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