The downtown church met for 10 + years in this conference room in a hotel. For most of those years it was a struggle to keep meeting, due to the expenses, etc. But as the brethren grew and Orlando began to preach on the radio they began to grow. When I was there in Jan. 2005 they had just baptized 5 from a rather large extended family that had all been Pentecostal. 9-10 of the family were present that night, along with another family who had been meeting in their home for probably 8 years. It was a wonderful service that lasted 1 1/2 hours, then 30-45 minutes of visiting afterwards, only to go downstairs to the street to find brethren still visiting there, so we talked another 15 or so minutes.
Since that time the church has continued to grow, primarily from studies within this family. 2 more were baptized in this past Feb. They have also moved to a better location--in the beginning this hotel was a good location, but over time the neighborhood has gone to drugs and prostitution. Their new location is also much closer to where all the members live.
Please pray for the brethren in Venezuela. There are uncertain economic and political times there, but the number of churches and brethren has continued to grow, whether because of the uncertainty or in spite of it.
Tol
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