The Realization

We’ve started our Thursday Night Discipleship Meetings again. We had taken a break over the Summer (remember, the seasons are opposite from the US here) but we’ve been going again for 3 weeks now. We’ve re-vamped the whole structure of what and how we minister to the students that come too. We’ve added AWANA style games up front, we’ve added video elements to our pre-service and worship time, we’re doing more updated worship in Portuguese and changed the teaching so that it’s more intentional (from a discipleship standpoint). It’s definitely taken something that was good to something “mo betta” (for all my white friends, that means it’s better than before. haha!). To see the students (and the handful of adults) worshipping and listening to the Word in this little schoolhouse in the middle of the jungle is an amazing sight.

After service last week we were all just hanging-out and fellowshipping, the music was playing and the kids were all out in front of the school laughing and playing, and it hit me... if we weren’t here, there would be “zero” Gospel being presented here on the mountain and in these kid’s lives. They would have no chance to hear about Christ and what it looks like to follow Him. They’d be lost. And, as much as we try not to think about it, there is a Hell and without Jesus that’s where all these kids would be headed. That’s a pretty overwhelming thought. And what an honor and a privilege to be the ones called to be here. To think that God (The God of the universe) chose us to be the ones to move a continent away to tell these people about Him... wow. It still blows my mind. If you could hear these kids all singing and see them lifting their hands in worship... man, it’s hard not to cry. The altar was full last night as we challenged them to wholeheartedly follow Jesus too. To see kids in the altar crying and going after God made all the difficulties we’ve been facing as a family seem so insignificant. God is so good.

So, every time I have one of those “what the heck are we doing here” moments, those are the things I need to recall. The memory of all these kids getting a chance. A chance to experience and know Jesus! I want that to always be a realization to me. Because it’s one thing to sacrifice everything for God but it’s another thing to be able to realize and be focused on what it’s for, right?

Thanks again to everyone who supports us so that we can be here fulfilling the Great Commission and for all the lives that are being impacted. We couldn’t do it without you.

Love Ya!

Jim and MJ

PS - The pics up top are of the meeting last week. The one with students dancing up front was during a worship song that we started doing that has a lot of hand motions with it. The one with the boys in glasses were of our kids performing a drama that went along with the message and the other one is of me and my nephew (Shepard) who was translating for me during the sermon.