Brazil 2011 - We set up for worship and drama at the town crossroads (apparently also a small garbage dump). On a hill-town favela overlooking one of the biggest churches in Brazil somebody said, “This town is considered scum by the city people. No one ever comes here and does anything like this.” It was here that we encountered many young children. Approaching two of them my friend and I asked if we could pray for them. The translator told us what the young girl said: “I want to sing Gospel music.” And the young man (he couldn’t have been more than 10 or 12) said, “I want to be a pastor.” As we prayed a simple prayer of God’s destiny for them the boy began to cry. “Is this for real?” I thought. I had never seen a person so young be so sincere and ready to live for God. That this boy was even seriously considering these things blew me away. Here he is, in the town others call “scum” – he probably has almost nothing and yet he understands that God is what matters most, that God is LIFE, and there’s no greater honor than to share that Life with others.

Pools of water and urine had collected on the ground where we were to set up the music gear. A few girls on the team were kind enough to buy a bottle of liquid soap and pour it all over the ground and broom it back and forth. The stench actually turned into a sweet aroma - like the Presence of God that night, an attractive fragrance, drawing people to Himself. He has His ways. We thanked God for a prime location to worship Him and see His salvation welcomed into broken and repentant hearts. Some rats could be seen on the perimeter as we were packing up. We knew this is where we were supposed to be… the bus stop.



BRAZIL 2011

It was interesting being Jesus in the drama this year instead of Satan. The story of this picture: I was talking to someone else and my friend came over to me and said, “This guy needs a hug from Jesus.” I’m just me, but to represent Christ in this way to someone was a very powerful experience. Having Christ physically present, in a sense, this man could reach out and touch Him – embrace Him. We represent Christ all the time, whether well or poorly, but to portray Christ during the drama and ministry time was a new and exciting experience for me. Very thankful.

“These fields are ripe. It’s harvest time.” - John 4:35 -

My friend says, “The quickest way to deliverance is repentance.”

Many of our interactions with people in Brazil this year were with men addicted to alcohol, drugs, and spending money on prostitutes at the brothel - things they NEED to be delivered from, to be freed from. Nearly every day God blessed us to be in conversations with men and women who repented and cried out for the life of God for the first time. Some cried out to God themselves, while others were too undone and they asked us to lead them in prayer. A wonderful experience - for them and for us!

After doing a drama outside of the brothel I saw a man just standing in the street. He was drunk. I asked him if I could pray with him and made gestures about giving his heart to God. The man grabbed my hand and held very tightly. He seemed fairly incoherent and we weren’t communicating well so I began to look into his eyes and sing over him - “life, sanctuse (I hoped it was one of the Portuguese words for ‘holy’).” At that point one of our great translators came over and began speaking to him. The man responded, “My wife loves me, but I spend all my money on alcohol and the women at the brothel.” Rock bottom. Although drunk, the man was pouring out honestly from his heart. It was like his real self was crying out to be released from the shameful corpse he had become. We asked him if he wanted to repent and receive the Lord, be forgiven, and free to live a real life. Without reservation he agreed and we prayed together! The man hugged me over and over.

In the type of service we do, it can be easy to question the validity of someone’s response to God’s love, especially if they are under the influence, but I am believing for an authentic work of our God in this man’s life - that his repentance was of the heart and that God’s faithfulness has delivered him.

Oh, God’s eternal and everlasting purpose - “...the glory of God and the glory of the children of God.” Thank You, Lord.

“Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything He wants to do in and through me is taking shape.” - Philippians 1:19 -
much love,
- Riley -



Megan, Fernanda, and I sharing with a man at the brothel. We were in costume most of the night. The graffiti on the door seems to say, LORD!