Dear Friends & Family,
I just returned from Brazil, what an amazing time we had promoting Jesus as Lord! We were again ministering in the state Bahia, the place I now affectionately call my second home. I arrived in São Paulo, 15 hours in the air, and as soon as I landed, we got in our truck and drove another nine hours to be a part of an annual conference.
Porto Seguro is a city located in the far south of Bahia, Brazil. The city holds a distinctive place in Brazilian history: in 1500 it was the first landing point of Portuguese navigators. I refer to it as the “womb” of Brazil. It is here, in this strategic city, that my friend Rene Terra Nova holds an annual prophetic conference, rallying believers for 4 days of ministry and prophetic declarations over the nation. I was surprised when he asked me to speak the second night of the conference. His charge to me was “Chad, speak about protecting and empowering a generation.” Although my time was limited, God showed up in typical fashion, pouring out His spirit and grace in the service. It was a huge opportunity for me and for the vision God has placed in my heart for Brazil. Countless doors have opened for me in an unprecedented manner throughout numerous denominations and nationwide church structures. It was an honor to declare words of life over thousands of key leaders assembled at this conference.
After the conference we drove 8 hours back to the city of Feira de Santa Anna, our base of operation in Brazil. My long time friend and translator, Pastor David Suassuna, had a 9:30 am service and he was desperate to get back for the early service. David is the lead pastor of Peniel Baptist Church, I was thrilled to speak to his congregation. Yes, we were exhausted, but God moved mightily in the service. It was a joy to be with him and his church family.
Having worked in Fera for the past eight years has given me the opportunity to make numerous friendships and form genuine relationships with many key leaders. When they found out I was going to be in town for a few days they filled my schedule. Two of these events were very memorable. One was a church camp in the middle of nowhere. The crowd was of different ages, something I’m not used to doing, since most of our efforts are focused on teens and young adults. Despite the demographic challenges, God displayed His amazing grace with the altars being filled with young and old alike, with 5 teens accepting Jesus for the first time. The pastor was thrilled considering that these were kids who had been raised in church yet had never been born again. It confirmed again to me that God is just looking for someone who will lift Him up so He can unveil His love and mercy to those whose hearts have been hardened for many years.
He can unveil His love and mercy to those whose hearts have been hardened for many years.
Our last event was an outdoor evangelistic outreach in the city center. I brought the animals for this event and they were a show stopper. A few hundred people gathered to not only see the giant python, but to listen to the message of hope that was presented. God did not disappoint and the Spirit of God fell in a dramatic fashion, touching all who were in attendance. Lives were touched, hearts melted like wax and many prayed to receive Jesus for the very first time. Thanks again for helping me go into all the world.
Chad