We got the following letter yesterday. Read and enjoy then praise God.
Speaking Life -- in India, America, and now Brazil
God is so good to me! God Answers Prayers! I feel like i should start everything off with this, my letters, my day, and my night before sleep because i seem to forget this truth so easily!
God moved in many ways in Brazil...some of the times are only understood through presence, some can be understood in letters like this and some seen in pictures. Its amazing how when we feel like God is only spiritual and not physical with us...Bam...there He presents Himself in mighty and felt ways!
After spending a week in Curitiba, two days and a night in Morretes, we made our way to Itapoa! Throughout the whole trip we were going to local churches that our leader, Pedro was affiliated with. His father is the Bishop of theMethodist churches in the State of Parana, Brazil. His mother organized and started the ministry project we were working with for the two weeks. We arrived in Itapoa around 830pm and went straight to the church we would be working with and attending while there. They had prepared a wonderful meal for us and would be taking care of us for the next 4 days.
We presented the churches we attended with different forms of worship, such as singing, testimony, and message. This church we would be doing much of the service the first night. Pedro wanted us to learn a song as a group to be able to present, so me and a few others taught the group God of this City and How Great is Our God! How appropriate! God of this City has always meant a lot to me and especially here in Brazil! To know the Hope it gave me for the work that was being done.
This particular night we would sing God of this City, Present Cardboard testimonies, and then Sean was going to present a message! (okay so this part is going to sound corny and unimportant but it meant something for me) I didnt bring many nice clothes for church. Churches were contemporary and casual like ours but i still wanted to look decent. I brought my Just Speak Life shirt as one of my nicer shirts. I was going to wear it a few days before when we went shopping at the mall in Curitiba but last minute decided not to. I decided to wear it this night traveling to Itapoa. (having no idea of the message or song to be presented)
As we began the service we got up and sang God of the City. Brandon was in the back of my mind, because he was the person to introduce me to that song, so with every time i hear it im reminded of him. As we all sat down after doing our cardboard testimonies, Sean McGrath got up to preach and Pedro translated for the church. As Sean began to preach, the Spirit of God became evident and physical. The message Sean brought was the one about the blind man and being healed. The same message Sean brought at the college night following Brandon's passing, when Just Speak Life was presented.
I cant explain to you how evident God became to me that night. Sean was speaking what God laid on Brandon's heart in India, to GO. To make disciples. I got real emotional during the message bc i realized that God is ALWAYS working in every situation. Brandon's message not only touched the land of India and America, but is now thriving in Brazil.Three countries have been touched with his presence and his love for God. One in which he would have probably never stepped foot in.
I know without a shadow of doubt that through death there is life, because through Brandons death soo many lives are being touched. Lives of different cultures and backgrounds, lives 1000s of miles apart from each other. I was able to share with my leader a little about Brandon and how i felt God moving that night. I told him that i knew Brandon was there worshiping with us and that he is so proud that through his death his friends and family are rejoicing in Christ and sharing Gods love through it. Thats what he would have wanted.
"It's quiet simple...Go. Make. Baptize. There is no excuse. We have been given all of the ways to do so...what determines what we do with it is our heart."-Brandon Mcdaniel
After Sean gave this message the preacher stood up and spoke that God had laid this on his heart. That we are to be Going but for some reason we Stop. ... He emphasized the importance of being a follower of Christ!
The same God who commanded us to GO and reach the lost is the God of this City and every other city. he promises greater things and rebuilding for the lost! What an amazing God we serve!
God is SO GOOD!!
Jeremiah 33:5b-9
I have hidden My face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and of Isreal ((wherever we GO)) and will rebuild them as in former times. 8 I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me, and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. 9 This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.
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God is so good to me! God Answers Prayers! I feel like i should start everything off with this, my letters, my day, and my night before sleep because i seem to forget this truth so easily!
God moved in many ways in Brazil...some of the times are only understood through presence, some can be understood in letters like this and some seen in pictures. Its amazing how when we feel like God is only spiritual and not physical with us...Bam...there He presents Himself in mighty and felt ways!
After spending a week in Curitiba, two days and a night in Morretes, we made our way to Itapoa! Throughout the whole trip we were going to local churches that our leader, Pedro was affiliated with. His father is the Bishop of theMethodist churches in the State of Parana, Brazil. His mother organized and started the ministry project we were working with for the two weeks. We arrived in Itapoa around 830pm and went straight to the church we would be working with and attending while there. They had prepared a wonderful meal for us and would be taking care of us for the next 4 days.
We presented the churches we attended with different forms of worship, such as singing, testimony, and message. This church we would be doing much of the service the first night. Pedro wanted us to learn a song as a group to be able to present, so me and a few others taught the group God of this City and How Great is Our God! How appropriate! God of this City has always meant a lot to me and especially here in Brazil! To know the Hope it gave me for the work that was being done.
This particular night we would sing God of this City, Present Cardboard testimonies, and then Sean was going to present a message! (okay so this part is going to sound corny and unimportant but it meant something for me) I didnt bring many nice clothes for church. Churches were contemporary and casual like ours but i still wanted to look decent. I brought my Just Speak Life shirt as one of my nicer shirts. I was going to wear it a few days before when we went shopping at the mall in Curitiba but last minute decided not to. I decided to wear it this night traveling to Itapoa. (having no idea of the message or song to be presented)
As we began the service we got up and sang God of the City. Brandon was in the back of my mind, because he was the person to introduce me to that song, so with every time i hear it im reminded of him. As we all sat down after doing our cardboard testimonies, Sean McGrath got up to preach and Pedro translated for the church. As Sean began to preach, the Spirit of God became evident and physical. The message Sean brought was the one about the blind man and being healed. The same message Sean brought at the college night following Brandon's passing, when Just Speak Life was presented.
I cant explain to you how evident God became to me that night. Sean was speaking what God laid on Brandon's heart in India, to GO. To make disciples. I got real emotional during the message bc i realized that God is ALWAYS working in every situation. Brandon's message not only touched the land of India and America, but is now thriving in Brazil.Three countries have been touched with his presence and his love for God. One in which he would have probably never stepped foot in.
I know without a shadow of doubt that through death there is life, because through Brandons death soo many lives are being touched. Lives of different cultures and backgrounds, lives 1000s of miles apart from each other. I was able to share with my leader a little about Brandon and how i felt God moving that night. I told him that i knew Brandon was there worshiping with us and that he is so proud that through his death his friends and family are rejoicing in Christ and sharing Gods love through it. Thats what he would have wanted.
"It's quiet simple...Go. Make. Baptize. There is no excuse. We have been given all of the ways to do so...what determines what we do with it is our heart."-Brandon Mcdaniel
After Sean gave this message the preacher stood up and spoke that God had laid this on his heart. That we are to be Going but for some reason we Stop. ... He emphasized the importance of being a follower of Christ!
The same God who commanded us to GO and reach the lost is the God of this City and every other city. he promises greater things and rebuilding for the lost! What an amazing God we serve!
God is SO GOOD!!
Jeremiah 33:5b-9
I have hidden My face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and of Isreal ((wherever we GO)) and will rebuild them as in former times. 8 I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me, and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. 9 This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.
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