September 1, 2012
Dear Friend,
"Have I done my best for Jesus?" The song echoes in my mind, have i? There is little new going on though we do want to catch you up and September promises to be different….
IN CHURCH - We still are needing (main request) national pastoral leadership. Please pray that God will bring about a solution. Church continues to grow, some old leaders are struggling, some new ones emerging, general slow but steady growth.
CESP - Still a lot of work, but we remain full of kids. Pray that our youth leaders will be steady and long term that we may see more fruit.
YOUTH GROUP hovers around 35, but we have seen newly saved and the current series seems to be going over very well.
IBAS - We are TWO WEEKS from finishing the last of the heavy courses (Acts and Hebrews: I believe I have learned more than the students) and then there are only a few electives to finish by the end of November- and we will then (after many, many years) have our FIRST graduation of those that have finished the course. The academic dean of the seminary down south is hoping to come up to do the graduation with us.
INDIAN institutes - still going well, but about to stop for a month (low water month off for our traveling to help in conferences). My heart though is still heavy: "When Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him, when he saw the city was full of idols" (Acts 17:16)… we observe heart idolatry tearing Christians apart even more than pagan idolatry is to the unsaved. It is hard to watch false teachers sway the babes in Christ as well as unsaved religionists. Passing a church the other night ("evangelical"), the pastor was taking an offering and saying for them to put a list of their sins in the offering envelopes, and to make the offering good, for "it is so hard having to bear your sins for you," he said . . . A young woman leaving church to attend another because "even though we have good Bible, theirs is more interesting - they fall on the floor" . . . Indian believers "through covetousness . . . with feigned words (are being) made merchandise" (II Pet. 2:3) of those that use them to make money.
BIBLICAL COUNSELING seminars Northeast Brazil? We have many. This year we are still returning to Fortaleza to help teach (with a team) 4 tracks of training at the SIBIMA seminary. Drs. Viars and Hodges will be joining us! We also are doing a partial track one interior (Jijoca) evenings, and simultaneously, a full Track 2 at a Bible Institute called Antioquia. The next week we'll be teaching a partial Track 1 in the evenings and much practical training and counseling at Limoeiro. Then, lastly, a full Track one in Natal, the capital city of another state. Four weeks, some 300 students. Please pray with us for our stamina and my voice, and that the Spirit will accomplish much preparing their hearts and teaching, and for safety through much travel.
For those that did not hear, Mike and Renee Skibinski (our first daughter and hubby) are now ON THE FIELD, in Fortaleza (with 3 of our grandsons). Their visa was approved! And they are now in language training.
Brandon and Regina (our second daughter and hubby) and our 4'th grandson are on the other end--- very low support, deputizing. We so remember those days; they were a blessed hardship! Please pray that they will soon see support growing and be on their way to the field.
Jonathan is back in college for his junior year and doing great. He spent the summer with family in New Jersey.
Peter and Faith are so far away… in the native jungles of Texas, we see less of them than any… Their business is going well, and they are working in their church and small groups.
Thanks again so much for your support, prayers, love.
Always, your servants HIS bond slaves,
Allen and Kimberly
