Storytime!

So I sat down with some of our students today. Here’s their thoughts about the trip and what they are learning! I plan to get to the rest of the students before the end of the week. 

Jacque L.: Well actually God’s been talking to me a lot lately about trust and the whole concept of how we need to come to God as who we are and not try to please people. I’m a big people pleaser. I really got the message last night about “I think I can” and I just need to put my trust in God and know that through him “I can, I can, I can”. So this whole mission trip has been a big trust thing for me. I find its easier to trust God and not people, or try to please people. We don’t need to change, he loves us and is going to come for us as we are. Always keep your head up and even through the hard times, trust God because He is still there and cares about you. To my family: Trust God. Everything will end up for His glory!

Rachel L.: This is my first time in Brazil, and it’s pretty much what I thought it would be. I had seen it from pictures of the previous trip, which is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. I liked on the way to the Feta at Copacabana, we were riding in the vans and began to sing, “As we lift up one voice, will you meet us here?” We were singing it in both Portuguese and English and I loved how we were able to sing it in both languages and God was able to understand it all. I also really enjoyed the youth service last night. I was able to participate in the offering during worship. As the offering was happening, our group stood up to worship, which was not common practice in the church. As we looked around, we noticed that we were the only ones standing, then slowly, more and more Brazilians stood to join us. It was really cool to see how we were able to influence them in worship, when usually, they are more active in their worship than we are. I like how, on this trip, you aren’t able to really talk to most people, but we can still worship together and talk to God. He still listens and understands. I like how we can all be ourselves here and don’t worry as much about how other people are going to see us. When people ask about praying for you, don’t be afraid to be honest and don’t worry about what other people think. Everyone needs prayer for something. Be that someone who is willing to be open and honest about your life. Just because you might be different from someone else, you can still be an example. Everyone is different and everyone is beautiful. To my friends and family at home: I love you guys.

 Josh B.:  I have a really cool story from the service on Sunday night. The pastor was preaching and all of a sudden I started looking at the cross. Everything else was tuned out, everything but the cross was out of focus. And I stared at it for just about two minutes. I was interrupted by Jonathan tapping my shoulder and he said, “If you stare at the cross, that means God is with you.” I asked him, “Were you looking at me?” He said, “No, that’s what the translator said.” I asked if he was looking at me, and he said, “No, that’s what the pastor said.” That is pretty cool. I really like feeling guided through the whole trip. I’ve felt like I was always guided and pushed to do certain things. I just feel that this is not a “normal” feeling, like I don’t have as much control as I do at home. That’s a growing thing. It stretches us to give up that control. To the people at home: Trust God in whatever you do. Don’t doubt, because that is a sign of losing faith.

 Jennifer S.: I think its just awesome how we’re making a difference in people’s lives and we are able to see it even though there is a language barrier. To see the kids say “I love you” in English is amazing. It’s touching how they are so welcoming here and it makes us think how much we have compared to them and to see that even though they don’t have very much, they are still happy. It’s just nice to get away from all the “stuff” in America and really focus on God. He’s really spoken to me by showing me all of this. Like how they interact with us, showing that no matter what is going on, we can still do anything with him in our lives. I think my favorite moment was interacting with all of the kids and playing “hot potato” with them, or clapping games. Just seeing the smiles on their faces when we arrive is awesome. I would love to come back again to see how much we made a difference. If I were to say something to the people at home it would be to open your eyes and let God show you things and talk to you. To my family: I miss and love you guys.

 Rachel G.: This is just amazing to see how different it is here and how thankful people are for what they have. Its amazing to see how close people are and the importance of relationships here.Watching worship last night was incredible. People at home are more afraid to really worship, whereas here they aren’t afraid to take that step, to worship passionately and go to the alter in prayer. It’s just really different. I love how passionate they are about God. My favorite part so far has been going to deliver the care packages, praying for the families and giving toys and candy to the kids. Yesterday we prayed for a family with five kids. The mother had some back problems, and the kids were the ones involved in the church. The father didn’t attend the church currently, but was instrumental in helping build the church, bringing coffee and water to the workers each day. I loved how the kids were so involved and were trying to get their dad to go. To my family and friends at home: I love you and miss you, but I want to stay here! (laughing) To the people who supported me, “Thank you!” Mom – thanks for baking all that bread and helping me so much!

Camy M.: We know that we have been praying for so long about this trip that God would put is in the right places and meet the right people. It’s been really cool to see that into fruition. To really see how God is putting us in the right places at the right times. We’ve met some really great people and seen some amazing ways that God is using us in this place, how he is using the church here and how he is making an impact on the people here. To the people back home, thank you for the prayers and support. We’re seeing it make a difference. Thank you for helping make it happen. Love you all.

 Tanner: I feel like God is really speaking to me about putting others before myself and about not being selfish. I feel that here in Brazil, our eyes are really open and back home it is easy to take things for granted, but here, this is their life. They live this every day. Back home, we get mad if our phone is not working right. I can see a lot of improvement in everyone on this trip. Just coming here to Esqueleto to see the kids smiles makes the entire trip. Watching them run to us with joy and the smiles on our face is amazing. I feel like it’s been to long since we’ve been here and it feels really good to be back here serving God’s people. To the people back home reading this, I’d say never give up on God. Put your trust in the Lord. He knows and will be with you through the hard times in your life and never give up on him because he’ll never give up on you!

 Christina S.: Last time I came, I was having a really hard time in my personal life with how God had made me. I didn’t believe in myself, or that God could use me. I didn’t understand why he would use me. This time, I believe in myself and am so thankful that God chooses to use me. It’s been so exciting to come back and see what God has done since we were here last. It is great to see that the church is only moving forward, not regressing, but keeps expanding, continuously sharing God’s love. They never stop helping. My favorite moment so far had to be right after I prayed to God that he would help me not be nervous before singing last night at church. There was an immediate feeling of relief and peace, but I was also eager to begin worship. Last time when I came home, I was able to share with my mom that I had gotten to sing in the church in Brazil. But last night I got to look into the crowd and see my mom sitting there smiling at me. It was an incredible moment that had come full circle. I had been looking forward to the possibility that the opportunity could come that I would be able to use my gift to serve in that manner, and this time I wasn’t scared and was really able to connect with God. I would like to thank you all for your prayers because it is the prayers that have gotten us here and sustained us. It has opened doors for things to happen and continues to do so. Never underestimate God and don’t limit yourself, because when you limit yourself, you limit God. When you truly let God use you, that’s when the world can be changed. To my family: I love you.

  Katie: I love the people of Brazil. I love how welcoming they are to us and how they don’t really judge. Something that sticks out to me here is prayer. Even though there are smaller prayers and bigger prayers, it can bring us together and how powerful prayer is. Despite the language differences we are still praying to the same God. Thanks for helping us get here. Thanks for all the prayer support and financial support and spiritual support. Carpe diem. I’m definitely seizing the day!

Translator:one who speaks multiple languages in order to make information from one language understood in another.

Brazilian Translator: so much more!

We have an amazing group of people who travel around this beautiful area with us each day. They serve as our translators, protectors, informers, bodyguards, and most importantly, friends. We have quickly grown to love these people and want to share them with you, their hearts, their lives (outside of translating for us), and their hopes/visions for the church. I hope that you will pray for them also during our trip, and after. They do incredible work with a joy and love that is effervescent.

Here is some information from 2 of them.

Diogo:  I live at home with my parents, I have a twin brother who is a soldier.  I currently am studying Tourism at public college where I have one year left. I have been studying English for 3 to 4 years as it is very important for a job in tourism. My first job that I have had in the tourism field was working at the Christ Redeemer Statue, but I am not sure what I will eventually do within the tourism field. In 1 year I hope to go to America.  I would like to go to New York City, where I hope to visit Manhattan and see a Broadway play.  I think I would like to see The Lion King.  I would also like to go and see Mickey in Disney World.

I am the only Christian in my home, having first found Christ at a children’s church service.  I like to help with VBS.  I would like to see better relationships between groups within the Church, there are many small groups that do not always get along.  My favorite bible story is when Peter, James, and John are in the boat and have been fishing all night.  Then Jesus appears and tells them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat.  It helps me remember to never give up and keep trying.  

I think the best things to see in Brasil are the  Brasilians.  They are so welcoming and are always smiling.  This is my second experience working alongside Americans.

Luciana: I work as an English and Portuguese teacher in a public school teaching teenagers. I couldn’t imagine myself doing any other thing. I am single, waiting for the right guy to start a family with the right way, but in Brazil it is difficult. But I love hanging out with my friends, going to church. I do many things with my family. I like to travel. I’ve been to England, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Belgium. It was a dream trip to go on with my family. My mother always dreamed about this, she had never been outside of Brazil before and she dreamed about seeing the Eiffel Tower with her family. It was really nice. I’m planning on going to America soon. I love this kind of work, with the teams. At church I sing in the choir and with the youth choir. I love to sing. These are my ministries. I would like to see my father in the church. My sister, mother and I are Christian, but my father is not. That is my prayer. My sister has multiple sclerosis. She is doing good currently, but will have to have care for the rest of her life. I believe that God can do anything and can heal her. As a church, I would like to show more love. I think its missing from the church in general. I pray that people would not just be Christian in the church, but outside as well. I ask for people to keep us in your prayers. Don’t give up on God because he is everything in our lives. He is the one who can provide everything in our lives. We need to wake up and talk to God every day. We need to put love in our hearts every minute of every day. I try to see God in the small things. Sometimes we try to look for God in the big things, and he is in the small things too. That is the most beautiful part.

When I started studying English. I took college courses and studied Portuguese and English. At the time I wondered why I was studying English. After I finished my college courses I thought I didn’t know English well and looked around at my friends who spoke English very well. So I gave up speaking it. I started teaching Portuguese, and thought that I wasn’t going to use my English. Then a friend came to me and introduced me to a group of Americans. I could understand what they were saying, but I was afraid to speak it much. Then another friend encouraged me by telling me he could understand everything I was saying. I was able to start slowly translating here and there and my skills and confidence increased. After awhile, my friend who introduced me to the Americans told me, “This is why you learned English. This is what you were meant to do.”

I hope to have more stories posted tomorrow.  Please keep praying for us as we continue to serve.

Big Red Beard

Busy at work

Bom dia!  Wow,  I cant beleive it is Wednesday already.  We failed to get a post up last night because we have been working on getting the students prospective  on the trip.  It had been amazing to see how God is working here, and how these students are so willing to serve so freely.  

Yesterday we really worked, physically.  We returned to Eskeletu to do 2 projects for the church.  The first how was to paint the inside of the sanctuary, the hall going to the kitchen, and the room where the students play and eat their meals.  The paint comes in 18 liter metal cans that are square.  No handle for easy pouring, and it was so thick you could barely stir it.   The fun part was that we needed 3 colors, white, baby blue, and Nazarene yellow.

The nly problem was they mix the color after you bring it to the site, and there is no easy way to get all the color to blend. Several of the girls had a go of it mixing color and getting tje paint to thin. When we went to mix the blue, Rachel L. went elbows deep in the paint to get all the paint colored right. In the end all the areas looked amazing. The second team went behind the church to move a mountain. A mountain of trash, fishing nets, rocks dirt, and plenty of gross stuff. They were trying to level the area for a place for the kids to play. The mountain needed to be moved to a swampy area to fill that in. Sarah L. and Brian F. (Brian joined us from San Diego) both fell in the swamp coming back smelling of the worst smells imaginable. During their digging they uncovered a snake which caused much screaming followed by Sam M. and Jonathan D. chopping it to bits. All in all it was a productive day in Eskeletu that we will return to on Friday to continue to move the mountain. I will add pictures soon so you can see the transformation. Chris aka Big Red Beard Interesting side note: several new nicknames have emereged during our time together, here a few: Brian F. Graybeard Collin H. Number 2 Chris R. Big Red Beard Sam M. Subzero Luke B. Godfather 2 and Baby cheeks Tanner R. My ginger Brent K Heffe Jonathan Eager Beaver Josiah Quiet Storm

Church. What is it to you?

Is it people, music, the message?  Is it getting to see your friends, a place to hang out?  Is it a social hour?  Or is it where God meets with His People?  Is it where you give your ALL to Him.  We went to the Sunday evening service and I experienced my first Brasilian Service, and what an experience it was.  But then I had an even better experience in Deodora.

Deodora is community, a favela, built under a freeway, next to a river, along a set of busy train tracks. This community began as one woman moving to build a home for her family. It then grew as more of her family, cousins, brothers, sisters, moved to live near her.  The homes are not legal homes, no one has approved the buildings to be there.  The land belongs to Supervia, the local train company, whose tracks run right through it.

Rosasana, the leader of the Hezekiah’s Friend (a local community outreach program that helps those who are in living in the poorest communities) was riding the train passing Deodora 7 years ago and God put it on her heart to build a church for this community.  But the place where they were to build it was feet from the tracks near the river and she didn’t want to.  But she told Pastor and he told her to buy the land and build it.  As mentioned previously, the land is owned by Supervia, the train company, and was not really for sale.  Additionally, the land was on the banks of a river that has a terrible odor. After much discussion with the pastor (him telling her to buy it, and her coming up with excuses not to), she relented and bought the land and they built the 1^st church.  We were able to view the site of the first church today. It was probably about 100 square foot room that at first was only filled with children. They were the first to come to the church, their families came later.  For seven years they met in this small building, praising God.  But Supervia decided it no longer wanted to have the church or houses on their land so close to the tracks.  So they destroyed the buildings in order to build a wall that will hide this wonderful community from the world’s view during the upcoming World Cup.

Joyce and Rosasana

They could not simply remove the church though, it is now a part of the community, as a heart is to the body.  Now, the church has been rebuilt, with money from both the train company and the church.  It is bigger, but not by much.  It is 2 rooms 1 small 6’x8’ for the children to meet in, and a larger room approximately 15’x20’ for the adults, plus a small restroom.  It is a staple in the community, bringing Christ into their lives, their hearts and their families.

This morning we drove into this community, Deodora, the first team of missionaries, to visit.  Upon our arrival we entered the small musty church, to wait for our full team to arrive.  As some of the Brasilians arrived a guitar appeared, and what transpired was truly of God.  Jacque M. began to play and we all sang, worshipping our Great Lord.  Soon the room was filled, Americans in the middle, Brasilians around the back and side. The room was filled, all giving glory to God.  No one planned it, no one asked for it, no one expected it.  God desired it nonetheless, and we praised him.  In the smallest church I have ever been in, joined with my Brasilian brothers and sisters, I praised the One who gave it all so that we could be with Him again. 

The Nazarene Church in Deodora

Even when the praising stopped, and the testimony of how the church came to be was shared, we all intently waited, with open ears and ready hearts to hear what Jesus wanted us to hear.  And the church body moved as He willed it.  American missionaries, Brasilians from Nilopolis, and members of the Deodora community went through the winding streets, into the homes of those who were in need and gave to them.  Not only did we bring a care package that will be enough food and medicine for many weeks, but we brought joy, happiness, and the love of Jesus to many families.  As we went our small groups grew as children came out to follow us to be loved on. 

Some of the homes we visited were members of the church body, some were not. Some of those families have medical needs, some have addictions they are battling, other families are desperately trying to keep their families together, praying for God to give them some sort of sign. We were fortunate to be there, to meet them, to pray with them, to love on them, and to be encouraged by their faith, by their love, and by their willingness to open up their homes to us.

Don’t be afraid to move in the body of Christ.  He needs you to be His hands and feet.  SO MOVE.

Chris

Esqueleto. The Skeleton. A place I have dreamed about for the last two years. A place I longed to return to; to see the familiar faces, and as Leigh Anna said, “yet I hope they aren’t there, that things have changed for them.” As we drove in over the last two days, I couldn’t help but notice the things that have remained the same, and the things that have changed. You can read about our previous experience here.

One of the major changes that has happened in the past two years is that as the church has come into the community and started impacting lives for Christ, “mysteriously” the gangs have begun to decrease in the area. There is most definitely less of a presence felt as you walk through the streets. We, as a team, were able to venture much further out into the community as we toured and were free to take pictures as we walked around, respecting people’s privacy and asking for permission to photograph them as we went. It was an interesting experience to be able to see more this time, and to meet more of the people here, to pray for them and to share the love of Jesus with them. As we were walking, I wasn’t sure what God wanted me to write about this time. I’d already shared the story of Esqueleto, and things are changing here, but I wasn’t certain that’s what he wanted me to share… then as I looked into the sky I saw this:



It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s not even Superman. It’s a kite. And I knew in that instance I was supposed to write about the kites. I remembered the kites from the last trip, but they stuck out to me this time for some reason that they hadn’t before. They are simple really, a few sticks, some string and a piece of material. I’ve seen kids tie a string to a plastic bag and fly that. However, their reality is much more complex. There isn’t much wind here. Or at least not much that we’ve noticed, yet kites are flying all over the place. In our “tour” of Esqueleto, we probably saw 15-20 different kites being flown. Each kite attached to a person, or a group of people. The significance of that stopped me cold. Here, in this land of rubbish and dirt, kites fly above it all, twisting and turning, bobbing and weaving.

Sometimes the kites get tangled up in wires…



Sometimes they are flying high above



Sometimes the kites are held close



But through it all, the kites still fly. Despite the dreary surroundings, the simplicity of life, the extreme poverty, the kites represent the hope of this place. They represent the joy that perseveres. That is one of the things we have been most impressed with, the joy the children have.

















Their joy is contagious isn’t it? Their kites soar over their homes. Is your kite soaring over yours?