Well here it is, one last update before I go back to Canada. I'm planning on arriving back on August 13th. A lot has happened since I last updated my blog and so I'll try to get you all up to speed. We had a week of prayer and fasting a number of weeks ago and I feel that this was really a key week for us. God really used this week to call us to go deeper in prayer and to really use the prayer house as just that; a house of prayer. God spoke and did a number of things among our team; one being a deeper calling to prayer and another being an increased boldness. During one of our prayer times I felt that God 'lifted' something off of me; I believe that the Lord was removing the fear of man. One thing that I had been wanting to do for a while was to preach on the public transit buses but I had been too afraid before. I really felt that God was challenging me to step out and just declare the message because the gospel is the power of God (Rom. 1:16-17). I decided that the next time I rode on the bus (together with someone who could translate for me), I was going to preach the gospel. I got onto the bus with my friend Ned, who can speak English and Portuguese and I asked him if he was ready. He said that he was and so I called out, 'Everybody listen up!'. Looking back, this probably was not the best way to get everyone's attention since the busses sometimes get robbed and the guys who rob them will yell and wield their gun. Ned told me that a few people looked pretty scared at first, but when they realized that I wasn't going to rob the bus, it was alright. To tell the truth, I was very nervous to speak up but God gave me the strength once I did. Since then, I've preached on the bus several more times and each time is definitely stretching for me.
During the week of prayer and fasting, we were having a time of prayer in the community (Oitao Preto), and one of the girls felt led to walk through the streets of the community and shout out the gospel. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous to do this as the favela is not the safest place in Fortaleza. We wrote out some Bible verses in Portuguese (Romans 6:23, John 3:16) and four of us went out into the streets. As we walked we yelled out; "Today is the day of salvation!" as well as other phrases. As we walked and shouted, some people stopped to listen and some people walked away. We only faced open opposition from one man which was less than I expected. When we could see that someone was really listening, we stopped and talked with them further and prayed with them. There were a few people who gave their lives to the Lord! We stopped and talked with one lady who was a believer. She said that we were an answer to her prayers because she had been praying for her son to turn his life around. Her son was there and we talked to him as well as other members of the family. We all prayed together as well. I recently had the chance to talk to this woman (Anna) again and she said that her son is doing much better.
There have also been some challenges as well. One of the girls who was doing the internship here decided to leave the house a few days ago and return to the community. It appears as though she is not doing well spiritually and this is very difficult for us to see after all that we have poured into her. It seems that the enemy still has a hold on so many people in the community and it is difficult for them to truly break from their old lifestyles. Continue to pray that we would see lasting breakthrough and fruit in the community.
On a personal note, I have decided to do the Harvest School in Mozambique (with Iris) this October. The school is three months long (including outreach) and is located in Pemba, Mozabique. There are a few reasons why I want to do the Harvest school. I really feel that this time will be a good time for personal growth and growing in love for Jesus. I also desire to grow in walking in the supernatural. Ministering in the community here reminds me that the battle is so real and demons manifest right before your eyes. As I look at the gospels (and the book of Acts), I see demonstrations of power through healing (as well as other miracles) with such frequency that they cannot be ignored. Nearly every time the gospel was declared, miracles followed or preceded. Missionaries with Iris have seen people with blind eyes see, deaf ears opened and dead people raised back to life again. I desire to see miracles like this as well as to walk in them. I understand that love for Christ and his glory and character are more important than seeing miracles, but I feel that we are missing out if we are not at least pursuing these things which were so much a part of Jesus' ministry as well as the ministry of the early church. I also see my time in Mozambique as preparation for the new year. As most of you know, I am planning on heading to Nepal with a team of four other friends with the goal of taking the gospel to the unreached. I believe that the Lord will use my time in Mozambique as a preparation for this.
Well that's all for now. I hope to be seeing many of you who read this blog face to face very soon. I look forward to talking with you and perhaps having a cup of coffee. God bless!
During the week of prayer and fasting, we were having a time of prayer in the community (Oitao Preto), and one of the girls felt led to walk through the streets of the community and shout out the gospel. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous to do this as the favela is not the safest place in Fortaleza. We wrote out some Bible verses in Portuguese (Romans 6:23, John 3:16) and four of us went out into the streets. As we walked we yelled out; "Today is the day of salvation!" as well as other phrases. As we walked and shouted, some people stopped to listen and some people walked away. We only faced open opposition from one man which was less than I expected. When we could see that someone was really listening, we stopped and talked with them further and prayed with them. There were a few people who gave their lives to the Lord! We stopped and talked with one lady who was a believer. She said that we were an answer to her prayers because she had been praying for her son to turn his life around. Her son was there and we talked to him as well as other members of the family. We all prayed together as well. I recently had the chance to talk to this woman (Anna) again and she said that her son is doing much better.
There have also been some challenges as well. One of the girls who was doing the internship here decided to leave the house a few days ago and return to the community. It appears as though she is not doing well spiritually and this is very difficult for us to see after all that we have poured into her. It seems that the enemy still has a hold on so many people in the community and it is difficult for them to truly break from their old lifestyles. Continue to pray that we would see lasting breakthrough and fruit in the community.
On a personal note, I have decided to do the Harvest School in Mozambique (with Iris) this October. The school is three months long (including outreach) and is located in Pemba, Mozabique. There are a few reasons why I want to do the Harvest school. I really feel that this time will be a good time for personal growth and growing in love for Jesus. I also desire to grow in walking in the supernatural. Ministering in the community here reminds me that the battle is so real and demons manifest right before your eyes. As I look at the gospels (and the book of Acts), I see demonstrations of power through healing (as well as other miracles) with such frequency that they cannot be ignored. Nearly every time the gospel was declared, miracles followed or preceded. Missionaries with Iris have seen people with blind eyes see, deaf ears opened and dead people raised back to life again. I desire to see miracles like this as well as to walk in them. I understand that love for Christ and his glory and character are more important than seeing miracles, but I feel that we are missing out if we are not at least pursuing these things which were so much a part of Jesus' ministry as well as the ministry of the early church. I also see my time in Mozambique as preparation for the new year. As most of you know, I am planning on heading to Nepal with a team of four other friends with the goal of taking the gospel to the unreached. I believe that the Lord will use my time in Mozambique as a preparation for this.
Well that's all for now. I hope to be seeing many of you who read this blog face to face very soon. I look forward to talking with you and perhaps having a cup of coffee. God bless!
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