Freedom

Things in Brazil have been going great! The other night our big event went really well. I would guess there were over 200 people there, including some guys from a drug rehab center which we would visit the next day. Something pretty cool happened which we thought was a mistake but the Lord totally used it for good. During the In the Light drama, the CD totally skipped back a ways at the part where the Bad Girl is forced by Satan to drink, smoke, and do drugs. We panicked a bit but kept on going with the drinking and smoking....thus making this part seem really long and over exaggerated! What we didn´t know is that God used this to speak to the drug rehab men.



The next morning we went to the rehab center to eat breakfast, worship, and have devo with the men. About 40 men (ages 12-50) live in a house trying to break free from chemical addictions. There we learned how much the drama meant to them. The drama club of the center even wants to learn In the Light to present at churches, etc. It was cool how God used what we thought was a mistake for His good to impact the men even more.



The Lord really spoke to my heart while we were worshipping with the men at the rehab center. I was awed by how passionately the men worshipped and praised the Lord. I thought about how they truly know the meaning of freedom from sin and addiction. After taking it all in for a moment, I realized that I know the same freedom in Christ that these men know! It may not be drug addiction, but I should praise the Lord just as passionately because He has freed me completely from all my sins just as He has freed these men from addiction! How often I forget this and don´t worship as I should with true gratitude of the freedom and victory I have in Christ!



Yesterday we had the chance to speak at 2 youth groups. One of them is with a church that we aren´t working with directly. However, Ellen informed us that when the pastor of that church heard we were coming he wanted to help out. His church has donated 600 Reals (about $400) to Ellen´s family to help with costs such transporting us to and from the airport (about 5 hours from the town we are staying in). The Lord has provided in amazing ways for us on this journey!

Our time in Brazil is almost up...I can´t believe it. Ellen´s family and the Brazilian people have truly been a blessing to our team. They have taught me a whole lot about hospitality and what it means to love people like they are a part of your own family. We have about 2 more days with them and then will fly out to Peru (our last stop)! I will definitely miss Ellen and my Brazilian family!!! Until Peru...