[Beens Prayer Partners] Dan's lanugage learning

Dear Friends,
 
I wanted to write to you as an encouragement and testimony to the
Lord.  You all have been praying for Robin and I as we learn
Portuguese.  Thank you and please keep PRAYING! 
 
Robin and I were to lead our small group tonight.  I was going to give
commentary on the Scripture and Robin was going to lead the question
time.  However, our baby sitter cancelled on us at the last minute.  We
take the kids to our small group most of the time but because it starts
at 8:30pm and normally we don't get done until 11:00pm it becomes very
stressful.  Karunia and Josiah generally are in bed by 8:00pm so about
9:30 or 10:00pm they start to fall apart before the end of the study
so...we at times get a babysitter so we can enjoy the study and the
kids can go to bed at a normal time.  However, since our sitter
cancelled we did not know if Robin should stay home with the kids or if
the kids should go....we decided the kids needed to go to bed and Robin
stayed home.  I went.  I had prepared my lesson, on Mat. 5:1-10, but
was unable to have my Portuguese checked by our tutor or a friend to
make sure everything was okay.  Well, I did have a few mistakes
(Prepositions!!)  but everyone understood me and only corrected me a
few times.  It was a very deep Bible study.  The Deepness came because
the Holy Spirit was convicting people, not necessarily because of my
teaching.  Because the Holy Spirit was convicting people I was also
able to make some comments that I had not prepared ahead of time.  That
was exciting to me.  He gave me the right things to say!  The
interesting thing about tonight is that on Thursday, during our
language time with our tutor she read a passage of Scripture from
Luke.  We discussed it, to practice talking and our comprehension
skills.  It was this very passage, Luke 9:57-62, that as the Holy
Spirit convicted people during the study, I needed to use as an
example.  I did not know I would need this passage ahead of time,
however, God did and He prompted our tutor on Thursday to read it to us
so I would be prepared to talk with people Friday night.
 
Thank you all for praying for us.  Please keep going before the Lord of
Lords and ask Him to give us minds that understand and think in
Portuguese, tongues that can speak Portuguese, and ears that can hear
Portuguese.   
 
Thank you again for Praying you are important to the ministry here. 
 
Dan Been
 
PS.
Prepositions are very hard on me.  They change and move and do funny
things, I sweat bullets over them.  However, in light of what Jesus did
on the cross I guess prepositions are not that big of a deal!