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Bible institute students
By Ed Johnson
At the end of the Apostle Paul´s first missionary journey, he returned to the
church in Antioch and excitedly rehearsed all that God had done with them,
and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles (Acts 14:27).
In 2015, I wrote an article titled “The First Independent Baptist Church in the
Paraíba Valley.” It was written as my family and I
were preparing to start New Life Baptist Church
in Taubaté, a city of 300,000 and one of 58
municipalities in the Paraíba Valley (3.3 million
people). We held the inauguration service for New Life
Baptist Church (NLBC) on September 19,
2015. There were 117 people present and five
decisions made for Christ! Throughout our first
month, we had over 150 first-time visitors walk
through the doors of NLBC and 46 professions
of faith were made!
It has been eight years. Since then the Lord has continued to bless tremendously.
The church has outgrown its space and relocated twice. The Lord has allowed
us to start a full-time Bible institute that averages 15 to 20 students per semester
Ed & Maribel Johnson & family
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(we began this year with 24). Two graduates are serving on the field, three men
will be ordained to the ministry in the near future, and approximately 16 other
members feel God leading them toward the ministry. The church supports 14
missionary projects, has assisted a fellow missionary in a church plant in the
neighboring city of Pinda, and is praying about and making preparations to
start one more congregation in Caçapava, another neighboring city.
A national missionary in our church started a prayer line ministry called We
Pray for You. People are daily coming to know Christ from all over Brazil,
and even Africa. Since February over 300 people have professed their faith in
Christ through this ministry.
Our ministry has a language school to teach arriving missionaries Brazilian
Portuguese. We also represent BEAMS (Bible Education And Missionary
Service) in Brazil and began a help and support ministry called GANHAR.
Through this ministry, we have contact with over 150 churches in Brazil and
ship Bibles, John and Romans, tracts, and evangelistic materials as well as
providing in-person training and encouragement focusing on soul winning.
Our main focus continues to be winning people, planting churches, and
training nationals. There is much going on, and the Lord is opening doors for
us. We are praying about the many needs in Brazil and our ministry here.
Our current greatest need is property in a good location to accommodate our
growing church, Bible institute, and future Christian school. We have been
praying about a property for years that was recently advertised for sale. It is in
a great location and is 8600 square feet. Our people, whose average monthly
household income is $850 per month, have already given almost $25,000.
The Lord is doing something special, and our people have been sacrificially
giving towards this project. Please pray with them about this need.
Not a week goes by when we do not see visitors in church and souls saved. It
is exciting to see what God is doing here. The Lord has opened a door of faith
to the Brazilians in the Paraíba Valley. To God be the glory for the things He
has done! W
Soul winning group
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