RestoreBrazil.

Hey everybody, it’s Rachael Mirabella (soon-to-be-Boyd!). I was privileged to be one of four leaders on our youth group’s recent mission trip to Brazil. I could talk about a thousand different things from our week in Rio, but I want to share is the two biggest lessons I learned.

Passion for your City

I was floored by the three pastors we worked with while in Rio – one was American and two were Brazilian. You want to see people who love their city? We saw them. As they took us to a church to do VBS, to an orphanage to play with kids, to a homeless shelter surrounded by transvestites, to a street in the City of God (one of the poorest slums in Rio), they were not strangers. These were not places they just take teams of Americans every once in a while to give them an experience. These are places they go, week in and week out, to tell people about Jesus. They bring spiritual and practical restoration to some of the darkest places on earth. They are loved by the people in these places.

The name of their organization, Restore Brazil, is very fitting. That is what they are working towards. And they are working hard! They know their city, they know the needs, and they are working tirelessly to meet them. At first it made me ashamed to think of these pastors coming to Athens. What would they think when they saw how little I knew my city? Then I realized there is no need for shame. Jay, Paulo and Rabsom were very quick to admit that working for restoration is a long process. I don’t need to be ashamed; I need to be inspired.

And I was inspired. I want to know whatever city I live in the future as well as they know Rio de Janeiro. I want our church to know Athens / Watkinsville and work to meet their needs. I want you to go to Brazil, meet these three pastors and all the other wonderful people down there  

God answers prayer

Over and over again, Collin and I prayed for one big thing. We prayed that the Spirit would move. We asked Him to move in our hearts, the hearts of our students, and the hearts of the people in Brazil. The whole trip was pointless if Jesus wasn’t there; He is the one that changes people.

I was blown away moment after moment as I watched God change hearts that week. Some were very small changes, some were very large (our bus driver became a believer!), all were a blessing of grace from Him. Personally, God was working away at my pride and cultivating humility. He by no means achieved perfection in my heart, but He did some good work. He also encouraged my faith by allowing me to see Him answering prayer.

So to recap the two big lessons learned - God answers prayer, and I want to be passionate about my city because my God is passionate about people.

Why Jesus?

I took this post (and several others) off my church blog (www.missionathensblog.com) ... enjoy!

 

In the last two youth group meetings of the school year, leaders Collin Ross & Rachael Mirabella answered the question for their students, “Why Jesus For Me?” Jesus says it is costly to be His disciple in Luke (9:57-62), so why follow? Why did the men back then decide it was worth it (10:1) and why do we think He is worth it?

It was a really fun question to think through and answer.

Collin’s answer – “Jesus treasures the people the world throws away.” The weak, the lame, the sick, the poor, the dumb, the untalented, the unattractive, the hungry, the meek, the poor in spirit, those who mourn … He wants them all.

Rachael’s answer – “Jesus makes this crazy world make sense.” He answers the question of suffering. He answers the question why it seems like bad people get away with bad things. He promises to return. He promises to deal with sin, and He graciously offers His Son as payment. His holiness and glory answers why Jesus asks so much of us.

So, why Jesus for you? Some people call their answer a testimony. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us we should always have an answer for the hope we have. What’s your answer? Why do you follow Jesus? Why is He worth it to you?

Height, Depth, Breadth and Length

    


If you don’t know that Christ Community has a youth group, you’re missing out on knowing one of the greatest groups of people at our church. Not that I’m biased as a leader. Each Wednesday, we usually act as a community group and review the sermons from Sunday gatherings, asking questions and applying the Word deeper into our lives. That’s the goal anyway.

But the last few weeks we have been doing something different. We have opened the book of Ephesians and read through one chapter a week. This past Wednesday, it was my job to go through Ephesians 3 with the students. The first half of the chapter is about how the Gentiles have been added to God’s people through Jesus. Paul calls himself the least deserving of all God’s servants to bring this news to the Gentiles, but he is privileged to do so by God’s grace.

As much as I like the first half of the chapter, the second half is one of my favorite parts in all of Scripture. Paul kneels down before the Father to pray for the people of Ephesus. He had prayed for people in chapter 1, but he begins to pray again for the power of God to come. He prays that Christ would make His home in their hearts. He wants them to have power to understand. What does he want God’s power for? That they might understand the love of Christ. Not just in one dimension, but in three – the height, depth, breadth and length (3:18). That describes a shape that is three dimensional. It’s literally an all-encompassing love. 

It is a love that surpasses knowledge. And when we have the power to understand that love, we are filled with the fullness of God (3:19). Forgive me if I am wrong, but that sounds a lot like the Holy Spirit filling us and us becoming more aware of His presence in our lives. Jesus possessed the fullness of God (Colossians 1:19, 2:9). He understood God’s love for Him. He acted out in it. And what happened when Jesus acted out of that love?

Miracles.

Verse 20 tells us that God is able to do more than we might ever ask or think through the power at work within us. I’m not saying we’re going to raise the dead. I never have and probably never will. I think that’s a miracle reserved for God. But it is a miracle when I am able to act in true humility or love selflessly or give grace when I am hurt. When those things happen, I know the love of Jesus has really changed me. His power has overtaken me as I experience the three dimmensional, all-encompassing nature of His love.

Let’s pray together with Paul that we as a church would be able to understand the love of Christ through God’s power. All this to His glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. (Ephesians 3:21).