Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,

I trust you are prospering in the Lord’s work.  It is a privilege to serve our Lord as we await His coming.  Thank you for partnering with us and remembering the work here in your prayers.
We continue to teach the Bible, pass out literature, and build relationships with the people God has placed in our lives.  At times the work seems slow, but I am not discouraged.  I can see God working in the lives of the people that are learning the Bible.  I also am regularly reminded from the Scriptures that God is at work in the world, and my responsibility is to be faithful and obedient so that He can use me in His work.

The two Bible studies remain consistent.  The Bible study at the supermarket has a faithful core and some visitors who drift in and out, mostly wanting to improve their English.  I strive to communicate the gospel to everyone according to their language abilities.  Some people are astonished and do not return, while others show interest.  Most often people listen politely and keep their thoughts to themselves.  However the seed is received, I will continue to plant and water with anticipation of the Word of God bearing fruit.

I continue along the same lines with evangelism through literature and the website.  Each week, cards and tracts are handed out and there is usually some traffic on our site.  Contact beyond the visit is very limited and the transition to meeting in person has not happened yet.  Nevertheless, people are being exposed to the true gospel that stands in contrast to what the majority of religions here teach.  Who is to say what difference one tract might make?  That said, I know there is room for improvement with the website, as well as areas of the city that we have not reached.  Please pray for God’s direction and help that we may be more effective in our evangelism.

I mentioned in our last report that we were hoping to increase our hospitality in order to build on the relationships we have.  Since then, we have had guests for dinner almost every Friday night.  We are definitely getting to know some of our friends better and are meeting new people as family members come with our friends to share the meal.

Please remember the Mendoza family in prayer as they begin their first furlough.  We will feel their absence here, but we know that helping Samuel get adjusted to life in the U.S. and reporting to their supporting churches are important parts of their work.  Pray for us as we adjust to not having them here to work with us.

May the Lord continue to work through your lives for His glory.

For the Glory of God,

Chris Bell

Brenda’s Bailiwick

Now in my third house in Belem, I am pleased to report that the parakeets still fly over at roughly 6 a.m. every day. I don’t know if this is a special dispensation for me or if the local parakeet population is mushrooming, but it is a daily pleasure. However, lest you be misled, I hasten to add that the charm of parakeets, as of so many things (monkeys leap to mind) is inversely proportional to their proximity…
I observe this chattery flyover from my seat in our back yard, which leads me to the Friday night backyard supper. Thank you for praying for this! As Chris mentioned, we have largely been faithful to it, and I believe it is deepening some relationships and opening doors for others. It may also have contributed to some misconceptions about American hot dogs, as Chris recently heard our jiu-jitsu teacher explaining that traditional American hot dog toppings include fresh bell pepper…All I can say is that I’m bound to offer a veggie in there somewhere, and onions don’t count (Pretty sure I have the Spirit on this). So, if you come down to visit, please just play along—and enjoy the piling on of shoestring potato crisps, a very Brazilian addition.

As Chris also mentioned, we are already missing the Mendozas. I know they will be a blessing in the US, and hopefully many or most of you will get to see them. Since I no longer have a weekly Portuguese class with Amanda, I offered to do the Basic Bible Truths study in English with the English teacher who periodically attended the Saturday Bible study. As you may remember, she quit coming regularly because of the difficulty of transportation. We are meeting at a supermarket near her house on Monday afternoons. She was eager to do the study and seems genuinely interested in the spiritual aspect of it and not just the English. We’ve completed 3 lessons and have 3 more to go. If she desires, I will certainly plan to continue. I believe from what she has voiced that she is genuinely a Christian. Please continue to pray for clarity and growth for her and wisdom for me.

Caleb and I both had birthdays recently, and I’m thankful for the kindness shown to us by family and friends. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you!

Thanks for reading and for praying!
In Christ,
Brenda