...God intended it for good....

 Visiting the CENA Daycare while in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Teaching Marge's "Linha do Tempo" (Timeline) to 1 of 4 groups of women

Genesis 50: 19 & 20:   But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Jeff and I recently had the pleasure of hosting a dear brother- and sister-in-Christ, Nelson and Marge Malwitz, from Connecticut for 5 weeks.

While Nelson was working on the Brasilian version of the "Finishers Project", of which he is the founder, Marge and I were able to meet with four different groups of women in both Sao Paulo and Rio to teach her "artistic" way to share testimony for healing from past abuses and difficulties in life.

God gave this powerful "story line" idea to Marge as she shared with women in Ruwanda who 14 years earlier had experienced the horrors of the genocide in 1994.  She has traveled all over the world to help women heal from past atrocities, abuses and depression.

 Teaching the Timeline to CENA missionaries

Sharing the true gospel message while buying timeline materials near our home in Rio

In this creative way to share life stories, black ribbons or material is used for the difficult or dark parts.  The completed storyline, however, is a beautiful array of colors and we can see how God uses even those dark moments for His plan and purposes!

Thank you, Marge, for sharing your gifts and talents with us here in Brazil!  May God continue to heal those women who shared their stories!

As Jeff and I always say here in Rio as we minister, "EVERYONE has a story to tell."  Now we have one more "tool" in our toolbox as we minister here in Rio!

Sentindo sua falta, Marge e Nelson!  (Missing you!)

Diane and Jeff

....that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness....

This evening we returned home to Rio from Crackland in Sao Paulo. 

We spent two nights in the center of the city of Sao Paulo in an area referred to as the "mouth of the garbage" at CENA.  CENA is a 3-stage program in Sao Paulo that reaches out to the homeless, children of the streets, prostitutes, transvestites and infants of prostitutes.

As always, it was intense.   As usual, it was real.  And as we've seen many times in the past.....God was at work----transforming lives!

We spent time encouraging the full-time missionaries at CENA.  We worshipped together, studied 1 Peter 2:4-12 together, heard life testimonies from them and encouraged them in their sacrificial work.

We went out into the streets in the evening in an area of transvestites to build relationships between the CENA missionary and the transvestites.  We were well received as we asked if we could pray for them.  We then invited them to an event planned in April.

Below is a photo of some beautiful quilts from a USA body-of-Christ for the CENA daycare that ministers to the infants and toddlers of prostitutes.

Please join us in praying for CENA.  Pray for more workers for this beautiful ministry!  Pray that God continues to transform lives.  Pray for fruit that remains!

Standing in awe of His grace and mercy,

Diane and Jeff

GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY!!!!!

Tomorrow we travel once again to one of our favorite ministries here in Brazil, CENA in Sao Paulo.

Please pray that God goes before us and prepares the way.  That He prepares hearts.  That He prepares divine appointments.  That He uses us in new and unexpected ways.  That we encourage the CENA missionaries and that they receive energy to continue fighting the good fight!

Hebrews 10:24 & 25 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.^"

Please allow me to repost this beautiful video, filmed by Trisha and Scott, in 2010, that so wonderfully captures some past experiences at CENA!  CLICK HERE

Privileged to be here in the name of Jesus,

Diane and Jeff

Jeff and I spent the day at the home of a beautiful Brazilian couple today in Botafogo.

We took a short walk from their home into the community of Dona Marta, where Michael Jackson was filmed in his video, "They Don't Really Care About Us" in 1995.   CLICK HERE to see the video.

MJ was trying to raise awareness of the plight of the people.

We are here in Rio trying to raise awareness of the plight of the people who will leave this world without deciding to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

While some people believe that poverty is a lack of material items such as food, clothing, shelter and employment, we believe that true poverty is broken relationships.  Relationships with self, others, God and creation.  We share of the free gift of reconciliation offered to all men through God's son, Jesus Christ.

We praise Him for the opportunities we had today to make Jesus' name known!

Here in Rio, fishing for men,

Diane and Jeff

While we were out in the streets a few days ago, an hour from our home, Jeff was approached by a pregnant woman in need who asked him for some money.  He responded that he would buy her something to eat if she was hungry.

She gladly accepted the offer of food and followed us to a kiosk that was selling various Brazilian foods.  We learned that she has two small children and another due in 4 months.  She was a long ways from her home and had come looking for some work.  

After she had something to eat, Jeff was able to share with her about the hope we have in Jesus Christ and encouraged her to seek Christ and a bible-preaching church.  He shared that a body-of-Christ would help her and her children with food and finding a job.

Sometimes the needs here are so great that we feel overwhelmed.  But we celebrate that we have opportunities every day to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ!

Please pray with us that "Raquel" seeks Christ and please pray for more workers to join us here in Rio!

Delivering the true message of hope to all those we meet,

Diane and Jeff


 
1 John 3:17 & 18,  "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Psalm 29:11 "The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."

The Lord has blessed the Caju church with a peaceful pacification in their neighborhood!  NO shots fired!  No unnecessary deaths!  

Thank you for praying!  We covet your prayers!

Serving together here in Rio,

Diane and Jeff

Military Strategy and Tactics....

We want to thank many of you for your prayers last night!  Jeff, Craig and I joined the Caju church to march through the streets of Caju and proclaim Christ!  

The local newspaper here in Rio had put out an article of which I blogged on February 23, stating that Caju would be pacified last Sunday morning.  The date came and went without the military police entering Caju and with no pacification.

It seems that it was only a military tactic to get the drug lords moving out.  From what we have now learned, Caju will be pacified THIS Sunday morning.....we shall see!

Last night, as the church body congregated at a key area in Caju and sang praise songs to our Lord, we could still see drugs being sold close behind us in the shadows under an overpass of the city. 

Pastor Fabio and Lia shared how the two of them had prayer-walked the streets of Caju and now the church has grown to around 600 with a church plant of about 100 and 10 life groups scattered throughout Rio.  As they held their almost 2-year old daughter, they told of how God is raising up a new generation here in this place...a new peaceful generation of God's soldiers!

While the residents of Caju are hopeful for the peace that comes with removing the guns, the sale of drugs will probably, unfortunately, still continue.....

As we left Caju last night around 12:30 a.m., there at the entrance to this community, sat several army tanks, ready for the upcoming battle....

Standing firm alongside our brothers-in-Christ in Caju,

Diane and Jeff

2 Chronicals 20:15....."this is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s."