From Brazil to Barley Mow: A teatime connection

Fabio and Aline Vilela are from Brazil, and through a Global Relationships partnership with CIEMAL, they are now working with the Chester-le-Street Circuit in Newcastle upon Tyne District. 

This is a brief, honest and moving testimony of their ongoing work, 

"Since we got here in Barley Mow we’ve been struggling about how to engage with the community, to build relationship and finally present Jesus. We were in lockdown for mostly of the time and it’s been a little while since we were allowed to meet people outdoors and indoors.

Throughout lockdown, we tried many efforts such as Christmas cards, Facebook group, activities packs for kids in the school. Our Christmas card reached a lady who’s been living in Barley Mow for about 3 years. She has a background of difficult struggles and was finding the lockdown hard, with illness and loneliness.

During this period, we were quite limited in our ability to assist her because of the restrictions, but I posted every week some devotionals to keep her faith and soul fed. In May, as we were allowed to receive people in our backyard, we invited her to come along and have a teatime with us. It was lovely and we felt that God had connected us to walk along her faith path.

Ever since we’ve been in touch more often and with the heat wave we had in June, she was struggling to go out and buy some t-shirts. I did it promptly and enjoyed the chance to invite her to study the Gospel of Mark together. She cheerly accepted our invitation and since them, my wife and I have been there weekly to read through Mark's Gospel, pray together and have a lovely time of fellowship.

It’s been a pleasure to see God’s work in her life. Although she is still dealing with difficult situations, she’s been the owner of a beautiful and peaceful smiles, that shows God’s grace and love on her face.

Her story has been an encouragement for us and a signal of God’s grace. We know that this is the first fruit of God's beautiful mission where we are, at this moment, part of.

Blessings, Fabio."

Please continue to keep Fabio, Aline and the work in Barley Mow in your prayers.

This work is supported by the World Mission Fund - to contribute to this and other global mission projects please follow this link.