We Stand in AWE of Him!

Pastor Jon and Pastor Jeff

It's been a busy few days, after being commissioned by two churches here in Brazil to go as Pastor, missionaries and church planters to the United States.  

We're doing our best to say goodbye to so many brothers-in-Christ and friends, and I'm not even going to try to remember the dates that God began to orchestrate all the details...I will, however, share how I remember Him working!  He is always at work ahead of us!  

Some years ago, while Jeff and I were stateside and visiting a family in Quincy, Illinois, regarding their desire to come to Rio on a vision trip, we stopped at a McDonalds on our way back to Minneapolis to pick up our e-mails.

I remember that we received an e-mail from a pastor in Des Moines asking us if we were receptive to receiving a short-term team from his church.  We jumped on it, as we felt the Holy Spirit directing us and immediately responded in the affirmative.

We consequently ended up meeting with him, meeting his team, training his short-term team stateside and receiving them here in Rio.

God connected us to Pastor Jon and He has called us as pastor/missionaries/church planters to Grimes, Iowa, to join together with Jon to plant a new church!  

Daily, God has confirmed this calling---and for this we give Him praise!  There is no better place to be than in the center of His will!

After almost a decade here in Rio, we will leave later this week to work together with this young pastor to plant a church in Grimes, Iowa! We stand in awe of how God works!

We've learned a great dependence on God here on the mission field in Rio!  For 10 years, He has provided everything, including financial resources for us on the field.

Once again, we will leave our comfort, (if Rio can even be called that!), our home, our "family", our ministry and our lives and start all over again from zero, trusting Him to direct and provide all that we need.

We're completely different people than we were 10 years ago when we left Johnston, Iowa!  We've adapted to Brazilian culture, we're relational and we're use to going into some intense places with intense ministry.

Pray that we can reach the lost and bring a contagious passion for Christ like non-other!  Pray that we can ignite and inspire people to boldly and gently go out and walk where Jesus would walk and raise up fully-committed Christ followers as we strive together to further His kingdom and plant His church.

Whether here or there, sharing the hope we have in Christ with all,

Diane and Jeff

Responding to God's Call

We’re in the beginning of our tenth year as missionaries here in Rio de Janeiro and we could write a book telling of all the wondrous ways that God has worked!  We love to tell these “God stories”!  

Recently, God has been working in an amazing way in our lives and we want to share with you this new story.

Four weeks ago Diane and I were finishing up our time in the USA with a visit to California, where we were meeting with a partner church and also spending time with some dear friends of ours.  

After our time there, we were at the airport (Los Angeles) sitting at the gate, ready to return to Minneapolis and prepare to return to Rio in 3 days.  At the gate, we sat and prayed intensely, seeking His direction for the coming year.

We arrived into Minneapolis after midnight and Jeff glanced at his emails.  He saw one from a dear pastor friend and the subject line said, “before you say no”.  He waited until morning, as it seemed serious and he needed to sleep.  

In the morning we read the email and the pastor shared with us that he is planting a church and has been seeking another pastor to come alongside him.  He then shared how he also had a "shalom" time of prayer the day before and during this time God spoke to him clearly saying, "ASK JEFF".  

We were stunned!  This led us on a 2-week journey of seeking the Lord’s confirmation whether or not this was His will for our lives.  God spoke in extremely clear and amazing ways to confirm that yes it was!!  So we said, “Yes, God, we will go” and accepted this offer to help plant a church in Grimes, Iowa. 

From a human point of view this opportunity made no sense.  Our work in Rio was effective and bearing fruit, our financial support was at 100%, God had removed our obstacles (visa, big fine mess, etc.) and the dollar has never been stronger.  

Then we looked at the opportunity to help plant a church.  The finances will need to be raised, we have never planted a church in the USA, and it will take a huge amount of energy and on and on.  

However, we know that God calls us to do hard things for Him and to completely depend on Him so He may show His power!

We have many details to attend to as we transition back to the USA.  Leaving will be very difficult, as we will always love and cherish the Brazilian people and this country!  We need to say our goodbyes to both friends and places and celebrate what God has done these past almost 10 years!

Please pray for us as we transition back to the USA!

Responding to His call,

Jeff and Diane

There are no Coincidences with God!!!!

Recently, Jeff and I called for a taxi here in Rio.

When the driver arrived, Antonio, he was nervous and talkative.  He explained that we were his first clients since his car had been carjacked four days earlier.  He said, "Do you KNOW how dangerous this place is?"  We told him, yes, Rio is extremely dangerous.  He replied, "NO! I mean RIGHT HERE!  THIS STREET!"  

He went on to explain that four days earlier at the apartment building 50 feet from our home here in Rio, a group of three young men put a gun to his head, carjacked his taxi and drove him over to Caju, driving over 120 mph!  They were obviously on drugs and told him that they had killed a police officer by shooting him in the face 5 times.  They talked about killing the taxi driver, but one of them said no, to not do it!

We spent our hour-long ride in the taxi comforting this man, knowing that it was not a coincidence that God orchestrated us being his first clients since this traumatic experience and that our house was only 50 feet from where the whole thing took place!

While we were praying for him, his phone rang and it was his wife calling to see how his first day back on the job was.  He told her that his first clients lived next door to the place where his car was hijacked, but that it was okay, because we were pastors and were praying for him!

When we asked him if he believed in God and in Jesus, he went on to share that his neighbor was a pastor from a church that believed in Jesus Christ and had been sharing a lot with him about Jesus. 

We all agreed that God had spared his life and given him a second chance.  He shared he would speak more to this neighbor who is a pastor about trusting in Christ as his Lord and Savior!

When we arrived at our destination, Antonio hugged us, thanked us and said it was not a coincidence that we were his first clients since he had returned to drive his taxi!

Humble servants of the Lord Most High,

Diane and Jeff

Keeping it "Real" Because Jesus is REAL!

We've recently been reflecting on those times in our lives and in ministry when God seems to be using us the most and these things are so clear to us:

• His power and might are not evident unless we are completely depending on Him. 
• We get to see more of His power and might when we are taking risks for Him.
• We need to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, trusting 100% that He can and will move.
• God presents us opportunities to impact lives when we are intentionally looking for them and ready to act.

When we have become too comfortable and do not take risks for the gospel, then we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in and through us.

How good it is to serve a god that wants to use each one of us...a god that gives us the ultimate blessing of being fruitful for His kingdom!

These thoughts encourage us to be more real, risky and radical for Him and to be willing go wherever He may call us so that He may show His awesome power and might!

100% In with Jesus,

Diane and Jeff