Monday, August 18

Goldfuss update (August 18)

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you for your continued prayers.

PRAISES
  1. Some of our more mature women are beginning to lead our ladies' Bible Study each month. Currently they are going through the The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. Teresa did a very good job on Saturday. Juana will be leading the next chapter next month.
  2. The men have decided that they would like to meet twice a month for our studies about elders so this Friday night we will be meeting up here at our cabin at 7 PM.
  3. Some of the children who are between 10-13 would like to help serve more in the children's SS class. They want to begin preparing the craft for the SS lessons each week. They will be Sunday school assistants and rotate. Praise the Lord for that desire to serve.
  4. Fernando, who has come on and off for many years, was in attendance the last two weeks. He very much needs to be converted, but it was good to see him back again.
PRAYER REQUESTS
  1. This Saturday we will be having another creek walk with the young people. It has been raining a whole lot lately so there should be plenty of COLD COLD water to walk in. :-) There are some monstrous trees along the side of the creek and we used that last month as an object lesson for Psalm 1 (He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.) Pray for the Lord's working in our Bible Study time Saturday.
  2. Jesus and Analilia haven't been to church since our VBS ended over 3 weeks ago. He was supposed to go into the hospital again this past Friday for his hip replacement. We haven't heard if he was able to make it in yet. He mentioned to me about a week ago that they weren't able to attend church right now because he has to use Sundays to sell his dental hygiene products. His recovery for the hip replacement will be long and he is trying to financially prepare for that by working on the Lord's Day. Please pray for them to be saved. They have heard the gospel for a number of months now and sometimes we wonder if they are to the point of definitively rejecting it. Please pray for the Lord to have mercy on them, and pray for our church people to minister to them in their time of need.
  3. Erasmo and Matilde. For years Erasmo and his brother have been at great odds over different personal family issues. Last week, the brother hired two men to kidnap Erasmo's oldest daughter Abigail who is 17. They had her from about 9AM til 7PM. Praise the Lord that He kept her safe. Pray for the issues to be resolved in the family and for the Lord to use this to bring Abby and others in that family to salvation.
  4. Erasmo was also taken to the hospital on Saturday night with severe stomach pain. He has gall stones and has been scheduled for surgery on Sept. 2.
  5. Two young couples--Marcos and Ruth and Uriel and Mildred--now live over an hour away from church (both with unsaved in-laws) and this is affecting their attendance. They have either been late or have not come these last few weeks. Pray for the Lord to work in their hearts.
  6. Nico and Liliana--last week their 12 year old son left home and went to live with his grandmother. His story to her was that "his parents make him read the Bible." The truth is he doesn't want to obey and doesn't want God in his life at all. Please pray for Nico and Liliana for wisdom and for Miguel to be broken about his sin and to submit to Christ.
  7. Some of our people have had different issues with modesty. Therefore we have been learning why it should be practiced (Because it's important to God and for His glory, because it affects our brothers in Christ and because it affects our presentation of the gospel.) We are having a three part series on modesty in our Sunday services. Most people have received it very well, but please pray for others to accept God's teaching on the subject and to submit to Christ in this area. We are not just stating do's and don'ts, but trying to demonstrate that this is a heart issue. Am I going to serve the Lord and others (by being modest and not wanting them to stumble) or myself (by wearing what I want to bring attention to myself)?
Thank you as always for your prayers,

In Christ,
Mike for all the Goldfii

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