If you have been patiently waiting for updates from Brazil and NYC, please forgive me! I have been in a sort of spiritual sprint these past few weeks and so much has happened in such a short amount of time that I have struggled to keep up with it myself, much less process it and share it with everyone. However, I know that you are just as eager to hear about the amazing things our God has done! So below you will find a handful of testimonies from this past summer. I pray that you are able to see how gracious and loving God has been these past few months! He is such a good, good Father.

Side note: most names in the following testimonies have been substituted. Also, this is a long post because God just did so much! Enjoy. 🙂

Pride Parade

The first outreach I was able to be a part of this summer was during the 2016 Pride Parade in NYC. Our small team of adults equipped with surveys and clipboards made our way to the center of the festival happening the street over from the Pride Parade. Our mission was very simple: build relationship, spread God’s love, and just be a simple representative of Christ’s light.

This happened shortly after the Orlando shooting, so the atmosphere in the festival was a little tense and the attendants seemed very guarded. However, God broke down several barriers and paved the way for us to have kingdom-minded conversations with a wide variety of people.

Our approach was very simple and discreet. We would step out towards someone in oncoming foot traffic and ask if this or that person wanted to take a survey. Usually they would ask what the survey was for, and we would explain that it was a survey asking people’s opinions about sexuality. Considering the environment, most (particularly young) people were quickly willing to share their two cents.

The survey began by asking how they classified themselves, whether or not they believed there should be an age limit for making a decision about gender reassignment, whether or not they participated in any type of faith, what “true love” looked like, and such like that. At the end of the questions, we would share that we were Christians and that we wanted to come out and share God’s love with the people there, and we would ask them if we could pray with them. It was amazing to see the open doors that sprung from simple questions on a piece of paper. God definitely wanted to voice some things that day!

For example, my partner Angela and I were talking to these two men, Tom and John. Tom was answering the questions as Angela asked him, and John was just listening. However, after John heard the question about gender reassignment surgery, he turned to me and started sharing his heart; it was totally unexpected. He shared that his unnamed friend (we’ll call her June) had gone through gender reassignment at a young age. This friend had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars seeking anything that promised to satisfy, and she always turned up empty-hearted. While John was speaking, my heart started jumping with excitement – it was so evident that John’s friend was clearly searching for the only One who can fill the void in her heart – the void that we all have felt and known. I longed so desperately to be able to talk with her and share the goodness of God. Unfortunately, John explained how this person’s identity had to be kept a secret, so I never found out who this lost soul was. The good news, however, is that God knows! So after Tom and John left, Angela and I prayed for June to find and know our all-fulfilling Father.

The majority of the crowd at this festival was made up of a younger generation. We spoke with several 16-year-olds. One thing I noticed throughout the day was that they had tons of questions and misconceptions about the church. They had only been lacking representatives of the church to discuss things with. We spoke with one young couple, Alex and Chloe for a good portion of time. Alex didn’t seem very interested and had an air of pride about him, but Chloe had genuine interest and curiosity on her face. The questions she asked showed that she wanted to know more about God. It excited me that although Alex was resisting, Chloe was unashamedly asking questions and openly receiving our answers. Angela and I prayed after they left that the seeds we had sown would fall on good soil, and that more laborers would continue to nourish those seeds so that they would produce a harvest for God’s kingdom.

Situations like this reminded me of Matthew 10:8, where Jesus commands, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Just imagine it: there were thousands of people walking in that festival who do not know the hope and freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ.

How honest am I if I tell Jesus that I love my neighbor (Mark 12:31), yet I refuse to open my mouth and share with them the eternal life found in Jesus alone?

Although our team was tiny and not all were receptive to God’s truth that day, I am encouraged by knowing that God relentlessly pursues the heart of His children, and I trust that God is faithful to heed the heartfelt prayers that have been lifted up on behalf of His lost sheep at the Pride Parade on June 26, 2016.

Brazil

Goodness, I could write a novel about everything that happened in Brazil! It was phenomenal. We were only there for 12 days, but God did amazing things each and every day, and He was just super generous in sharing with us His precious presence. If you were in any of the churches where I shared a few of these testimonies, bear with me! I want to share them all with the world. 🙂

On our first day of outreach, we went to a red-light district found on a drug-dealing corner. The girls arrived before any of the guys did, so I was afraid. We just happened to be next to a garage sale hosted by a church, so we went into their open building and prayed through the first few moments. After praying, the fear left me and I felt relaxed and bold in the Lord.

Later that night we began doing praise and worship and a drama on that street corner, and children from all over gathered around us. It was a sight to behold: our group on this corner under a pitch black sky, with nearby trash overflowing on the streets, and a ton of Brazilian children waving our colorful flags of victory as we worshiped our King. The Lord impressed upon me that we were being his beacon of light and hope for those children, regardless of how rough their home lives were.

Over the next few days, the Lord let me watch several things unfold without being a central part of them. Through that He taught me very important lessons that would help me in effectively doing outreach in the future.

Richard

The first example of this was with my friend Richard. Richard and I sat across from each other on the flight from Miami to Brazil, so we had ample opportunity to talk. The Lord prompted me to ask details about his life, so I did. Through our conversation I found that Richard had been divorced three times and had children from his first two marriages, if I remember correctly. As we talked, though, I noticed he was very hesitant to open up. Eventually he shared that he was ashamed of his past and wasn’t comfortable sharing about it. I felt God tell me to encourage him and say that his testimony will be used to minister to people who are going through or have gone through the same type of situation.

Fast forward to the first Friday of our outreach. Richard was my partner while we were ministering at Praça Sete, the Times Square of Belo Horizonte. At one point during the night, I didn’t feel led to any particular person, but Richard was really building a conversation with some man. As I approached, I could tell Richard was gaining a lot of passion about ministering to this guy, but I wasn’t sure why. As I stood there and listened, I learned that this man, Raynaldo, had been divorced also (I think twice). He was struggling with the way the church treated him and expressed so many personal concerns and struggles. More times than I can count, Richard would smile, nod, and explain to Raynaldo that he had gone through the exact same situation! I couldn’t contain my excitement. Through this God taught me that even our most shameful and painful experiences in life can be used to minister to others and to glorify Him!

Beth

The first Saturday in Brazil, we went to a men’s refuge house/rehab on the top of a mountain. Getting there was quite the journey! We were on the tiniest dirt road with no safety rails, slowly pulling ourselves up the red clay. (On the way back we actually had to get out of the van in order for it to get uphill!)

Once we got to the refuge, we were greeted by several men and a handful of women from the women’s rehab nearby. We gathered in a huge circle on the outskirts of the cafeteria, held hands, and prayed. We women got to get our lunches first (as it should be haha), and then we sat down across from women from the rehab.

I sat down from this quiet-looking woman named Hosanna, with one of our translators, Kelly, on my right. I started the conversation and asked about her life, her children, etc. As it turns out, she has twin girls, and one of them was named Tiffany! I knew that this was a divine appointment immediately. However, conversation quickly drew to a stop. It didn’t start to trickle and slow down. It ended abruptly, and I couldn’t think of anything to say. I looked over to Kelly for help, but she seemed at a loss for words, too. I remember pleading with God and straining to hear something – anything – from Him. Still, nothing. We three women endured the awkward silence for several long moments.

As we finished our lunches in silence, I looked up and saw that a woman on our team, Beth, was finishing up her conversation with the woman she was ministering to. Please come help!! I pleaded silently with my eyes. I don’t know if she could tell I was grasping, but thankfully she came over. When she sat down, I asked the Lord to please speak through her. Let the conversation go somewhere!

Beth opened by asking if Hosanna had any children. I’ve already asked that. That conversation won’t go anywhere, I thought. Hosanna related what she had told me about having twins. However, miraculously, she continued talking. Beth asked questions about their ages and their health. She is a school nurse, so she was able to provide relative insight and have a nice, long conversation with Hosanna. As they kept talking, Beth received a prophetic word from the Lord that Hosanna would get her children back and that she would be in leadership at the refuge that was helping her. By that time Hosanna’s walls had been broken down and her heart had been softened. At hearing God’s words, her eyes filled with tears, and you could tell that she received what God was offering her. At the end of the conversation, her face shined with hope and a rejuvenated spirit. Through this experience God showed me the importance of yielding to His voice because He can break down barriers that seem impossibly fortified! He also kept reminding me that through awkwardness and mild pain, He was growing me and preparing me for something great.

Ana Maria

The following day, Sunday, our team was hosting a luncheon for the women in the brothels. While a few women went into the brothels to invite the ladies, the rest of our team got in pairs and prayer walked around the luncheon area.

Finally, the ladies from the brothels arrived. They trickled in slowly, randomly appearing with curiosity on their faces about what was going on and who this was that invited them to eat lunch.

Ana Maria was my partner so I was super pumped because I had seen how easily she had ministered to women at the refuge house on the mountain. Conversation definitely won’t be hard this time! I thought excitedly.

Ana Maria and I walked over to a table where two ladies, Winny and Aubrey, were sitting. We started talking to them, asking them unobtrusive questions and getting a feel of how open they would be to conversation. After talking a few minutes, conversation came to a sudden halt. I looked to my partner for help, and she seemed to also be at a loss for words. No! I thought. This is supposed to be a cinch! Ana Maria is a pro! God, why can’t we minister to these ladies??

After lingering in awkward silence and pleading with God internally, we were joined by two teenage-looking Brazilians who were there to translate and minister to Winny and Audrey. Phew, I thought. It’ll be easier now that these two ladies who speak Portuguese are here to make conversation flow. 

I leaned back and relaxed a little, waiting for the two ladies’ walls to come down. Conversation got off to a good start, and they seemed willing to answer questions. I couldn’t wait to see what God was going to do!

And then instantly, conversation stopped again. Now by this point I just decided to give up and endure through the painful awkward silence. I felt guilty because we were supposed to be there to love on these two beautiful daughters of God and show them Christ’s love and share His healing words and promises! Why weren’t we getting through? Were we not pressing in enough? I was so frustrated.

Towards the end of the meal, two other women, Bethany and Rhonda, walked over to our table. These women had been a part of the ministry within the brothels for an established period of time, so they knew Winny and Audrey. When the two women from the brothels looked up and recognized Bethany and Rhonda, their faces lit up! When they reached up to hug Bethany and Rhonda, Winny and Audrey looked like completely different people; the instant transformation left me dumbfounded. The two sets of ladies caught up briefly, and their smiles made it apparent that their company was welcome.

Not too long after Bethany and Rhonda walked away, Winny and Audrey got up and left. We all hugged goodbye, but I was so disappointed that they didn’t want to stay and linger and be ministered to. However, Ana Maria and I talked about it afterward, and she reminded me not to get discouraged because it’s evident that Bethany and Rhonda have established a good rapport with Winny and Audrey, which is proof that the Holy Spirit is using them as a conduit to reach women in the brothels. How encouraging!

The Harvest

Ana Maria and I didn’t personally get to minister to anyone specifically, just like I didn’t get to personally minister to Hosanna at the refuge or anybody at Praça Sete. Yes, we talked and prayed with several people. Yes, we were there to shine Christ’s light and be an example of obedience. But sometimes in ministry it’s easy to get discouraged if you don’t feel like you had a “divine encounter” or were able to harvest a ready soul. Fortunately one of the messages God emphasized during Brazil was the importance of all phases of harvest.

Spiritual harvest has several phases:

• Breaking up the fallow ground of the heart (Jeremiah 4:3)
• Sowing seed (Matthew 13)
• Nourishing the seed (or, more accurately, seeds) with water and sunlight (1 Corinthians 3:6)
• Waiting and continuing to nourish the seed (Galatians 6:9)
• Finally harvesting the crop (Matthew 9:37)

In John 4:35-38 Jesus explains that the harvest is ready, but He also points out that one person sows and another person reaps. Sometimes we do the preparatory work but someone else gets to collect the harvest, and sometimes we collect the harvest from others’ work. Each part of the process is important and necessary.

However, perhaps even more important is what Paul says to the church in 1 Corinthians 3:5-11. He points out that, in the case of the church of Corinth, he (Paul) planted their seeds, Apollos watered them, but God gave the increase. He draws our attention to the root of the matter in verse 8, saying, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Paul planting the seeds was great. Apollos watering the seeds was great. They both were walking in obedience to Christ’s call. However, nothing that either of them could have done and nothing we can do is worth anything outside of Jesus Christ. We were made by Him and for Him, and any type of ministry we do will only be successful through His power and because of who He is and what He did.

We are all laborers for Jesus. We have the pleasure of submitting our lives to Him and walking in obedience to His call. The fact that we have an opportunity to do anything for Him is remarkable, and we should consider it a true blessing. If we don’t, we desperately need God to give us hearts of gratitude. He could do whatever He wanted without us, but He loves us and chooses to make us a part of Him! Hallelujah.

God didn’t have to let me see Robert minister to Raynaldo or Beth minister to Hosanna or those two women minister to the women from the brothels, but Jesus loves me so much that He appointed for me to be there so I could sit at His feet and learn from Him. After learning these lessons, I was able to minister to someone – one of those special divine appointments! You can read about that testimony here.

In retrospect, it’s just amazing how God loves me and makes me wait so He can change me and work in my heart to prepare me for what He has next – and He wants to do the same for you! If you find that a lot is going on around you but you’re not directly involved in any of it, grab a pen and a piece of paper and start taking notes. Maybe God is trying to teach you something to prepare you for what He has prepared for you next. Scripture shows that often God doesn’t bring you into your next season until He has matured parts of your heart. Ask Him today how He needs to prepare you for what He has in store so you can serve Him in the way He desires.

The Baby Shower

The last Thursday we were in Brazil, our team split up. Our guys and most of our translators went to a men’s rehab to do some ministry while the rest of us (the women) went to host a baby shower for a woman named Olivia.

The baby shower was hosted at a home that takes in women from the brothels. There were already three women there with their children: Josie, Carla, and Gwen. We weren’t sure of their situations exactly, but we were told that the night before, the three women living in the home basically rebelled against the leaders. Based on what we were told, they weren’t a fan of the rules in the home.

When we walked in, the air was thick with tension. We set up for the baby shower and got everything arranged, although Olivia hadn’t arrived yet. We sat in the chairs and tried to get to know the women while we had extra time. Our team began asking questions, asking how long the women typically stay in the home, what the program is like, etc. When the leader responded and said that the women typically stay for a year, Josie, Carla, and Gwen scoffed and rolled their eyes. They didn’t seem very enthusiastic about being there. They were very closed off and pretty rude towards us while we were trying to make conversation and get to know them. Their barriers were clearly very sturdy and it was going to take God’s hand to break them down.

Over an hour had passed and Olivia still was nowhere to be found, so we sat in the chairs in a circle. One of our translators, Fernanda, grabbed a guitar and started playing worship music. Our friend Thays began singing along, and then she began preaching to the women. My eyes were closed in worship and I couldn’t understand a thing she said because it was all in Portuguese, but I could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The heaviness around us started lifting, and the doors on their hearts were slowly being pried open.

After Thays finished sharing, Regiane, a leader in a YWAM base near Belo, opened up and spoke into the women’s lives, too. After she finished, she told our team that if anybody had a word for any of the women, to stand up and share it. Mary Anna stood up and spoke transformational words to the group, then she shared a very specific word to just Josie. While she was speaking, Josie began to break down in tears. Her walls came crumbling down through the power of the Holy Spirit.

After Mary Anna was done ministering to Josie, she stepped back because God had not given her a word for Carla or Gwen. We waited, and then Beth stepped forward. God had given her a word just for Carla and Gwen, but not for Josie! It was amazing how God orchestrated all of those details.

At the end of everything, all three women were crying and surrendering to Christ. They accepted the words spoken over them, and their transformations were so evident. They looked differently and acted differently: it was a pure reflection of what happens when Jesus’s love radiates and penetrates your heart directly. That kind of influence can only happen through the power of the Holy Spirit. It was an honor to see and experience such a visual and tangible experience.

The Brothels

After the baby shower, we women went back to our base and waited for the rest of our team to return. We were scheduled to have a meeting to be told what to expect for outreach at the brothels. According to God’s timing, however, the other half of our team ended up getting delayed, and they just met us at the outreach spot, so the newbies (including myself) were not briefed on what to expect; the only choice we had was to dive in head first.

We arrived at our spot, got in pairs, and started setting up. My partner was Ed, and that was totally God-ordained. While the band set up, I took a few moments to look around to try to understand what was going on. I looked up and down the street we were on; it was pretty vacant. I looked across the street at what looked like random buildings (pictured above).

In confusion, I asked Ed where the brothels were, and he pointed out two entrances in the buildings. There were men sitting outside as security beside a metal detector. The doorways looked like they could lead to any type of building: a hobby, a club, anything. As I stood there watching, my confusion began to grow. In the few minutes that I stood there watching, at least 20 men went in those doors. Some went in one, then came out and went in the next door. I kept watching, and the empty feeling in my stomach grew: they looked like ants on an anthill. They just kept coming and going in, men young and old, married and unmarried.

My first response was denial. That can’t be what’s going on here. Those doors have to lead to something else. Ed is mistaken. Those aren’t the doors to the brothel. No. Just no way, I thought. I kept shaking my head. That’s not what’s going on.

Ever so gently, God began confirming in my spirit that yes, that really was what was going on here. Slowly my tears began falling, and then it eventually turned into a steady downpour. For over an hour I couldn’t stop crying. I really believe that in that moment God allowed me to share in His grief over the sin of all of those lost children.

Ed asked me if I was getting anything in my spirit, and I told him (while crying) that the only thing that was coming to me was the word “stop.” He encouraged me to declare that word over the brothel, so I did.

God sent someone to encourage me that night, but the empowering response came the following night. Friday we returned to the same spot to do ministry, and this time I was prepared. There were no more tears. I felt determined that this was God’s land, and He was not going to abandon His sons and daughters wallowing in sin in these brothels; He loves them too much. It is not His will that any should perish. This was going to stop.

While we were worshiping, Ana Maria saw a man named Evan walking down our sidewalk, heading towards the brothels. He got almost to us, and then he stopped. He seemed to be mesmerized by our worship. Ana Maria leaned over to our translator, Junior, and said, “Go talk to that guy!” Instead, Junior went up to Evan and said, “Ana Maria wants to talk to you!” So Evan walked up to Ana Maria. Instead of explaining the misunderstanding, she simply told him that God wanted him to stand here and listen!

The man stood closer to the band and continued to listen to the prophetic words God was giving our leader. The words he sang apparently spoke directly to Evan, because after he was ministered to, he stated that God had turned him around; he went home! It was so amazing that he literally stopped in his tracks and turned around. God is so great! Glory to God in the highest!

Worship Warfare Week

So basically in Brazil God showed up and showed out. There are many more testimonies, but it would take so much time to type them, so I’ll fast forward to the end of the summer during Worship Warfare Week. We had a team in NYC that did basically the same as what we did in Brazil: take a worship team to a public place, pray for strangers, prayer walk, etc. God did amazing things all summer, but below you will find my favorite testimony from outreach in NYC.

On the second day of outreach during Worship Warfare Week we went to Moore Park, where we normally do a lot of children’s outreach. I love, love, love ministering to kids, so I typically look forward to that part of outreach more than any other time. When I had to leave the kids station and put on my red apron to work at the prayer station, I wasn’t super excited. I was still happy, of course, but my expectations weren’t very high for what God could do through me at this post. (My mistake!)

After standing at my post for a few minutes, out of the corner of my eye I caught two figures rapidly approaching me. It was two teenage girls named Gladys and Crystal. Their walk made it very apparent that they were coming towards me with a mission. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m not a huge fan of confrontation, so I was a little apprehensive. Here’s how the exchange went:

• Gladys: So you’re a Christian?
• Me: Yes…
• Gladys: So you think Jesus loves everybody?
• Me: Yes…
• Gladys: Are you sure?
• Me: Yes…
• Gladys: But are you really sure?

As you can imagine, I was pretty hesitant to respond because Gladys apparently had an agenda. However, I timidly asked why she was so interested in this topic.

As it turns out, Gladys is a lesbian, and her mom (a “Christian”) told her that Jesus doesn’t love her anymore.

When I heard that, the Holy Spirit gave me an extreme calmness and the right words to say. I told Gladys I’m sorry that her mom told her Jesus didn’t love her, and I can assure her that He does in fact love her very much. I gave her the analogy outlined in this post, and then explained that Jesus loves her too much to let her continue on a path that will lead to destruction.

Immediately her demeanor changed. Her anger dissipated. She calmed instantly and began listening to everything I had to say. I could tell that she even was taking to heart a lot of the responses I was giving her.

After that was out of the way, Crystal began speaking up. Crystal was a very intuitive person and had questions about the intellectual side of faith. Luckily God had brought me through several tough seasons and taught me those lessons the hard way, so I was able to openly minister to her and provide the answers God taught me.

For example, Crystal said that when she was 15 she started taking pills and drinking, and clearly Jesus wouldn’t want her like that. God told me to tell her that her perspective was all wrong. She was thinking with a mindset that says, “I’m too sick to go to the doctor,” or, “I’m too dirty to take a shower.” Instead, Jesus wants us to come to Him like we are, and He loves us so much that He heals us and cleans us up. 

Our conversation only ended because my shift at the prayer post was over. We had been standing there talking for over an hour! Time flew by so quickly because I was enraptured by this opportunity to speak life and truth to these two teenage girls who had been fed lies by the enemy their whole lives. God’s love for them is so extravagant that He sent a small-town girl from Louisiana to share Himself and His love with these two teenage girls from New York City. What a mighty God we serve!

Conclusion

As you can see, God did amazing things this summer. I type this reflection as I sit in the living room of the YWAM base here in Waimea on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Clearly God has done a million more things that I can’t wait to share with you. Until then, keep praising God and looking for His sweet voice in the big and small things everyday! Thank you so much for your prayers and support. It’s a privilege to give my life to knowing God and making Him known. I love you all!