It was a fruitful month. A single adult was baptized. I continue to teach him through personal Bible studies on Thursday mornings. He and his mother run a seafood restaurant in nearby town Santa Barbara. He just graduated from Universidad Nacional. Silvia Ulate, Roberto's daughter from a previous marriage, has returned to the fellowship. She asked for Bible studies to learn how to help other people find the Lord. So, we already had our first session, at my mother's home, where she lives. Roberto rejoices in the Lord, because we have been praying for Silvia to return since two years ago. And now she is back with us! Silvia has English as her second language, and has a lot of training in customer service. So she is never without a job, because there is always a call center wanting her.
Norberto and I continue to reach out to his friends. The Support Group for men continues to meet every Thursday at 8 pm. The two Breneses and the two Ulates, plus Norberto, Alvaro, Daniel, and Guillermo continue to encourage one another through prayer and fellowship. The Lord has truly blessed us with the growth promised in Ephesians 4.16. All of us are going through trials and tribulations. We have learned to appreciate the Lord's "I will be with you's" in those moments when we most hurt. We understand that God is to be praised, He wants to boast about us being faithful even when things aren't going well. We have been blessed for the praise of His glory. The men I am working with are hanging in there. They keep being faithful and excited about the Lord, in spite of experiencing, like Paul, a thorn in the flesh.
