Dedication Night

Dedication Night---Day 3

This was the most amazing and spiritual night in most of our lives....we were not prepared for many of the moments we shared tonight. This trip was not like any trip in prior years. Here are some pics we wanted to share of our arrival..

It is so amazing to pull up to the church in the bus and see the Light coming from
this building that you have been praying for

The flowers..the stage...the band equipment....the chairs...all so unexpected. 
Many times, we leave the church looking very dull and it takes them many
years to set it up and make it look like this.  This church was very blessed. 

Scripture on the wall...

The women of the group

Brant, Samantha, Janderson

In the previous post today, you probably read about the paralyzed woman we met.  Kevin, Brant, me and Janderson found a lady with a car and we went to pick this woman up from her house.  The guys carried her out to the car .  At the church....they slowly helped her in.  Everyone was watching in amazement at this woman....who was so determined to come to church.  It reminded me of the Bible story when the men lower their friend through a room (a lame man) in order to get healed by Jesus.  We all cried....men....women.....everyone teared up as she took her seat.  Here is a pic of her so you can pray for her and her grandaughter.  She felt like she didnt matter....but today she now knows that she does and this church will watch over her. 

Ok, so at this point everyone is crying...and then the service starts.  It started off with a dance group performing to Christian Brazilian music....then a drama group performed.  The Brazilians kept looking over at us to see if we were pleased with them.  And we were!  They are very anxious to please.  All these big burly men cried during all of the presentations....and then the pastor had over a hundred people come and hug us individually.  It took a long time but we just all got so choked up.  I have never been hugged so tight and so many times.  It was their way to thank us.  Then they began to sing a Portuguese version of GOD OF THIS CITY...it was so beautiful.  After that, a member of our group...Oneilda (former resident of Brazil) gave her testimony of finding God and her husband and coming to America. 

Standing room only.  Many Brazilians were viewing the service
by looking in the windows. 

Dance group performing.

The entire theme of the service was that we all have pasts that we are ashamed of and we all have sinned so much but that doesnt have to be who we are.  When we let Christ in, we become a new creation through him.  It doesnt matter what we look like or what language we speak because we are all loved just the same. 

The hardest part of the trip is saying goodbye to the friends we made.  We tell them we will see them in Heaven someday...as you get on the bus...they are calling your name...saying I love you.....asking for one more picture with you....

Brant friends that are involved in the new churchs music ministry.
If you could only here the one on the left sing! oh my

Helena would like to give special thanks to the Life Group
for helping with the purchase of the chairs. 

Samanthas sweet girls

In the closing of this blog, we would like to go back to something that Janderson said to us last night and also mentioned it on the blog.....he said that when we leave the kids.....as we drive off into the night...we can no longer see their faces....but we can still see the church.  Eventually you cannot see it as you drive off but you are reminded that the mission was to help build a building that would help the people of the community of Codo know Christ better.  Though we feel sad to drive off....we see the church and we know....Mission Complete. 

See you soon.