Most recently (the period that I didn´t have Internet) I had the joy/privilege/opportunity to return to Juazeiro do Norte--the city I first came to in Brazil! I was able to connect with some of the people that I met and stayed with back in 2006...it was GREAT! I returned to help coordinate an evangelism project in the city. There are almost 10,000 deaf people in the city and most of them don´t know Jesus. I was very sad to find out that many of the people who were part of the deaf church back in 2006 are not part of the church any more. In talking with them, it is obvious that there is a lack of understanding about what it means to be born again -- about what it means to have a relationship with God.
The project was similar to the project that was held in Rio in July. This time there was a group of 22 volunteers from all over Brazil who spent 15 days doing door-to-door evangelism and a census of where the deaf people are in Juazeiro do Norte. This time I was able to go out and participate in the "grunt work" as well as helping to coordinate. God opened so many doors for us in unexpected ways. One example is that during the second week one of the volunteers (Graziele, a young deaf woman from Rio) had her cell phone stolen while I was with her. We were able to report it to the police that night and were told that we needed to go to the police department to file a report the next day. When we got there we went in to the office of the woman responsible for filing the reports and were conversing in sign language while we were waiting our turn. She (the officer who was taking the reports) kept looking at us with more than normal curiosity. When it was our turn she asked us who we were and where we were from. I started explaining the project, but she interrupted and said "my son is deaf!". Needless to say, our conversation was much longer than the normal, but everyone in the line behind us didn´t seem to mind!
Another example of God opening doors is when Graziele and I went to a further out neighborhood in search of a deaf woman who had been part of the church in 2006. We spent some time with her and had the opportunity to share with her more about what it means to have a relationship with God. She didn´t want to decide anything in the moment, but told us that there was another deaf boy who lived close by. We wanted to take advantage of being so close by and went in search of the boy. We finally found his house (after being directed to the house of his grandmother and her leading us, in person, to the house of her grandson), but his mother was cleaning the house and seemed reluctant to let us in. I told her that it wasn´t a problem that we could sit outside, but that we just wanted to talk to her son. We sat out in front of the house in the shade of a tree and, as is common there, there were about 3 other woman also sitting in the shade of the same tree. We began talking to the deaf boy, asking him what he knew about God and sin. I decided to interpret what was being said in sign language for the women present. Before I knew it there was a captive audience of over 10 people -- men, women and children -- all listening attentively to what was being said. They said they wanted us to come back the next day and the next and were eager to understand more. They were all part of the catholic church close by, but said they wanted to hear more. We returned for the next two days and explained more of God´s plan of salvation to the "hearers" as well as Junior (the deaf boy). On the third day 6 of the people (including Junior) said they wanted to accept Jesus as their personal savior and Lord! The pastor of the church we were working with is now going to be in contact with these people to continue the work that was started!
There are so many stories of how God worked during this two-week period. I don´t have access to the photos right now, but I will post pictures on my blog and more stories.
Please pray for continued guidance and direction.
I love you all and miss you!
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