Testimony of a changed life
As Guanano believers Mario and Getulio recently taught the story about Noah and the flood, they called on their Brazilian friends and relatives to listen to God’s message much the same way Noah must have.
As Getulio taught he included his own testimony.
"We don’t want to listen to God’s Word because we don’t want to change the way we live. Do you remember the way I used to live? There was one thing that kept me from understanding what God was saying … my drinking. After listening to God’s Word I would go to parties. I would drink and I would forget what God had said.
"This same thing can happen to you. Parties and drinking are not what bring us real happiness. It doesn’t give us real pleasure. It only gives us sadness.
"Because of my drinking, for a long time I didn’t want to obey the Lord. Perhaps some of you are just like me. There’s something in your life that you are being stubborn about, something that is keeping you from obeying God."
"The personal testimonies of believers like Getulio have a greater impact on the Guanano people than anything we missionaries can say," wrote missionaries Lindy and Carol Drake. "They have lived the life every Guanano lives and have found that life with Jesus is better."
When Mario and Getulio taught a lesson from Genesis 3, Jesse, a young man who is showing signs of God working in his heart, stood and said, "I know I’m a sinner. I am afraid of God just like Adam and Eve were in the garden after they disobeyed. I’m terrified when I think of what God might do with me. Please pray for me."
Jesse is another man with a drinking problem. Every weekend there is a lot of drinking at his house which causes him to miss the Bible teaching on Sunday morning.
Mario invited Jesse to live with his family, trying to give him a change of environment. But Jesse is still finding his drinking hard to overcome. Pray that he will embrace the new life God is offering him.
Pray too that Mario will not be discouraged by Jesse’s setbacks. Pray that the Lord will give him endurance to keep fighting for Guanano lives hanging in the balance.
"We are thankful we have a genuine co-worker like Mario who stands side-by-side with us now in ministry to his Guanano friends and relatives," the Drakes wrote.
As Getulio taught he included his own testimony.
"We don’t want to listen to God’s Word because we don’t want to change the way we live. Do you remember the way I used to live? There was one thing that kept me from understanding what God was saying … my drinking. After listening to God’s Word I would go to parties. I would drink and I would forget what God had said.
"This same thing can happen to you. Parties and drinking are not what bring us real happiness. It doesn’t give us real pleasure. It only gives us sadness.
"Because of my drinking, for a long time I didn’t want to obey the Lord. Perhaps some of you are just like me. There’s something in your life that you are being stubborn about, something that is keeping you from obeying God."
"The personal testimonies of believers like Getulio have a greater impact on the Guanano people than anything we missionaries can say," wrote missionaries Lindy and Carol Drake. "They have lived the life every Guanano lives and have found that life with Jesus is better."
When Mario and Getulio taught a lesson from Genesis 3, Jesse, a young man who is showing signs of God working in his heart, stood and said, "I know I’m a sinner. I am afraid of God just like Adam and Eve were in the garden after they disobeyed. I’m terrified when I think of what God might do with me. Please pray for me."
Jesse is another man with a drinking problem. Every weekend there is a lot of drinking at his house which causes him to miss the Bible teaching on Sunday morning.
Mario invited Jesse to live with his family, trying to give him a change of environment. But Jesse is still finding his drinking hard to overcome. Pray that he will embrace the new life God is offering him.
Pray too that Mario will not be discouraged by Jesse’s setbacks. Pray that the Lord will give him endurance to keep fighting for Guanano lives hanging in the balance.
"We are thankful we have a genuine co-worker like Mario who stands side-by-side with us now in ministry to his Guanano friends and relatives," the Drakes wrote.