Since I have been here in Sao Paulo I have struggled with this concept of a story. It seems like every time I talk to someone, they either have this amazing story to tell me about God, or they expect me to have one. Last week I was talking to a friend back home and they said, “Do you have any cool stories about sharing the gospel or something crazy happening.” My heart was heavy when I thought to myself, “I can’t answer that question because I don’t.” I felt horrible inside. To think that I had been on the mission field for a month and didn’t have a story was killing me. I even cried out to God begging Him to give me something that would make a great story. Then I realized what the problem was. It was ME!!!!!!!! I was looking in all the wrong places for my story. I wanted some amazing story about how all these people got saved. Realize this, I DO want people to get saved, but the story God gave me doesn’t revolve around that. God showed me that he had put me right in the middle of one of the greatest stories ever. To see this story though, I had to put behind me that “traditional ministry” thought of sharing the gospel and everyone getting saved. So….. God said to me, “you want a story? Look around you and pay attention to what I am doing.” And that is exactly what I did.
So I am on this quest to find this story to tell everyone, and two days ago it slapped me right in the face. As I was talking to my friend Chris I saw my story unfold right in front of my face. My story goes a little something like this……..
It starts with a group of people that are so desperate to see the Lord move in their life that they will do anything! I MEAN ANYTHING!!!!!!!! A year and a half ago my friends were sitting around talking and one of them purposed that the Lord wanted them to start a church. At first they were kinda iffy about this idea but they put their trust in the Lord and did what he was commanding them to do. They started the church called ZOE! They had absolutely no idea what they were doing, but they knew that the Lord would see them through. Three weeks ago I was able to take part in my first ZOE church service. There were 32 people there! 32!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing to see what God is does when you follow Him.
Now here is my favorite part of the story. It’s the people from ZOE. I told you at the beginning that they were desperate for God; here is why I say that. I have a friend Marcia; I can’t remember a day since I have been here that she hasn’t sent me a text message talking about somewhere that she saw God that day. Marcia is constantly looking for God and he is constantly revealing himself to her. Then there is my friend Filipe. Filipe lives over two hours away from our house. Yet somehow for some reason he will get on the metro and come see us almost 3 times a week. I hope you understand the magnitude of this. He will travel a minimum of 4 hours, just to be a part of what God is doing here! Then there is Junior. Junior works at a bank in the financial district here. Junior almost every day covers a shift for a co-worker on top of doing his work. And at the end of a 9 hour day of working 2 jobs at once, he invites his co-workers to come hang out with us. I know that sounds simple, but he is exhausted and still he brings his friends just to hang out hoping that they will catch a glimpse of Jesus in one of us and desire to have that.
Last but not least is my favorite person in this story, Leticia. Leticia is that person who will do anything for anyone that needs help. Leticia works at a daycare as well as attending Mackenzie University. Leticia’s desire to see God move never stops! On Mondays she comes from school straight to Starbucks where we meet on Monday nights. She always has a story about talking to a friend about Christ that day. Sometimes she even gets random people that she just met hours ago to come to hang out with us. Every Thursday we meet her on campus and she takes us out with a group of her school friends, just to build purposeful relationships. PAY ATTENTION to what I am about to write!!!! Every day, no matter what, Leticia goes to the same grocery store just to buy one item. And every day she goes through the same line just to talk to the same guy (Darlon) that she has been trying to win to the Lord. Is that not a passion to see the Lord work? I told you about the first ZOE I went to that had 32 people. Well Darlon was one of those 32! All because Leticia every day honors what the Lord ask of her by going to that grocery store and just simply talking to Darlon.
This is my story!!!! A story of a group of people that love the Lord God with all their heart, with all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength!
So I am on this quest to find this story to tell everyone, and two days ago it slapped me right in the face. As I was talking to my friend Chris I saw my story unfold right in front of my face. My story goes a little something like this……..
It starts with a group of people that are so desperate to see the Lord move in their life that they will do anything! I MEAN ANYTHING!!!!!!!! A year and a half ago my friends were sitting around talking and one of them purposed that the Lord wanted them to start a church. At first they were kinda iffy about this idea but they put their trust in the Lord and did what he was commanding them to do. They started the church called ZOE! They had absolutely no idea what they were doing, but they knew that the Lord would see them through. Three weeks ago I was able to take part in my first ZOE church service. There were 32 people there! 32!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing to see what God is does when you follow Him.
Now here is my favorite part of the story. It’s the people from ZOE. I told you at the beginning that they were desperate for God; here is why I say that. I have a friend Marcia; I can’t remember a day since I have been here that she hasn’t sent me a text message talking about somewhere that she saw God that day. Marcia is constantly looking for God and he is constantly revealing himself to her. Then there is my friend Filipe. Filipe lives over two hours away from our house. Yet somehow for some reason he will get on the metro and come see us almost 3 times a week. I hope you understand the magnitude of this. He will travel a minimum of 4 hours, just to be a part of what God is doing here! Then there is Junior. Junior works at a bank in the financial district here. Junior almost every day covers a shift for a co-worker on top of doing his work. And at the end of a 9 hour day of working 2 jobs at once, he invites his co-workers to come hang out with us. I know that sounds simple, but he is exhausted and still he brings his friends just to hang out hoping that they will catch a glimpse of Jesus in one of us and desire to have that.
Last but not least is my favorite person in this story, Leticia. Leticia is that person who will do anything for anyone that needs help. Leticia works at a daycare as well as attending Mackenzie University. Leticia’s desire to see God move never stops! On Mondays she comes from school straight to Starbucks where we meet on Monday nights. She always has a story about talking to a friend about Christ that day. Sometimes she even gets random people that she just met hours ago to come to hang out with us. Every Thursday we meet her on campus and she takes us out with a group of her school friends, just to build purposeful relationships. PAY ATTENTION to what I am about to write!!!! Every day, no matter what, Leticia goes to the same grocery store just to buy one item. And every day she goes through the same line just to talk to the same guy (Darlon) that she has been trying to win to the Lord. Is that not a passion to see the Lord work? I told you about the first ZOE I went to that had 32 people. Well Darlon was one of those 32! All because Leticia every day honors what the Lord ask of her by going to that grocery store and just simply talking to Darlon.
This is my story!!!! A story of a group of people that love the Lord God with all their heart, with all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength!
