"Whom have I in heaven, but you?"

In a new devotional book I have been reading lately called New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, I have been convicted and challenged with an important truth. Many times, I look to so many other things for contentment and satisfaction. Things such as going to the beach or watching a movie or going running or spending time on facebook or even serving in ministry - things that are not necessarily wrong, but tend to be more my focus than God Himself.
Psalm 73:25-26 says, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!"
Oh, how I pray that this prayer of David's would be mine! Nothing wrong with the things I enjoy doing, but if they take precedence over God in my life, something is wrong.
An interesting quote from this book says, "Most beautiful fruits of grace - a heart that is content, more given to worship than demand and more given to the joy of gratitude than the anxiety of want."
My prayer this Thanksgiving is that God give me more a heart of contentment, a deeper gratitude for what He has given me through His only son Christ.that takes me to a greater desire for Him each day! Please pray for me in that area as well.

This Thanksgiving, I would also like to say thank you for your daily prayers for me, as well as, your sacrificial support. I also greatly appreciate your comments on my blog or some of your encouraging remarks on facebook or even occasional emails. What a blessing it is to hear from friends and family back home!

Additional things I am thankful for:

Teaching my nephews and niece

Field Trips

Children's church 

Making new friendships and learning to grow together

Spending time with family 

Fellowshipping with the body of Christ

Bible Studies

His Creation 

Friends & Family Back Home (Sorry I don't have pictures of everyone!) =)

Serving on a short term missions trip with my brother and sister-in-law and family

Learning moments

Although I have many learning moments I could share, I am just going to share one. This Thanksgiving, I took on the challenge of learning how to make a Thanksgiving goodie that required additional work. 

My challenges were baking a pumpkin and figuring online how to turn my regular milk into evaporated milk. Thanks for patience and a little help from my sister-in-law, Christen, the recipe I found online turned out for our missionary Thankgiving get-together - 

Pumpkin Bars with Pecans & Oatmeal! 

http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2014/09/15/pumpkin-pecan-oatmeal-bars/#comments

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Be ready to give an answer...

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." I Peter 3.15

During our September women's meeting, Christen stressed the importance of being ready to share our personal testimony with anyone we share the gospel with. Along with that, she shared her testimony and taught the ladies how important it is to include the gospel in your salvation testimonies. What a joy and delight it was to hear many of these ladies' testimonies at the end of our meeting!
Please pray that we ladies become "Women After God's Own Heart"as we are studying this book by Eliabeth George during our Wednesday night separate Bible study time. It has been encouraging to hear several different ladies lead the group and share what she is personally learning and needing to apply in her life. Last night, our focus was on developing a serious prayer life and the blessings of this in one's life.

Talking about prayer, I would like to share an answered prayer of mine. During my last Sunday night  in September to teach children's church, I spoke on the Parable of the Sower. Before teaching, I asked the children to think about what kind of heart they have. Well, as I began teaching, I demonstrated the different types of soil and what heart they each respresented. After I would finish talking about one, one boy, Isaque, would say out loud, "That's me. I have a hard heart." I would go on and again he would reply, "That's me, teacher." As I came to the last heart of one who truly believes and bears fruit, he admitted, "Teacher, I am not saved." I was completely in awe and in shock of this boy's complete honesty. I went ahead and shared the gospel with him and asked if He would like to receive Christ as His Savior. He said he would rather talk to his parents first. Although he did not make a decision, I am praising God that the seed was not only planted, but Isaque admitted what kind of heart he has and that he is not saved. Please pray for Isaque that he will SOON make this decision and grow in Christ! Thank you for praying already!

I Will Glory In My Redeemer

Jeremiah 9:23, 24

 "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

A few months ago in my devotions, I was reminded of the importance of "glorying in understanding and knowing God." It is so easy to get caught up in our abilities or responsibilites thinking how great we are or saying "look what I can do or check out how much I know!" Seeking Him can be put at the bottom of our lists of importance. But, oh how important, it is for each one of His children to seek to know Him in an intimate relationship. Through His death on the cross, He has made it possible for forgiveness of our sins and a daily, close walk with Him.  What does He expect from us today... 
Number 1 - KNOW HIM FOR I N THIS HE DELIGHTS!

Saturday Teen Meetings

Please pray for our teens that they may place God at the center of their lives and seek Him wholeheartedly. 

Ricardo, Rafael, Karine, Carem, and Alex

Leaders: Sandro & Gilmara - Pray for their leaders to continue knowing Him so they can minister to these teens. Pray also for Sandro's health as he is still recovering from having a tumor removed from his brain. 

What a joy to develop a closer friendship with Karine (far right) and Carem (middle)! Please pray for Karine as her parents are both unsaved and has daily struggles at home with them.

Please pray that God renew a desire in Carem's heart for His Word and knowing Him each day, as well as, being with church family on Sundays and Wednesdays. 

It was encouraging to hear them share what they are both learning in their devotions. 

I would encourage everyone to invite people in your home for it is the BEST way to get to know them and be encouraged together. 

Although in Brasil, I still decided in homeschooling to celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day! Thank the Lord for internet and free homeschooling resources, I was able to celebrate this fun day and learn about someone new with my nephews and niece. I am very excited with how far they all have come. Jer (far right corner) is reading SO well! His writing has also improved and is quite a good speller. He absolutely loves math and flies through answering flashcards. 

Hannah is quite creative and artistic. Her multiplication and divisin skills in math have improved. 

Daniel is able to do most of his work on his own. He has a love for history and usually does his best on whatever he works on. 

During the month of September, I have been teaching the children's church class on Sunday nights.  Most Sunday nights, I have had ten children. Please pray as most of these children are unsaved. I thank God for Julia (left corner picture) who is helping me in class. Julia is in our adolescent class and is one of the newest members. Continue praying for Karine and I as we rotate teaching in here.
This Sunday night, I will be teaching about the parable of the sower and four different types of soil representing four different types of hearts. Please pray I can present this lesson clearly and that the Holy Spirit convict these little hearts of sin and their great need for a Savior!

I thank God for the blessings He gives me even so much as this fun cup of coffee.
I also thank God for you all who make it possible for me to be in Brasil on this missions trip.
I pray you all may continue seeking and thirsting after Him for in so doing we begin to understand and know better who our dearly, beloved Savior really is such as in the following passage:
(Hebrews 7:22-28)
- Our great High Priest Forever and Unchangeable, Holy and Harmless, Undefiled and Separate from sinners who always lives to make intercession for us.
- Our great High Priest who does not have to offer up sacrifices for His sin for He is perfect and neither for ours for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
-Our great High Priest is not weak  for He has been perfected by going to the cross!

Pray I continue to not only seek after Him, but to meditate on His Word day and night making it a part of the way I live my life - not for me, but for Him. Pray I may daily crucify my flesh and live by faith for Him who gave Himself for me. Lastly, pray God give me complete wisdom and discernment in knowing what to do after my two-years missions trip is up in the summer of 2015. God has confirmed my love and gift in teaching, but now pray He confirms where He wants me to serve.

Fruit of the Gospel & Gospel Outreach

What a blessing to be able to return to Memphis and watch several students of mine graduate! The gospel could not have been better presented by the fine young women who were selected as salutatorian and valeditorian. How encouraging to see several students wanting a relationship with God and going after what God wants with their lives!

Besides visiting my sending church and school, I praise the Lord for being able to visit other dear friends and familiy as well. The Lord truly took care of me and provided for me far above and beyond what I could think or imagine. The most suprising blessing was receiving a phone call from my brother in North Carolina wanting to help pay for me to fly to see him and his family. However, I also thank God for my dear friends who allowed me to borrow their car to visit my grandparents in Indiana. 

Although brief, I thank God for the three and half weeks I had back in the States. Thank you all for your prayers and continual support and thank you all who allowed me to stay in your home, who took me out shopping,  paid for my meals, and who provided for several of my ministry needs. May the Lord truly bless you for you are a blessing to me!  

World Cup Soccer Outreach!

For those of you who are not soccer fans, the world cup soccer is happening right here in Brasil! Although none of the games will be played in our city, people still go crazy over the games. Soccer is more than a sport here; it is a religion. However, soccer is also a great tool to use in giving out the gospel. 

Thus, James and the men in our church decided to rent out a nice soccer field to be able to have a mini-soccer tournament for boys ages 9-14 - the goal truly being of reaching them with the gospel of Christ at the beginning of each game. 

Overcast and rainy, we still went ahead with our outreach and although uncertain as to whether to have it, kids came and kept coming. =)

Thankfully, we also had a wonderful group of helpers from church. The ladies signed up each child with a name, age, and address, and the men were in charge of putting them on different teams, reffing, and coaching. 

Before each game, the gospel presentation was given using the Baptist Mid-Mission tract - The 5 Cards - which uses penalty cards from soccer as an object lesson to share the gospel. 

Not only that, but we took advantage to share the gospel with parents or  boys sitting around waiting to play next! 

We praise the Lord for the 44 boys that were given the gospel, as well as, other adults! Please be in prayer, as we will be following up with these new contacts soon by visiting each home, thanking the parents for allowing their child to attend our event, and sharing the gospel with them as well. 

Additional Prayer Requests

A couple weeks ago, our church was robbed. The keyboard, soundboard, and projector were taken. Thankfully, we are borrowing a small keyboard for now, but a member from our church is willing to sell their nice  electrical piano at home for $1500. Please pray that our members will see the need and want to give above and beyond what they are giving. 

Thankfully, we are already seeing God work!

 If you would like to help us in purchasing this piano or any of our other needs, please just send a special offering to BMM for me, but specify that it be given for Redemption Baptist Church ministry needs and I will know what it goes to.

We are starting a new study on Wednesday nights on "How People Change" by  Paul David Tripp. Tonight was the second night and several came prepared with their lessons filled out and ready to participate. Pray others will get involved in this study and see the importance of having a relationship with God on a daily basis and letting God change them from the inside out. 

I Peter 1:3-11

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Click on this link to see additional pictures: =)

http://s290.photobucket.com/user/futbolnut/slideshow/World%20Cup%20Soccer%202014

 

For I am God and there is no other!

I will praise the name of Jesus 

Who was spit on in my place

I will praise the name of Jesus

Who was beaten in my place

I will praise the name of Jesus

Who was weighed down in my place

I will praise the name of Jesus

Who was nailed in my place

    Although Easter has come and gone, I thank God for us being able to reflect on the death of Christ on the Friday night before Easter. It is such a sad concept to think how many Brasilians have no idea of what Easter is all about and also interesting how many of us Christians celebrate the season of Christmas way in advance, but make the most important season of lesser value! Imagine if we made Easter just as significant as Christmas... During our Good Friday night service, we celebrated the Lord's Supper and reflected on the last 7 significant phrases of Christ before He died. 

What a joy to come in Easter morning to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with our people! 

Children ripping the chains of sin apart since Christ arose from the grave giving us complete victory over our sin through His free gift of salvation!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!

’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;

And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

S. Trevor Francis

Praises! 

7 New Members added to Redemption Baptist Church

Rogerio, Diane, Dona Loren, Fabio, Andreia, and Julia (Missing one - Carem)

A couple - Alex & Janaina have requested to be baptized.

Prayer Requests

Safe travels as I fly to Memphis on May 16th for a three and a half week visit.

Our money for the purchase of the land and beginning of constuction has arrived in a bank account, but the bank is not allowing us to  withdrawal for several different reasons. Pray for patience and wisdom in knowing what to do.
Also pray that the Lord will provide the rest of the money to finish the construction of the building. 

“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” Hudson Taylor

For today's blog, I would like to share the vision and heart of the family I am working with - a vision and heart God has given me as well.

We are now, as a church, desiring to move out of our rental place and buy our own place.  We have located a great piece of property in a great location. 

If you would like to see what it looks like, take a look at these two pictures on google:  (Be sure and click on the arrows so you can see the panoramic view.  We are so excited about the park and soccer field that are in front of the property.)

https://www.google.com.br/maps/%40-27.548637%2c-48.63217%2c3a%2c75y%2c233.11h%2c77.06t/data=%213m4%211e1%213m2%211sxVkQK-PjrnPkwzZk6ENbqw%212e0

https://www.google.com.br/maps/%40-27.548917%2c-48.632164%2c3a%2c75y%2c326.64h%2c75.53t/data=%213m4%211e1%213m2%211sDRIMak0PseYFMmfvM-N4Dw%212e0

We love that it is a corner lot, close to our current location.  The park and soccer field could be used by the church.  We are already considering using it for a world Cup outreach to children this June. 

We have tried to calculate roughly what our total costs would be which include the price of the land and building a basic building to move into for our meetings.

The land is:  roughly $85,000 (450 square meters which is, I think, almost 4900 square feet)

We are figuring roughly on the cost of a building:  $11,000

So, we are looking at a total cost of:  $96,000

We have raised so far:  $36,000 (funds from you , our supporters) and over $5,000 from our own church here. 

So God has provided  $41,000 total money raised for this project. 

We have the option of borrowing $55,000 from our mission, which our church is planning on doing, 

We would ask you to pray that God would grant us wisdom and, if this is God´s place for Redemption Baptist, that He would grant the funds needed. 

I read recently  that,  for an omnipotent God there is no level of difficulty.  Everything is equally easy for our powerful God.  But I also just read of the praying of the disciples in Acts and how God worked powerfully through those prayers, which is why we ask for your prayers.  We thank you for your prayers, because we KNOW that the evidences of God´s work here in people´s lives are directly related to your faithful praying. 

In Christ's Love,
James, Christen, Daniel, Hannah, and Jeremiah
http://www.taylors4brazil.blogspot.com/

Note from me: =) 

P.S. Please keep the adolescent class that I am helping out with on Wednesday nights in your prayer as well! Thankful for the big group we have been having - Julia, Vitória, Duda, Kamile, Hannah, Larissa, Rafael, Ricardo, Henrique, Daniel, Gabriel, and Guilherme. Many are unsaved and come from broken families. 

Also praising the Lord for allowing me to find a plane ticket in my price range to fly back to the States for a three and a half week visit - May 17th through June 10th. 

Remaining Confident in Christ
Rachel Taylor

Isaiah 25: 1 "O Lord, thou art God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." 

Please feel free to leave me a note! Feel free to leave any prayer requests you may have that I could be praying for as well. =)