A few weeks back we received a handwritten letter in Guanano from
Orlando upriver. It read something like this “Do you remember a while ago when we talked about it being time that we Guanano started to do what Jesus told us, to spread His Word and to develop the habit of mutual encouragement with Roberto? I am initiating that just like God desires. Today is the 14th of the new year. Today around 1:30-2:00 pm we are starting a week’s worth of teaching
Phase 2 (for new believers). When we finish teaching he will make a trip up river. I want all of you there to pray to God for us here. Pray so that we don’t just pretend and teach on our own (strength) and that we’d teach like God desires. Pray that Satan by whatever means, or by illness would not be able to block us. We don’t want to do this independently (of God’s strength). This is how many we are that will do this work: Orlando, Arnoldo and Leoncio. I tried to call you via the pay phone but it wasn’t working so that is why I wrote you this page (leaf).”
Then Sunday Leoncio through WhatsApp sent us an audio updating us on how it went. He shared that the time with Roberto went well. That God gave them help. That Roberto heard (the teaching) well. The two of them, Orlando and Leoncio taught him. They were able to cover all the lessons with Roberto. While they taught, a
teenager from another nearby village came searching for God, of his own initiative. When they saw that, then Arnoldo worked with him (teaching him evangelism lessons). Arnoldo wasn’t able to finish teaching, all the good teaching he would have done wasn’t all done yet. So they are going to work with this new guy again in the future! They trusted God’s leading of them as they worked teaching.
Wow! when Denise and I heard this news, our excitement began to grow! They are discipling and evangelizing without us missionaries going along with them! Good things are happening! Pray with Orlando and the other teachers as they return to give continuity in sharing the Gospel with this apparently hungry teen in the future and then also continue to disciple Roberto in Phase 3 (the book of Acts). God gets the glory for this!