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