The Starting Point for Mission
By Bruno Raso
A terrible moment can be transformed, by divine action, into an opportunity for a greater and deeper experience with God. That was what happened in Curitiba, Brazil, in January 2014. The starting point was a prayer.
Denise Lopes, who leads Women’s Ministries for the Adventist Church in three southern Brazilian states, asked God for something. She wanted to teach the Bible to someone.
The answer came in an unusual way. One Friday when she was at home, Denise heard screams. She could not see anything because her outer wall was very high. The desperate voice of an adult begging for help came from a neighboring condominium. One of Denise’s neighbors brought over a ladder and after climbing to the top, saw an old woman in distress.
A pool vacuum cleaner had sucked up some of her grand-daughter’s hair. The woman was desperately trying to keep her grand-daughter’s head above water as the machine pulled deeper into the pool.
Denise’s neighbor, Claudio, finally managed to cut the girl’s hair with pliers because scissors had not worked. While he stayed there, trying to comfort the girl, her sister, and grandmother, Denise started a conversation with Claudio’s wife, Deise, who had arrived at the place.
Denise told Deise about the Adventist headquarters nearby (the South Brazil Union Conference). Their conversation kept going and they talked about Hope Channel TV and about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “In that moment, I had a great opportunity to offer a Bible study. We talked and I invited her to study, and she quickly agreed. Then we exchanged phone numbers. A bit later, Claudio came, and Deise told him what they had talked about and how happy she was to be able to study the Bible. Claudio was very interested as well and happy for that and for having been able to help that family in a difficult moment,” Denise says.
The Bible studies continued (the intercessory prayer, too) and even when tests came to the life of this couple, their decision for Christ stood firm. On January 28, 2017, Claudio and Deise were baptized at an Adventist Church. Denise says, “The answer to my prayer to have someone to teach the Bible to happened when God provided a young man to save a girl’s life in a pool.”
Bruno Raso, PhD. is the vice president of the South American Division.
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World Church Prayer Requests
June 23 - 30, 2019
• PRAYER REQUEST from South American Division: Pray for the discipleship movement promoted by the SAD, as this encourages the Church to grow in communion, in its relationships and in the fulfillment of the mission.
• PRAYER REQUEST from the South American Division: Pray for more intense member involvement with the mission, giving Bible studies and bringing people to Jesus, and also planting churches in large urban centers.
• PRAYER REQUEST from the South American Division: Pray to reach, maintain and prepare new generations for a faithful, mission and leadership experience in harmony with the Adventist lifestyle and identity.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please continue to pray for the Total Member Involvement evangelistic meetings that are currently taking place across India. They finish on June 30, 2019. Pray for many decisions to be made for Christ.
• PRAYER REQUEST: One more week until the third quarter Day of Prayer and Fasting. Plan to join this global prayer meeting and pray that many lives will be changed for eternity as a result. (For more information, visit: https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/all/prayer-and-fasting-days)