This is what we are talking about.

There should be some moments every day where you can honestly say to yourself, “This is a good life.” If we have good moments, that will result in good memories, which is what a good life is all about. When we lived in Altamira for the first year our rental house was full of rats. We lived on the edge of a city drainage area where sometimes the neighbors killed very big snakes. Our bathrooms often did not work. There were lots of mosquitos. There were frequent power outages. The house was really hot. I remember thinking, “I don’t have any place around this house where I can sit, have a cup of coffee, and think ‘This is a good life.'” So we went for lots of walks. And we enjoyed those walks.

One secret I have learned is we need to enjoy the Good Moments while we are having them.

This is the day the LORD has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today! Psalm 118:24 GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)

Yesterday at the soccer tournament one of the girls told Emma, “If we win this tournament I am going to dress up in my nicest clothes and go to church (our main service is at night) and I am going to praise God!”

Emma responded, “Well, what if we lose this tournament? I think you should still get dressed up in your nicest clothes and go to church and praise God.”

The girl had to think about that. Finally she scrunched up her nose, “Yeah. I guess I will.” And she did. She lost the tournament, and she dressed up and came to church and praised God.

It is easy to think that if our problems will only go away, or if we can only get to some better place in life, we will be happier. Think about it. The problems you had last week/month/year have gone away. And now you have a new set of problems. Are you any happier? The happiness that lasts comes along the way, in the midst of it all.

When everything is going crazy and the future looks uncertain sometimes it helps to drive a stake in the ground, or set up a large reminder stone, or draw a picture and put it on the wall to remind ouselves, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”


1 Samuel 7:12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

Railan is a young fellow whose foot got instantly healed about a year ago when I prayed for him, much to our surprise. I think this was the first time he ever really understood there might be a loving God out there somewhere. He kept stamping his foot and looking at me for quite awhile. In the months that followed he started a home group at his house with his friends that has now expanded to include his parents. I have been telling him he has a pastoral calling on his life.

A couple of weeks ago he pulled up a chair and sat right between Danny and myself. Then he looked at me and said, “Three pastors.” So…we’ll see.

How are we as a church-planting movement aligned in our relationships?

What is working:

God
Churches working with us
People working with us
Potential Missionaries
People Getting Saved

What is not working:

Sami and I have been meeting weekly to help him figure out how to live this Christian life. When he heard Danny Meyer calls me once a month from the USA, “Pastor Ricardo is going to phone me while he is traveling.”

Saturday night during ministry time Penny Meyer asked me, “Who is that young man there? I really feel a call of God on his life.” I explained who Sami was. “Tell him to start praying for people. God wants to use him.”

Later that night Sami cast out his first demon. He shares his story.

Danny and Penny have been our mentors since our first year in Altamira back in 1996. There have been many personal visits and phone calls over the years. In 2002 Danny and Penny planted the church they currently pastor in Delaware County in Ohio.

Thursday  night our church spreads out to meet in about six different homes in our neighbourhood. I went with Anni and Via to the group that meets in front of JohnLennon’s house. In the dim light four small homemade benches were placed in a square. Neighbours started to come. Eventually 26 people gathered, about 16 adults and 10 children. Luanna, our 18 year old house help, led the Bible study.
“Who would like us to pray for them?” Several hands went up. “What would you like prayer for?”

1. “I don’t want my discipleship class to quit. It is so good.” (A twelve year old).

2. “I want to keep coming to church. Even though my Mom is trying to stop me, I would like to keep coming.” (A thirteen year old).

3. “In church I always think of good things, and I feel a lot of peace. As soon as I leave the church and am back out in our neighbourhood all these bad thoughts swirl around in my head. I would like to have that peace with me even when I am not in church.” (A fifty year old mother).

After prayer for these people, and that God would transform our neighbourhood, the group sang four songs without any instruments, and then they played a short game. The whole hour felt really good. The Lord is in the midst of us who seek His kingdom.