Moving into the House! and new meaning for Mark 9

So I wanted to start again by thanking everyone for all their prayers and support. After a little over a month here I will be finally moving into the community house (Casa Esperança) on Tuesday to stay there for the next 5 months. I felt compelled to share the following story with you and would ask for your prayers for Buraco Quente (literally hot hole, figuratively hell hole) where I will be staying. I am a bit afraid to take pictures there so I haven't yet, but maybe I can steal some from someone else who lives there. I wrote this story down right after it happened and here is what I wrote:

Wow, I've never seen anything like that and my heart is still beating a few beats too fast. I was working on the plan for Radicais Teens (the bible club for older kids run through my community house) when Valdir (late twenties, been married 2 years, him and his wife are considered the pastors/leaders of the house and plan on staying there long term) came to me and said something that I didn't quite understand I knew something was wrong with somebody in the community and need prayer, but I didn't understand the word for what was wrong with him. We went downstairs and we prayed as a group and still that one word tripped me up and I didn't understand what was going on. I walked out of the house with Everton (another one of the guys that lives in the house, mid 20's and engaged, hoping to go to India or China as a missionary with his soon to be wife) and Valdir, not knowing what to expect. We walked through the small plaza in the middle of the favela and everything raced through my mind about what might be wrong and then as we turned one of the many corners in the labyrinth that is the favela I saw him, I immediately knew why we were there, my heart stopped. Blood spilled from the side of his head, I later learned it came when just before we got there he smashed a brick on his head. As he walked towards the three of us I noticed that there was something about the way he walked that just didn't seem human.



I can't explain it, I've never seen anything like it before. He approached us grumbling words that I couldn't understand, not sure if it was Portuguese or just nonsense. He approached Everton, got in his face and said something about our God being weak, he then stared at Valdir and then into my eyes. I froze I did not know what to do. I felt like the disciples in Mark 9, just completely unable to know what to do. I was scared for my physical well being and just felt a spiritual weight I've never before experienced. He continued shouting how God was powerless and that he was working for God's adversary. He moved around almost on all fours, moving in a Gollum like fashion. Blood continued to drip down his face as he gathered a group of candles in his hand, the candles were red on the top and black on the bottom. He slammed his lighter on the ground in his closed fist and began lighting the candles. Again I couldn't really make out what he was saying, but is movements continued to be from another world. He again got up into Everton's face, gave him a light headbutt and just stared him down. I tried my best not to let the terror that was in my soul be seen in my face as I began to pray for him, pray for the demon to leave him.



I went over Mark 9 in my head, the verse came to my head where Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes" and I found myself saying "I believe, help my unbelief." One image that sticks in my head was the look on Everton's face, he knew that there was something wrong, but he stared into the guy's eyes with no fear, confident in the power of God to protect him. I continued to pray through my doubts and fears, I didn't really have the words to say, but I was praying all the same. The guys began slamming his hand on the ground and licking his dirty bloodied hand. At this point quite a crowd had gathered, keeping their distance, peaking around the twists and turns of the labyrinth that is the favela to see what would happen. I continued to pray, I don't think I've ever been further out of my comfort zone. I had tried to keep a low profile in the favela, going about my ministry with the kids, but trying not to draw too much attention as there had been some problems with foreigners in the favela; whatever there might have been of the low profile was most certainly gone. I felt helpless and felt like I was in a different world. My Portuguese just didn't seem to come to me and I was just unsure of what was happening before my very eyes and so I just continued to pray. Valdir told me several times to restrain the guy (or at least I think that is what he said), but I was afraid that could go awry and remembered from the Bible that demon possessed people often have supernatural strength. I continued to pray as he picked up a brick and continued to yell that our God was not powerful.



My heart beat continued to grow louder and I felt like it might leave my chest. I felt so untested, so blind to the spiritual world, so unequipped to deal with such a thing, inept to do anything but mutter a few words of a simple prayer. I was standing right next to him, about an arm's length, he with brick in hand and I unsure of his intentions. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but felt like I should be there ready to act. He lifted the brick in the air, ready to launch it, continuing to stare at Everton who remained stoic, unflinching. He continued to say that Jesus had more power than that thing which possessed him, saying it was not him (Everton), but Jesus who had the power. He shouted that this spirit was not welcome here in this community, that it must leave and that Jesus had to power over him. Then the guys hand began to move and the brick smashed into the ground inches from my foot and the guy stepped back. Then an older lady (whom I later learned had similarly made a pact with the devil) stepped in front of him and the guy seemed to surrender before her. I didn't manage to understand what she said, unsure if it was even Portuguese. Then Everton, Valdir and I stretched our hands out over him and began to pray over him as he convulsed on the ground. He shook for about 15 seconds before getting up, looking dazed, as if he were just waking up and didn't know where he was.



Then he came over to the three of us and said we didn't have any power that a pastor already came once and couldn't cast this thing from him and added at the end "This is me speaking as myself now."

He then walked off with a woman who I think was his mom asking for a glass of water and to take a bath. As the three of us (Valdir , Everton and I) turned and walked back to the house passing many a curious onlooker and felt such an unrest and unease in my heart. I later learned that this guy was named Giló and was once very involved in the church, but that now he was one of the leaders of the drug trafficking that goes on every day very openly in my neighborhood. Every day as I wind through the maze of the favela before going up a steep path to exit to a nearby road I pass a guy with a bag of various drugs and another guy with a big wad of cash in his hand. I learned that this particular guy was very powerful in the community and that he had made some sort of pact with the devil and had started to suffer from these sorts of possessions. We all returned to the house staring at each other and not speaking a word, we seemed to look deeply into each other's eyes and communicate more than words could have done. When finally someone else said a word we agreed that we needed to address this issue as a house and decided that prayer and fasting was the only way. I decided that I really need to be praying and in the word more. Seeing the enemy or some sort of representation of him just reinforced to me how powerful our God is and how much I need Him. I ask for your prayers for Giló, for all the drug traffickers and conusemers as well as strength, safety, wisdom, courage and protection for myself and my community house that we might truly be the Casa Esperança (house of hope) for our community.

One month and getting adjusted

Wow, so I can't believe its been nearly a month since I left the US to start my 11 month or so journey in various parts of Latin America. It hard to believe how time goes by so quickly. My camera has decided to not work correctly so for the time being I don't have any pictures to post, but I do have some ministry updates. First, I spent this weekend from Thursday till yesterday staying at the Casa Esperança (community house in the slum) and working with them for the whole weekend. On Thursday I went into the soccer ministry for the afternoon which went well and then returned to the house, helped one of the girls at the house runs some errands and pick up stuff for the next days events before returning to the hosue for a quick dinner before a community game night Around 15 kids and teens came over to the house to play Uno, Jenga, some card games and ping pong (a make shift net on the dining room table). It was fun and I continue to get to know the people better. I taught some of the kids how to play round robin on the ping pong table and they quickly learned the game and enjoyed running around the table and trying to hit the ball. Then on Thursday evening I went and played some midnight soccer with a bunch of people from my church and other local Mennonite churches. Its funny that I ended up going to a Mennonite church near the slum community the church is called (translated from its portuguese name) the Good News Christian Community and is one of several mennonite churches in Sao Paulo. I have been reading a lot about the anabaptist movements and especially about the quaker and mennonite traditions so it has been interesting to land in such a church (although on any given sunday morning it seems like a pretty typical middle class church, even though it neighbors a few slum communities there are also some wealthy to middle class apartment complexes in the same area). Back to the soccer, I went to the soccer game with Valdir who along with his wife are kinda the leaders of the community house, I was nervous to play soccer with real Brasilians and play as an adult (not as a kid when I play with the guys I'm coaching and can't play my hardest). I didn't know how my skills would hold up, but after I netted my first goal I got comfortable and at one point scored maybe 5 out of 6 goals scored and I think left for the night having scored near the most if not the most. It was cool to just feel accepted and that my soccer skills can carry over to Brasil (even if that night's competition wasn't all that strong). This sounds like an odd detail to write about, but for me it was an encouragement and great to meet a few more guys from the church (as I feel a lack of peer age guy fellowship). Then on Friday morning I skipped the soccer ministry to help out with the Kid's day (yup they have one here and I think in most of the world, while the US parent says every day is kids day, here they celebrate one in particular). I dressed up sort of like a clown and just helped out at a kids day party at the preschool run out of the community house for kids in the community. They even had a party bouncing trampoline thing, some typical Brasilian desserts and we watched Madagascar in Portuguese (which I for the most part understood). Then after a quick lunch with the rest of the preschool teachers I went off to soccer on Friday afternoon, returned back friday evening to go to a neighboring favela to remind some of the teens about the sunday youth group meeting. Friday night we had our in house Bible study which ended with a visit from someone who had never been to the house, but heard about it and came with her son who just got out of the hospital, she said she never was a Christian, but just wanted someone to pray for her son.
Saturday morning, I slept in a little (till like 8) and then got up to help plan the days events, help clean the house and then had our kids club on saturday afternoon, watched a movie with some of the kids afterwards and then prepared for our Saturday night community church service. Maybe some 25 people came to the service. Sunday morning I went to the mennonite church and then helped with the older kids group before returning to the missionaries house last night. It was a great weekend to spent at the house and I'm hoping to be able to move in there shortly.

Some other brief highlights from my 4 day stay in the house. Walking past the main place where they sell drugs and there is a bar a guy shouted something at me, I didn't understand him and kept walking until he repeated it and then I understood. He asked me if I was a missionary, I told him I was and we talked for a while, he welcomed me to the community and was happy I wanted to become a part of it, he told me I had a good heart and that he'd see me around (his name is Claudio, he's a really nice guy maybe in his mid 50's, drinks but not usually visably drunk and seems to know everyone, would ask for prayer for him). Also one time when I was coming home from soccer I must have seen like 5 or 6 kids walking through the labyrinth (more on that on a later entry, but basically its all a maze inside to confuse the police) of the favela I heard several voices yell out "hey tio" which means uncle and is an affectionate way to great people older than you. It felt great to walk through there and not feel scared, but to recognize some smiling faces. I will continue to keep you updated. Much love and God bless.

Jesus es meu amado, Jesus, nunca te deixarei

Hey all, i hope all is well with you. I continue to grow in my knowledge and understanding of the portuguese language and Brasilian culture, although I most certainly have a long way to go. I am still trying to define my ministry and figure out what exactly I'll be doing for the next 5+ months. This week I started working with a futsol (sort of indoor soccer, the world cup of futsol is being played in Brasil right now), its the most played sport here, much more popular than soccer on a big field because its played on a basketball sized field and is a 5v5 game. I am learning how to play and working as an assisant coach at the same time. The ball movement and defense seem more related to ice hockey than soccer and I'm getting the hang of it the more I watch and play. The ministry I'm working with has ballet classes, a computer lab, daily meals as well as a variety of soccer teams for kids from several neigboring favelas (slums) here in Sao Paulo. I am mainly right now working with kids from another favela (not the one with the community house I want to live in), its been neat getting to know the kids a bit, we start each practice with a miny Bible study and a prayer and then start training. John, the missionary I'm working with, seems to be thinking about starting a new community house in this favela and wants me to be one of the people to start it. The idea is pretty exciting although not exactly what I was expecting to do, the frustrating part about it is that I can only be here for 6 months and so even if it really took off I would have to leave in the middle of it all. I continue to work on Saturday and Sunday with the Casa Esperança (the house I thought I'd live in) working with both a kids and teenage group. I have enjoyed getting to know the people in the community house better as well as the kids and youth group. I find that conversations in Portuguese are getting easier although my vocabulary still leaves something to be desired. In one on one situations my understanding of the language is pretty high, but I still struggle to keep up in a situation where a lot of people are talking at once. I can get around on the buses now at least to the limited places I need to go and am hoping to have a chance to explore the city a bit more. I am attending a middle class mennonite church that is like a 5 minute walk from the community house and where several of the kids from the favela attend. I met the pastors of that church this week and hope to get involved some there too. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Much love and God bless.

Two week update

hey all, so its been two weeks since I left my house in the US and I just wanted to give another update of how things are going. I have spent a lot of my time staying at Misão Servos (the brasilian missions agency I am working with, they have missionaries currently in Mexico, India, China and Senegal). I have met several missionary candidates there and have been helping with the maintenance of the compound (maintaining a rather intricate well system, cleaning a big fish pond sort of thing, cleaning out rabbit cages, picking up dog, chicken, and various kinds of duck poop as well as feeding the animals and doing whatever I can to help out. I've been spending the weekends staying at the favela (slum) and working with the ministry there and continue to really just enjoy working with the the people there. There still seems to be some difficulty with me moving in there permanently so for now I spend the weekends there and am coping with not being there all the time. I will hopefully start working with a soccer ministry this week that uses a soccer training center for ministry to favela kids. I'm hoping to visit that favela today (its a neigboring one to the one I'll hopefully be living in) and start working with the ministry soon. Kinda funny to have an American teaching Brasilian kids to play soccer. Right now I am at the John's house (missionary I was in contact with) and might be staying here for a bit b/c his father in law is sick and so his wife went to be with him (she's Swiss) so i'm helping him out around the house and with the kids. I continue to ask for prayer for my ministry situation to become more defined as well as my living arrangement. Some days I feel great about my progress here with the language and culture and some days I feel kinda depressed. This is a terrible thing to say, but I miss being around people that speak the language worse than I do. Here I am only around native speakers or people that have been here for long enough to be near native level and so I feel like I am the only one that is struggling with the language which is difficult for me, but a humbling experience for sure. There is one guy in the ministry house, Fabio, who I have really connected with, he's a musical genius (taught himself the piano and guitar just by listening to music and learned english and spanish the same way). He's a great guy with a heart for God and a desire to minister in Mexico City. Its funny how here I have found two friends that want to go to Mexico City to be missionaries. Small world, anyways I gotta run, but just wanted to give a brief update. Much love and God bless.