Blessed to have Served with Lizzie and Derek!

Last night we said goodbye to Elizabeth and Derek, a wonderful couple from Ames, Iowa, who served with us for a week.

They have been married 2 months and wanted a honeymoon of a different kind.  Different in that they desired to not focus on themselves, but to sacrificially serve God as they traveled.  They didn't want to waste a week at the beautiful beaches or luxury hotels and tourist attractions that Rio has to offer, but instead wanted to shadow us and learn how we serve as we strive to multiply God's kingdom!

They were real troopers, as their "honeymoon cottage", a little house we have at the back of our property,  was experiencing water/electricity problems.  They graciously went wherever we went with great attitudes and beautiful smiles on their faces!  We praise God for their flexibility and patience!  We praise God for their energy and joy as they joined us in ministering, cooking, cleaning and spreading the gospel!

One of the works they joined us in was with Atuação Voluntária  last Thursday where we have begun teaching two classes of children on Thursday afternoons.  What a privilege it is to teach these little children and love them with the love of Christ!  See the video below :)

One of our favorite times with them was Friday night at midnight as we once again joined the Caju church plant in Sao Cristóvão and street evangelized!

The evening began with time in the Word, prayer and practice on the Evange Cube.  Many people on the streets heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  One 15-year-old girl, Carol, admitted that her life was not good.  She wept as she admitted that her life needed to change.   Please pray for Carol!

 It's always bittersweet when we say goodbye to dear brothers- and sisters-in-Christ!  We already miss Lizzie and Derek and pray for a long, strong, God-centered marriage and God's clear direction as they grow together as a couple, learning to serve Him in their new lives and roles as husband and wife!

Foi um bençao, Lizzie e Derek!  Amamos voces!!!

Diane e Jeff

....I AM GOD....

Jeff, Hannah, Jake, Elizabeth, Derek and I have spent time in prayer these last couple of days for the residents of Oklahoma during this time of crisis after the recent tornado.

In this morning's devotions, Jeff read from the book of Isaiah.  In chapter 45:22 it says, "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."

In this time of crisis in Oklahoma, our prayer is that those who have suffered loss will be comforted and saved...that those who were taken from this life are now with the Lord...that those who have yet to believe in the only one who has the power to save, will begin a life following Christ.

Praying for hearts to turn to God,

Diane and Jeff

"Is That Really True?" :) :) :)

Jeff, Jake, Hannah and I had a wonderful day yesterday with Juliana of Atuacao Voluntaria in a community here in Rio.  We gave ourselves a team name, "The Droneys"!  We combined "Droogsma" and "Loney"!

In two different classes, we performed a skit about sin and bad choices in life.  We followed up with Proverbs 13:20, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."

Jake gave his powerful testimony of when he came to follow Christ.  One little 8-year-old girl asked if that was really true :)

We taught a little English and talked about how creative God is!  He created many different countries and different people!  But, as Christ followers, we are all equal and we all worship the same God.  And He is the ONLY God and the ONLY way to salvation!

The children were mesmerized by Jake and could not believe he didn't speak Portuguese!  They asked him if children in the United States knew how to speak English when they were born :) They asked if Hannah and Jake lived together.  It gave them an awesome opportunity to share that they are waiting until marriage because the bible teaches about remaining pure until marriage.

A wonderful day, as we ministered together!

We have a young couple, Lizzie and Derek, that arrived here this morning.  It will be part honeymoon and part mission trip!  We're hoping that they can join us and return to this community next week!

Having a blast serving our Great and Mighty King together,

Diane, Jeff, Jake and Hannah

So Wonderful to be Serving with Hannah again!!!!

Hannah, Jake, Jeff and I had a wonderful time in the Word together this morning, studying 1 Peter 1.

Today we will walk alongside one of our partners, Juliana, of Atuacao Voluntaria in a community here in Rio.

We were reminded in 1 Peter 1:13 this morning to continually be preparing our minds for action, being sober-minded, self-controlled and setting our hope fully on the grace of Christ!  The imminent return of Christ is our motivation to live for Him!!!  EVERY DAY!!!  And so, it is our motivation today as we GO in the name of Jesus Christ and boldly proclaim His name!

As we minister together today as a team we will play many roles.  We will be actors in a skit.  We will be evangelists as we share how we became Christ followers.  We will be encouragers to the christian leaders and teachers.  We will be disciplers, encouraging others to "take up their cross" daily.

Sometimes we feel uncomfortable in some of these roles.  But we are reminded of the greatest suffering that Christ endured on the cross for each one of us!  And so....we GO and humbly use, as Moses did, what we have "in hand", being prepared to share of the hope that we have in Christ alone.

Pray for us today!

Serving with Joy,

Diane, Jeff, Hannah and Jake

Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

This morning we went to a public school in a nearby community with Juliana from Atuacao Voluntaria and her sons, Tiago and Caleb.  Juliana spoke on the importance of the family being involved with their children's education and that education begins at home.

During her lecture, she gave her testimony of how Jesus Christ changed her life and that now her whole family follows Christ, as well!

When we arrived at the school, it was amazing to find out that the Director of the school is a member of the mother church of one of our other Brazilian partners here in Rio!  This is an important connection for us, as we always strive to connect the public schools with the local bible-preaching church.

Pray that through all of our connections, the kingdom of God grows and we always model God's command to go and make disciples of all nations! 

Following the Spirits' leading,

Diane and Jeff

Serving alongside Wonderful Men of God!

Our Rio City Team recently offered training to our Brazilian partners and it was our privilege to receive two amazing full-time missionaries from CENA in Sao Paulo at the mission house.

Ricardo and Guilherme stayed with us for 3 nights and what a joy it was to spend time with them getting to know them better.  Ricardo has an amazing heart for the lost!  He is strong man-of-God and is currently in seminary.  Guilherme, as well, is in seminary and has a desire to become a pastor.

Next week we will receive our youngest daughter, Hannah and her boyfriend, Jake here in Rio for a month.  One of our top priorities will be to visit CENA, as Hannah has a heart for this beautiful ministry, as it is truly the hands and feet of Christ in Crackland.

Please pray for CENA.

Pray that they continue to reach many people with the gospel of Christ.  Pray that as they GO into the darkness to bring the gospel message, they continue to MAKE DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ!

Humble servants of our Lord Most High,

Diane and Jeff

Set on Fire by Christ Alone!

I love this message below from John Piper!
 
You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by a few great things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity, you don't have to have a high IQ or EQ; you don't have to have to have good looks or riches; you don't have to come from a fine family or a fine school. You have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things, and be set on fire by them.

Just a normal day in Rio....we left the house early to meet one of our partners, Juliana of Atuacao Voluntaria, in a community here in Rio. 

Juliana received a call en route telling us not to come because the BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) had arrived there and it would not be safe for us to go into the community to the church.  This community will soon be pacified.

God had a different plan for us today!  We were able to visit the local public health clinic where Atuacao Voluntaria has started a program reading books to the children of the community.  

We were then able to visit another of our partners to discuss how the community can join together to fight against the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in tourism as soon Rio will host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 olympic games.

We ended the day with an encouraging phone call with a young woman in the States who is praying for God's direction to serve Him overseas.  Our intent was to encourage her, but in the end it was us who were encouraged as we reflected in all that God is doing here in Rio!

Simple activities....a normal day......being available.....being flexible.....being led by the Holy Spirit....multiplication.....lives impacted.....people encouraged.....the body-of-Christ working together....WE LOVE OUR WORK HERE IN RIO!

Boasting in the cross of Jesus alone,

Diane and Jeff

Galatians 6:14, "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

  

Hebrews 10:24 & 25

We recently visited the Joia family at their church's brand new church building.  We've known this family since we first arrived in Brazil in 2006 and we have enjoyed their friendship immensely.  We celebrate with them God's provision of this beautiful new facility and how God continues to grow this body-of-Christ!

God has not only blessed them with a new church building, but another piece of land close by where they are building classrooms and have a dream to reach out to the children of a local community.  Instead of having a once-a-year VBS, they can teach the children from God's Word on a regular basis.  As well, this location eliminates the dangers of the children crossing heavy traffic. 

Deus é tão bom!


Diane and Jeff

Hebrews 10:24 & 25, "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."

Hurting Feet for Jesus!!!!!

This past week, our Rio City Team offered training on how to preach inductively from the bible to four of our Brazilian  partners.  We received and hosted two pastors from the United States.  The training was received well and we pray that God will use it to multiply His kingdom!

Along with these pastors came their sweet wives, Linda and Edie. We planned to join Juliana of Atuação Voluntária one day to minister to a group of 28 women in a slum here in Rio.  Edie had brought materials for the women to make bible covers.  But God had another plan.....

2 hours before we were to leave the mission house, Linda and Edie went to a nearby neighborhood to purchase some Brazilian sandals.  Unfortunately, Edie suffered a fall and within a half an hour, the three of us were en route to a hospital, as we thought that her ankle could possibly be broken!

On the way to the hospital, sitting in the front seat of the taxi, I had a conversation with the driver.  I asked Him if he believed in Jesus and he responded that he hated religion and that he believed that all religions lead to the same place.  I shared with him that I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal salvation.  And so, the conversation continued....

....when we arrived at the hospital emergency doors, our conversation had changed to what countries we had traveled to.  He shared that he had traveled to Europe and the United States.  He said that I was different than the Americans he had met.  He said I was joyful.  I said it was the joy of the Lord and I asked him to consider a life following Jesus----only one God.  I said the difference he saw in me was only from the Lord!

Edie didn't break her ankle, praise God!  She sprained it and is now at home recouperating!   Pray for quick healing and pray for salvation through Christ to come to our taxi driver!

Being the hands and feet of Christ here in Rio,

Diane