memorized verse in front of the church at the end, and they are always very nervous, yet excited about it! Two young men in their 20s came for a soccer match and were surprised when all of the boys stopped playing and gathered around as Amy taught a Bible lesson without even calling them over. Please pray for these kids who have a hunger for God’s love and a desire to learn about Him!! Please pray for us as we try to teach them how they can love and serve our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
We reflect on how the Lord opened this door for a ministry here and thank Him for allowing us to reach more souls in a very needy area. Amy’s doctor suggested that unless we moved from the city, she would continue to battle the effects of pollution and dust on her chronic asthmatic bronchitis, which has caused her difficulty breathing. The children also suffer from severe chronic sinusitis and headaches from the congestion. While looking into options for a home outside the city where rent is lower, we came across the campsite. The Lord kept bringing us back, even after checking out other homes. The owners called and asked us to reconsider. After several months of praying, God opened the doors for us not only to rent a home but also to start another church, as well as a Soccer and Camp Ministry! The opportunities for ministry are unlimited, not only for the new church plant but also for our Sao Paulo church! One of the men from our Sao Paulo church helped us bring a group over for one of the services last month. A Peruvian man and his son were in the group; and they enjoyed the day playing, eating, and hearing the Gospel! The Sao Paulo church also has great memories of our first Family Camp, and they are looking forward to the next one!
Our first concern is to have an adequate building for the church to meet in. The owner of the land has helped tremendously with building plans. He suggested that instead of filling the land where there was a drop-off, utilizing the space with a basement. This area is adequate for dorm rooms! The church auditorium above will be spacious. Although the people come dressed in heavy coats and scarves, the cold of winter makes it difficult to sit through a service outside! The men are making progress on the foundation and building the walls, yet there is still much work yet to do! As you can imagine, every week we have to come up with the money to pay their salary and all the materials. The funds needed for this project are $20,000. For this we ask you to PRAY that the Lord will provide! We have been contributing over half our monthly income to keep things moving. We asked the Lord for wisdom, and He has allowed us to sell some valuables and even wedding jewelry that helped us pay for a few of the materials and labor. The value of a soul is far more precious than jewels (we can’t even wear them here for fear of being assaulted). Of course, these things have sentimental value, yet no sacrifice is too great for our God, Who saved us from an eternal Hell. We want to thank you for your giving to this exciting new ministry! Please specify when sending funds: New Church Plant in Cotia.
Many of you have also given to the building project in Sao Paulo, and for this we are so grateful. The second floor looks great! The windows are all in as well. Thank you for continuing to pray and give to this need. It is still at 35 percent of the needed funds to complete the project. We covet your prayers as we await the funds to complete this project in order to move the adults to the second floor and allow the Junior Church to take over the first-floor auditorium! The children were meeting outside in the carport, yet with all the dust from the construction and the cold winter weather, we moved them into the nursery, where they are limited for space and the babies have to be held in the back of the room. Thank you for praying, as space will allow the Junior Church to continue to grow! We have written up a program for the children specifically designed for the needs of our church. Amy thoroughly enjoys teaching the children, and they are learning the Bible and memorizing Scripture every service. They recently memorized the Roman’s Road and are working on assurance verses. We are thrilled at their response to this children`s program.
As you well know, time is running out. We have MUCH work to do, and the laborers are FEW! We trust the Lord as He leads us and thank you for praying for our family’s health to improve, protection from harm and accidents, and provision for so many needs. Thank you for praying and giving for the many needs of this ministry! Our family is so grateful to God for your care for souls. Those interested in helping on a short- or long-term basis, this is a very exciting opportunity that you will not want to miss out on! Also, churches planning on bringing a group to help with passing out tracts and working on the church buildings, please contact our email as soon as possible at juanandamyvallejo@juno.com for more information so we can schedule your visit. May the Lord bless you!
In His service,
Juan Vallejo and Family
