Just this last weekend we were away from home and I was not able to keep up with my regular e-mails. I had planned on that and was ready to answer the 30 or more e-mails that were in my inbox when I returned. However, I was not expecting the recent trouble we had.
On Monday when we returned home we were able to get online and catch up on a little communication. In the afternoon, the phone company had some men working on the lines and our phone and internet were cut off. A few hours later everything was back on, at least that is what we thought.
The phones came back on, but we were never able to connect to the internet. While I was out at a prayer meeting on Monday night, my mother called and said she was not able to call our house. We soon found out that the lines were crossed and we now had a new number.
On Tuesday morning I called the phone company and asked them if they could come fix the problem. All day long I kept answering phone calls of people who wanted to reach a certain business. All day long that business received phone calls from people who wanted to reach us. We even communicated back and forth a few times checking to see if the numbers were working yet.
Tuesday evening I decided to go to my parents house and check my e-mail there. When we arrived we found their phone and internet were both off also. Just as we were leaving the internet came on and allowed Amanda an opportunity to call her parents to let them know we were ok even though we were not able to communicate easily.
On Wednesday, I called the phone company again and they said a technician was on the way. Later in the day I called them again. They told me the issue had been fixed! HAHA! I still had no internet and could not receive calls at my own number. They told me I would have to wait up to 72 hours to get another technician.
Welcome to Brazil! Not everywhere can you get service like this. I had devoted this week to finishing our second issue of our publication. I finished editing three articles, but I could not access the other nine articles. This was very frustrating! So, I must remember that the Lord has a purpose. He is working in our lives and is in control of everything.
Thursday went by and we heard nothing about the phones. I called the company again on Friday and I called the company again on Saturday.
On Sunday, when we arrived home after church in the morning, there was a note on our gate. The phones had been fixed!!! We were excited we walked in the house and tested the lines just to find out that nothing had been accomplished.
Then the Lord gave me an idea. I got in the car and looked all over the subdivision for one of the phone company cars. After about 10 minutes I found one. I took the note with me and showed the technician the other mans name. He did not know him, but after hearing the issue, he said he would stop by after lunch and check out the problem.
Though he had said otherwise, he stopped by immediately before he went to lunch. I stood there with him and helped him repair the lines by throwing up the pliers, wires, etc… that he asked for. Within ten minutes we had our phones and internet back on.
Some people may think that as a missionary we should not count on communication such as internet and phones. Well, I try my best to communicate, because part of our ministry is communication.
Yes, we complain and gripe, but I will give you four good reasons we are thankful the Lord allowed the lines to be repaired…
- I was doing my best to communicate with people in Portugal about a lady who had recently received Christ through the internet! She has now received a visit and has promised a visit to church this coming week.
- We had contact with two men in Pakistan about the Gospel! Both registered on our Gospel website.
- A man had sent me his testimony of salvation. Unfortunately, he recounted his salvation as being a vision he had seen. I had to make sure he received a clear Gospel presentation.
- A lady that has been writing to me periodically for over a year had questions about her salvation. Pray that God gives her peace!
The Lord has given us an opportunity to communicate with people who need the Gospel. We want to do our best to show these people that Jesus is salvation and He is the solution of every problem we have.
— Jeremy
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