Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support. We are blessed to have the opportunities that we do to share Christ in a needy place. I think all of us, from time to time, wonder how much the other side really pays attention to us. Sometimes missionaries wonder if folks back in the States are actually reading their prayer letters or staying up to date via other means of social media, and I would imagine that sometimes you all back in the States wonder if some of your missionaries actually take note of what you do for them or if they appreciate the extra mile that you go just to express your love, thoughts, and prayers. Rest assured, we do. Time after time, we get little notes, reminders, etc. that express your love, prayers, and concern; and month after month, God uses your faithful giving to meet our needs and the needs of our young church. We appreciate you all very much and genuinely believe that God will bless your faithfulness and generosity.
The missionary life is a wonderful life. It ebbs and flows; there are high points and low points. Recently times have been a bit more trying in our area of service. It has come to our attention that the neighbors around us are warning people to stay away from our church because we have “bad doctrine.” I take pleasure in their accusations—they do not appreciate us preaching salvation by grace alone and the eternal security of the believer. Obviously, truth is not always very popular. We also have someone who has been doing Macumba in front of our church. This is black magic that is intended to draw the attention of demonic spirits and enlist their help against someone. In this case, they want a demon to impede our work. So as you can see, this month hasn’t been quite as rosy as usual. In spite of these slight setbacks, we see the Lord working in hearts.
We have several adults participating in Sunday morning discipleship classes. Some of our Spanish families have returned after missing church for several weeks, and our Children’s Ministry is downright flourishing! The kids are a blessing and a challenge, memorizing verses left and right, bringing their friends, and praying for their parents to come. God is good! Last week while knocking doors in our Spanish area, I met a homeless man and struck up a conversation with him. We chatted for 20 minutes or so, and he shared some of his life’s story. Then I shared the Gospel with him. I tried to reiterate several times that God’s love is boundless, and He is no respecter of persons; the least of us is just as important as the “greatest.” In short order, he began to weep, and I had no response for his next words: “Why did I have to wait almost 53 years for someone to tell me that after I have ruined my life trying to find happiness?” Please pray for Sydney. Pray that we can be a friend to him and that God will do something with whatever time he has left on this earth. That is why we need more missionaries. The world is full of desperate, lost people who are searching for something that they cannot describe. The multitudes need Jesus. Pray for us as we strive to share Him with everyone who will give us a hearing.
Thank you again for your faithful support. In next month’s letter, I hope to be able to provide an update on some family health news. Please keep Cynthia in your prayers; she has more medical tests coming up. We love you, and we are praying for you.
Declaring His glory,
Wesley Palla
Psalm 96:3
