Joanna’s love for the Lord and wanting to go to an evangelical church put major strain on her marriage to the point of separation.  A move from Humaitá to Porto Velho brought a turnaround in their marriage. Joanna stopped pressuring her husband to accept Jesus and Ronildo stopped fighting with her.  Ronildo’s cousin introduced them to a body of believers that showed the love of Christ to Ronildo.

Ronildo started to study the Bible with his cousin and be discipled. When they asked him if he wanted to accept Jesus, he said he would think about it. When his wife asked him why he wouldn’t go to church service, he said something was holding him back.

Before their move back to Humaitá two years ago, their daughter was baptized and Ronildo approved of and attended the baptism.

After their return to Humaitá, Joanna visited several big churches in town, but just didn’t identify with them.  When she attended a cell group Ronildo would get angry and fight with her.  Joanna decided to stay home and quietly worship the Lord.

A year ago in February our Brazilian leader Frank and Matt visited a nearby community called Nova Israel. In this community, Ronildo’s mother takes children to school in her boat.  Frank met her and invited her to an evangelistic meeting.  She attended the meeting and when she went home to Humaitá, she told Joanna and Ronildo about the missionary she met in Nova Israel.

Soon Frank and Matt visited her and invited them all to church. Reluctantly they went because of Ronildo’s mom.  When they arrived at the meeting location and realized it didn’t look like a traditional church, but was just a room in a building, they wondered if it was a cult.  After church their kids hung out with the Steidinger kids and loved it.

They started to go to cell group and church regularly and soon afterward Ronildo publicly shared that what he heard being taught and preached he identified with as truth.  He accepted Jesus and did the encounter weekend.  This precious family has continued to grow in the Lord and serve in the church and be a blessing.  They also have a small group in their home and are reaching out to other family members and neighbors. Ronildo’s family is very large (when they have a birthday party they sometimes close the street!) and he is committed to reaching them with the Good News. His mom recently started coming to cell group at his house and has attended our church service a few times. We are believing that his family will see the transformed life of Ronildo and will be drawn into a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Recently Joanna thought the church needed a pulpit, so Ronildo and his brother built this pulpit.