Picture slideshow from our time in Rio

Stories from Restore Brazil 2010 that we shared this morning at CrossPointe Winter Park

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It’s been a full day and the Internet has been spotty at best. So a quick update from the phone to say we enjoyed worshipping at two churches today. Barra Presbyterian in the morning and this evening a church plant in a favela. The video you see is from the evening service.

The thing that struck me as a powerful moment happened tonight. I happened to be with 5 other guys who had to take the public bus to the service because not enough vehicles. We got dropped off in the wrong place and had to walk about 20 minutes through his favela to reach the church. It was pretty crazy. The smell of sewage in the river was nauseating at times. The chaos of the streets with people and cars everywhere. Music blaring. Feeling like we are standing out - which we were. Wishing I had not worn sandals as we walked the mud filled streets. And yet in the midst of this very broken place I heard Jay’s voice leading the congregation in worship. I couldn’t see the church but I could hear it from a couple blocks away. It was amazing. It was this glorious sound filling these dark streets with the joy of the gospel.

This post isn’t doing the feeling justice but nonetheless it was powerful and encouraging.

Pray for us as we start VBS in Sitio favela tomorrow. This is the first time vbs has ever happened there. Looking forward to how God will work.

Peace.

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The video you see is some shots from 2 different locations today. We started out our time by visiting an orphanage with about 35 kids. We got to teach them some songs, perform a Bible story skit, and do some activities with them - making beaded necklaces and sidewalk chalk were a huge hit! Some pretty remarkable stories were told by the lady who runs the orphanage. Lots of gospel transformation experienced in and through this orphanage. 

The second location we visited today was Sitio, which is the favela we will be working in the rest of the week. As you can see from the video the living conditions are horrendous. This is one of the poorer favela’s in Rio and it’s interestingly located in a section of the city of God. As hard as it was to see the conditions it is encouraging to see the way the gospel is at work in that area. There is a new church plant that begun in March and many kids and a few of the adults are participating. Each week they hold a Saturday night service and we were able to participate. Joel Gordon shared his testimony and did a fantastic job. Very encouraging to hear. A few short years ago this church “building” was owned by drug lords and there are actual bullet holes in the walls where they executed people. Tonight, in that very place, the gospel was proclaimed and people worshipped Jesus. Very cool. We are looking forward to returning Monday as we start our VBS there. 

Thanks for your prayers. Please know the team is encouraged and being challenged. Looking forward to what God is going to do in and through us in the days ahead. 

Peace.

 

 

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Happy to report that we made it to Rio - though not without some travel drama. They shut down the airport in Charlotte (yes, we flew to Charlotte to head to Rio - I’m good with geography). Anyway, we circled for about an hour around Charlotte waiting for a large storm to pass through. Storm wouldn’t cooperate. Fuel was running low. So they diverted us to Wilmington. Fueled up. Back to Charlotte. Thankfully they held the plane for us and about 50 other people on our plane heading to Rio. So at about 12:30 am we departed Charlotte. Ate dinner at 2:00 am. Got into Rio about 11:30 am. All of that to say we made it. 

It’s been a fun filled and more “touristy” day today. We drove the city, went to the Christ statue, and finished up with a dinner at Jay and Lu’s place. We are all doing well, though admittedly tired. Sleeping on a plane is never the best of sleep. Tomorrow morning we head to an orphanage to minister to about 35 kids who are there. We go to a favela in the afternoon. Hopefully can post more later. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray!

Peace.