Iron Sharpening Iron

Proverbs 27:17, " As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another".

We have had an amazing month serving together with Grant, who stayed after the JEFC team left and with Susan, who arrived on the 17th to teach English.

We shared Christ in Vila Mimosa, Rio's first and largest point of prostitution, several times and have had some awesome conversations and opportunities with women there.  

As well, we have reached out to the men on the street near our home and  Grant was able to share his testimony and encourage the body-of-Christ at a local church.

Grant left Friday and we miss him already!  He served alongside of us here with such flexibility and great attitude---always ready to do anything at a moments notice!

We are looking forward to what God has in store for us in the weeks to come!

Please be praying for Kate, a young college graduate, who is preparing to come in two weeks and serve with us for two months.

Ambassadors of the King most high, Jesus!

Diane and Jeff

Salt and Light of the World....

Thursday evening, after Jeff returned home from the men's group at the local Evangelical Free church where he shared a word, we returned to the streets a few blocks from our home to cultivate our friendships with a group of transvestite prostitutes.

We had some deep conversations with "Michelle" (not his real name) and he enjoyed being able to share intimately about his life.  He told us that he does not have opportunities to share with anyone and society tries to ignore him and he sometimes feels invisible or hated.  While we were standing at the side of the street some people would pass by in their cars, open their windows and yell profanities at these men.

During our conversation, we discovered that one of the men that we talk with the most, is the caregiver for this group of 30 transvestites.  He counsels, protects them and is highly respected amongst them, as he is the oldest of the group and considers them all his "daughters".  Without his permission, we would not be allowed to spend time talking and praying with these men.  We praise God we have found favor with this leader and are permitted to enter, converse, and pray for these men.

We invited a few of these men to our local church.  Unfortunately, because they are working in the streets until early morning on Sundays, none of them could accept our invitation----yet.  We plan to continue to return and further these relationships, having faith that God will guide us and use it for His glory.

Please pray with us.  This is an extremely difficult world to enter into, where the enemy has such a strong foothold and is completely destroying lives!

Privileged to be messengers of Christ,

Jeff and Diane 

Matthew 5:13-16:
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ... You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

“Go, send, or disobey.” — John Piper

 Iris and Grant at the Caju church

Jeff and I are blessed to have a wonderful man of God with us for a month, Grant!  It's been wonderful to get to know him better and do life-on-life with him here in Rio!

Grant recently retired and is feeling God's direction to join us in our work here in some capacity and so is here to see what all the possibilities may be!

Pray for us this month as we live and serve God together and discover what God may have in store for Grant in relation to serving with us here in Rio!

Blessings,

Diane

On Mission with JEFC

Last week Jeff and I received a team of 5 from Des Moines, Iowa and were blessed to serve with them!

 Taco Dinner at the Mission House

 These five wonderful missionaries never once complained as we traveled throughout this chaotic city of 14 million inhabitants.  

From one end of the city to the other, by car, taxi, bus and subway, we only heard positive comments from them about the work that God had laid out ahead of time for us!  And God kept doing the unexpected!  Let me share the many ways.....

Monday morning when our friend Guilherme, a van driver, picked us up, he shared that his wife had passed away unexpectedly less than 3 weeks ago!  We were shocked and saddened to learn about this and we were able to offer comfort to this dear friend and pray for him and his 17-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter.

Diane, Jeff and Guilherme in June of 2014

Monday we facilitated a children's group in Campinho with 24 children between the ages of 8 and 12.  Nick shared his testimony and the director unexpectedly jumped in and followed up with a passionate heart-felt cry for these children to follow Christ and stay strong in Him!  Jeff and I have never seen her so passionate!

JEFC with Campinho Leaders, Sonia, Jeff and Diane

Monday evening we stopped at a local pizzaria and two small children approached our table and tried to communicate with us.  We ended up meeting their parents and grandparents and discovered that the children's school is on the same street as our local evangelical free church.  They are excited to come and visit, as they are searching for a church home!
 

 Meeting a local family at a pizzaria, gifting their children with bibles and evangecubes

Tuesday we shared in two different groups of children in Mare and visited the home of a small group leader. Again Nick shared his testimony and this different Director jumped in and shared her testimony passionately sharing with the children that we all have a story and we all need to share ours!

Small Group Leaders from Mare

Wednesday on our way to see the Christ statue, we stopped for a photo moment, hopped out of the van and quickly met a fellow Christ follower, Maria, selling water and snacks at the side of the road.  Maria shared that she regularly evangelizes and shares Christ with people on their way to see the statue.  We left her an evangecube, a bible to bless someone with and we prayed for her! 

 

Wednesday evening we stopped for a bite to eat and invited Guilherme (our van driver) to join us.  He never before has accepted an offer with a team to have dinner with us.  He spent time sharing with us the details of his wife's last days and processing through all of it.  Again we were able to comfort, encourage and pray for him!

Thursday we went to Complexo do Alemao, as our Rio City Team is in the beginning process of getting to know a missions network there.  Our team was unexpectedly asked to perform a skit for the drama class.  Within 5 minutes, they had put together an awesome evangelistic skit that the kids loved!  As well, the team gave each child a  letter and photo from Jay's Sunday school class.  They were thrilled to receive these!

 Complexo do Alemao children receiving cards and photos from American children

 Thursday evening, we wanted to go out on the streets and meet the group of transvestite prostitutes that we have been cultivating friendships with.  However, it started to rain.  After we prayed, God stopped the rain so we could continue the evening!

 Meeting new friends on the street near our home

Friday the team traveled 2-1/2 hours to Vila Mimosa where the Rio City Team and TREK7 interns had served during the World Cup alongside many Brazilian churches.  The team and Nelci (a sister-in-Christ that used to work there that now follows Christ and attends the Caju church) met four women and had wonderful conversations.  Two of the women want help leaving the world of prostitution!

Nelci, Diane and Jenna at the Prayer and Worship Room in Vila Mimosa

 Saturday we set out on foot to encourage a few unbelievers in the Terrerao, only a few blocks from our house.  Although it was a busy Saturday in the community, Diane was able to reconnect with four women in the neighborhood that she hadn't seen since she left for ReachGlobal's missionary conference 4 weeks ago in Costa Rica!

 God used this team in so many ways to encourage believers and share the gospel with non-believers!  We look forward to hearing heaven-side the ways that God used them that we don't yet know!

Feeling encouraged and blessed by this team,

Diane and Jeff

Ministering Together with Johnston Evangelical Free Church!

Jeff and I, along with the mission team that is here from JEFC, had a wonderful day today loving the children in Campinho at Projeto Amar (Project Love)!

One of the leaders has a 2-month old baby boy and so we were able to bring her a baby quilt sewn by the women of JEFC!!!  Thank you so much, ladies!  Bless you!

Nick shared his awesome testimony of how God has provided him a wonderful father figure (Grant) and godly example to follow in his life and how he is walking with Jesus.

Jenna and Nick together shared how their family studies the bible together and prays together.  

Sonia, the Director of the program, followed up Nick's testimony with a word of how, no matter where you are from, we all have problems in life and can choose to change our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit by becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Cullen read an awesome children's book about a village of people, a farmer and his tractor who learned to follow God's word and work together to help those in need.

Grant shared about Iowa and answered many wonderful questions that the children had!!!!

Jay shared about God's goodness and sweetness as he taught the children how to make baked S'Mores.  They loved them and now can make them at home!  The leaders are already talking about making them for their next party!

We all enjoyed running and playing together as the team led several games!

During our ride in the van to Campinho, we were sad to learn that the van driver, our friend, Guilherme's wife passed away three weeks ago and the team was able to pray for this dear friend and his family in this time of sorrow and loss.  However, we celebrate with them that his wife is a believer in Jesus and is now in eternity with Christ!

Tomorrow we will travel to Mare, another community here in Rio to share the love of Christ with a whole new group of children!

Pray for us as we minister together this week in the strong name of Jesus,

Diane and Jeff