Proverbs 16:9, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."

The Mission House in Rio was extremely quiet last Tuesday evening upon our return from delivering the TREK7 team to the airport!  We'll miss these six young people who served God so beautifully and tirelessly!

The day that they returned to the USA, a man was killed at the beach very close to our home in Recreio.  As well, the home next to ours has recent gun shots on the front wall that surrounds this home.  We praise God that He protected this team of young people during their 6 weeks with us!  Thank you for your prayers!

The countless ways that God worked during the World Cup was amazing!

Although our focus was to fight against human trafficking in Vila Mimosa, Rio's first red light district, God directed and used this team in so many more ways! 

This team led a children's program every Saturday at Celivre, the  local evangelical free church, where they reached out and invited children from the neighborhood.

Each TREK7er also initiated many spiritual conversations on the buses and subway!  They sharpened their evangelism skills and shared the gospel over and over again! God blessed us with the privilege of being used to lead a young man to Christ!

We joined Exodus Cry across the city in Vila Mimosa to pray, worship and reach out to the prostitutes there and God brought us relationships with 6 transvestite prostitutes only 3 blocks from our home in Recreio!   

During our 5 years of walking alongside the full-time missionaries in Sao Paulo at CENA, we have learned a lot about working with transvestite prostitutes and have so much more yet to learn!  We are excited about the possibility to begin to work in this area, should God continue to guide and direct us to do so!  Please pray for us, as we further these relationships!  Pray for God's continued guidance and for fruit that remains!

Jeff and I are now on our way to our triennial missions conference and have stopped in the USA to visit supporters and family. We'll be able to celebrate our granddaughter's 2nd birthday with her!

Every three years all of the ReachGlobal missionaries serving in Latin America and the Caribbean come together for a conference.  We will be meeting in Costa Rica August 7 through 17.  

Please pray for us to be renewed and encouraged as we take this time to be spiritually and physically refreshed as we share and learn with other missionaries.

Celebrating Christ and His work on the cross,

Diane and Jeff

A NEW CHURCH PLANT IN NOVA IGUACU!!!

Although the World Cup has ended, our work here in Rio has not!

Yesterday our TREK7 team, John, Jeff and I were privileged to walk alongside one of our Brazilian partners from Caju, Pastor Marcelo and his wife, Bia, in a neighborhood where they have planted a new church just one month ago.  In one month, they have gone from 4 people to 40!  We spent the day meeting new people and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

First, it was wonderful to catch-up with Marcelo and Bia and hear the many ways that God used Pastor John Kalvig's team from Valley Southview from Des Moines Iowa, when they served with us here in Rio last March and we visited a few Life Groups in Nova Iguaçu:

• A woman recently came to Christ because of the presence of this Valley Southview team!  Her father has seen such a transformation in his daughter's life that he is seeking after Christ!

• Another woman, a neighbor of the first family to attend this church plant, who had heard our English worship music lead by Dayna DePauw, had invited the pastor's wife (Bia) and I over to talk in March.  We shared scripture with her and the hope that we have in Christ and she began attending the church and is now celebrating her new life in Christ!  She has been so transformed in her new life, Diane did not recognize her yesterday!  She no longer suffers from migraine headaches and she shines brightly for Christ!!!

• A young woman whose home we had visited with Valley Southview who recently lost her mother, has come to Christ!  To God be the glory!

Secondly, it was wonderful to see how God worked yesterday:

• The woman's father from bullet point #1 above, invited us into his home where we shared the gospel with him and prayed for him.  At first he was timid about having Americans in his home, but by the time we left, he was thanking us for our prayers, our visit, and smiling and hugging all of us!

• One of our TREK7 interns, Janelle, greatly encouraged a young woman who is suffering with depression with her similar testimony.  We're praying she will soon leave her house, as she has not done so in over 6 months!

• A young man from the neighborhood that stayed with us throughout the day came to Christ!  (see photo below)

It was a wonderful day as the nine of us joined together with the body-of-Christ from the new Nova Iguaçu church to share the message of hope that is in Christ alone.

The TREK7 team shared an evangelistic skit and two testimonies from Jessica and Matthew.

Diane and Jeff were able to share the gospel with a group of roughly 20 children from the neighborhood who are not yet Christ followers.

Because of the donations for bibles that some of you have blessed our Rio City Team with, we were able to freely give the Word of God to those who needed one!  Thank you!

Afterwards, we all enjoyed worship, a Word from pastor Marcelo, fellowship, and a Brazilian barbeque prepared by Wellington!

Although we are all from different parts of the world, it was truly a blessing to serve as one body, united by Christ!

Exalting the one True Hero, Jesus Christ!

Diane and Jeff

"There Are More Important Things in Life"

 

Matt, Diane, "Maria", Ana and Evan

I have not been posting as many updates on our blog during our 6-week TREK7 intern program as I normally do.  With 9 people living in the mission house, the internet speed has been extremely slow.  As well,  we've been keeping ourselves very busy as we focus on human trafficking during the World Cup.  

We've been going into a red light district and other places of prostitution.  One of these areas is extremely close to our home here in Rio, and I'd like to share an encouraging story from last night.

Jeff and I, along with our 6 TREK7 interns, had the privilege to walk alongside one of our Brazilian partners from a nearby church as we shared the love of Christ to those we met on the street.

We encountered 3 transvestite prostitutes only a few blocks from our home here in Recreio and were able to share the gospel with them and pray for them.  Normally, transvestites don't want their picture taken, but our new friend "Maria" (not his real name) wanted us to take some photos, so our Brazilian partner, Regina, did so. 

Last evening, we spoke with these three men for 1 hour and a few things regarding our conversations stood out to our team.

First, when asked what makes him happy, Maria's first response was "respect."  This is how God created men.  Men are created with a strong desire to be respected.  Women are created with a strong desire to be loved.  Although he is portraying himself as a woman on the outside, God created him as a man.

The second thing that brought us joy was the fact that after talking to Maria for about 30 minutes, a car approached to offer him "work" and he declined.  He continued to want to speak with us for another half an hour!

After he declined this proposition for work I asked Maria why he chose to continue speaking to us rather than turn his next trick, he responded, "Diane, there are more important things in life than just making money".  We were astounded by this response!  He was obviously enjoying our conversation and didn't want it to end!  I believe completely that he was feeling the unconditional love of Jesus Christ through our words and he did not feel condemned or judged by us.  In fact, he said that he looks forward to speaking with us in the future!

Jeff and I are praying about returning regularly to this area with Regina and further these new friendships.  Please pray for God to use these nights to bring Himself glory through the salvation of many!  

Pray as well, that God will put a team together to most effectively work with these men and women in prostitution.  We have learned so much from working with our Brazilian partner, CENA, in Sao Paulo!  Yet, these is so much more that we need to learn!
 
Please pray for continued divine appointments for us and our TREK7 team as we strive to fight against human trafficking and lift the name of Jesus higher than soccer during the 2014 World Cup!

Amazed by His works,

Diane and Jeff