Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me."

Jeff and I recently spent a couple of hours in the home of a transvestite.  We spent time talking and getting to know him and heard about his life.  We worshiped Jesus by singing christian worship music together, prayed for him and had an afternoon snack.

He had been raised in a church but had started making different choices in his life after disappointments. As well as believing in Jesus Christ, he had idols in his home of the Brazilian goddess of the sea, Yemanjá.  Click HERE to see a short video

He was reminded that God is above all else and has power over all things.  Therefore, there is no reason to trust in any other false god.

Pray that the truths that were shared with him would impact his life for Christ.

Walking where Jesus would walk,

Diane and Jeff

Galations 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Last week I visited a brothel in downtown Sao Paulo with ReachGlobal Rio City Team's two 6-month interns, Lacey and Leah, and a voluntary missionary at CENA.  

This 9-floor building in Crackland is across the street from the Federal Police.  To enter, you need the approval from a pimp at the front desk.

CENA missionaries have been going here for 10 years to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the prostitutes.

In these 10 years, CENA has had the pleasure of helping prostitutes leave this building and this life of slavery.  When I asked the CENA missionary why the pimps allowed missionaries to enter the building and share the gospel, she had no idea why they allowed it.....it takes women away from these pimp's business!

I believe this to be a miracle from God!  He is making a way for his Message to be heard in a dark place!

Please pray for the women held captive in this brothel!  Pray for the CENA missionaries!  Pray for the light to penetrate the darkness!

Diane and Jeff

One-on-One at CENA

We walk into crowds of hundreds of people, all doing drugs, all smelling badly from a life on the streets and all completely lost.  

It hits us like a ton of bricks each time, though we have seen it so many times now.  How can we help them?  How can we get them out of this mess they are in?  How can we get them out of this hell on earth?

 Listening to those at the farm tell their stories

Of course the answer is Jesus---100% Jesus, that is.  Our part is to reach out to them one at a time.

So, on one of the walks into the masses this past week, we made relationships...short ones, 10 to 15 minutes each.  Diane reached out to some women and me to a few men.  

Right in the middle of the whole mess I came upon 2 young men (in their early 20’s), handsome, dressed decently, though starting to show the effects of living on the streets. My heart ached for them and I just blurted out, “what are you two doing here?”  They sheepishly answered, “drugs and all that”.  I continued by telling them that God wants so much more for them.  I held one of their faces in my hand, my heart was breaking and as I continued to talk their eyes started to well up with tears.

After pleading with them and urging them to get help to escape this prison they are in, I asked them if I could pray for them.  I pleaded with the Lord for Him to transform their lives, to take them out of this mess.  I left them after telling them about CENA and the hope there is there.

Five minutes later a man from the crowd yelled out in desperation to me, “pray for me”.  It was kind of shocking to hear this, but awesome, too.  I land my hands on his heart and prayed with all my might for “Ricardo”.  I prayed for him as I had prayed for the last two men.  I hugged him with all my heart and compassion and left.

We can only show them love and point them to Jesus.  They must accept this amazing gift on their own...

Jeff

Daughters of the Most High King!!!!

We just returned from Crackland in downtown Sao Paulo where we spent the last week encouraging the full-time missionaries and volunteers and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with 3 women at the recovery farm and hearing their difficulties, about their lives and their testimonies as I gave them hand massages and painted fingernails. 

I had met two of these women last July when we took the Johnston Team and the Rio Trio to CENA and I was thrilled that they had stayed the course and finished the 9-month recovery program!  I had the pleasure of reminding them of the great value their lives have in the eyes of God and that they are daughters of  the MOST HIGH KING, JESUS CHRIST!!!!

Today, they are leaving the farm to go and live at the family house where they will learn life skills, continue to study the Word and look for work.

Pray for these women as the road ahead will not be easy!  Please pray, as well, for the full-time missionaries at the farm, Ismael, Elenelda and Sueli as they teach, counsel and pastor those in recovery at  the farm called, "Fazenda Nova Aurora."

Blessed to be serving,

Diane