I made it! After 2 plane flights, an hour long in traffic on a bus, a 10 minute walk, a ride on the metro, and a finally a taxi, Lindsay and I arrived at our temporary home in the city of São Paulo. My introduction to city life. :)
The first game for the World Cup will be on Thursday in our city, and this is when we will start our prayer room as well. So far our schedule has been pretty relaxed. I've been able to enjoy meeting Brazilian Christians, practicing phrases in Portuguese, and getting to know my other team members. This week things are picking up as we finalize preparations for the prayer room. Pray that God will give grace for wise decisions and for all of the practical aspects to come together.
Last night our team attended the prayer meeting for the Brazilian São Paulo Liberdade team that has been preparing here. We talked through covering certain hours for being point person in the prayer room and then had a time of worship and prayer. I wish I knew more Portuguese, but it was still sweet to be part of multiple cultures united in our love for Jesus. Brought together by the desire to see him exalted and to see others brought into communion with him.
As I was preparing to come here, asking God to give me his heart for the church as well as the women we'll be ministering to, the word that resonated with me was reconciliation.
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
-2 Corinthians 5:20-21
This is the point of it all- the gospel, the good news! yes, I want to see justice; for those trapped in slavery to be set free. But
"What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
-Matthew 16:26
Jesus has to be the focus. It has to be about introducing people to him. Proclaiming to them that in Christ we are no longer separated from God. That we are no longer bound by sin and shame, but we are made new through the blood of Jesus. We can be righteous! We can have friendship with God and be made whole in him!
I am not the messiah. I am not a savior. Jesus is. It's all about him.
I pray many women and children are delivered from circumstances too horrific for me to comprehend, but I also pray that I have the privilege of leading many to Jesus. To the end that when the day of The Lord does come when he judges each one and brings final justice and restoration to all, my joy will be in the fact that even weak as I am, he used me to see many lives delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved son. (Colossians 1:13)
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