Praying for our 6-Month Interns!

Soon we'll be receiving two 6-month interns to serve with us here in Rio!

We're thrilled that God is calling them to serve here.  We're praying and preparing!

Please join with us by praying for the following:

• Pray that God provides all their support.  

•  Pray that God gives them opportunities as they raise support to share Christ.

• Pray for God's clear direction as we plan where they will serve here with us.

• Pray for fruit that remains and that God uses them in AMAZING ways! 

Making His Name Known,

Diane and Jeff

No Place I'd Rather Be....

The Rio Trio is packing up and preparing to leave tomorrow.  We spent some time reminiscing today about our 6 weeks together here in Rio and at CENA in Sao Paulo.

We all greatly appreciated our time with the CENA Cinco (Brad S., Brad W., John, Grant and Jay) from Iowa and so we made them a video.  CLICK HERE to view it!  

The song we are singing in the video is one that we taught to these five brothers-in-Christ while we served together last week.

The Rio Trio

 Jordan, Drew and Hannah

I know tomorrow will be difficult as we say our last goodbyes to the Rio Trio.  We have enjoyed our time serving with them immensely!

Humble Servants of our Lord Most High,

Diane and Jeff

John 13:14, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet."

Sueli, a CENA Missionary and Diane

On Friday, the "Otimo Onze" served the CENA missionaries by cooking them lunch.  We made tacos, complete with homemade taco shells, guacamole, Spanish rice, chips and dessert.  It was a huge success and many people went back for seconds and thirds!

We then moved into the gymnasium to have a program.  We began by telling them how much we loved them and appreciated their work.  Six of the men then performed a skit for the group.  CLICK HERE to watch it. 

The Rio Trio surprised Jeff and I by thanking us for these past 6 weeks and what it had meant to them.  They then washed our feet!  What a wonderful and touching time it was for Jeff and I!  We were greatly humbled!

The eleven of us then washed the feet of all of the CENA missionaries.  Everyone was extremely touched and there was not a dry eye left in the group!

We divided up into groups and prayed for each missionary.  How wonderful it was to spend some time lifting them up before the Lord!

We arrived home in Rio today a little exhausted, but in great spirits from this wonderful week working alongside an amazing group of servants of our Lord Most High!

Privileged to serve,

Jeff, Diane and the "Otimo Onze"

Let the Little Ones Come to Me....

Above is a photo of a 5-man team from Iowa that has been serving with us here in downtown Sao Paulo this past week at CENA.

The team blessed the CENA daycare with baby quits that were sewn by women of their church.

The CENA daycare cares for children at risk and currently is caring for 32 small children.

They are praying for the Lord to provide the building next door so that they can care for more children.

A special "thank you" to the women of JEFC for these beautiful works of art!

Blessings,

Diane and Jeff

Pray for Cassiano

During this last week we've been serving at CENA in Sao Paulo where Jeff and I were blessed to meet our brother-in-Christ and fellow missionary, Cassiano.  He has been serving at CENA for the past 5 months and it was wonderful to sit around the table and fellowship together and get to know one another better.

Cassiano comes from Santa Catarina, Brazil, where Jeff and I traveled to on our first short-term mission trip to Brazil in 2003.  

He has been serving at CENA for 5 months and has been living at the Family House.  Soon he will be working with another CENA missionary, Edi, reaching out to prostitutes in Crackland.

Please pray for Cassiano.  Pray for protection from the enemy and effective ministry.  

Blessings,

Diane and Jeff

Life to the Full

We've had an amazing day today with many opportunities to share the hope we have in Jesus Christ!

Our day began with the Rio Trio teaching a little Portuguese to the CENA Cinco.

Then we were off to have a TIA (Teaching In Action) moment at a nearby park.  We read from God's Word and discussed the reason why Christ came to earth.  

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Afterwards, we spent time in the streets with the CENA missionaries bringing the news of Jesus Christ.

We saw many destroyed lives today that only Jesus can restore through people turning from a life on the street and beginning to follow Christ.

Jesus came to reconcile the world to the Father and he is our model.  Most people end up living on the streets because of broken relationships in their lives.

Although the work of CENA is intense and can be discouraging, we are trusting that the seeds we are planting will result in a harvest of fruit one day----fruit that remains!

Walking where Jesus would walk,

Diane, Jeff and the Otimo Onze

No Reason Under the Sun to be Here in This City....Except the Son....

Today our three teams were joined together as we met at the Sao Paulo airport!  The Rio Trio + The Sao Paulo Seis + The CENA Cinco = The Ótimo Onze!  (The Optimum Eleven)

We have already had numerous opportunities to share about the hope we have in Jesus Christ out on the streets.

Several minutes ago on the street, I spoke with Eleana outside of our hotel after she asked one of my teammates for the half-gone bottle of water he was holding.

I told her that although the water would satisfy her now, there exists someone who is called the "Living Water" who can satisfy for eternity.

She asked for money, so Jeff and I walked with her down to the corner store and bought her some food.  We shared with her about the yellow house (Casa Amarela) here in downtown Sao Paulo where she could find help to leave the streets and help to find a better life---a valued life that God created her to have.

Unfortunately she declined my offer, but now knows that the Casa Amarela here in downtown Sao Paulo is a place that she can find hope and a future if one day she makes that decision to leave the street.

Although we are in a place that seems hopeless and dark, I awoke this morning with great hope, anticipation and faith that we will see God do AMAZING things through the OPTIMUM ONZE this coming week!

Privileged to be serving,

Diane, Jeff and the Ótimo Onze

The Rio Trio has grown into the Sao Paulo Six!

We have been preparing this week to travel to Sao Paulo to minister together at CENA, a 3-stage ministry in the heart of the city that reaches out to drug addicts, transvestites, prostitutes and the homeless.

We'll be joining a five man team from Johnston Evangelical Free Church in Iowa who are coming to serve with us. Click HERE to see a short video that JEFC filmed in 2010 at CENA. 

Jeff, Craig, Drew, Hannah, Jordan and I have been planning, preparing, praying and fasting and are looking forward to this coming week with great anticipation to see how God will work!

This week the Rio Trio said goodbye to the children at Campinho and the picture below is of the children praying for Jordan, Drew and Hannah.   

Click HERE to see a short video of the children singing during the goodbye party!  

For the Rio Trio, it was the first, "goodbye" that they have had to say.  It was a little difficult, and we're praying that Drew, Hannah and Jordan will join us again sometime here in Rio in the future!

Blessed to be serving together,

The Sao Paulo Six

Christ at Work in an Unusual Place....

Today we traveled to Duque de Caxias to visit a church and holistic mission project called Project Ide (Project Go).  We had been invited by Vinicius several months ago, a brother-in-Christ who works in the kitchen teaching cooking classes.

The body reaches out to the residents in a nearby neighborhood that is built around the garbage dump.  The residents of this community make a living by selling garbage from the dump.  We met a woman today that has made a living from the garbage dump for 30 years!

We met with the Pastor and heard the wonderful story of how he began to work in this area 4 years ago.  As well, we went into several homes of these residents and prayed with our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ who have great faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

The members of the church teach Jiu jitsu, sewing, cooking, reading and cosmetology.  As well, they are in the process of constructing dormitories so that they can begin a homeless shelter.  They also run a day care and a battered woman's shelter.

 Alessandra, my sweet sister-in-Christ!

Psalm 113:7 says, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap."

Please pray for Project Ide and this beautiful body-of-Christ.  Pray for effective ministry and fruit that remains!

Diane, Jeff and the Rio Trio

So many people...so little time!

We do a lot of evangelizing here in Rio.  There are so many opportunities.  There are so many people.  Many Brazilians like to talk about spiritual things.

We recently went out to a medical center and hospital (where Jeff had one of five of his surgeries after our car accident in 2006) with the Rio Trio, this time to ask people if they wanted or needed prayer, striving to begin spiritual conversations.  With us we had EvangeCubes and a map to Celivre, our local church.

The thought of one-on-one evangelism leaves many people sweating and anxious.  We've learned to embrace it here in this culture.  Many Brazilians want to talk to Americans to practice their English. 

The Rio Trio approached this challenge with no fear!  They prayed for a young man that was at the clinic for medical services for an upcoming surgery.  They started several conversations and had no hesitations!

As they were busy making their connections, Jeff and I were off making our own.  Jeff stopped by the hospital to see if one of his doctors was in to encourage him.

I met a woman named Camilla who is a Christ follower and she gladly accepted prayer for healing from her cold and sinus problems.

My second encounter was not as successful, however.  Breaking the ice and speaking with 4 office workers was the easy part.  They shared their names and were interested in knowing about me.  

However, when I asked if they wanted or needed prayer, they anxiously looked away and then at their watches and said that they needed to get back to work.  I'd been rejected.  And I'm okay with that.  Our part is to present the gospel in love and respect and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit.  If the door shuts, it shuts.

During my 7 years here in Rio, sharing the gospel on the streets regularly, I've been rejected.  You get used to it.  That one person who decides to leave their old life and focus on following Jesus Christ makes it all worthwhile!

Using every opportunity to share the gospel of Christ,

Diane, Jeff and the Rio Trio

Feliz Aniversario, Jordan!

July 5 was a special day here for us in Rio!  It was Jordan's birthday, one of our three Trek-7 Interns!

We were blessed to be able to celebrate Jordan's special day together----twice!  Once, with a cake at the women's bible study in Caju and again on Friday afternoon of her special day,  here at the Mission House.  We had a special party with chicken stroganoff,  pao de queijo, cake and Jordan's favorite Brazilian pop, Guarana!!!!

Happy Birthday, Jordan!  Deus te abencoe!

Diane, Jeff and the Rio Trio

Inductively Studying the Word Together...

This morning we spent time time in the Word with the Rio Trio, inductively studying together the first two chapters of the book of Jonah.

Hannah and Drew won the privilege to preach by guessing the correct number, as opposed to drawing lots! 

The five of us all studied and discussed beforehand and afterwards their sermons were critiqued with positive observations.  It proved to be a wonderful time in the Word together!

They did an awesome job bringing the Word!  Yeah, Rio Trio!

Serving together,

Diane, Jeff, and the Rio Trio

Our God is a Sending God....

Last evening we were invited to a nearby church that has a desire to become involved in missions.

One of the members of this church had attended training classes led by Juliana of Atuacao Voluntaria, one of our Brazilian partners, the previous weekend and wanted to meet us!

This church has started having a monthly Mission Emphasis Sunday.  We spent time encouraging this church and sharing about missions.

Juliana had a missionary staying with her from Angola who shared about the project there and the Trek-7 Rio Trio, Drew, Hannah and Jordan, shared about what they have been doing and learning about missions here in Rio.

During our time there we were thrilled to see one of the small boys, Victor, from the local public school that we had just visited last Friday! He was so excited to see us and had a big smile for all of us!

At the end of the evening we spent time praying for an 18-year-old young man, Phillip, who came into the church after the service asking for help getting off of cocaine and off the streets.  The church opened their doors and arms and let him sleep at the church building last night.  This morning the pastor and youth group leader plan to take him to a drug rehabilitation house in Rio where he can get the help he needs.

This is not the first time that Phillip has tried to get off drugs and the streets and make a change in his life.  We shared the gospel with him and shared how much value his life has.  We shared how he is created in the image of God and that God has a much better plan for his life than to waste it living on the streets.

Part of the Rio Trio with Victor from the public school!

PLEASE join us in continuing to pray for Phillip!

Walking where Jesus would walk,

Diane, Jeff and the Rio Trio

Pray for Rest and Healing....

We've had an extremely busy time here in Rio since the Rio Trio arrived on June 13. This past weekend was no exception!  

The Rio Trio spent Friday evening at the home of one of our Brazilian partners, Juliana, Gilson, Caleb and Thiago.  They had a wonderful time with this awesome Brazilian family talking, playing games and tasting some delicious Brazilian food!  See the picture below.

Saturday evening we attended the Life Groups in Caju, the women at Nadia's home and the men at Daniel's home.  It was a beautiful evening with the body of Christ.  Afterwards, the women played a mime game that had us all laughing and learning new words in Portuguese!

Sunday we were blessed to worship together in Caju.  It  is wonderful to be a part of this service!  The prayer time is deep, the worship is from the heart, the Word is preached with strong conviction and the fellowship afterwards is amazing!

We are all tired today and both Drew and Jordan have colds.  As well, they have many bug bites.

Please pray for rest and healing for the Rio Trio!

Privileged to be serving with this awesome group of mature youth,


Diane and Jeff

The Rio Trio with Gilson, Caleb, Thiago and Bruno

Caju Life Group