Off to Rio!

Hi All,

Our outreach team of 8 arrived at Bangu favela in Rio to work with Damon and Steve and the community of Bangu and the 1st Baptist church here.

Yesterday was a little tough and we could use your prayers.

Here is a note Damon sent out yesterday:

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Quick note:

Today was our first full day hosting a missions team and during our outdoor program for a group of kids, shots were being exchanged very close by. It sent our group running for protection. No one injured but, as you would imagine, the team is shaken up. The shootout lasted for a while and sounded like it was happening next door. Please pray for protection, peace, and that our short time together will make a life long impact.

Damon
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So please keep our team and this area in your prayers. I talked with a young single mom who came running to the project frantically looking for her son (he was with us). She stayed the whole 3 hours as shots rang out as she lives behind the project where the shots were coming from and didn't feel it safe to return home yet. She said she's lived here her whole life and she still isn't used to the shooting. She said as a single mother, the only protection she has for her and her son is Jesus. What a beautiful statement. The only protection any of us have really truly is Jesus, no matter where we live in the world.

We will be doing street evangelism in the morning today, and then visiting a rehab center for men in this slum area who have drug and alcohol addictions this afternoon and then helping with the church's youth program tonight.

Thank you for your continued prayers! Love, Joy

Here are some other prayer requests as well:

-- Safety and protection: the youth program tonight is in an open park type area near where the shootings were yesterday. Our team is a little jumpy about this, as you can imagine.
-- Team unity: we have many different cultures and languages on our team
-- Health: many are slightly ill on the team and I also awoke throughout the night suddenly ill and don't feel better this am
-- Community: please pray for this area, these precious families and the impact of the church here
-- USA: please pray for the devastation after the tornado in Oklahoma...many children...so sad

On a lighter note, I joked on Fb that there's nothing like a little gunfire to bring people together. Which turned out to be true. After debriefing the day last night with Damon leading this debrief, which was so great and much needed, we had a lot of fun last night at dinner joking around, paying each other 1 real (50 cents) to eat a spoonful of hot sauce and other craziness. I guess sometimes you need to laugh so you don't cry!

God's blessings to all!