Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,
We thank the Lord for your continuing prayers and support. Your faithfulness to your commitment is now in the beginning stages of bearing fruit. It has not been in vain. In the past month, we have been able to see people saved. This in itself is great news, but for us it is even better, because it has come as a result of our speaking Portuguese. Just a few weeks ago, I got to preach at a street Bible Club, and while no one would come close to mistaking me for a Brazilian (yet), there were 4 hands raised to trust Christ at the end of my lesson. What a relief for me! On the heels of that “success,” I have now been given additional opportunities in the coming weeks to preach in a church service and a teen meeting. While I covet your prayers for me, perhaps those prayers would be better used for the listeners! We were also able to aid two groups that came in during the World Cup. Over 50,000 Gospel booklets were distributed; even Mia got busy passing them out!
Another opportunity has arisen to minister at the orphanage that we work in on Tuesday evenings. Last week I began a one-on-one discipleship time with a teenage boy who wants God to set him free from addiction. He was seven years old the first time he tried crack. There are other heartbreaking stories just like his, but we know that they are simply future success stories and testimonies of God’s life-changing grace in the lives of His children, if we can just reach them while there is time. Pray that God can use us and that He will call others to be a part of changing lives and directions all over the region of Sao Paulo.
While I would ask for your prayers on our behalf for some upcoming needs, I feel that it wouldn’t be fair without reminding you of prayers that God has ALREADY answered in amazing ways. Our airfare to Brazil is paid for. Our housing is contract-free, safe, and more affordable than we could have found anywhere else. Our language studies are progressing quickly. Souls saved—we have seen 5 saved that we personally were involved in their coming to Christ. And there are the day-to-day needs that have come up that we haven’t even published that God has provided for time and again. He is incredibly gracious and good to our family. We cannot praise Him enough.
Would you please continue to pray for our ministry to become more effective as we work on our language skills? Also, pray that God would begin leading us to where to start a church. Pray for our vehicle needs as well. We have been saving and are trying to find a vehicle for purchase in August. To give you an idea of the used-car market here, a 13- to 15-year-old car that has been fairly well maintained will cost us between US$8000 and $12000. Lastly, please keep praying for the emotional transition as well. Cynthia and the girls have been doing PHENOMENAL with the move, but as you can imagine, there are some difficult times every now and then. Your prayers always help with that.
Please know that we praise God for all of you. We are grateful to be teamed up with those who have a heart for the lost all over the world. We are laboring so that fruit may abound to your account.
Declaring His glory,
Wesley Palla
Psalm 96:3
