Monday

If the posts keep getting shorter and contain less detail, there is good reason - We started at 5 AM (4 AM at home) and ended today at 10 PM (9 PM at home).  Our team is tired physically, but alive spiritually.  Today was a great day of ministry. 

We began our day by serving a breakfast and sharing our testimonies with the workers of a teenage prison.  This prison is where the worst of the worst go, but the good news of Jesus was able to penetrate the darkness here.  Our team was able to interact with some of the teens present, and present the gospel.  We passed out many tracts.  Ultimately, we were able to come alongside a missionary who spends her time at the prison, and give her encouragement and help in this crucial ministry.

We then went to the center of Porto Alegre, which also happens to be the center of witchcraft and spiritism within the state.  Our missionary, Jeff, showed us just how pervasive witchcraft had become, in everything from magazine racks to seemingly normal shops.  Acknowledged or not, this place has a huge cultural influence on the people in Porto Alegre, as Satan has a firm grasp on too many hearts.

We then met up with a church planter and his family.  The church plant is in the earliest stages of forming.  The major strategy being employed right now is relationship building, accomplished by shopping and eating at the same places and meeting the same people over and over.  We were able to eat at the same restaurant twice, get our hair and nails done at a local salon, and share the gospel with multiple shop owners in the area.  We also made evangelistic visits to various groups in the evening, once again sharing the hope of Jesus with those who need it desparately.  Without going into a lot of detail, the church planter was able to quickly reflect on multiple things that happened today that he deemed "miracles." 

Please continue to pray for the team, for spiritual and physical endurance.  Pray constantly for the people of this city, that these churches would grow through the spread of the gospel message.  Pray for the workers and pastors of these churches.  They do not carry the burden to push back the gates of hell lightly. 

Be encouraged to go out in the next day our two, and INTENTIONALLY share what Jesus has done in your life.  You can do this in a few minutes through simply talking to others.