30/01/2008
Baptists in north east Brazil have taken a 30-kilometre pilgrimage to claim back a road from armed robbers.
Thirty-one members of the congregation of Trapia Baptist Church, and Fluffy the dog, made the journey from the church's plant at Serra do Mel last month.
"It was a stunningly beautiful moonlit night," says BMS World Mission's Daveen Wilson, who leads the church with her husband Mike.
"We were guided in prayer and reflections along the way, as we stopped in every community along the way to drink coffee and share Jesus. We wanted to claim back the whole road from the armed robbers, who've been terrorising everyone, for the Kingdom of God instead".
The walk was just one highlights of the past year celebrated by the church, in which is marked its fourth anniversary and at new year the congregation were quick to thank God for his blessings.
Four young people went on a fortnight's mission with the state convention and an evangelism group led 30 people to faith in Christ, with 15 now baptised.
The church also started two new mini-churches (in Sitio do Meio and Pau d'Arca), and a new kids club (in Quixabeirinha), taking the total to three such groups altogether.
The church travelled further afield too when a mission team of ten went for three weeks to Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church, the Wilsons' home church in the UK.
Daveen says, "This experience has had a profound effect on us all - what I especially have seen is how it has enabled us as a church to dream bigger dreams. So many said how something that seemed impossible happened".
Please pray that the church in Trapia will see rich blessings in 2008. Pray that they will see more in the local community born again in Jesus Christ.
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