Aug.14-16, 2006 Living the Christian Life 100%

Columbia—We now have 2 classes back-to-back there. Picture a 6’ by 8’ room, with the 8 of us sitting around a table designed for 6—this is Class 1. These guys love the worship portion of class, and sing out! These are the words of their favorite by Luis Gabriel Mellado: “With all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength, with all my being, O God, I want to love you, I want to show you that I love you, Lord. There is nothing more beautiful than your presence, nothing holds me like your grace, with love and mercy you gave your life for me—and now I want to offer my life to you.” Powerful!

Three of them asked us to get them a pen pal. This is a big thing for E., who is in for life and by his own wishes, has had little contact with his family since incarceration, because he feels he let them down. Now he is reaching out—is there a brother in Christ who wants to be a prison pen pal to him??

M. noted that he has been really studying the Bible for a whole year now, and that the more he’s been studying it, the more he is tempted to sin, and that the Christian life is hard.

The class is memorizing Acts 10:43: “Everyone who believes in him (Jesus) receives forgiveness of sins.” L. had returned to class after several weeks of not coming, because of a past problem with another member of the class, D. It was no “coincidence” that the scheduled lesson was on forgiveness! We pray L. and D. will forgive each other, just as God has forgiven them.

In Class 2, M. and S. prayed with Carl to trust Christ! May we have wisdom in discipling them. Sometimes reading is a challenge for these guys, pray this won’t keep V. from coming back to the study.

As we drove home in the dark, we prayed the Light of the world would shine into their hearts and set them free.