MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jeff and I have had some time these past few days to reflect and praise God for all He has done through us and around us as we serve Him in Brazil---and wherever we are!  It's been an amazing year, full of victories in Jesus and fruit that remains!

We want to thank all of our Brazilian partners, supporters, family and friends that have joined our work through prayers and sacrificial giving.  We couldn't (and can't) do it without you.  You are so important to us and we praise God for each one of you.

We hope this finds you taking time to rest, reflect and enjoy your family and friends as you celebrate the reason for the season, Jesus. We pray that this finds you daily, "tomando a cruz" (taking up the cross) and walking closely with Jesus as we see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10: 24 & 25, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some of you are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Working together to populate heaven,

Diane and Jeff

You Never Know Who You'll Run into On the Street....

We serve such a creative God!  We often enter into a work thinking that God is going to do “such and such”, and so we make plans based on this....last night was no exception....

We left the house at 9:30 p.m. to go visit our transvestite friends who work near our home.  The objective is to further our friendships and be the light of Christ in this dark place.  We prayed beforehand that God’s love would be evident in us and felt by them.  

Shortly after arriving and starting a conversation with Michele, who is probably the most kindhearted man out in that area, a car pulled up next to us.  We assumed that it was a customer of Michele’s, but  a young woman got out of the car with a big smile on her face and she ran over to give Diane a hug,  Diane quickly realized it was “Mary”.  

Mary is a young woman that Diane has been reaching out to at a local store.  Mary shared with us that as she drove by us with her husband,  she saw Diane.  She told her husband to stop the car because she knew Diane and that something good must be happening in this place if Diane is there at this hour of the night!!  What a statement God used us to make by showing Mary and her husband what we are about.  Walk the talk as they say!

30 minutes later as we were talking with Bianca (another transvestite friend), about the usual stuff, sex change operations, hormone injections, etc.,   I looked up and here was a man on a bicycle that I recognized!

It was a Christian buddy that I had not seen for 2  years or so.  We hugged and talked 100 miles an hour in the first minutes, then he realized where we were and became shocked.  I quickly introduced him to Bianca---once again, what a way to show others what God is about in our lives!

It probably was a little like the experience the disciples had when they returned to find Jesus talking to the woman at the well.  You never know who you are going to run into and where!  God uses all things!

Please continue to pray that as we reach out to these men on the street, God continues to go before us and work in the beautiful ways that He works!

Blessed to be going into the darkness with the light of Christ here in Rio,

Jeff and Diane

Equipping His People for Works of Service

Raquel and Yasmin

Ephesians 4:11 & 12, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up"...

Last evening, Jeff and I were privileged and blessed to spend some time with our Brazilian family, the Joias, at their "Dia de Ação de Graças", Thanksgiving Day, service, as well as with the congregation.  It had been such a long time since we'd spent some time with them! 

Earlier this month, we met a young couple, João and Carol, at a  retreat at which we had spoken, and discovered they are attending this church that Andre Joia pastors.  They invited us and we couldn't wait to reconnect with everyone!

We have a great love and respect for this beautiful family!  As foreigners and missionaries here in Rio, they have showed us the love of Christ and have always tried to help us when we have difficulties living in a foreign country.

This amazing body-of-Christ is involved in various mission works and is also active in reaching out to the children of a nearby community.

They have a heart to reach out to the group of transvestite prostitutes that work in front of their church building and invited Jeff and I to come and speak at their church next year about our work with transvestite prostitutes near our home and also to teach them what we have learned about working with this lost people group.

We're honored and excited to share what we have learned, walk with them, and help to motivate more brothers-in-Christ in this body to reach out with the love of Christ to a group of people that society shuns and that Jesus loves.

Walking where Jesus would walk,

Jeff and Diane

The One and Only Reason....Jesus!

Jeff commented to me the other day, "this attack from the enemy is worse than our car accident."

For those of you who didn't know us back in 2007, after arriving here in Rio 5 months previously, we suffered a serious car accident in which, between the three of us, Jeff, Hannah and myself, we broke 18 bones.  

It was, we believe, used by God for various reasons, one of them being for us to strengthen our faith and depend completely on Him.  It was horrible, painful and yet joyful, as we saw God work in so many miraculous ways!  We give Him all glory and honor for it!

We have now been passing through an intense time here.  I won't go into all the details.  I will leave those for future blog posts.  I do try to keep these blog posts short and to-the-point.  What I will share, however, is that we are seeing the enemy trying to destroy many things in our lives here and I want to ask you all if you would please join us in prayer...as this is all for His glory alone!  We can only guess why we are being attacked at this time.  Here is one possibility....

...during the World Cup we began making friends with a group of thirty transvestite prostitutes 3 blocks from our home here.  We go out each week to further these friendships and show love to a people group that is ostracized by society.  We have invited a couple of them to come to our home to learn English.

Last evening, as we walked into the neighborhood in which they work, doubts came to my mind and I thought, "we have absolutely no reason to be here."  We are so weak.  We are simple people.  My faith is that of a child's.  No reason.  

Then I heard Him---"the voice of truth." This song by Casting Crowns came to my mind and I remember Pastor Scott Davis from Johnston Evangelical Free Church singing it during our commissioning service as we were being sent off to Brazil.


********************
THE VOICE OF TRUTH

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
But this stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
The voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
 
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the voice of truth
I will listen and believe because Jesus, You are the voice of truth
And I will listen to You
You are....
*******************

We will choose to listen and believe that this is for His glory.  Only for you, Jesus....

Coveting your prayers,

Diane and Jeff