We are happy for the answers to prayer in regards to Irlei and also to Jhoni getting back up to his house in the tribe. Thank you for supporting the Guanano work in this way. Irlei came to church with her parents Moise and Delfina this past Sunday. Let’s keep praying that the Lord will heal her spiritually as he has physically.
Our co-worker Carol has been developing some materials to teach Guananos how to read and write their own language a key in seeing a mature church. This way they can read their Bibles and grow because they understood what they read. The last couple of weeks she has been testing the materials by teaching Gustavo’s kids. She taught all three of her girls how to read many years ago. But this is the first time she has taught Guanano kids. She is gaining valuable experience that will help her improve the materials as well as be ready to train others how to use them. The kids also are learning how to read and they enjoy the daily drilling and writing exercises. Unlike most kids, they eagerly ask Carol if there’s homework! Pray: for these materials to become an effective tool so the Guanano believers can grow through reading and understand.
God is using Romans 6 to teach Guanano believers they have been set free from the power of Satan and the sin nature and are no longer slaves to them. They have been reluctant to believe this, because some not all obviously continue to struggle with being slaves to the power of drinking, immorality and other sins. In order to illustrate our freedom from sin, Gustavo suggested using the phrase “yaria wahyo”. “Yaria wahyo” means to die first and leave someone behind. He used the example of a married man who mercilessly mistreats his wife. Her life with him is miserable. Then for some reason, perhaps from sickness or sadness, she “yaria wahyos” her husband. She dies before he does, leaving him behind. Suddenly her husband has no one to mistreat anymore because she’s no longer there. Gustavo explained his illustration by saying, “That is like what has happened to us. When we died together with Christ, we ‘yaria wahyoed’ Satan and the sin nature. That simply means we got out from under their domination. They can no longer mercilessly mistreat us and demand that we do the bad things they ask because we have died and are no longer there. Since we died together with Christ, we have been made members of God’s family, and Christ now lives in and through us.” Please thank the Lord for bringing Gustavo from Colombia to work with us in editing these Bible lessons. Please continue to ask God to use the teaching of Romans to sanctify and grow up his Guanano church.
Thank you for your ministry of prayer on our behalf and on behalf of the Guanano church!