May 2022 – News from the Field

The spring, new birth, and a celebration of our risen Lord! What better time to finally realize our first post-Covid mission team to Brazil? This team was postponed multiple times since January of 2021, but God’s timing, as always, is impeccable. Can you think of a better season to participate in a community-wide evangelistic campaign with the theme, “Jesus makes all things new,” than Holy Week?

There is far too much to pack into one report, but here is a summary. A combined team of American and Brazilian missionaries and volunteers took to the streets inviting children to come and hear the good news. Over the course of 6 days the gospel was presented in words, song, skits, and crafts to more than 600 children, and several hundred teens and adults as well. The team cleaned, landscaped, and renovated an abandoned community center in the neighborhood, and celebrated a graduation from Open Arms mission school.

It was a whirlwind to be sure, but one testimony captures the heart and purpose of this mission. On Good Friday a community event was held with over a thousand people in attendance. There were games, crafts, food, music, and all the fun you would expect at a festival. During the event a skit was presented by our team that visually acted out the good news that, despite our choosing the passing pleasures of sin over the enduring blessing of God’s presence, Jesus came and took those sins and their penalty upon himself, fought sin and death and the grave for us, and offers us His righteousness as a way back to relationship with God.

Sitting up front during the skit was a little girl named Lara. Lara’s Open Arms mentor, a teen named Larissa, sat with her reading the words on the signs in the skit because Lara cannot read yet. As Lara watched the Jesus character begin to lift the chains of sin off of the characters representing humanity, she suddenly became excited. She began to say loudly, “I get it! I understand! Jesus took my sins so I can choose Him, I can be with God!” Then she began to cry and call out to her little friends around her, “Do you get it?! Do you see?!” As Larissa related the testimony to us she was overwhelmed with tears of joy herself. A life was saved, redeemed. Larissa had faithfully planted seeds in Lara’s life for some time, and God chose to open her eyes on that day. What a joy to have been able to witness a miracle. I wish you could have been there to, but in a real sense you were. Through your prayers and your partnership with this ministry, God has used you to make moments like this one possible.

Your partnership allows us to continue investing in young lives, in families, and in the Kingdom, for the love of God, in the name of Jesus. On behalf of our Agents of Hope, and all the children and youth they serve, thank you!

Sincerely,

Michael J. Meyers
President & Founder