If I Could, I Would Leave Right Now!

This week, the faithful and varied Kingdom Bloggers will be writing again. I would add, that I have not written here for quite some time, so it's nice to pop in on one of my favorite subjects, missions! 

This week, we'll be answering a hypothetical question: If you went for 6 months, what country would you go on a mission to? Some of our answers may be based on dreams and hopes, and others, such as mine, will be based on previous experience.

I am choosing Brazil!

The classic version of missions has been to spread the church and the Kingdom of God in heathen nations; to go where Christianity wasn't and bring it there. Brazil still has Indians in the Amazon region, there are Aborigines in the Outback of Australia, and other, often tribal peoples, scattered at various places around the globe. And then there are those that live in entire nations which are closed to Americans.

I didn't always have a heart for missions. They sounded awful, and it seemed, people made so little progress when the money and time could be better spent at home. All of that changed one day. I was at a meeting and the minister said "I see planes flying here and flying there. I see that God has given you a heart for the nations." Although I didn't care for uncomfortable conditions in a country where I didn't speak the language, oddly; it resonated in my spirit.


Later that year I was leaving a church service at the Salvation Army. A friend of mine was preaching that evening. It was a very small group, less than 10. There was a drunk woman, a Brazilian. The pastor wanted to help her, so he sent one of the men at the meeting down the street to see if there was someone at the Brazilian church who could interpret.

As I was leaving, the man came back with a pastor from the Brazilian church. I decided to stick around to see what was going on. Before I left I spoke to Carlos, and we became great friends. Not only did we preach and teach in the US, but I traveled with him 3 times to Brazil.

Why do I like to be in Brazil? It is the very thing that God has made me for. When I am there, I am free to participate in meetings, do street evangelism, and most of all fellowship with a wonderful culture and people.

Most importantly, it is where I God and I connect as we partner to build the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God Is?

The word "kingdom" conjures up the image of a castle overlooking a sprawling landscape; distant peasant homes; smoke curling above the chimneys and horse drawn carts full of hay. The King, standing on his balcony surveying a pastoral scene unfolding with lush green forests, sculptured hills, and a courtyard of cheering subjects. These are the elements of a full-length Disney feature.

Until the oppressor of our soul is bound and then tossed into the lake of fire, our glorious kingdom suffers violent attacks. Like the medieval infantry using catapults and flaming arrows, the battlefield engulfs the peaceful citizens, engaging them in a fight against evil - Christians at war.

As you survey your personal hamlet in the King's eventual domain, maybe you see injustice and evil. It tugs at your heart because you have a "mission" in God's kingdom; one for which he gifts you, calls you and prepares you - that is if you are willing to count the cost and be molded on the potter's wheel.

As a short-term missionary, I have seen some very profane recesses of our earthly home. The most disturbing to date, were the slums of Londrina in Southern Brazil.

The last time two times I was there, my team visited churches that held meetings in these slums - or should I say, sprawls of lean-tos, cardboard boxes and tin shacks on the outskirts of town.


It was there that we met Joséanna, just 19-years-old. Her father had abandon her and her mother for a life in another city. She hadn't seen him in about seven years. Her mother had become accustom to the way of life in these difficult and dangerous surroundings - but longed to be with her family up north.


My friend Pastor Erinaldo invited "José" to come and stay at his home while her mother went to see if she could find work up north where it was warmer.


Joséanna (that's her in the blue dress on the right) quickly fell into family life in the little apartment over Poco de Agua Viva Igreja (Fountain of Living Water Church). She was polite and happy. She helped serve meals, walk the dogs and ate whenever there was food offered.


A few days after I had arrived, I felt like we should get her some clothes so that she could look for a job. The pastor and his ever present clan (pictured above) took us to the mall which took two trips in his Ford KA. There we bought her an outfit, perfume, and make up. She cried as the ladies brought different outfits to dressing room.


After we returned to the pastor's house, we sat around talking about Jesus, our families, life in America and I learning Portuguese. I excused myself to prepare for my evening sermon (HERE is that story). As I passed Joséanna's room, through the crack in a slightly opened door, she knelt there on the quarry tiles, sobbing and almost whispering, "gloria deus - obrigado senhor - obrigado pi." She was thanking her Father, and giving glory to her Lord and Savior.


Later that evening, I was standing on the platform during worship. There she was in the front row - her eyes closed and her hands extended towards heaven. At first she simply sang the words in Portuguese. Then an amazing thing happened. She began to praise God, but this time in English; a language she did not know. I will never forget her words that night.


She sang, "Lord Jesus, you are great and mighty, you have not for gotten your daughter and left her to die. Lord Jesus you are great and mighty - Lord Jesus you are great and mighty and your Kingdom has come."

A Hot Day, a Gringo 5,000 Miles From Home, and a Bottle of Water

T. Austin Sparks said, "We just don't know the opposition there is to a man's soul." What he meant was this, there are legions of demons and other demonic forces that keep us from salvation. Some days even I think that God is a little slow to move, or on vacation - but then He surprises me.

On my third trip to Brazil I was part of a movement to transform cities and countries by the power of public worship, testimonies, prayer and fasting. The event in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, was named "The Call Brazil." There were churches from all over Brazil that came to pray at their nation's capital. The informal national day of fasting and prayer took place from 6 am until 6 pm on the "mall" surrounded by federal buildings.

Our team of about 10 Americans had arrived a few days before the event to pray and get to know the Brazilians that we would be serving. Each day before the event, we prayer-walked the perimeter of the mall area in groups of three or four. At one end there was a bricked plaza near a museum and other monuments. It was nearly 90 degrees in the shade and probably 100 in the sun. At midday very few people ventured outside. We probably should have done the same.

Teamed up with a couple of others, praying as the Holy Spirit lead, we walked the square. A few hundred yards away, there in the shadow of one of the monuments, was a lone ice cream vendor. I decided I should probably get some water as I had run out in the intense heat. I approached the young man and spoke to him in Portuguese telling him that I needed a bottle of water. He took out one bottle and told me the price. "Duis reis (2 Reis)," he replied. I only had a $10 Rei bill and asked if he had change. He said that he didn't have any change because there was no business yet today.

I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit. If you have read some of my other stories on FireAndGrace.com, you know I am not very good at talking to people in public about Jesus. Not to mention that my Portuguese is barely acceptable.

I tried to remember some of my Portuguese lessons for ordering at a restaurant and conjured up my best Christian-ese in Portuguese.

I told the vendor that he didn't have to make change for the $10 Rei bill if he would let me pray for him. He tried to offer me more water then I could carry. I told him it would only be a minute so he relented. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he bowed his head and closed his eyes. In Portuguese I asked God to bless Him and give him a drink of the living water (bebido aqua viva). I felt a supernatural heat in my hand and he started to shake a little in the presence of God. I prayed in the spirit for a minute or so as the peace of God came in waves over him. When I took my hand from his shoulder, and as he opened his eyes, there was a Brazilian woman standing there that we did not know from our team. When I had thanked him for the opportunity I handed over the bill that I had promised and got my a bottle of ice cold water.

The woman who seemed to appear from no where (I pray with my eyes open), waiting her turn just behind me, began to preach the Gospel to Him. She told Him that by the blood of Jesus, God would save his soul that day. "Agora! (Now!)," she shouted. "Aqui! (Here!), she said in a loud and passionate voice.

He bowed his head and began to cry out "Jesus," as tears ran down his face. He just stood there sobbing in the 100 degree heat. He accepted the Lord and gave her a hug. He turned to me and gave me the "thumbs up" sign.

5,000 miles from home, God was at work. The strange woman and the gringo... I believe the opposition can be beaten. How about you?