Cracolandia on a Saturday Night

Diane and I visited our 4 amazing interns in Sao Paulo recently.  Saturday night Diane and Leah (intern) had a special function to attend with the women missionaries of CENA.  So us four men (Cody, Jake, Logan and I) had the chance to go out into Crackland to go "fishing for men".  

 

After a time of prayer we went to an area that is about one city block where roughly 1,000 people gather in the evenings to smoke crack and drink.  What a horrific sight this is!  We had the chance to talk to many people over about a 2-hour time period.  Here are a few of the encounters we had:

Claudia is a 42-year-old woman who does not live on the streets, but is hooked on crack.  She has an older boy friend who was very drunk at the time.  Claudia is very attractive, considering her life style. Though when you look close, you see that the many years of drug abuse has destroyed her teeth.  Her family has disowned her and she has not seen them for years, including her children.  This breaks her heart and yet she continues using crack.   

Claudia is very ashamed of her life and when she went to “light up” she told me, “look at that” and while I looked away she took a hit.  We shared strongly with her that Jesus could change her life and Mission CENA is the place to start.  For now she is not ready to make this change.  The drug has imprisoned her and it holds her captive.

Paulo is probably in his 50’s, yet he looks like he is in his 80’s.  Paulo is a heavy drinker and has lived on the streets for years.  I shared with Paulo that Jesus can change his life and Mission CENA is here to help.  Paulo went on to tell me in very strong words, “my heart is full of darkness, just look at where I live, I am too far gone”.  I told him that Jesus can cleanse his heart and give him a new start in life.  Paulo could not believe that.  I told him again and again that Jesus can do all things and he just needs to start by going to CENA.

Leandro appeared before us out of nowhere.  Leandro shared that he is 26 and has a wife and a 6-year-old son.  He shared that he had walked with Jesus before in his life but then lost it all, ending up in Crackland.   

Leandro was slightly drunk but our conversation with him sobered him up.  He shared deeply and started to weep, tears rolling down his face in streams, right in the middle of this big mess of people.  He told us, “I want to leave this right now, help me”.  He pleaded with us over and over to help.  It broke my heart---yet thrilled me to hear his desire to change.  We were able to arrange for some housing and a connection to get help.

People were pretty amazed to see the four of us white-skinned men, there for the sole purpose of wanting to help them.  We stood out with our blond hair and blue eyes!  When we first entered the crowd a man turned to me and said, “welcome to hell!”

Bringing hope to the captives in this "hell on earth"---Crackland,

Jeff and Diane

Sent Out To Make Disciples...

As I write this post, our four interns are on their way to serve at "Fazenda Nova Aurora", the CENA farm, in Juquitiba, where they'll be serving for a month.  They'll have opportunities to be involved in teaching life skills, being in the Word with the students and encouraging them.

Sunday evening after the church service at the Evangelical Free Church Nova Aurora, the six of us along with Pastor Leo and his wife, Solange, enjoyed dinner together, prayed, and sent them off.

Please pray with us that this month at the farm will be a time of effective ministry for these three as they spend time with the people at the farm who are in the process of leaving their old lives of addiction and entering into a new phase, prayerfully----with Jesus!

On our knees,

Diane and Jeff

Luke 10:2, "He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Friday we received another man of God, Logan, to work for a week with our three interns at CENA in Sao Paulo.

Logan is the brother of one of our three-month interns, Cody.  These two brothers had the desire to serve the Lord together during Logan's spring break from Wheaton College in Illinois, and God honored that desire!

Already, we have seen God move in wonderful ways to provide a visa for Logan 2 days before his departure and a very speedy approval process from ReachGlobal's national office in Minneapolis.

It has been a blessing to return to Sao Paulo from Rio and debrief and catch-up with our three interns, Cody, Jake and Leah.  We have received wonderful reports from the president of CENA, Joao Carlos of their great attitudes, hard work and perseverance!

We praise God each time we receive workers for His harvest field!

Pray for effective ministry for Logan and his teammates!

Blessed to be serving,

Diane and Jeff

Exodus 9:16, " But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

We've just finished an exhilarating 3 days of Carnaval with Caju church proclaiming the name of Christ out on the streets of Rio!  

"Impacto de Carnaval" is taken extremely seriously, as it should be, by the body of believers at Caju church.  We prepared beforehand with fasting and prayer.

There are opportunities for everyone to serve, from childcare to kitchen duty, to clean-up and prayer.

Each year we have the awesome opportunity to participate in the "life and death" walks of Carnaval with our amazing partner, Caju Life church.  We call them "life and death" walks because we are bringing "life" through Jesus to the people that are seeking to fill a void in their lives through drugs, alcohol or sex, and "death" because we walk in the heat for hours and hours. 

It is truly an amazing time to leave the comforts of the church building and go out into the streets to touch the hearts and lives of the lost.  The sights we see are so sad and the sight we bring is so wonderful---the love of Jesus...through smiles, singing, dancing and a few words.  I think Jesus would march with us----in fact, He DOES, through his Spirit!

Our first day was spent in prayer, preparation and prayer and then out into the streets in the afternoon to an area near Caju that is nicknamed, "Haiti" because of the extreme living conditions.  

The people there are in great need and so we went to ask them if they needed anything.  We then invited them to Sunday services and prayed with them.  So many people were glad to see us and to be invited to the church.  Please pray with us that they come!  Pray for transformed lives!

That evening, we went out into the streets of Caju to proclaim the name of Jesus!  We had a drum corps and circus performers, including fire breathers!  

 Raphaele

This year, we joined together with another local church!  It was wonderful to double the size of our army of believers!  Below is a video clip from that night!
 

The second day was dedicated to serving together by painting, organizing and cleaning the church building and then a service of worship to the Lord.

 Terezinha, Cintia and Nilde Painting the walls of their church!

                         Pastor Fabio
    
The third day was spent praying, organizing, praying, preparing, praying and praying and more praying :) and then going downtown Rio to proclaim Christ in the midst of the Carnaval chaos.  And chaotic, it was!  We had so many opportunities to share Christ's gift of salvation!  So worthwhile!

Nelci and Diane

 
Patricia asked me to pray for her son who is using drugs

Here is a very short clip of our time downtown as we were leaving the chaos exhausted!  Several other videos we shot were blurred and this one has a white line through it.  BTW, it's a brand new camera....hummm.  Carnaval is a huge spiritual battle.  We brought the light of Christ into a very dark, dark place!

It was a wonderful time of proclaiming Christ out in the streets of  Rio!  We praise God for all the seeds that were planted and pray for transformed lives in Christ.

Exhausted and exhilarated from proclaiming Christ on the streets,

Diane and Jeff