SUMMER 2006 BRAZIL
SUMMER 2006 IN BRAZIL
We have begun our summer of mission trips in Brazil. In a few hours Brazil will play Australia in the World Cup. God, however, is playing a different game these days, which is salvation. Our American team traveled over an hour to a church located in the most dangerous part of Rio. As we arrived in the area, the gangs were armed and waiting for us. They gave us safe passage and we began looking for the church. Hundreds came to hear the Word. We knew that this night would be a powerful night. After minor formalities of introductions we proceeded to sing songs of praise and worship. The team was relaxed and singing with joy.
Many of our hymns such as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “On the Cross” and many others are known by Brazilians, since they were translated long ago. However, this night would be a different night. I knew by the presence of God that something unusual was going to happen but I did not know what it was. The sounds of powerful praise from the congregation grew louder and louder. The finely-tuned combination of bass, guitar, drums and two guitars was as if they had known each other’s sound for many years. All chords and progressions moved to near perfection as the presence of God took over the place with a sweet aroma. After 30 minutes of music I saw tears and the glory of God all over that sanctuary. My first inclination was to conduct the offering and then preach, but I was locked into the presence of God. There was no way to leave the scenario before us.
In a matter of minutes I noticed a man coming in out of the street for prayer. Our team was standing against the altar of the church, all in position to receive those who needed prayer. After the first person came the second and the third. Then we saw gang leaders begin to come in from out of the street and kneel at the altar asking for prayer. Every time someone came in, the congregation would break into applause and shouts of “Hallelujah!” This went on for two and one half hours. We counted over 150 people who came to receive Christ: gang leaders, armed men, women, children and the elderly, coming to the sanctuary to receive prayer. These were not church members but street folks who happened to be passing by the church. All of them came asking for prayer and received salvation that night!
I will never forget the moment when I hugged a man who confessed Jesus Christ as his Savior over the microphone. It was the first time he had ever come into a church.
What really happened? God sent his glory to save the lost. The first June 2006 team came to Brazil to participate in a move of God, and was presented with the most beautiful service we have ever witnessed. Imagine souls pouring from the streets into the sanctuary to receive salvation! Three hours later, we sat on the bus pondering what the Lord had done. Hallelujah!
Rick Bonfim
Edited by Betty Mckinney
It is great to see God moving to save the lost. God can and will go beyond what we can think of imagine. Praise God for my new brothers and sisters in the Lord. I pray for God to continue to move mightly all over the world! We are bound in the Spirit to serve him wherever He has us. Let’s win our towns and cities for Jesus!!!
Comment by Frank Appel — June 20, 2006 @ 3:42 pm
Praise Be to God!!!! Janet Miller
Comment by 912-230-0945 — June 20, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
Sounds like some of the services we had when I visited Brazil a couple of years ago…what a blessing! Longing intently for the opportunity to go back to minister and be ministered to.
Comment by Randy F carnley — June 21, 2006 @ 6:19 am
Wish I had been there
Comment by Janette — June 21, 2006 @ 6:24 am
Wow!! Praise be to God!! A young man from my church was there that night. It had a tremendous impact on him. My son is in Santa Barbara with Rick right now and from what he has told me things are going very well. They went to the Church of the Lion last night. I can tell that he has been tranformed and that God has blessed him and changed him forever. As all of us who have been there know, he will never forget what he has seen and will experience in Rio.
David Stubblefield
Dahlonega UMC
Dahlonega, Ga.
Comment by David Stubblefield — June 21, 2006 @ 6:36 am
That’s great, Rick. That is the move of God that I would like to see in this country. I wish I could have been there. Going to brazil was a great time in my life and I appreciate you for allowing me to serve as your chairman and taking me to Brazil.
I am glad that you and the ministry continue to be blessed.
Did the mission ever get the Tupperware? I need to communicate with my brother-in-law and thank him.
If you get a chance give me a call. cell 770-316-5043
Comment by Ron Blomberg — June 21, 2006 @ 7:15 am
I feel the touch on my heart that RBM left two years ago. The time escapes so quickly but you and your team remain in the most precious chambers of my heart. We prayed for a man at church last night that was bound by unforgiveness. He asked the Lord into his heart. The moment reminded me of Brazil. My prayers are with you.
God Bless- josh
Comment by josh strange — June 22, 2006 @ 7:42 am
Rick, if there’s such a thing as holy envy, I have it! Praise God! Would that this would be true in North America. I can’t wait until the Lord makes a way for me to return to my second home, the wonderful country of Braizl - hallelujah!
Comment by Eric Sizemore — June 22, 2006 @ 2:02 pm
What a blessing to hear about this and because I have heard my Dad Earl Tyson and my husband Jim Radford and my son James Daniel speak about their experiences in Brazil I can almost feel like I was there!! I do pray that the Lord will provide a time for the 3 men I mentioned to join you in Brazil again! Thank you for your faithfulness to God and to us!!
Comment by Teresa Tyson Radford — June 24, 2006 @ 9:34 am
What beautiful testimony of the power of praise and worship! It is time for each of us to rise and sing shouting to the Lord with a voice of triumph!!!
Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah!
Comment by Carol Fleming — June 25, 2006 @ 6:33 pm
AWESOME! THEY OVERCAME him by THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, Witness of God’s work (testimony) and not loving their lives unto death…
Comment by Diane — June 28, 2006 @ 8:14 am
I can hardly imagine what an outpouring of the Holy Spirit of this magnitude must have felt like. I firmly believe God has led Rick and Mary Lucy into hundreds of our lives to be taught, mentored and learn of the Power by which we all live Under the Blood of Jesus. Many of us may never get to experience such an outpouring of people coming to Christ. However, I do believe, God has placed us all here for his purpose and his purpose only. Rick and Mary Lucy, I believe you to be the most anointed couple I have ever had the privilege to know and to serve with. You are one of his chosen, you never stop, and it is because of that, which what happened in the service when people were pouring in out of the street and out of the pews to the altar. You have been obedient to God, and by doing that he is using you in ways, you could never dream. In addition, you are teaching those of us that know and Love you, all you possibly can, to reach one more for Jesus. I never stop yearning to be in Brazil. There is so much need there, it is unimaginable to most unless you have been there and witnessed it for yourself. I believe everyone that calls himself a Pastor or Minister, should have to go, to a country as in Brazil and witness the hunger for food and the hunger for Christ. I feel they would preach very differently from their pulpits on Sunday Mornings. In our country, people take the Bible, God, and the country we live in so for granted. They would not be afraid to preach on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, they would not be afraid to offend someone in the congregation. They would speak on reaching, not those that are in the pews that already know Christ, but urge those that call themselves part of the church family to reach out to those that are not in churches. Christ called us to the Great Commission. I believe with all my heart unless, all of us are willing to lay down our lives, for Christ, For the Kingdom, For what know to be the truth, our country will be the richest, lost mass of people in the world. God is on the move, and we need to be ready and willing to be on the move for him no matter where he sends us, no matter what the cost, and now matter how afraid we are of offending someone that claims, it is their right to worship or not to worship. It is easy to have that attitude when you have been born and raised in the most affluent nation in the world. But, I don’t think people, even Pastors, or Preachers, or Leaders would feel the same way, if they just had a taste of what it was like for their congregations, to have children dying of starvation every day, to watch someone who has never stepped foot in a church, nor heard the name of this Jesus walk to an alter and knell before our Lord. Most churches have taken alters out of the church. We need to put them back. Because, we need to be on our knees, praying for forgiveness, praying for our country and our president, praying for God to use us in whatever capacity he sees fit. Living in a free country, living where freedom of worship is considered a right when it should be considered an honor and a privilege. All of us need to get up, and speak the word of Jesus, Praise the Holy Spirit for filling our empty lives, and lie down at the foot of the cross, before Jesus with our face in the mud and ask for forgiveness and beg him to use us for his work and his will. Then, just maybe then, we will see an outpouring of masses at the alters, but, quit dancing around the truth, quick dancing around offending someone. We had better be willing to be that bold for Jesus, because if we do not, we will lose our freedoms, and we will become just a long line of a lost and dying world. Thank You Rick, for reaching one more for Jesus, every day. Some word that you have spoken, some prayer that Mary Lucy has prayed for in the lives she touches. I know one thing, the first time I ever heard you speak Rick, you asked me in the middle of service what I was thinking, and all I could do was say, I just want more, more of what you are talking about. I have never from that day until this, stopped wanting more. More of Jesus, more of the Holy Spirit, more of his word in me, that I saw in you that day. I now have that Jesus in me. Jesus did not go into churches and preach to the saved, he walked the streets and taught to the lost.
Praise God, his work is ongoing and his Love Everlasting. It does not get any better than that. Look at it this way, if you are a Christian this is the worst it gets, if your not, this is the best it gets. I Thank God for his mercy and grace everyday. For without that, I would just be another lost soul.
I would also like to Thank the team that was with you this summer, and all the hard work that they went to do. They will never be the same. I haven’t……..
God Bless You,
Mary Lucy,
And
All of the Teams That Are Going to Spread the Good News…..
Matthew 28; 16-20
In Service Together for the King,
Judy Mason
Missionario
Comment by Judy Mason — June 29, 2006 @ 1:10 am
Rick,
This story was shared by Dwayne Breen the Sunday after they returned from their mission trip to Bazil with you at our church service. What an awesome time to be able to witness to these people down there! Praise God. I was able to visualize them (the gang members)coming in one by one to hear the word and sing the praises that you all were sharing in. This was truly a God thing!
God Bless~
Lu Anne
Comment by Lu Anne Gafford — June 29, 2006 @ 6:40 am
How I can picture that church situation! How I would have loved being there with y’all!! Thank God for His faithfulness and your willingness, Rick, to go where He leads you and preach with boldness. Praise God for His continuted anointing on all people this summer!!
Comment by Mary B.Rice — June 30, 2006 @ 7:11 pm