A Love Banquet

Jesus is so beautiful!! His presence is so sweet and the way he moves is so perfect. And all that He does is for His glory. Even our very existence is to bring Him glory; we are made in His image. Sometimes we think we aren't able or don't have the talents to serve God or to fulfill a task that He is calling us to. I know I have many times doubted myself. But then there is GOD. He is the one who gives you every talent and ability you need, because after all....it is for His glory, and HIS ALONE!!!

Here at IRIS this month, our desire was to pour out that sweet presence and love over the women on the streets of Fortaleza by throwing them a love banquet. Most importantly was that these precious souls would simply be overwhelmed by the love of the Savior and that they would be set free in His name! Lorelei and her team of girls run a weekly evangelistic ministry to the prostitutes on the streets, so this banquet was a continuation of this ministry.

Only 6 days before the event, everyone here on base began preparations for the banquet. We split up in groups according to our gifts and talents and went to work. Elisio and I volunteered to head up the decoration part of the banquet and we had a team of workers so willing to help. With little money for each group it was a challenge but we were determined that God would provide and multiply and that He did! But more than simply the money, I doubted myself and my ability to lead something like this. And then God reminded me of why we joined IRIS in the first place: to get out of our comfort zones and grow in the things God is calling us to. So trusting in my Father, we planned and bought all we needed. And when we thought we wouldn't have enough money, God multiplied. We ended up buying a few materials for some of the other groups and still had money left over in the end. God is Good! Even the fridge was full of food with a magnificent menu set up to show these ladies the best that we had to offer them! When it came time to set up for the banquet, everyone's creative hands began working and helping; from timely small details to climbing ladders in order to hang fabric to hanging from the ceiling to create a photo booth. Our desire was to make the room look like a wedding reception in order to emphasize the love of Jesus as a bridegroom and how much He wants them!

So finally the decorations were all set, the food ready and smelling wonderful, the music was chosen specifically, the speaker was ready, and our prayer team was on fire to begin intercession for the girls.  The speaker was a former prostitute whom one of our guys met the week before the event. She left prostitution and drugs in the last 2 years and is now married to a pastor and has a desire to use her experience to help others. We began praying and waiting for the girls who had been invited. One girl showed up and we rejoiced! As we lavished love on her in our homemade beauty salon and massage parlor and photo booth, we continued praying for more girls. When no more girls came, we went out onto the streets to invite more. One more girl (this time a transvestite) came back with us. Again, we rejoiced and loved on her as well. Dinner was served, we went through the program and had a time of worship with the girls and then they left. It was tempting to become disappointed as our human eyes did not see the results we desired. But God is faithful and in talking to some of the girls from the Exodus Cry team, we decided that it was definitely worth it simply because of Jesus. I remembered while I was setting up the tables I had a strong sensation as if we were setting up for a wedding feast for real, and at the same time I had the thought "but who is the bride?" That's when JESUS came so plainly into my mind and we are his bride. So it truly was a time of worshipping Him and rejoicing at his love and greatness.

Some went to bed, as it was late, but continued in a spirit of prayer and thanksgiving. But others went back out onto the streets to invite even more girls. Thirty minutes later, the team returns with 2 young girls!!!!! We scrambled to reset the tables and heat up the food for the girls. Since there was less people, we had such a wonderful, intimate, and prolonged party with these precious girls. We began doing their nails and giving them massages, all the while talking and just enjoying one another! During a meaningful conversation of sharing testimonies, the Holy Spirit began touching their hearts in such a beautiful way, breaking down walls and softening their hearts to His love. His Spirit led them to a place of repentance and they both accepted Christ as their Savior, declaring that they desired to leave their life of prostitution and wanting everything God had to offer them. They simply said YES to Jesus!

We could not have planned a better outcome, all we could do what praise our Father and fall on our faces before Him. His ways are perfect! Even when we make plans, His are so much better. Wow!!

AMOR

LOVE:  

We cant touch it, count it, bottle it, or even see it! But who among us would argue that love is not real?

LOVE:

It makes sane people say and do crazy things. It prompts selfish people to do noble things. What else on earth has that kind of power?

LOVE:

It can hurt like nothing else in the world. And yet, paradoxically, not loving is much more painful.

LOVE:

The most talked-about theme in the world. as well as the most understood.

LOVE:

I John, the most eloquent description of love ever penned.

LOVE:

Its not everything you think it is. Its more....much, much more!!!

This was the introduction to the book of I John in my Bible and i do not think it could be said more perfectly what love is. Except for maybe I John 3:11-17 which talks about the love we are called to have to one another. "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sister." Love is the sum of all commandments 1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength 2. and love your neighbor as yourself!!! 

I am also reading "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young and it talks about the power of love in our lives. We, as humans, were made to be loved. So to live as though we are unloved is a limitation...it is like a bird who's wings are being clipped, and thus stripped of its ability to fly. The author goes on to talk about the trinity and why it is important to have 3 Gods in one. If there were only one God, we would find ourselves without love and relationship. "Love and relationship is possible for you only because it already exists in Me(God)!.....I am Love"(p.101) So if God did not have a someone to love, or a relationship within Himself, than He would not be capable of love at all. Then we would serve a God who could not love and would therefore act without love. "this would be a disaster"!!! God CANNOT act apart from love. This chapter gave me a new perspective on the love of God and how it is intrinsically woven into relationships and into who God has made us to be.

These kids here at the Davis Lar show so much love to me every day. On my birthday back in August, i got a million hugs, cards, and birthday wishes...along with a little party! Some of them even gave me little presents of the little that they have. It was a humbling and very emotional day (also because of it being my last day here before going home for over a month)! So some of them were even crying....their love is incredibly faithful and pure in spite of all they have been though though and I am honored to be a part of their lives.

Sabrina and Lenita

Naiara

Luana and Edna

The All Loving Junior Girls

Dalmo

One Amazing Family: Josiel, Josenildo, and Josenilda

Always happy Jeferson

Silly Natalia

Naiane

Edna

It is only Christ's love in me that loves on these kids every day!! Because with my own strength, I would get frustrated and upset often. :) Love is a strong word, and it is a scary, vulnerable place to really open your heart up and truly LoVe!! But when i read passages like I John and the chapter about love in "The Shack" I am completely humbled by God's love for me and the fact that Jesus chose to limit himself to a human being in order to relate to me and show us the ultimate act of love! It is because of this love that I am able and even know how to love!


Deus te Abencoe
(: Liss :)

*ChAngE ! ! ! !

"Every time I figure out where it's at, they move it!"


The word "change" has been a common theme in my life over the past while....not just in my life but in the lives of people around me and thus affecting my life!! But whether its a good or a bad change, change is a good thing!! We cant always control what changes in our lives, especially when that change is a result of a decision someone else in our lives made. But we can control how we react to that change; im not saying that this is always easy bc it definitely is not. And i find it interesting how at times we go through life saying "i will never change who I am or the way that I act." Because while we may not want to change, we always change in some way....just think back to the way you were even a year ago and see if you dont notice at least some sort of change in the person you are. And most of the time the reason we change as a person is because of other CHANGES in our lives that caused us to change. And i cant let God out of this topic, because He is the one who can make the biggest change in our lives if we let Him. There is the initial change that He makes at salvation, but then He continues to change who we are as we grow in Him. And while he is constantly changing us, unfortunately we listen to other people and things in our lives and make a few changes in the other direction. But these changes still aren't bad because God can bring the most beauty out of them. I feel like I am talking in circles, but what I really wanted to say was that EVERYTHING changes in our lives (even ourselves), whether we want them to or not!! But I am so glad that there is one thing that will never change: and that is GOD! He says 

"I am the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!"

Being here at the Lar, I especially appreciate change. If it weren't for change, these children would still be in their old homes and situations. It is so interesting to watch as new kids come to the Lar...how they change while adjusting to things here and test their boundaries. But even kids who have been here for years go through changes as they grow and cry out for attention. Some of these changes are definitely not good, yet I can see God working in each of their lives. He has brought them out of horrific situations, but we try not to let the kids focus on their past. While it defines who they were and where they came from, it does NOT have to define who they are now nor their futures!! So in order to do this, we have to help them to change the mindsets of where they came from. 

Anyway! :) This has nothing to do with the recent change on facebook, its just something ive been thinking about lately. ;) haha So let's embrace change for what it is...a part of life!! Take the changes that come our way and make the best of them, trusting that good will come out of it...at least someday!! 

I want to say Congratulations to one of my best friends and for the biggest change in her life:

Jeremiah Tait (born September 20, 2011)!! I love you Megs...you are gonna be a great momma! And you are a true example of taking a difficult change in your life and making it a beautiful picture of God's restoration. 

WHY. . . .

"Why does God allow some of his children to suffer greatly and others to have lives that seem virtually pain-free?"

     Sometimes I just look around at the 60 kids here, at the Davis Lar children's home, who each have a story of pain, hurt, and unimaginable sadness. I look at their sweet faces and wonder how anyone could hurt them. I look into their innocent eyes that have been exposed to so much more than a child should and see the huge potential that they have. I listen to their hearts as they tell me the hurts from their past and the hopes for their futures and i pray that God would use me to be a comfort for the one and encouragement for the other. And i cant help but ask the question...WHY?! Why did these children have to go through the worst of conditions. Why do they not have families who really love them or can fully take care of them?
     Of course I know the "cliche" answer to this is because of the sin of man. But then one can ask, why did God allow this sin to enter the world in the first place....because nothing happens without God orchestrating it right?! I am reading a book right now entitled "The God I Dont Understand" by Christopher H. Wright which talks about difficult questions of life that we ask...the origin of evil and suffering being one of them. People ask, if God is so good how can he allow this evil and suffering to continue. But we know that evil comes from "The Evil One" and he is the cause of all this pain and suffering. We can come to the conclusion (if you can call it that) that we simply do not understand WHY evil entered into the world and human beings because God does not tell us specifically in His word. But we do know that God has defeated evil and one day He has promised to bring about an end to evil. How I long for this day!!!
     So I am trusting that God has a plan for each of these wonderful kids, and I am so blessed to be a small part of that plan. May I always have the grace, mercy, love, and patience of Jesus as I minister to each one!

His Daughter
Melissa

A Time for Everything

Ill miss you Mandy

     The more time goes along and the more life experiences I have, I have observed a few things about people coming in and out of our lives. I even told one of my coworkers on her last night at work, that I believe that God puts people in our lives for a certain time and definitely for a certain purpose. Some of those people stay in our lives and others leave after a time; but whether they stay or leave, the time spent was planned and orchestrated by God! 

     The past month I was able to share a [tiny] apartment with a beautiful, godly woman who gave up everything she had in order to be open and willing to serve God here in Brazil. Ultimately she would like to move here and live day by day alongside these kids and just give them the love that they dont get from their own families. She taught me a lot about life, sacrifice, love, making my "no" be "NO"! lol, a servants heart, and not worrying about what other people think! The amazing thing is, she could have a comfortable life in the states, with all the material things she may need and want, but she is willing to give all that up for the sake of serving God wherever He wants! This is inspiring to me.

     Mandy, I am so glad that you were able to come here while I was here. I believe that God worked everything out so that you spent your last month here while I was here instead of in December. He knew that it was exactly what I needed. I will never forget the things that God taught me through your life and you being here! I am praying that you will be able to return soon (hopefully this summer for that class)! Mostly, I am praying that you will be able to hear God's voice and the direction He is calling you. Thank you for everything....especially teaching me about EASTER!!!! lol :) Love ya

Matthew 10:42 "If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely by rewarded!"

FaMily ;)

I love the word "family" and all the meaning it holds. Family is the place where you are most loved, accepted, and cherished for who you are and not what you do. Its the people who would do anything for you and you would do anything for them! Each member of the family holds a specific role, which are all unique; but those roles all work together to create a peaceful, safe atmosphere. At least that's the way it should be! 

But some people do not like the word "family" because it does not hold this same meaning to them. My eyes have been opened to the many people who are not privileged to have this type of family. They are not loved or cherished for who they are; In fact, they are hated and ridiculed for who they are. They do not come first in the hearts of their family members, but come second to material things. Each family member holds a role, but it does not mean they work together to create a peaceful atmosphere. Instead, they hurt each other, causing lasting pain. Because of all this, family for a lot of kids is a scary, painful place to be.

But praise God, our earthly family is not the only family we can belong to.When we accept Christ in to our hearts, we become a part of the family of God. This family is everything it should be as mentioned above...and so much more. The Bible says we will receive His inheritance; and as His children...All He has belongs to us!! Most importantly we now have a Father who never stops loving and accepting us. He creates the most perfect, safe place where we can go to. Other believers become our brothers and sisters and this relationship will last for eternity! 

The people here in Brazil have taught me so much about the true family of God! They would do anything for each other and so many have accepted me as a family member and made me feel safe and loved! So what are we doing to create a safe, peaceful environment for others in the family of God? There is no room for ridicule or hurtful words and actions in God's family. Remember, other believers will be your family for all eternity....so how are you treating them today?

God has blessed me with a wonderful family that I have taken for granted far too often! Being thousands of miles away from them has definitely made me appreciate them to much more than ever before. But the biggest eye opener for me is seeing all these 60 kids at the Lar who do not have a family...let alone a good one! So I am thankful for the family that God has blessed me with! I miss and love me nieces and nephew...being around kids all day definitely makes me think of them often!! 

So Dad, Mom, Lauri, Mike, Lori, Kristi, Sherri, Hayle, Kali, and Dominick I love yall so much and miss you everyday!! <3 I praise God for you and the role you play in my life!!

-His Daughter-

Melissa ;)

Letting Go

      Ok so I have always been protective of my things. I like for people to ask before they borrow things and I like for stuff to be in order, at least where it makes sense to me!! In other words, I have a personal bubble, and I have always been particular about who invades that personal bubble and how much they do so!! :) Well i think God is working in overtime to break me of this attitude in my life. lol Every day here at the Lar is kind of like a personal bubble invasion...I am not saying that I dont like it, just that it takes getting used to is all!! :) For example, the kids love to come in to my apartment and hang out, listen to my ipod, take pictures with my camera, and the girls love to try on my jewelry, etc!! Everything in my nature wants to yell at them to leave my things alone and leave my "space"....but then God so gently says, Melissa...these are not your things, they are mine and you are simply taking care of them for a while!! And then He says, Melissa...why are you here at this orphanage? To show them My (Gods) love...so do that...show them my love!!! I am also reading a book, you may have heard of it..."The Purpose Driven Life"! This book talks about this very thing and the fact that this earth is merely temporary and the things we have here will all pass away someday. I need to be storing up treasures in heaven (loving and serving these kids) instead of storing up treasures here on this temporary earth (worrying about these things)!! So anyway, just an honest insight to what God is teaching me!!
     This week was the third week of our Discipleship Bible study with the teenage girls! The first week was the introduction week, and the past two weeks we talked about our identity as believers! This is a very important topic and I pray that i represented Christ well as i taught it! The girls are very shy about opening up and sharing in front of each other, so it will take a while for them to really talk and share in the Bible Study! The most important thing, though, is that it is resonating with their hearts and souls! So on Tuesdays shout out a quick prayer for these girls, that they would be open to hear from God and to accept what He wants to say to them! Pray that I would have wisdom and allow God to speak through me!
     This past weekend we had some fun trips for some of the kids. The Lar has a point system set up for behavior and progress in school, etc. Once they earn so many points (kind of like an allowance), they are allowed to go on some kind of trip! So on Saturday morning and afternoon we took 4 of them to the beach and a small water park at a hotel along the beach! Sadly it ended up being a rainy day, but we had a lot of fun anyway! That evening we took a separate group of 4 to go bowling! This was the first time for 2 of them, so they absolutely loved it...it was so awesome just to see their excitement and huge genuine smiles! :) I was also able to go with a friend to her karate class on Friday night; it kicked my butt!! haha :) Karate is hard-core working out for sure, but it was definitely a lot of fun. It was cool to learn defensive moves, some kicks and punches, and just watching all of them do really cool forms!!
     Its hard to believe that I have been here for a month already! I can honestly say that it has been so fulfilling, being here...and God has taught me so much! Teaching is still difficult, more some days than others, but God continually gives me grace, strength, and wisdom in this! The most challenging part is still the language barrier...I am able to communicate farely well for the most part with the kids and I can understand a lot of what is going on in conversations (if i concentrate)!! One of the house moms and one of the tutors that comes to teach the kids both want to learn English really bad so I help them with English and they help me with Portuguese.
     And for those of you who know that I am not much of a cook, they are def teaching me how to cook from scratch!! :) So hopefully before too long, ill be a pro in the kitchen!! hehe Lets Hope!! ;) Well i think thats all for tonight...continue to keep me in your prayers as i seek to shine the light of Christ, may i always represent His name well and bring nothing but glory to Him!!! 


-Liss