the scoop

We left for Brazil without much to say about what we would be doing or why we were going. After being here for almost 3 months, it is about time we told you at least what we know now.

Why we are here:
As far as we have figured out right now, we are here to learn. We have been trying to think of it like we are students here; learning about God and life and each other. We arrived here and the ministry didn’t have much for us to do. So I just got to work learning Portuguese and Michael decided to take up guitar. It is still hard to get used to getting up in the morning and having nothing that anyone needs you to do. Especially after being so busy all summer. But that it is part of the learning. That it’s not what we do that defines our value, and we don’t always have to be making money – God is our Father and he loves us and takes care of us wherever he leads us.
What we have decided to do is spend some time every day in the worship centre, with God. This is a rare opportunity to have so much time everyday and to have a worship centre that’s open all day, where we can just go and hang out with God. And if we’re here to learn, we might as well learn all we can.

What is the House of David:
This is the ministry that we are working/learning with. They are a prophetic ministry that travels around giving conferences all over Brazil. Their vision has really been to prepare the Church for the return of Christ. They teach what worship is. How worshipping and interceding to God attracts the presence of God, and how that presence can change a church, a city and a nation. As the Lord inhabits the praises of his people, their intention is to have the Lord inhabit their very lives, transforming lives around them. They teach what holiness is; that the Lord really wants us to be holy and requires our repentance with a humble and contrite spirit. They teach living out that repentance in radical ways, while still living in and making a difference in the world, but not succumbing to every temptation within. Basically, they are a very simple, complex, humble, confronting, peaceful and extremely passionate Christian ministry. Not a church, not just a worship centre, not a denomination, and not a new philosophy. But a prophetic ministry doing what God has asked them to do; worship the Lord and ask Brazil to worship with them.

Who we are living with:
We are living with Mike and Connie Shea and their son Benjamin. They are the founders of the ministry that we are working with. It is also the same family that Michael lived with when he was here three years ago. It has been a great opportunity to live with them, Mike has become our Brazilian father and Michael has always respected him. Connie runs a tight ship here at the Shea residence and we’ve always been so grateful for her love and organization here in the house. Ben, well Ben is just great. A nineteen year old kid who loves guitars, bmx bikes, God, and his future wife (wherever she is).

Plans for the next few months:
Much to our joy, there will be some work for us to do when we get back from traveling with my parents. Andrea will get to do some accounting work on excel for the ministry and Michael has some maps to make. Needless to say, we are both really excited about these opportunities to serve here. We’re also quite excited about the opportunity to see the parents and travel with them throughout the south of Brazil.

Conclusion:
The Lord is good and his love endures forever.