Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! We are so thankful for your faithful prayers and support. Because of you, we are able to stay on the field and continue working on the churches. We added a midweek service at the new church plant this month. With all of the new converts, we are unable to get to every home for discipleship. Praise the Lord! Many are coming out for the midweek service, and each week the attendance is growing. Please pray for us, as we are now running five services a week between the two churches.
Urgent! The construction costs are mounting, and the workers need to be paid every week. In order for the work to continue, we need your help! We appreciate those who have sacrificed to help with these great needs, yet there is still much work to be done. We would like to finish the flooring, plastering, and the installation of electricity and plumbing in the Sao Paulo church. We are working on installing the water boxes, which has become more complicated than expected. On a Thursday evening prayer meeting, God touched the hearts of the people to help purchase the water box that we needed. The church has been without water for some time. We have to bring buckets of water in for the kitchen and bathrooms.
At the new church plant, we need to cement the floor as soon as possible! The first portion is still dirt/mud and then a deep groove that is dangerous to step over before getting to the cement portion. We would like to install the bathrooms as well as soon as the Lord provides for these needs. I am working on installing the electricity, as the downstairs children’s church room has only one light. Amy is practically teaching the children in the dark.
Despite all the obstacles, souls are being saved in this dark corner of the world. We hear the drums in the background from the Spiritist-movement compound a block from our church. One after the other, they tell us they are addicted to drugs or alcohol or are on antidepressants. Parents who refused to attend church when their teens were attending enthusiastically are now desperate for help.
He is the Light of the world! With your help we can continue to be salt and light! We rejoice that Dina, a single mother of four children, has come faithfully to church since her first visit. She readily accepted the Lord as her Saviour, as well as her three older children. Her four-year-old recited I John 5:4 in church this week, and Dina would like to learn more about baptism. Chloe, our four-year-old also recently memorized Ephesians 1:13 and surprised us, as she normally was too shy to recite it!
How important it is to be aware of the needs around us. While making visits, a Peruvian man named Marcos told me that his Argentinian friend Marcello was in need of prayer, as his 40-year-old Brazilian wife was in critical condition with a heart-valve problem. Marcos told them he had brought a pastor to pray for them. Marcello, although a Catholic and Spiritist, accepted my visit. I prayed for them while his wife was sleeping and too weak to awaken. A week later outside the bank, I ran into Marcos and Marcello. Marcello said, “Pastor, the doctor says there is no hope for my wife. I am afraid; I also have a medical heart condition.” I told them they did not need to fear, as I shared the good news of the Gospel with them. The two men received the Lord as their Saviour. Marcos told me his mom was a Christian and had been praying for him.
Soul winning at the park with my kids, I met three drug addicts, one from the Assembly of God church, one from the Catholic church, and one from the Spiritist religion. They listened intently as I explained the reality of Hell and the promise of Heaven. They understood what they were missing and very readily asked Jesus to save them. The (former) Spiritist was so thankful that he then asked my son Daniel, “Would you like to ride my bike?”
Not a day goes by that we do not need to buy materials or pay someone for their work on the buildings. Please pray that we can continue to reach the lost and bring them into a finished church building where they can hear sound doctrine and biblical teaching! There is an abundance of churches on every corner with many attractions, yet the sad truth is that people leave without salvation.
We are working diligently—many times all day and into the night—with the strength and health God has given us to keep the work going. Our hearts are overflowing with joy as we serve Him and work with these dear souls. We know you will be blessed as you take part in these exciting ministries, where souls are being saved every week and lives are being changed for His glory! Please let us know how you would like to help, whether financially or visiting the work and lending a hand. (Our email is JuanandAmyVallejo@juno.com.)
In His service,
Juan Vallejo and Family
