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Mission Possible

By Tim Moody

July, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo

Jesus used the method of short-term missions trips as part of His discipling process (Luke 9-10). Since I came to Brazil, one of my dreams has been to see Brazilian youth serve through short-term missions trips. This past July, God did exceedingly abundantly beyond what I had even imagined. Twenty-seven youth went on a two-week trip from São Paulo to Presidente Prudente, a city of 250,000 people about 10 hours interior.

When we were kids, we all played hide and seek, and the goal was to never let anyone find us. This was one of our themes on this trip, teaching that everyone must hide behind the cross so that only the glory of the cross would be seen. There was a spirit of brokenness, confession of sin, and servanthood among the youth, and they shared Jesus Christ with Holy-Spirit boldness. People were coming to the Lord daily, but no one asked how many; they were more excited about Jesus than what Jesus was doing.

We woke up early every morning to meet with the Lord individually and then afterward as a group. We then went door to door doing survey evangelism, and we were told because it was a middle-class neighborhood and 95 percent Catholic, not to expect to be invited into homes. (All houses have walls all the way around and a gate through which they talk to strangers.) In spite of this, we were able to present the gospel in three out of every four houses, and were invited into the homes about 60 percent of the time! Staunch Catholics were opening their hearts to these teens and college-age students who shared with them the grace of Christ. In the afternoon, we held Vacation Bible School at one of the public schools and a soccer tournament for the teens. At night, we had open-air theater and music in the town square, and one evening we held a dinner for unsaved couples.

The final day, we decided to look at all the surveys and decision cards to see what God had done. The students had presented the gospel to over 506 people, and 218 of them prayed to receive Christ as their Savior. As a result of this trip, at least three of the youth recognized the call of God on their lives for vocational ministry.

When God calls us to a task, He also provides a way to accomplish much through His power. For through Him, all things are possible.