Dear Friends in Christ,
It is Saturday evening. I just returned from a refugee home in Weiden, some 20 Kilometers away from our house, where victor, a man from the country of Sudan, got saved. Victor has not been in Germany all that long and does not speak any German. It's always amazing to me how many pockets of people groups there are everywhere in the world. Earlier in the day, we met a couple that was to me one of the most unusual combinations I had ever seen. The man was Arabic, from Iraq ( a Muslim), and the wife from the former Yugoslavia (an ex-Orthodox). We had a most unusual time speaking to them of the Gospel, but I believe we made friends and have an open door to speak to them more about the Gospel.
Last night at our German Bible Study, we had a "full corner." We use only the portion of the room in the church by the piano, though we didn't have a full house, we had a full corner. I took a lump of hardened Play-Doh and made a hunk of "flesh". With the mod of "Bert", I illustrated the law trying to mold the man from the outside, but failing to fashion him into the likeness of Jesus Christ. In the middle of the lump I had prepared a molded "Bert" and took then the top lump of clay and showed then the inner man, the new man of the born-again man. However, around the internal molded "Bert" there were still lumps of clay, the deeds of the flesh that need to be mortified, that the perfect form of Jesus Christ may be seen. It may sound childish to you, but it was clear. We had two people there that are still not saved, but I pray that that illustration has made it very obvious that Salvation is what God does, not what man does.
Since our last communication with you, 4 people have trusted Christ. Germany and the peoples in it are not all saved yet, so please keep praying for us and them. Our family has been in overall health, though some minor sicknesses have come and gone, the last one having been with Hannah. Our vehicle has been generally trustworthy with the exception of a problem with the wheel bearings recently. That problem should be solved before this letter even reaches you by mail.
To date, we have not been having German services on Sunday mornings with our Bible Study group. We have met Sunday afternoons sometimes. We are planning our first Sunday morning service for the last Sunday in May. Please pray that we may not only bring the lost to hear the Gospel that day, but also that some Christians whom we are inviting will be able to come and encourage our people. We are expecting a missionary family to help us in the work towards Fall. We are looking forward to that also.
May God bless your work as you serve Him in the corner where you are.
Gottes Segen,
The Portugal Family
SENT BY:
Longview Baptist Temple
2200 W Loop 281
Longview, TX 75604
(903) 759-6136
FIELD ADDRESS:
Herm Elsen Portugal
Flurstrasse 10
92771 Freihung, Germany
Phone & FAX: 011-49-9646-8389
Internet address: 101500.764@compuserve.com
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." Rom. 1:16a
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