Hello Everyone!
We apologize for not writing sooner. First of all, thank you so much for your faithful prayers. Kelli is not sick anymore! Gloria Deus! (Praise God). She finally started to feel better after a short 18-hour nap and a few days in bed. Let me tell you, being sick in Brasil is not ideal, but God is good, and I, Kelli, am feeling great J Jessi and I laugh as we proudly say that we have experienced the full meaning of “culture shock.” From sweating to digestion and the most difficult of all, pace. The slow pace has absolutely thrown us for a loop. The first week and a half we were so excited to be here that we kind of disregarded slow pace when we found it. However, we went straight into the countryside when we first got here so we did not get hit with the Brazilian pace right off the bat. When things started to slow down though, we started to question, as we said in other postings, what our purpose really was. After going from full time students/ working young ladies to the ability to sleep in and not have to cook, we were questioning if this was really what the “missionary” lifestyle looked like. This has not gotten easier for us. God has provided wonderful opportunities here and there to serve in ways that are heart changing, both to the people we are serving and us. Each time we have been able to go to the orphanage, we have felt like we are really doing what we said we were going to do, serve with everything we had in us. When we go there, we go go go until the final point that we either have to eat, go to the bathroom or leave. Giving ourselves like that is what we have wanted to do from the get go. If this summer was a song, we dedicated it to the beautiful life goal of service when we made the decision to come down. In our questioning if we were doing things right and if there was more we could be doing, we decided to talk to Marconi. After getting everything we could out, he said that the gift that we brought, the $9,000 that was raised/ donated for this ministry, was more than enough. He followed that with that if we spent the next 2 months on the beach, we would still have accomplished so much. Jessi and I were grateful that the $9,000 had made such a strong impact, but we were not quite satisfied with the thought of not putting our more than willing hearts and bodies to work. Please be praying that we could serve with everything we have. We are willing to go anywhere, do anything and love anyone in the name of Jesus Christ. He has really done a work in us since we have been down here.
Jessi and I discussed the image of a prisoner being stripped down and sprayed off and decided that that is the most accurate picture of us, thanks Paul and Philippians. All of our comforts have been taken and we are now just kind of sitting in a wet puddle, naked as a jay bird, discussing the important things in life with the One who created life itself. In extremely different ways, we feel like God has really pressed upon us the important of love and serving as an act of love. It is like starting all over, but it is the most beautiful recreation the world has ever known. We have both always strived to love well and serve as much as we could, but our hearts have changed to the point that recognition of loving any particular thing is recognition of the presence of our God, as “He is love.” (1 John 4:8). And with that said, we have been pushed to recreate not only our hearts but what it is that we know to fill our hearts, which is love itself. God has redefined the meaning of love in our hearts. Each visit to the orphanage has taught us something different about joy, about being unconditional, about faith in God when things don’t always look superb, (but that is a topic of its own.) And the one trait of love that has really clicked, is service. In a discussion between the two of us gals the other day, we commented on the fact that we have always wanted to want to serve, and now, we want to serve. It continues to amaze me that God teaches and re-teaches lessons that are so seemingly simple, but each time they are taught or revealed, the meaning is more profound…
We have found ourselves to be two girls, something close to woman, that are lost and uncomfortable and confused, but have a LOVE with new meaning for Jesus Christ, a yearning to serve to support this love and zeal to chase after Him more with each step of life. We are very confused in why service would hide from its seekers, but more thankful that God has chosen to do this work in our hearts. No matter what, we are learning to be seeking genuinely 1000000%. God is good to take care of His beloved, to concentrate on character and not always comfort. We are excited as we feel step one, learning, of this trip has taken place. We now hope to take all that has been jammed into our heads and push it forth into a life FILLED with loving God, loving people, and as we have re-acknowledged the meaning behind love, redefine service in our lives. As far as prayer requests, we ask that you would pray for:
-All the kids at the orphanage to know God and live a life filled with His love.
-All the girls at the “Apple of God’s Eye” orphanage to know God and have their lives turned around
-Jessi and I to live lives of love and service, and with that, have opportunities to serve with all we have
-Safe travels wherever the Lord takes us, as Brazil and surrounding areas do not have a commissioner quite like my father to take care of the road issues J
-To be vessels of Christ’s love and power and walking proof of grace in living color
-Safety and protection from people near and far and against spiritual warfare
Thank you all so much. We love you and are so very appreciative of you. May God minister to your hearts wherever this update finds you and continue to teach you about love with the same intensity that we have been rocked with.
Love with new meaning,
Kelli and Jessi
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