Rod Shalowm

So this is going to be my last blog here from Brazil. How crazy is that. This has been without a shadow of a doubt the best 10 months of my life. I have learnt so much about myself, about God and his ways and how his world works. I have met wonderful people who I will never forget who I will get to spend eternity with. I have seen the lives of young people turned right-side-up through the blinding light of our saviour's love. I have seen God changes lives through me but more than that I have seen him change me. So before I close off let me tell you how the week was.

Last Sunday I had the chance to lead worship for the last night in church here in Brazil and it was an amazing experience. We started playing and there was a very small number in the church and at the end of the first song my guitar string broke meaning I wouldn't have a guitar for the rest of the night. Which turned out to be a God thing really because the band was able to cover me and I was able to really get stuck in. There was such a crazy presence of God there the whole time during worship and so many people were able to just receive which was awesome. One of my friends told me after that he had never cried in Brazil worship before but he cried on Sunday night. An even crazier story was afterwards one of my friends told me she had been covered in supernatural GOLD DUST. A miracle that I had heard of at the start of the year that usually follows God approval of something. Which is unbelievably awesome. 
The rest of the night was a really nice goodbye from the church. The pastor even talked about me as an example of someone of who recognises and follows God will. I got to say my proper goodbye by sharing a five minute word with them and saying how much I loved them which was really special for me!

So this week was set to be super busy as we were going to be doing our lessons as well as leading a group of missionaries in the church who had come to be trained as part of a project called "Spring Board". It's basically missionary training school for two months in the summer in Refugio (the host church). 
So Tuesday morning we met with them real quick to introduce ourselves and then we headed to Maia Neto (for the last time for me). We did some songs and then the story which went really well. This week the story was all about how our lives can produce good things because of Jesus in us. After the story the kids came up to me and gave me cards saying things like "for MIKE" (because they can't pronounce my name right) which was really nice and then some of the kids had stuff to say and songs to sing which was great. 
Afterwards was great because the Pastors were able to tell us how impressed they were by our work, because "they knew we were doing good work but not that good".
That night I went to my last Capoeira training which was great fun. It was a party sort of like  the Brazilian version of a "Kaylee". Then we had our "rhoda" (or circle) and I had to fight everyone and for some reason this being my last time I played really well. 

Wednesday I was teaching with Gina in the spring board classroom about the "spirit of worship" and what that really means for our lives. It's something that I think is really important and I love teaching on it so it was super fun. Then that afternoon we helped the springboard guys prepare a lesson and then came back for my last Cell group (lots of last this week). This week there was a real heavy presence in that place. God was really there with us teaching our hearts. At the end the guys all prayed over and gave me prophetic words about what I'm going to be and see happen when I get home which just made my heart catch fire for going home. I have written them all down so I can't wait to see what God does with them. 

some of the kids from the cell on wednesday night

Thursday was not as fun. I had had had a pretty sore head and some other stuff throughout the week and on Thursday I couldn't really get out of bed or anything. Turns out that I had Dengue Fever this week. It's just a bad flu really that you get from getting a mosquito bite so Thursday I spent the day at home resting. and don't worry about me I should be right as rain for the trip home. 

Friday and Saturday we were away for a little adventure with the spring Board guys to show some practical missions stuff. We got to visit Sao Jose de Mipibu for my last time which was great as I love those kids so much. Then we traveled up to Pipa and hug out there for the night and returned the next day. Which just presented different lessons in different places and got to pray with a whole lot of people which was awesome. 

 So the name of this blog is "Rod Shalom"There is a hebrew word called "Shalom". This is a hebrew greeting. When you meet someone you would shake their hand and say "Shalom" but it means much more than just "hey how are ya?". The word literally means peace in the hebrew but it means peace in the sense that the greek word " perissos"  in John 10:10 means fullness. It means "nothing lost and nothing broken". This year I have been learning so much about who God is and what he wants for our lives and this is one of the biggest things that I have learnt. God wants us to have full lives, with nothing missing, nothing broken. He doesn't want pain or suffering or sickness he wants peace!  Not only that but Jesus is the prince of peace (therefore the prince of shalom). He rules at God's right hand as the prince of all fullness which comes to us how, through his death on the cross! He's already bought it which means we've already got it. Not only that but he prays "rod shalom" (the abundance of peace) over us in Jer 33:6 saying "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth."

שלוםרב

So for those who ask me if I'm nervous or not for returning home, for reverse culture shock, for life without a team or an uncertain future and slower summer,  I say to them "no because Jesus is the prince of shalom. God is good and he brought me half way across the world to show me that he loves me so that I can go back and show my family, church and friends how much he loves them and how much I love them too."

I am very sad about leaving all my friends and family here in Brazil but I know God has really exciting things for my in sunny Northern Ireland. 

I can't wait to see you all and tell you more stories of how God is moving in power in the world in these days. 
(I will be writing 1 or 2 more blogs to say I've gotten home and share a few thoughts so keep a look out for them) Ill see you all very soon. 

Love 
mark

Mowpheth

Psalm 71:7 "I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge."

מוֹפֵת

The word used for portent here in Psalm 71 is the word Mowpheth in the hebrew. This word means  wonder, sign or miracle. I was reading this psalm this week and realised that, with his awesome grace and mercy, God has been using us as a team and me specifically to show his great and wonderful love to students here this year and even this week. We have been as a sign and wonder for them of God's great love. If we all just surrender all to him as our refuge glorifying him with every breath then we simply become "wonders" to others without even trying. 



This week was full of great moments with the kids, just hanging out and really getting to know them as individuals which was great as we were able to just be these "Mowpheth's" through our love for them. 

     This Monday was the last guitar lesson with my student Chris (the pastors son). Like I think I've said before Chris received a prophetic word when he was 12 saying that he would one day lead worship, using it to lead people into the presence of God and showing them his God's great love for them. It has been a huge privilege to be a part of bring about the calling that God has on his life and It has been amazing seeing how he has grown this year in his music but also as a person (He is even writing music which is really really good). I was able to give him a few small things to remind him of the things that we learnt together, like a crown of thorns I had made out of old guitar strings and a little notebook. 

    That night got to hang out with a group of guys watching the new will smith movie which was good craic. 

  

     Tuesday we were back in the primary school Maia Neto teaching the story of Daniel. We had had some problems putting the story together the week before but when we got it together we knew it would go awesome. As they were a bit crazy the week before we decided to use their energy as part of the story letting them interact with us as the characters of the story. I was Daniel (always the good guy!) teaching them about what it really means to trust in God even in the hard times. 

     That afternoon we just got to hang out in the office sorting out lessons and watching possibly my last livewire (the videos we watch as part of a Pais team). Then headed to a night of intense Capoeira. 

     This Wednesday we were back in for the the Maia Neto afternoon. Had very few classes as the classes times have changed these last few weeks but i was still good to be able to teach a few, repeating the lesson from Floca on friday about being lost and being found. 

    That night we were back in our awesome cell group. Just sharing as a group about our God had being moving in their lives this week and got a really good chance to pray with people at the end of the night (even our 30 year old friend who turned up by accident).

     What was great about this week was that most of the kids were off Thursday and Friday so we were able to just hang out the kids those two days just having good fun.

     Thursday we had a day in the church (as t was bucketing with rain) and just watched "Up" the pixar movie and I talked a little after about how God's not so interested in the finish but in the journey and about how we're already arrived in his land of promise. We just got to hang out afterwards with some of the guys playing games and chatting and praying.

     I  had the chance to hang out with a really cool guy from the teens called Andre. He is an unbelievable man of God with such a sweet heart for others and for the kingdom. Just got to lead him through a few things to do with worship before me and Gina had to go practice with the band for this Sunday (I'm playing for the last time in the church this sunday so please pray for that). After the practice we went to hang out at Jared's host family as his host Mum had prepared a dinner and a few presents for us. 

     

     Friday we had a day of slacklining in the park with the kids. It amazing how great just hanging out with a group of good friends can be. Then one of the kids called Eloysa shared a word that God had been teaching her this week. Eloysa is probably one of the reasons that we are here as a team. I remember meeting her one of my first days in Floca, I really sad girls who just looked like she needed help. A few months ago she accepted Jesus as her saviour and her life had completely changed. She is a ray of light and an example to me of the power of God in a life. 

     Afterwards we went as a team to a place called "Gourmet Burger" which is now my favourite place in Natal to eat. Then we went to hang out and worship Kadidja's house (a lady from the church who is dating our team leader) and got to spend the night which was awesome fun. 

there's me slacklining like a pro

     

     Saturday was a bit of a slow day if I'm honest but then Hermes (my menti) showed up at my house and my day got a whole lot better. We just hung out for a little while and then on the way to church I asked him what he thought of the baptism of the holy spirit. We chatted a little and then he said he wanted to receive the gift of tongues. I explained it to him a little and said like the bible says in Luke 11 "everyone who asks receives". So we prayed a bit just worshiping God and then I prayed in tongues and told him to do the same. We stopped and I asked him what he thought and he said "I don't think i can do it" to which I said "you just were". He had been praying which he thought was just him praying normally came out as tongues. We prayed a little bit more and then full with the spirit of joy went down to the service for the night. 

     This is absolutely mental but the next blog that I spend might be my last one! I only have 10 days left here in Brazil which is just crazy. It has been just an amazing year and I will never forget anything. Please just pray for this last week, that I will be able to make the best of it, that God would be preparing my heart for going home. 

    Thanks  so much for reading 

    Love 

    Mark

Confidence

Another great week here in Brazil full of the little surprises that God want to give us, sometimes just to make us smile. 

As I said last week Emily has left us for a week now and it's been a little bit weird getting used to the dynamic of the team without her but we managed to get everything done. 

This week in the primary school in Maia neto, we were presenting the theme of "Judge and be judged". So we presented the story of the good samaritan and then talked a little bit about it. The kids were a bit crazy this week which was a little difficult but we realised it was because our lesson wasn't as dynamic as it could have been. 

The rest of Tuesday we tried to use to get some lessons together. It was really weird this week because when trying to put our lessons together we all had a mind blank. It just went really slowly. Were we would have planned three lessons in 30 minutes we planned one in like an hour. But we managed to get it all done. That night we got to go to a birthday party of one of the students. It was really good that we went because there was only like 3 other people there, and we were really able to bless her with prayers and with our presence. 

Carol the birthday girl

One of the frustrating things with Brazilian education is the fact that sometimes we don't really know what classes we are going to have what day and if we're going to have a classroom or not. Little things like that. So this week was a little bit different in the afternoon in Maia Neto with the young teens. We were teaching them about Gossiping reusing the lesson that we used ages ago in Floca. It went well with the classes that we did have and then we were back in the church for more preparation for lessons and then for our cell group. 

This week our Cell group was crazy. Crazy awesome but crazy. Due to the weekend that had just past with the men some of the teens had had experiences with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (For those who aren't really sure what that is check out these verse in the bible Acts 2:1-13, Acts 19:1-7, Romans 8:26-27, 1st Corinthians 12, 14). It basically means receiving the gift to be able to flow in the spiritual gifts, to work closer with then the Holy Spirit. So we talked a little bit about it this week saying that if anyone wants it, like anything else that Christ died to give us, we just have to receive it. We just need to ask and he will give it. So we offered the teens a chance to just receive from God the gift of tongues and or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We had the chance to see about 15 kids from the youth group grow a little more in the walk with Christ as they received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Thursday we were back in Ferreira again  but this week we only had the chance to teach one class but the cool thing was that they had asked their teacher specifically if they could have a lessons with us. All of us on the team feel something special about Ferreira, all of the kids just seem to be hungry for the messages that we're presenting which is awesome. We're just able to hang out with the kids really easily and because it's so small it's really easy to make relationships with everyone. They might not have classes next week at some stage so we might be able to hang out just like we've done with the other schools in the past. 

This next coming Sunday (the 16th) will be my last Sunday playing and leading worship in the church so this Thursday night we had a chance to practice with the rest of the vocalists for the night. 

I had some really good and interesting conversations with people this week about my future and where I'm going next. I have currently got a place In Queen's but am still a little unsure about that but I had some great chats with people to try and think it out. All in all God's in control.

Friday we were back in Floca morning to teach our lessons about being lost. There wasn't a huge turnout at the lessons but was a great lesson and I know that a lot of kids really did receive from the fact that they have a father who is searching after them with all his might. Each student received a little note that said "I was lost but now I'm found" that they can keep to know who they really are, sons and daughters of God. That afternoon just got to hang out and have a little fun with the students in the courtyard. 

What is a bit mental for me is that this Friday might have been my last Friday in Floca and therefore the last night I will see some students as next week the students might or might not have class on Friday. I didn't really find out until the end of the day after we had left so I didn't really get the chance to say my goodbyes which is a bit sad as well but hopefully we'll being hanging out with those guys next week. 

This Saturday I was running my "how to lead worship" lesson. Again only 1 person showed up but hopefully I'll be able to do it with the other guys before I go. I then just chilled out that night as it was going to be a busy Sunday. 

Sunday we were hanging out at one of the students house. Huge house with a swimming pool and everything so it was great fun. He's a student new to the school called Otavio and it cool that we can befriend him and make him feel welcome and loved and wanted. 

What is absolutely crazy is that in 3 weeks I will be at home at summer madness. Feels like ages away and yet it's coming so quickly.  But I am really excited for what God wants to do at home this summer and in me in the coming months. God is good, it wasn't Brazil that changed my life it was God and he's the same God wherever I go. 

Please pray for the different goodbyes that I am going to have to start saying. Also a little prayer for me playing in church next Sunday would be really appreciated. 

This week's blog is called "confidence". I have been watching how the students have been changing through their interactions with us this week. The fact is that the teens that have been ministering to this year have come to the stage where they themselves can minister! Their hunger and humility is so amazing. I named this blog confidence because I have complete confidence that when I leave the youth and the schools will continue to grow and change because of the missionaries that we have made and left there. 

thanks so much for reading 

love 

mark

Peniel - Facing God

What an absolutely amazing week. It has been filled with comings and goings, meetings and partings but God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit was in it all! 

This week was all about saying goodbye to one of our team members Emily Rowell. She's 20 years old from Canada and spent last year in Bible college in England. She is a women of God with a heart of Gold, full of joy and grace and she has touched so many lives here in Brazil that will never be the same. I will miss her a lot these next few weeks but I now know that I have a Sister even in Canada! 

Me and Emily at our Pais Graduation in Church

This Tuesday in Maia neto we mixed it up and instead of telling a bible story we did an action story. I was the hero of the story and Jared the villain. He took Emily from me after beating me in a fight, so obviously I had to do a training montage! After this we had a second encounter where I was the victor saving Emily from his hands. Ramin then talked about how Jesus did just that with us, that he saved us from sin, sickness and the grave. We then invited the kids to come and receive Jesus as their hero. All of the kids came up and receive a little card that said "Jesus is my hero". Maybe some just came up because the cards had the avengers on them but even so there is massive seed in their hearts which the Spirit can minister to the rest of their lives. After that all of the kids gave cards to say goodbye to Emily and sang some songs for as well.

That afternoon we were pretty much free and then me and Emily went to hang out for her last Capoeira training.

Maia Neto Ninja Gospel video

Wednesday we had an early start at Ferriera. They were having a celebration for the Mums of the students so they asked me to come and sing for them. I sang "the power of your love" telling them that their love is what empowers their kids and shows lifts them on wings like eagles just like Jesus' love. We were just about to leave when Ramin got asked to breakdance. He showed off his stuff impressing the whole room and probably opening a whole lot more doors in the process. So we went back to the church for the rest of the morning for a little nap before going to Maia Neto for the afternoon. This week we only ended up having one class but we got to teach them on "judging" other people, telling them the need for loving people no matter what their situation, their clothes, type of music etc. 

That night we came back for our cell group. This week Ramin and Jared couldn't be there as they were going to prepare for the mens weekend which was their weekend (I'll tell you more about it below) so it was a kind of felt like I was in charge for some reason but it was an awesome time of experiencing God. A whole bunch of new people came so we prayed for them all and then we got Emily in the middle and super blessed her with encouraging words and prayers for her future. 

Thursday was a national holiday so we got to just spend the day doing anything Emily wanted. It was a very blessed day as a family (that's kind of what our team feels like these days). We had an awesome (real) breakfast, watched "Tangled", hung out a little and then went to Junior's house to hang out. Then back to mine for some just dance which was very funny.

Because me and the other guys on the team were going on a men's weekend this weekend we weren't able to say goodbye to Emily at the airport but thankfully friday morning I was able to hang out with her. We just went shopping for some stuff she needed to get and then hung out a bit. It's going to be really strange on the team without her but I know that God is going to use her so much in Canada just as just as he used her here (love you, if you're reading Em!) 

Then the mens weekend. I had decided that I would go on this weekend a few weeks ago and if I'm honest I was very nervous, but something happened last weekend and I just decided to let God do and work in me whatever way he wanted this weekend  AND HE DID. There is a rule about these weekends that you don't talk about what happens on them so it's completely new for people who go to the next ones. So I'm not going to tell too much as some Brazilians read this blog. But I will say this, the weekend is called "Face to Face with God" and that is exactly what it is.  It was one of the craziest experiences of my life and I will never ever forget it! 

I will tell you this though, I got to Baptise someone! One of the teens from church called Luan asked me to Baptise him. How incredible that God wanted to meet with me this weekend and that he wanted to put the cherry on the cake with that!

Luan's Baptism

Genesis 32:30 " So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

The weekend was at a lake called "lagoa de bom fim"
which means the lake of the good end or finish

This blog isn't just called Peniel because it was one of the themes of the weekend but because when I meet people like Emily and the rest of my team and the men that were on the weekend I am meeting little bits of God, little duplicates of him.

Thank you so much for reading this blog and keeping up with my time here in Brazil. Please pray for us as a team as we start doing the normal thing but without the normal team. And pray that God would be preparing my heart for going home as well as it is now 4 weeks to go.

Love you all

God bless

Mark

Tuwb (hebrew for goodness)

What a week full of the goodness of God. All God wants for us is to love us and to lavish his love and grace and mercy upon us, to have life in all it's fullness (john 10:10). He just doesn't stop to pour blessings on us when we just let him! When God showed his presence to moses in Exodus 33 he said "I will show you my goodness". When we let God bless us with the little "good" things we are experiencing the presence of God. 
This weeks blog is called "Tuwb" which is the hebrew for "goodness, fairness, joy and prosperity"

טוּב

This Monday we had another adventure to the lovely beach town Pipa. Was a day full of rest and blessing swimming in the seeing, kayaking with dolphins and having good times with good friends. Was one of the last  big things that we were going to be able to do before Emily leaves so it was great to be able to set the time aside. 

Tuesday we were back in the school Maia Neto. This week we did a recap of all of the stories we've done up to this point which was great fun, showing the kids how Christ is in the old testament. That little school is such a blessing. I don't know if I've shared this before but the school is on a street called "espirito Santo" (which means Holy Spirit) and every time we arrive at the school there is always a white Dove resting on it (a dove being a symbol in the bible for the Holy Spirit). Some people say that that is a coincidence but I don't believe in coincidence, I believe that God wants to use the small things as much as the big things to bless us and in this case to show his presence and favour upon what we're doing to bless that school. 
The rest of Tuesday we spent doing are team bible study (on matthew 17:1-13) and prepare for the week ahead. What's really cool is that lesson planning used to take us hours but this week we prepare for 3 lessons in less than an hour and a half which means the rest of the day was spent resting which  was awesome. 
Tuesday night was one of the most memorable of my times here in Brazil. This Tuesday we were getting our new Capoeira Cords (basically getting a belt in Kung fu). It was a whole night filled with the culture of Capoeria. All the different types of Capoeira as well as the different music. There was just us and two other people from the group getting new cords but even so all the instructors and professionals from all over Natal came just for us. We showed them a sequence of moves that we as a group had practiced and after that we have the "baptism" (as it's called in portuguese). Basically you have to go up against one of the really good guys and they eventually trip you up for that you fall. Then they give you the cord! Was an awesome night learning more about the culture that is Capoeira. 

Then when I arrived home my host Parents arrived from a trip they were on and gave me a pair of "Dr dre Beats" (copies). Needless to say an awesome Tuesday. 


video of me playing Capoeira

This Wednesday we were back in the Maia Neto again. This week we were teaching on Identity using one of the first lessons we ever used at the start of the year. In this lesson I shared a little testimony of stuff that happened to me in school and we had another imagination time to let them know what Jesus had to say about who they really are. I really love prophesying blessings and love into the lives those kids, showing them whole they really are  no matter what they hear from other people. 
That night I was speaking in the Cell group (which I had completely forgotten) but I ended up sharing on Hebrews 4:11 "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest," This verse is all about entering into the rest that we have in Christ. In Our loves we shouldn't have anything to worry about. Jesus died on the cross for every solution to every problem we could ever have. Entering the rest means in everything whether work rest or play we "rest" in the fact that Jesus has the answer to every problem we could ever have, and had before the problem existed. 

This Thursday in Ferreira we were teaching the same identity question. It amazing to see how much more kids who are just slightly older can receive from these lessons about identity. In some of the lessons we had a kids crying through feeling God's love pour over them and I had the chance to talk to one kids who is going through a really difficult time at home these days. I just told him how much Jesus loves him and prayed that God would take hold of the situation. 
Then we returned to the church waiting for Capoeira. 

As the morning students weren't going to have class we had the morning of this friday to prepare some other little things for the coming weeks lessons. Then in the afternoon headed to Floca. Had a great cell group in the afternoon break time where one of the students shared a word which was awesome to see her understanding of the word. Then a lead a little time in worship. 
That night Jared and his Menti Vitor came over to my house to just hang out and play "just dance 4" great fun and as the buses weren't running that late Vitor stayed in my house and got to hear a bit more of his story and how God is doing amazing things in his life (and he is doing wonderful things)  



This saturday we spent the day as a team at the house of Jared's host family. His host mum (Tia Verhina) anti Vera as we call her, has been a huge blessing to us as a team so we helped her with a little project of food parcels that she was doing for homeless people and prayed for her. Was great to just hang out and love on someone who flows so much with God's love. 
That afternoon I was able to hang with my menti hermes and go through a little bit more of the old testament stories with him. It's amazing how much Jesus is present in the old testament!

I would really appreciate it if you guys could pray for our team member Emily this week. She will be leaving us on Saturday so it's going to be a week of tears for her. Just pray blessings upon her as she finished her time here that she would be able to take what she has learnt in the next step of her life. It's so crazy that she's leaving already, which means that it's going to be a really weird month without her. 
As well as this I've only got 4 weeks left her in Brazil which is absolutely crazy. Please send up a little prayer for that. 

me and emily one of the first weeks here in Brazil

This time next week I'm going to be at a Men's weekend in the church. It's set to be "intense" so please pray that I can really encounter God and learn from him for that weekend.

Thanks so much for reading everyone. Your prayers and support have been changing lives and will continue to do so for the next 4 week.

God bless 
Shalom 
Mark

'UWR- to rouse oneself, to awaken'

What an unbelievable blessing that God gives us the opportunity to pour ourselves out for him. That when we pour ourselves out for him in sacrifice he covers us in even more blessings.That's how the kingdom works! 

עוּר     'UWR

I have named this blog "uwr" which is the hebrew for being woken up. It's from my current favourite bible first which is Psalm 57:8 "Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn." I love the way that it says "my glory" not your glory or God's glory but "my glory". The psalmist is saying " when I awake that thing inside me that makes me me, when I realise who I am in God, a son or daughter of God, when I realise the glory that has been set inside me by the father of lights, I can awake the dawn inside people who are in darkness." I encourage you not to pray "less of me and more of you God" but pray "may I become more of the perfected son or daughter that you made me to be, so that others can see the image of God which is your glory in me". 

This week has been another blessing of me discovering a little bit more of the glory of God that he has set within me. 

This Tuesday I had the great opportunity of teaching the bible story for the younger kids in Maia Neto. Just want to say thanks to everyone who prayed for that because it went really well. I had the opportunity to teach the kids why God gave the law and how all they need to do is look to Jesus' cross like the israelites looked to the bronze serpent (numbers 21:4). 
That afternoon we were able to had a really good time of planning for the week ahead. Then we had a good wee night of walking in the rain, eating Acai , chatting with friends and capoeira.

Acai, a wonder frozen berry dessert from a berry that comes
from the amazon.  

Wednesday was the first time in the afternoon at Maia Neto that we taught one of our normal lessons. This week we were teaching on bullying with our "bully unchained" drama. Was received really well by the kids, so much so that one of the kids took one of the white links that we used as a challenge for them to stop bullying in the school and posted about it on his facebook page. 

the photo that the student posted after our lesson saying
"lets fight the chains of bullying with the force of love"

Thursday we were back in Ferreira this week teaching on identity. We weren't able to teach many classes as there were some bus protests this week so the kids were let out early to make sure they got home okay. What has been amazing in Ferreira this last two weeks is that Ramin and Jared have got to pray for two girls that we know really well and they have received the "baptism in the holy spirit". Basically means that they received the gift of tongues and a greater understanding of how to live in tune with the Holy spirit. It is a huge encouragement to see people like them who wouldn't even accept Jesus when we first met them who now pray in tongues. It's amazing to see how much God can do with us. 


This week in Floca was a bit different. There was a ladies weekend happening so our team leader Ramin was away helping them set up for it and with that Gina was sick so we started the day with just me Emily,  and Jared. Our lesson was one on teamwork which wasn't our best but it was fun as we got to play a few games with the kids. After lunch that day we went back for a little while and then Emily had to leave for the womens weekend, so it was just me and Jared. Was another one of those fridays that i felt a little "powerless" so I would appreciate some prayer for that but I was able to share a word with the cell group about God's goodness which was awesome. 

the amount of kids showing up for our cell group during THEIR break time!

Saturday as the ladies weekend was on we had a free day to do some mentoring. It was great to be able to spend the day teaching some of the teens from the church. Was able to meet up with a guy called Charles (pronounced sharleez) in the morning. He's actually thinking about doing Pais Ireland which is really exciting. I shared my testimony with him and we talked a little bit about what he struggles with. The rest of the day I was able to hang out with the guy I'm properly mentoring. He's a really cool guy and was able to spend the rest of day with him talking and just hanging out. 


It was a little bit of a slower week but God moves in the drizzle as much as the rain storm and we will have some busy weeks coming up anyway. I would really appreciate some prayer for the coming weeks for us as a team, Emily will be leaving in two weeks and then ill have only a few after that. I really just want to learn as much as i can while I can so please just pray that I can keep my eyes firmly fixed on here and now and not on then. 

Thanks so much for all your support, love and prayers it means the world to me.
God bless 
love 
mark

leading week

This week I was given the role of team leader to see if I would be up to scratch if I ever wanted to leader a team on Pais or any short term missions team (every Pais apprentice does it for one week). It was a great experience and really learnt a lot from the very short time I was incharge. Was a great week of God doing his thing in and through us and some really cool stories to tell. 

Tuesday we were back in the "primary school" Maia Neto teaching the bible story of Moses and the passover. Was really fun as we got to used really cool visuals by painting a door frame with "blood" (red paint). The kids were a bit more lively but they hadn't had our lesson for three weeks or so it was to be expected. That afternoon we spent planning a little as a team as we were going to a church on Saturday to teach on missions (all of us doing different seminars and stuff so we had to prepare). The rest of that afternoon was spent planning some more lessons for the week and then going to Capoeira. 
I would really appreciate some prayer for this Tuesday as I will be leading the kids story at Maia Neto. I've never really done anything like it and I've got a lot to prepare so please just pray that I get it all sorted in time and that the kids receive from it. 

teaching music class at Maia Neto

Wednesday was another day back in Maia Neto finishing off or "life choices" lessons with them. This week we were teaching them of how they can have relationship with God. Was really cool to see them receive during the small groups and even cooler during the appeal time. So what we've been doing here on our time a lot is given people a space to actually hear the voice of God for them. There are three steps to it. You become calm to hear, you let God us your imagination (he made it he can do it), you let him flow when he starts to talk and then you write it down so you don't forget. I lead a time of imagination with the kids in Maia Neto on Wednesday and it was awesome. Seeing all of the kids just with their eyes closed listening to Jesus tell them how much he loves them. I think it's the coolest thing that I do in my life!
That afternoon we had our cell group and Ramin talked about how our group of teens isn't just a group of teens it's so much more than that. That they aren't the generation of the future. They are today's generation! He showed them of how God wants to us them to change lives today! It was really cool to see the kids realise their own potential. 



(and also the guy who I've been teaching guitar lead worship and was awesome, very very encouraged!!) 


Thursday morning we needed to us to do some more planning for this weeks friday lessons and a little bit more for the coming saturday. That afternoon we were back in Ferreira teaching our English class. This week were just teaching on "first encounter" vocab and how to converse in English. One of the classes we ended up teaching a little bit differently. To start off the lesson I sang song called "The only exception" (youtube link: the only exception) then one of the guys translated the song a little and talked through the story of it, (which is basically a girls parents separated and this made her loose faith in love but this person she is singing to is the only exception). Then Ramin was able to us that to talk about the true (Agape) love of God that would never ever fail them!. 
That evening we did a little practice for this week's friday an it was off to Capoeira again. 

teaching the only exception in Ferreira 

Friday morning was back in Floca for our morning lessons. This week we were recycling the lesson that we had done in Maia Neto because it had gone so well, so like there we talked them through relationship (using  short drama), then brought them into the "imagination time". So many kids really received from Jesus, just hearing form him which was awesome. 
That afternoon we were back in for some more hang out time. As I was in charge I had to talk to the teachers to see if we had any classes to teach which another experience. We just had one class to teach that day so we got to hang out for the rest of it. After the class I got a great surprise when 4 guys who I ad made friends with last term in Floca and who had since left came in to hang out with us. Was really really great to see them and had some really awesome chats about how they're getting on. And they're just great craic (great fun if you reading Mailon! ). What's been really cool in Floca these days is that we've been able to have like a small group together to open the bible every break time. But this week it turned out not to be a small group as about 30 or 50 kids showed up. It was unbelievable and we took them through an "imagination time" as well and so many came to talk to us about how God talked to them through it!
I know I had asked for some prayer for this week for Floca and I really appreciate it as God did some really cool things. I got to have a chat with one of my good friends there and hear about how he doesn't believe in religion, so I got to teach him that it's not about religion but relationship. And the coolest story. The guy that I'm mentoring is an awesome artist and not only that but he has learnt how to hear from God a "word" or image for people and draw it for them. So this week I left him with a challenge. To do that for a random person at school. So we both together got to speak God's word into a random persons life through a really cool prophetic drawing that he had made for someone. I am really really proud of that guy and it's going to be really hard to say goodbye to him but it is awesome how much God has moved in his life through us and even through me!

the picture the guy I'm mentoring was drawing the first
day I met him. 

So Saturday. This week we were heading to a different church to lead a conference for 4 different churches on how to reach young people. We were doing three seminars "lesson planning", "Bible study" and "mentoring". It was a great day of meeting new people, new place and a new church. We got to minister to them about how ministry is about first receiving so tat we can give. That it is all about know how we are loved in Christ before we do anything! I was a great day and I think God really blessed what we had to say. 

If you guys want some extra light reading on us as a Pais team feel free to read this mouths newsletter. 
April newsletter

was mother's day here in brazil this week
so here's me and my siblings with our
mae
(happy Brazilian mothers day mum forgot to say :P)

God is so good. I know that he has awesome plans for the guys here in Brazil and for me when I go home. I know that his main aim is to love us, in all our good and bad he just wants to love us. He just wants us to receive that love. I would really encourage you to talk a time out from whatever you're doing when you're reading this blog and go back to the points I made about listening to God's voice. Just take some time and lets God's words of love speak over you today. Trust me if you do it will be the best thing you do this week. 

God bless everyone
Love you all
mark