We are unable to describe the feeling of pain and anguish that weighs on our hearts in these months, but mainly January 2021.
We started the year celebrating and a few days later we cry, mourn at the losses with a lot of agony. Manaus cries, the church of the Lord cries. Heaven received several saints and loved ones from here, but they left us with a huge void.
“The Lord is near to those with a broken heart, and saves the contrite in spirit.The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the Lord delivers them from all. ”Psalm 34: 18-19
When I woke up one night almost suffocating, with an urgency in my heart, the Lord, always sweet, reminded me of this verse, "the Lord is near".
The Lord is near for us, when the afflicted call us asking for oxygen for their loved ones, because there is no place in hospitals. After 3 minutes of messages to some people, we remember that He is near, always. Two cylinders appear and we are made once again to be the hands and feet of Christ, our Lord. When we arrived at a company with water for those waiting for the refilled oxygen cylinders, distributing water, snacks and juices, we were seeing all the pain of loss, grief. And every "yes" for a water or a snack looked like that Samaritan woman saying to Jesus: "give me that water, so I won't have to drink another water again". When we get calls from people saying, “the food is over”, we are no longer surprised, as many are out of work. And soon afterwards God sends food and we can take it to these beloved people’s homes, so sad and discouraged that they often cry. The mission never stops, never stopped. Jesus' love continues to call us to keep going on.
His ministry here on earth has always been close to the afflicted and oppressed. And today we are fulfilling his great commission, even though we are mourning with a lump in our throat. When we remember He is near to us, we are invigorated and full of strength that can only come from Him…the source of living water. I translate here all our pain in the form of hope, because He remains close to us.
Our hope is not in medicine, hospitals or vaccines, because we know that everything can fail, but the love of the One who never left us does not fail.
To the beloved mission and life friends, who have been supporting us for a long time and coming to Brazil to love our people, a simple thanks is not enough for the prayer coverage we have received. Feeling your love reminds us once again that the Lord is near.We will continue together on mission, one day at a time and living from glory to glory, from faith to faith. Grace upon grace, God is always good!