Clenildo and his team were invited to speak at a school.
In January 2025, Clenildo and a select team set out to evangelize a region where they had never been. Their story starts here. (Names and details have been adjusted, but the story remains true.)
Chapter 7: When Schools Become Sanctuaries
January 2025 – Louie River Region
On their way back down the Louie River, Pastor Clenildo’s team noticed a small school they had passed earlier. This time, the teacher welcomed them in and gathered the students in the main classroom. At first, the atmosphere was resistant—arms folded across chests, eyes averted, and a suspicious silence filled the air.
But then they began to tell stories, the way Jesus did. Stories of creation, of God’s magnificent love, of humanity’s tragic fall, and of Christ’s glorious rescue mission. They spoke with passion and tenderness, watching faces around the room.
Slowly, something miraculous began to happen. Arms unfolded. Eyes lifted. Hearts that had been closed like fists began to open like flowers. The room’s temperature seemed to shift from cold suspicion to warm curiosity.
It was as if Ezekiel’s ancient prophecy was happening before their eyes: “I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”
When they invited the students and teachers to respond to the Gospel, hands went up throughout the room. Students, teachers, even the school coordinator—they all gave their lives to Christ in a moment of corporate surrender that left everyone in tears.
Afterward, one teacher whispered through her tears: “No one has ever brought this hope to us before. Please, promise you’ll come back.”
They left behind Bibles, audio Scriptures, and even a book on evangelism. “Now you are pastors too,” they told the teachers. A school had become a sanctuary.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26
“He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.'” – Mark 9:36-37
Photo note: These images are from similar trips over the years, not from this exact visit.
Reflection
How will people know God unless someone comes and shares the Good News? How do we become truly alive—thriving, godly—unless we first know Him personally?
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life… so that you may participate in the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:3–4)
A leadership insight: In kingdom work, place often becomes altar—classrooms into sanctuaries, teachers into shepherds, “closed” communities into listening congregations. When hearts soften, mission advances.
A simple practice for this week: Tell one Jesus-story to one person who hasn’t heard it in a while—a child, a neighbor, a coworker. Keep it short. Ask, “How can I pray for you today?” Watch what God warms.
Deanna’s Journey to Healing
Ellis administers healing without even knowing how he does it.
Deanna Rings the Victory Bell!
Deanna rang the Victory Bell this week, to signal the end of chemotherapy! Onward to the next curative stages…
Want Deanna’s weekly behind-the-scenes updates? Reply to this email and I’ll add you to her inner-circle list.
Deanna’s Journey – Perspectives
By Rick
On Wednesday, we received good news—another biopsy had come back as non-cancerous. Deanna laughed and said, “Whew! Now all we have to deal with is breast cancer.”
Later that same day, Deanna received an unexpected call: her blood count was too low. She would have to wait another week for her final chemo session. The news cut deep—like being told a prisoner’s sentence had been extended for no reason. Very sad.
Then, early Thursday morning, the cancer clinic called again. The decision had been reviewed and reversed. Exuberant joy! Never have we been so cheerful to go to chemo!
That moment reminded me of a day years ago in Marabá. I had driven to town to pick up something heavy and brought a 19-year-old neighbor with me. As we passed through a roundabout, a deafening crack filled the air—the passenger window beside Ian’s head shattered into tiny squares.
Ian froze, eyes wide as saucers, patting his body to check for wounds. He knew stories of his friends getting shot and not feeling it at first. Then he looked at me to see if I’d been hit. Finally, we realized what had happened: city workers nearby had hit a rock with a mower, sending it flying into our window.
It wasn’t gunfire—just gravel. We laughed the whole way home—with a broken window, but with exuberant, unbroken joy.
Perspectives are important.
Bella was commissioned by the City of Abbotsford to draw The Faces of Abbotsford on a downtown window. Our crew showed up to cheer her on—community becoming canvas.
Prayer Requests
For believers of all ages to love the gospel so much that it continually oozes out of them, attracting many to Jesus.
For children in the Amazon and around the world, may they develop personal relationships with God.
For Deanna: for significantly increased white blood cells as her body prepares for surgery at the end of October.
Saints Among Us
Dave Hunt (75): A friend blazing trails in church-planting—“I love my work and have no intention of slowing down.” (Dave taught us about Discovery Groups and Disciple Making Movements, and showed us how they developed into church planting movements in Ethiopia).
Henry Loewen (92): My rough-tough, prophetic mentor who took me in at 17—still going strong. Men like these remind me that longevity in Jesus is not only possible but also beautiful.
Anni and Deanna’s kitchen is a lively place!
Lucy pops out of this frame to wish you the best week ever!
Closing Prayer
Father, soften every stone-hard place in us. Give us hearts of flesh, eyes to see the overlooked, and courage to speak Your story with tenderness. Turn our ordinary places into sanctuaries of Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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