Today a drug dealer from the community gave his life to the Lord! I will post some more details soon. 

We're starting a camp tonight! The camp is going to be for young Brazilians who have an interest in missions. Those participating in the camp will be staying at our house and camping out in tents in our courtyard (together with the small group leaders). There will be discipleship as well as outreach in the city. On Friday night we are going to be doing evangelism in downtown Fortaleza and on Saturday we are going to be ministering in the community. On Saturday we will be serving soup and doing house visits (going house to house and praying for/speaking with people about Jesus). 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit... "

Being poor in spirit does not simply mean one who finds himself in unfavorable circumstances, although God can use unfavorable circumstances to bring this heart posture to a Christian. Being poor in spirit is a decision one makes, a matter of the heart. Humility is intertwined with this beattitude. Recognizing our poverty without God, realizing that we no good thing apart from Him is what Christ is talking about. Riches mean nothing. Possessions mean nothing. A good name means nothing if I have not the approval of my God. Food is an empty substitute that can dull the sharp, raw craving for God. Over-abundance of food cause spiritual muscles to atrophy. Putting oneself in a position where he is forced to depend upon God is a great way to see weakness. Putting oneself in a position to rely on God is not weakness in and of itself; it simply reveals the need that was already there. A self-reliant man can be starving on the inside and never realize his need. Throwing ourselves upon the sovereignty of God merely reveals that 'apart from Him we have no good thing'.
     God, I open my hands to give back to You what is Yours already. May there be more of You and less of me. Make me poor in spirit. May I look more like You Son! Amen.

The Power of Worship

This last Sunday I was spending some time in the prayer room in our house and I heard drumming and the clanging of bells. I had heard that there was a group of people in our neighborhood who practice Macumba (a form of witchcraft). I wondered whether the music I was hearing was from a gathering of these people. After talking with Lorelie, I found out that the drumming I was hearing was indeed from a Macumba gathering. I felt that we as a team should worship God together and declare His sovereignty and power. We started worshipping and as soon as we did, the drumming ceased! We truly are fighting a battle that is not against flesh and blood but against rulers and principalities (Eph. 6). Worship is a weapon which takes down strongholds of the enemy.
       Later that day, we were discussing what we felt that God was doing in the community and with us as well. We noted how God seems to be calling more people to the unreached. It is encouraging to see how God is working in the community and one lady from the community recently gave her life to the Lord and is now living in our house. She has a desire to go to the nations! This is wonderful because only a short time ago, she was living in bondage. We really feel that the all day prayer meeting we had in the community was a turning point as we have seen tangible fruit since then. I am excited because I have started doing a Bible study with two people from the community (as well as Paula from our team who does the translating). Pray that God would cause these two to grow in faith, love and the knowledge of Him. Thanks again for all of your prayers! 

Here are some pictures of the community (Otao Preto) and the prayer house

Hunger stirring.

God has been stirring our team to pray and we have been waiting on the Lord in the evenings. I feel that God is doing something with our team. We had an all day prayer event at the prayer house in the community last Monday and we feel that this was significant for the community. Pray that God would give us strength to keep pressing in. 

It’s already been one week since I arrived in Fortaleza and it has been an eventful week. On the way to Fortaleza, I missed my flight from Rio de Janeiro to Fortaleza, but I did eventually make. Needless to say, I arrived tired and ready for bed. I came on a Thursday evening and the team was ministering in the community (favela or slum). Andrew (a co-leader from England) picked me up from the airport and we went straight to the community; so I jumped right in! I had a good time conversing with people and praying for them. 

A portion of the team left the next day for a trip to the interior. The purpose of the trip was scouting for future church planting, and to encourage the believers who were there/ minister together with them. The trip lasted a few days and while the group was gone, I had the opportunity to connect with Herb and Lorelie. Herb was able to sit down with me and get me up to speed about what is going on in Fortaleza as well as find out what my goals/hopes are for this season in Fortaleza. I believe that this time in Fortaleza is a springboard for me as far as missions is concerned. I have had a growing desire and urgency to take the Gospel to the unreached places of the earth. 

Since I arrived, I’ve had had the opportunity to help out with some practical things around the house such as installing shelving, curtains as well as helping a missionary couple move into a new apartment. I was encouraged by Alex (the missionary whom we were helping out). He also works in a favela here in Fortaleza and he has a heart for the lost and to preach the gospel. He is a former gang member and God has set him free from many things and is now using him to bring the light of the gospel into a very dark place. 

A few days ago a short-term missions team called Convergence from Texas arrived here and are ministering in Otao Preto (the favela or community we are working in) with us. I have been very encouraged by this team so far, by their love for Jesus and willingness to serve. A few days ago we had a full day of ministry in Otao Preto together with the Convergence team as well as a local church from Fortaleza. Some of us spent the afternoon doing house visits in the favela, praying for people and sharing Jesus with them. We prayed for an older lady who had pain and fatigue in her legs. She stood up after we prayed for her and said that she no longer had pain or fatigue in her legs! Later on in the evening a few members of the Convergence team shared their testimonies and the Gospel was presented at the end. An invitation was given and one man gave his life to the Lord. There were others who were touched by God’s Spirit; very encouraging. 

        Yesterday we also spent time working in the community and it was encouraging for me. I spoke with a young man from the community who has been a Christian for three years. He shared his testimony with me and about how God has transformed his life. He used to be a leader in one of the gangs in the favela, involved in trafficking drugs and a perpetrator of much violence in the community. He shared with me how he had no desire to read the word of God but how God started to give him the desire to read it and he started hungering more and more for God’s word. He was also taken up to heaven in  a dream where he saw some pretty amazing things. His life speaks for itself. In the midst of opposition, he has been a faithful witness for the Lord and though his life has often been in danger, he continues to follow Jesus. He is currently in a lot of danger and will probably be coming to our house to stay for a while. If you think of it, please pray for him as his life is in real danger right now. Later on in the afternoon, a few girls from the Convergence team shared their testimonies about how God had saved them and set them free from drug addiction. There were some from the community who were very clearly impacted by these testimonies. One old lady was particularly impacted by the testimonies as she was currently struggling with drug addiction herself. I believe that the Lord touched her and set her free. 

I’ve also been having fun while I’ve been here in Fortaleza and believe it or not, we (the guys) have had a fun time killing rats in our kitchen. I’ve only been here for one rat slaying, but there was much excitement and testosterone flowing through the kitchen; there is now one less rat in our house. 

I have also been able to practice Portuguese and have been very stretched. Talking with Brazilians who cannot speak English is difficult but very beneficial to the process of learning the language. I am still by no means fluent (and really no all that conversational yet) but I’m getting there and I’m enjoying the challenge of learning. The other day I talked to a few young men in the community and read Romans 3:23ff to them (I’m able to read more fluently than speak). They said that they understood it and so I’m trusting that it will bear fruit in their lives! 

         Well, that’s all for now. Tonight we have a service at our house and have been inviting people from the surrounding area to come. I am praying that people will be touched tonight by God and for those who do not yet know Him, to come to a saving faith in Him. Thanks for all your prayers! 

P.S. I'll soon be including some photos for you all to see.