“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (Holman Bible)

 

This Scripture truly describes God’s work in the hearts of all those who visited our brothers and sisters in Brazil last month. Sixteen disciples took the “member missionary” trip to Sao Paulo to serve the poor, spend time with the disciples, and attend the Brazilian Discipleship Conference. John and Barbara Porter led the group of 16 which consisted of mostly families and their teenagers.

 

Fellowship with the churches highlighted the trip as we spent time with three different sectors of the Sao Paulo Church. Our group came to South America with the mindset to give, but at every turn, our Brazilian brothers and sisters continued to “out-give” us with their warmth, kindness, and humility. Everywhere we went, we were asked to speak publicly to the Christians and to share how God is reaching our teenagers with the Gospel message.

 

We were excited to hear that many teens in Brazil are beginning to make Jesus the Lord of their lives. In one sector we visited, 20 of their 34 teenagers are Christians with more than a dozen kids currently studying the Bible. This particular sector (like all the Brazilian churches) has no youth minister on staff, but instead families have answered the call to make disciples of the next generation – to God be the glory!

 

Disciples from all over Brazil gathered together June 28-29 to celebrate the “one faith” we all share in Christ. The conference, the first in Brazil in 12 years, included classes for teens, campus students, singles, and parents. John Porter and John Brush both delivered keynote messages to close out the conference with a call to unite and reach the many lost souls in the country of Brazil.

 

We live in a world where three billion people live on less than two dollars per day. Serving the poor provided the most sobering and “heart-softening” parts of our trip, especially for our teens. On two separate occasions we served at a daycare center for needy kids. Many of the kids who attend this facility rely on the daycare center for their best (or only) meal of the day. We also spent a day walking through the favelas, communities of small, shack-like homes where the poorest people in Brazil reside.

 

Near the end of the missionary trip, we visited an orphanage for kids with cerebral palsy. While some in our group did landscaping work outside, others stayed inside with the kids. Tears streamed down our faces as God gave us the privilege to touch these kids, feed them, and do our best to bring a smile to their faces. As we sang “Everything’s Alright in My Father’s House” to them, we knew that one day we would see them again in heaven. Their parents may have abandoned them, but God never has.