Rejoice and Pray from the Moreland’s – A “Busy” month of Aug 2014 ministry recap

Dear co-laborers in Christ’s great Harvest Field,

Greetings from Coffee Country!

August was a busy month for us (about par for the course )  full of blessings and challenges.  One of our great blessings was in hosting Sheri’s parents, Mark and Barbara Stringer for a week.  They came over from Medellin to lend a hand with a pro-life rally with the local ministerial association.  We presented the Choose Life materials from Gabriel International that Mark and Barbara were instrumental in getting translated into Spanish.  We handed out copies of the DVD and other materials and received a free will offering that will go towards producing more materials in the future.  It was a big blessing to have them with us and to receive from them fellowship and Godly counsel.

A BIG praise on an “old” prayer request. Paul’s mom, Janet Moreland, was finally able to sell her house in Belém, Pará, Brazil and traveled to the U.S., bringing to a close over 42 years of active ministry below the Equator.  We praise God for her faithfulness and for the many lives her ministry there has touched.  We continue to pray for the seeds that she planted and nurtured and that the church there will continue to grow and prosper in the Lord.  We also lift her up as she enters life in a country that is far different from that in which she spent the first years of her life.  Finding a place of her own and a church that will love her and minister to her and allow her to find her place of service are important during this time of transition.  Thank you for lifting her up in prayer during the coming days, weeks, months and years.

In August two of our men presented the main message on different Sunday mornings.  What a blessing to see how the Lord is working in their lives, opening their eyes to the Truth and enabling them to minister to others through preaching of God’s Word.  It was good to hear the positive comments as people looked to the Scriptures and were convicted of their need to draw nearer to the Lord in their daily walk.

The weekly Leaders Luncheons are going well.  Each Tuesday we gather with some of the more mature Christians in the congregation.  After a meal we spend time examining some of the principles of Christian leadership.  It has been amusing to hear different people say “That shows how I need to change in this aspect of my life.” or “I had NO idea that was wrong, I have to change.”  As they grow in Christ they will also have opportunities to minister to others and help them to grow as well.

The month ended on a “Fifth Sunday” and we took the opportunity to have a “good old fashioned Sunday School Picnic” out past the small town of Arabia on the banks of the Rio Barbas.  The Barbas is a small stream that wends its way through some of the  most beautiful parts of Coffee Country.  We had three Jeeps and a car full and one motorcycle in the caravan.  The Lord blessed us with a spectacular clear day and a rare view of the Santa Isabel snow cap as well as a view of the Ruiz and Tolima snow capped mountains as well. They also surprised Paul with an early birthday celebration and several gifts from different members.  It was a glorious day of celebration as they sang, studied God’s word and broke bread together in the name of Jesus the Christ our Redeemer.  One of the hired Jeeps had a bit of brake problems on the way back but everything went well and folks were full of rejoicing at the special time of fellowship.

Thank you for your faithfulness in lifting us up before God’s throne in prayer.  Thank you for making it possible through your prayer and financial support for us to continue to minister here.  Thank you for making a difference in people’s lives by supporting our ministry.

In Christ,

Paul and Sheri Moreland