Tom Gilmer: March 2015 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends of Zion:

Linda and I are grateful for your partnership in our ministries through your prayers and offerings.

THRILLING: Dona Frida, a Jewess, the mother of Benjamin who is in Israel, called our house, wanting to visit our first church, Templo Batista de Indianópolis. Our past invitations had always been rejected or excused. Even though this church has services or classes during the day three days a week and almost every evening, no service was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon when she could be free. She cares for her elderly mother, who suffers with Alzheimer’s. So she invited us to her apartment instead.

Why did she want so much to meet with us to pray and study the Bible? BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR HER, even though you did not know her name! The first request on our PRAYER list below is “Salvation of Jews.” ALSO BECAUSE Regina, a daughter of Frida’s by another marriage, from whom she had been alienated for years, sought reconciliation with her. Regina hit rock bottom two years ago when her father, a medical doctor, died and she was left destitute of everything. A former teacher of hers, a Christian who had prayed for her and tried to witness to her, led her church to help Regina. Seeing Christian love at work and hearing the Gospel, Regina understood and trusted Jesus as her Messiah. Her life was changed.

The Wednesday afternoon meeting was marvelous. Frida had refused a Bible from us about two years ago. Now she wanted one and called on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation! Even the stricken grandmother reached out to take hold of my hand after I led Frida in prayer. Could she have understood as well? Frida has many questions. The first, after she prayed, was: How to reconcile God’s love with the Holocaust, in which her relatives died? She needs prayer for spiritual growth and understanding. Our first contact with a member of this family was an uncle, a famous Brazilian politician, to whom I have witnessed since he began his career over thirty years ago. He opened the way for me to meet many Jewish leaders. Also, a pastor friend that attends Friends of Zion from time to time, lives in a building where an aunt of Benjamin’s lives and has requested prayer for this family many times. Thank God for moments of victory that rejoice our hearts.

I like crisis situations that demand immediate, critical decisions and resolutions NOW. But the Lord is presently blessing us with many slow moving and time consuming areas of ministry. As you no doubt read in Harold Ralph and Lilian’s last prayer letter, initiating services in Guacuri will remain on hold while team members fortify current ministries before starting a new one. Also, a member of the family in São Miguel refused to allow services to begin as scheduled. “In His time!” The Lord has permitted or caused plans to change over the years to fit into His time frame. May He continue to guide and bless.

Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:

Professions of faith: 2 Jews, 2 Gentiles.
Salvation and reconciliation in the family of Benjamin (now in Israel). There is still a daughter in London to be reached.
God’s grace to hurry up and patiently wait, working on various projects.

PRAYER: