to know and to believe

I have the awesome opportunity to be writing progress reports right now. I find out how kids are growing- physically, socially, personally, academically, and spiritually. Then I write about each child so that their sponsors who love them and pray for them can be encouraged about the work that God is doing in these children.

In doing this, I find out some super exciting things and also some really heavy things. Just wanted to share with you about Gilberto, this great looking kid in the photo above.

I asked him if he is a Christian and he said, "Not yet, but really soon I am going to decide to follow Jesus!" We talked about it a little more and he said, "Don't worry Emily, I will tell you as soon as I make the decision".

I am so encouraged that the Holy Spirit has already been working in Gilberto's heart as he learns more and more about God's love. I was reminded of this passage as I think about Gilberto and am praying these things for him.

From 1 John 4...

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.