Lampstand Opens!
Boas Novas em Inglês (Good news in English in Portuguese), an outreach ministry of IBBNE, New Hope Bible Baptist Church, began a new project whose aim is to teach Christian values and the gospel through the learning of English. The project is located at Polivalente School—a state school located in the outskirts of Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, in Northeast Brazil. Named Lampstand Language Center (LLC), this project takes place every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 5PM.
LLC will offer a two-year English course to the Polivalente school community (students, teachers, workers, and local people in general). Polivalente being a large school, last week we had to have applications for course admission. There were some requirements for the applicants to be admitted: They had to belong to the school community, have completed elementary school, and also take a Portuguese test. 46 applicants were chosen and then divided into two classes. We are praying the Lord would provide a third teacher to allow us to open a third class.
Saturday, August 22, was the LLC opening class. Everybody was excited about it. Teachers and students could not wait for classes to start. When classes ended, we could not believe they were already over. I hope this brief description will give you an idea of how excitingly blessed things were for all of us here at LLC on the first day of class. I thank God for this ministry, through which He has already started to bless many lives, especially mine. Thank you for your part in enabling us to reach out to this community.
How did it all begin
For two and a half years, every Saturday evening at my church, Boas Novas em Inglês held an Evangelistic English study aimed at a public with a basic English knowledge. Throughout those years, however, only a few people continued to attend the study, and no conversions had been noticed. So, having seen no apparent results by early February 2009, I was not sure about how God wanted me to serve Him in with this English outreach ministry. Only after returning from H.I. training in Singapore, God let me know His will concerning this ministry.
January 10, I left my country to participate in H.I. International Training on Advanced Leadership in Singapore. In one of the sessions, I had the chance to share with the other participants about my English class outreach ministry successes and drawbacks. When I told them about the low class attendance, one of them commented: “You are waiting for the fish to come to you, go where they are.” Immediately I thought of the public school I work as an English teacher. It was then that I realized God was showing me the field in which He wanted me to serve Him.
Right after coming back from H.I. training to Brazil, I began to redesign the project for my English class outreach ministry. In its new version, this project would 1) take place not in the church milieu anymore but rather at the Public school; 2) be developed to meet two of the attendees’ needs: the acquisition of the English language and spiritual knowledge; and 3) would consist of a curriculum focusing on the four language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – and on the teaching of Biblical contents. I thank God for letting me know about Literacy and Evangelism ministry through which I learned about the existence of a curriculum like the one referred to above.
Thus, having the project redesigned, I went to my school principal for its presentation. Being also a servant of God, and seeing how his school community could benefit from this project, he approved it without delay.
The project, named Lampstand Language Center (LLC), has been confirmed by God since its very conception.
Acknowledgements
My sister Ednilza Moreira for her moral and financial support
IBBNE (New Hope Bible Baptist Church), especially, my pastor Allen Pierschbacher and his family for always being supportive
Haggai Institute for having helped me enlarge my vision on evangelism
Cristiano Viana, my fellow worker, for accepting the challenge to serve at LLC
Ellie Driesenga, American missionary, for always being supportive and participative in my ministry
Compasso Studio for making possible the recording of the course audio material
Carlos and Catarine Castro for his supportive friendship
Stenio and Socorro Fontenele for being prayerful and bodily supporters
Eudilene e Giovanni for their support on the application of LLC admission exam
Literacy and Evangelism for allowing us to use their teaching material
Joelson, Polivalente state school principal, for opening the school doors to LLC
THE LORD, God almighty, for moving people and making resources available for His work at LLC. To Him be all glory, forever and ever. Amen!
LLC students’ growth in English language acquisition and salvation
LLC staff’s service, testimony and families
