Guatemala Team Blog is up

This is just a quick update to let everyone know that we will be using this blog for our Guatemala 2012 summer mission trip updates.

 

A few pictures

I wanted to post a few pictures from our trip. THANK YOU ALL who prayed for us and who supported us through your donations!!!

Bring your seats up, and tray tables in an upright and locked position

We are home! The team arrived safe in Atlanta around 6:40am today. After the usual Hartsfiled mess of customs and claiming and rechecking luggage, we all left the airport heading back to our respective homes.

We will post a few more updates over the next few days and let you know when we have our sharing meeting where we will share stories and photos of this amazing trip.

Until then, THANK YOU….MUITO OBRIGADO!! for joining us on this trip and for your prayers! We felt covered in your prayers.

The fruits of our trip may not be recognized or revealed until we come face to face with our Creator. My prayr is that He wraps his arm around us and says “well done, good and faithful servant”

Bob for the Brasil team

Retraction!

It was uncovered this morning that there was a scandal afloat last night during the pizza eating contest. Our bus driver Sidnei, who speaks absolutely no English, had added an extra tally to Michael P.’s score about halfway through the contest. Thus in actuality the score ended with a tie at 17-17. Bob insisted that I blog this while we still had connection to the Internet so that all may know the true story of last night.

Be in prayer as we go through this last day of ministry. That hearts may be changed and affections stirred toward the Father.

It is strange to say, but We will see many of you 24 hours from now.

Love from the Brasil team.

17 plus 1

Today was our day to just relax and enjoy the beautiful city of Rio. Our plan was to start off the day with a trip to beautiful Sugarloaf (a mountain that overlooks all of Rio), however, we were delayed because the roads were closed off due to a marathon going on right outside our hotel. This did give us a chance to check out the, I kid you not, “Hippie Festival of Rio”. While maybe not being exactly true to it’s name, it did have many cool things to buy and so the team was happy to buy gifts for friends and family back home.

After our shopping extravaganza, we ventured off to sugarloaf and got to take many breathtaking pictures and even see monkeys. Though our team leader was just a little shaky about going up and down on the lifts.

We got to finish the day with another trip to the amazing pizza place we went to a few days ago. Some of us guys took it upon ourselves to have an eating competition this time, and it went something like this…

Bob, our fearless leader, started off strong and had eaten 15 pieces of pizza before the desert ones came. Me (Michael p.) and Creighton both had 12 before desert. However, after a startling comeback, the number was tied at 17-17 between Me and Bob. There was much cheering from the spectators, and it stayed tied for a long time, but after struggling through it, I managed to out one last one down and beat Bob.

That was about the extent of our suffering today, haha.

No, but in all seriousness, it was so refreshing to be able to spend a day to rest and relax, and we are ready to finish this last day strong. We are all in different places with whether we are ready to come home or not, but we all are ready to pour out Jesus to the people of Brasil for one final day of ministry.

That being the case we ask that you would continue to walk beside us and be in prayer because the enemy would just want us to give up at this point, but I believe that there are specific people who need to hear the message of the Gospel tomorrow. So pray for the Spirit to move in us.

Other prayer:
-For safe travels to tomorrow as we plan to fly out around 9:40 or so.
-Strength for this last day.
-And just for the transition back to Georgia and into our routine lives, that we may carry the ministry that God did through us here back to the States.

We cannot thank you enough for your constant support and prayer throughout this trip, it would not have been possible without it.

Michael P. for the team.

**Return flight to Atlanta**

Please make sure to check the flight schedule before you head to the airport on Tuesday 19th. Delta flight #60 is showing an arrival of 6:41am. This could change.

We just got back to the hotel after 4 meetings in the plaza. Several men came up after sketch board and wanted to talk about their lives and the emptiness they have. Great minisy!!!

We are preparing for Mariana’s birthday party out on the patio of the hotel. She turns 4 today and we have a special party for her. Please pray for Mariana that today she will feel the love of her Daddy and is celebrated today!!

(praying for our friends in Haiti and Guatamala)

Rockin’ Rio

We arrived in Rio De Janiero around 11pm last night. The team was a little tired, but still on an emotional and spiritual high from our stay in Campinas. It seemed like the entire church turned out to wish us good bye! (and the invitation to come back anytime was extended multiple times) 

Today we woke up to breakfast overlooking the beach, and then set out for a full dsy of ministry. In Brasil, they are on their “winter” break so Rio is busier than ever. We spent the day in the largest plaza in Rio. The crowds were incredible and the response to God’s love and free gift of forgiveness and peace in Christ was received by many!

One man came up to us during our first meeting and said that he had been in this same plaza 4 years ago when Bruno and team were here. He had been depressed and feeling empty. He saw the Redeemer and sketch board and was moved to pray with that team. That day 4 years ago, he become a believer and a brother in the kingdom. He recognized our team from the sound of the music and csme up to tell us that now he is a completely changed man. He is now married and is a leader of the youth at his church. So awesome to see the fruits of the ministry that we are a part of!

And we saw God moving just as strongly in our other meetings. During our second meeting, a man in the crowd had been listening intently and we could tell God was moving in him. So after we finished, Bob went to talk to him. He said how he was ready to just give up and kill himself, but God had moved in his heart. We ended up talking to him for probably close to 20-30 minutes just pouring into him and encouraging him. While we were talking to him, the other man actually came back and started pouring into this guy as well. He left with bob’s and others emails, and has already emailed thanking us for coming and pouring into him.

Just such an awesome first day in Rio, and we have been so blessed to see God moving in people’s hearts here. It is our hope that we leave spiritual warriors in this city as it prepares for the coming global events.

Pray for us tomorrow as we look to spend another day fighting for the kingdom and showing God to the people here.

Other Prayer requests:
-Energy for the whole team as we come to a close in our ministry here.
-Against all sicknesses that the team has.
-Because Rio is so busy, there is a lot going on in the plaza, so pray that we are not having to “compete” with any other groups that may be there.

Love all of y’all and thanks for your continued prayer and support,
Michael p. and Bob for the team.

P.S. Since I (Michael P.) am the 7th wheel on this trip and am writing this, I think I am allowed to give a shout out to my wonderful girlfriend back home and say that I love and miss you and have been praying for you daily.

Ciao!