Robbed, Healed, Angels on OT

This August, 34 of us went to Brazil & Argentina. There's so much to talk about but here's a synopsis.

Brazil: Seven of us first went to Brazil where we visited favallah's and did some teaching. Colorful. Thats what comes to mind whenever i think of Brazil. The people, fruits, foods, clothing, toucans, and even their flag is bright and colorful. My personal highlight was the privilege to speak at a church in a favella. ive spoken at churches of all shapes and sizes but for some reason i felt really honored and privileged to speak to this small church on a hill. We were escorted in and it wasnt uncommon to see people carrying small firearms. While the church was small, it was a true city on a hill (Mt. 5:14). They sang with all their might and made sure that the whole neighborhood heard their singing and the words of Jesus being taught.

Argentina: This is a country where even by 21st century standards, time clicks by a bit more slowly. Some of the basic things in life like friends and having dinner together at 11PM are more important than the typical concerns of politics and credit card bills.

Over the past 9 years I've had the unique opportunity to have visited the country over ten times and the country itself has a diversity from the Andes, to Mendoza (their version of the Napa Valley), beaches, farmland, a cosmopolitan city (Buenos Aires) and architecture that will keep your camera busy. But the best thing about Argentina is by far its people; if you make the slightest effort to communicate you will find most Argentines to be fun-loving and eager hosts with a quick smile, a joke, and a hot cup of mate (a local tea). They love to laugh and give each other nicknames. They are a hard working people and yet most seem to work in order to live and not the other way around.

They are also ablaze with a fire for God that's more expressive than their soccer matches. It wasnt uncommon for worship to regularly go past midnight. They simply cant seem to get enough of God there.

We came here to serve as volunteers for several events. First, at Punchinello, a Christian school of the arts for children of low income families. Typically its only the most privileged of children who get to learn drama, painting, vocals, keyboards, etc. but Punchinello is a place where even the most impoverished of children can experience the arts and learn about God and Biblical truths at an early age.

Secondly, we helped with an outreach event centered around children's day (its somewhat like mother's/father's day in the States) where we put on a festival for children and on behalf of City of Grace distributed over 110 backpacks to impoverished children preparing to return to school. Additionally we did some hospital visitation where we simply laid our hands on the sick and prayed for their health. Finally we served at a youth camp.

But for me the highlights were different

as the pastor of young adults at city of grace i'm really proud of our team. As you know, young adults are not famous for having a lot of capital and in addition to sacrificing their vacation time they worked, begged, and saved in order to serve. i was sort of in awe, i know i shouldnt have been, but i was in awe that so many young adults would give up their vac time and much of their own money to go and ...serve.

Vanesa, as you know we all prayed and fasted for her healing when we learned she had cancer and ...she's healed. there she was running punchinello as if nothing had ever happened. still singing and jumping up and down on the keyboards too.

Damon being robbed. for those of you who dont know him Damon is one of those kind of guys who's trained most of his adult life for just such an event. he was robbed at gunpoint in Rio. he told me that he couldve taken the guy out and had a few opportune moments to do so but ... but had a supernatural peace to just let it go and give him the $. Then, to my surprise i too had a peace. at first i felt a need to tell everyone on the team to be extra careful and to reiterate some of the stuff i'd covered in our trainngs yet i felt that it would create an un needed anxiety and to just "be still" (Ps 46:10). honestly, there were a few moments in the favellahs when i was feeling like some angels were probably working extra shifts but overall i felt peace.

A trip like this should change you...does change you. Its really indescribable in how we saw the hand of the Lord in so many conversatons, situations. In many ways I felt we were all given a taste of what the first followers of Jesus experienced in the Book of Acts. I know that sounds like hyperbole but fortunately, i've got 34 witnesses who can back me up on the fact that it exceeded our expectations.

I want to say thanks to all of you for your prayers. I could feel them and we experienced God's favor on more than one occasion. We were able to see the fruits of our ministry. New friends and deeper relationships with old ones

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you." 3 John 13-14