I hope that this report finds you well in the Lord. Please know that we are thankful to God for you and for your partnership with us in the work. It is an encouragement to know that we are continually being lifted up to God in prayer by the saints.
Our family is doing well by God’s grace. It is an exciting time for us as our children desire to enter the waters of baptism as a public demonstration of their faith in Jesus Christ. Lord willing, that will happen in the near future.
The Lord has been showing me lately, through a few instances, the need to be persistent and not lose heart, as it can take a while before the seed takes root and sprouts. Over two years ago, two women came to our church meetings until one of them got offended by remarks I had made against certain false teachings of Roman Catholicism, after which they both stopped coming. But in the last few months, one of the two women started attending services again; and there is an evident humility. Some of the members have been witnessing to her, and she has been reading Scripture and listening to sermons. The last time I spoke with her, she did not think that she was right with God, but confessed that she wants to know and follow the Lord.
Another encouragement is what appears to be the awakening of a young man whom I first met and witnessed to almost two years ago. When I first shared the Gospel with him, he seemed interested and excited; but before long he began hardening his heart to the truth and even became angry and hostile towards me. But then, about a month ago, he surprised me by suddenly showing up for a meeting at our church and has now been regularly attending worship services. Last week, he pulled me aside and shared with me how he has been losing sleep with concern of his spiritual state. He apologized to me for things that he had said and done in the past, and thanked me for being a friend to him. He said that he realized how fallen man doesn’t want God, but is hostile to the truth until God changes his heart; and he has now begun to pray for such a change!
As I was writing last month’s update, we were getting ready to have an Easter Cantata at the Town Hall in Richibucto as a community outreach. I am pleased to report that many came out to attend, including several new faces. The night began as the story of redemption was depicted through drama, and then the choir sang songs of salvation. Choir members also shared testimonies of God’s saving grace in their lives, and the Gospel was preached with a call to come to Christ in faith. Afterward, some people were broken and under conviction. One woman shared, through tears, how the testimonies impacted her and made her realize that her profession of faith was only in her head and not a genuine work in the heart. She prayed in surrender for true salvation, and we continue counseling her to follow the Lord with faithfulness.
Please continue to pray for us – that the Lord would pour out His Spirit upon us, that the saints would be increasingly conformed to the image of Christ, and that sinners would be brought under deep conviction and turn to Christ in true repentance and genuine faith.