Hungry for God's Word

Well we are back from our first upriver venture. It was amazing to see God work. The Filipinos in this barangay (village) are beautiful and hospitable, quick to welcome us into their homes and study the Bible with us. Although most of them profess a faith in the God of the Bible, few, if any, had ever cracked open the Bible. As we read and studied we got to watch firsthand the Holy Spirit work in people's hearts and make them wise for salvation. Sixteen people were baptized in the river this past week - Glory to God!


A highlight: one older lady came and asked us to have a Bible study in her house. She has a granddaughter who has never walked before. We prayed and went over to them and studied the passage from Mark 2:1-12, where Jesus heals a paralytic after the more impressive (and eternally significant!) miracle of forgiving him of his sins. Right then and there, the woman and her daughter-in-law prayed to be forgiven of their sins and know Jesus Christ as Lord! The daughter-in-law was baptized the following day. Also on the following day, the woman insisted we have a Bible study at her daughter's house, so we did--the daughter and her husband and a friend gathered to hear the word. They wouldn't let us start without calling the woman to join us, because she was hungry to know God's Word and would've been bitter if we would've started without her. The three first-timers prayed that day, too, and were baptized not 10 minutes after professing Jesus and Lord and Savior.

God, truly You are glorious and mighty to save. We are in awe of You.

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to move in this barangay.
Pray for the new believers and their growth in the Lord; pray that their roots would grow down deep and strong; pray that they would meet together and continue to spur each other on in the faith.

-the Ulot Riverboat Team