Santa Maria Trip

The team from SC (Carl, Ronnie, Glenn and Jody) along with some local men of the community were able to install the roof and finish most of the medical clinic in Quilombo Santa Maria outside of Victoria, Maranhão. The local men will finish all the work next week. This has opened many doors for future ministry.

Sunday morning I was able to encourage a new congregation of believers (12 people). Then Sunday night most of the village (about 120) came to hear our message. We sang, shared personal testimonies and then I preached. It was a great night in the Lord. Tuesday night the team held another service in the local Catholic church building that’s never used while me and another missionary from the Netherlands shared at a church about 30 minutes away. Every morning one of the team members shared a devotion with the local workers. On the last day one of the men stepped forward in our circle to surrender his life to Christ! Of course it was the one that we would have least expected to do so. Isn’t that the way God works!

Wednesday the local leaders of Santa Maria took me to visit nine other Quilombo communities by boat. We left at 8 AM and returned late that night. They introduced me to all of the other village leaders and I was able to understand many of their community needs. They were all very grateful for our work and welcomed me to visit often in the future. This was an indescribable experience for me! Two village leaders even traveled four hours to see our work and pay me a visit on Friday morning.

There will be another team arriving from Houston on Saturday, July 9th. Their primary focus will be children’s ministry and Evangelism. We will visit several Quilombo communities around São Luis. On July 12th we will return to Santa Maria once again for two days. Plus we will take the boat-taxi to minister in some of the surrounding villages on July 14th. Please continue to pray for Quilombo Santa Maria and the surrounding villages. In addition, please begin to pray for this upcoming trip.

Mike