MINISTRY UPDATE:
JULY 2021
| |
We are doing something new for you!
Will you join us on this journey?
You are invited to join us on a journey of going deeper with the Lord in this new (almost-we-pray-post-covid) season. After coming out of the Covid slow down and having had a little margin and time to be still with the Lord, we were reminded that intimacy, dependency, and growing in the knowledge of God is the most life-giving thing we can do, so we want to create a space for that each month.
While we are always excited to share our news with you, we also have felt it was time to begin expanding our newsletter from just communicating knowledge to inviting you to be a part of growing with us in revelation knowledge. So, what does that mean? It means that beginning with our August communications, we will be exploring a theme together each month. During the month we will share devotionals, testimonies, and teachings around that theme. You will be invited to participate with us on social media with YOUR testimonies and devotionals around that month's theme.
Each month we hope to offer a bit of a challenge to you to explore God’s word, listen to Holy Spirit, and sit with Jesus about these topics and then share with us and all of our large Kingdom family what you are learning and growing in as well. Some months you may even get to win some cool Shores swag for sharing your heart for the Lord with the world! But mostly this is about connecting with you on a deeper level, journeying together in this good Kingdom work, and inviting more people than ever to the Father’s table. We can’t wait to see you at this table, beginning the first Friday of August, when we will be talking about identity. We hope you join us! You can do that here:
For our English Facebook page, click here or search for Shores of Grace.
For our English Instagram profile, click here or search for @shoresofgrace.
Give us a shout back and let us know you intend to show up and journey with us!
| |
Shores of Grace Podcast
Have you HEARD... aout our podcasts? We love how technology allows us to connect with our loved ones and Kingdom families. Now that we have added podcasts to our technology tool chest, we have another way to connect. You can listen while you cook, drive, run, clean, or work out - we may not be together but we can get closer to Papa God together!
| |
Shores Fortaleza
In June, we returned to services held at the church. The numbers have been down due to many families who are taking precautions due to COVID 19. But we have been blessed to be able to open our doors again and receive from and worship God collectively again. We will continue to stream services live on Instagram for the time being. Continue to pray with us that God will continue opening doors and opportunities for us to minister and reach His children.
| |
Shores Recife: Vila Betânia
Text by one of our girls at Vila Betânia
I started reading Heidi Baker's book a little while ago. The name of the book is “Compelled by Love” and let me tell you, it really compels you! Wow, I'm learning so much just through reading this book. Heidi talks about her life in Mozambique, Africa with the huge quantity of children that she "adopts" when she finds them and ends up taking them home. Sometimes, and I mean often, Mozambican children don’t even have the chance to eat once a day, and yet they are always happy and never blame God or complain to Him about it. I used to be an unbelieving person, and I was always looking for facts, something that would make me understand that He really is real. This book somehow makes me understand that He is more and more real with each testimony I read, and I can feel that I'm more loving and I'm looking at people in a kinder way, just like Jesus did. That's what I really want. I want to know Jesus more and more and my goal is to continue to look more like him. That's what He says, right? We were made in his image and likeness. Therefore, I am able to reflect my creator with just my presence wherever I may be.
| |
Pursue LOVE
“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:1
Paul writes this to the believers in Corinth, and I wonder: Did he really know the power of this prophetic love to tear down walls and pierce hearts? I mean, he did, right? BUT. I know he did not know that a couple thousand years later, there would be young girls receiving prophetic words and knowing God’s love because of them.
This is exactly what happened with two of our girls in Bethany. Both of these girls have wrestled with believing in God. Is He Real or not? For both of these girls, God drew near and spoke directly to their hearts through prophetic words given to them by teams visiting our base. Strangers. People who did not know them gave them target words that pierced their hearts and opened them up to the possibility that God is real, near, and He does speak to people. These girls have received much love, encouragement, and peace since arriving at Bethany from our team of missionaries and our technical staff team. They have witnessed love in action and so they were curious and wondering. Through the words of God, spoken with love from a stranger, their hearts became alive to the truth.
We want to encourage you today: Draw near to God and listen - He has words for you to share with ears that are waiting to hear.
Pursue LOVE - It is worth it and the world needs it!
WE LOVE YOU ALL,
The Shores of Grace Family
| |
Praises“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.” - Psalm 9:1
- We FINALLY received the government approval to begin renovations on our new home for Bethany!! This has been months in the making, and we are so very grateful! (See the photos above for the document and our architect's excitement!)
- We had a group of 4 sisters all under 4 years old successfully reintegrated to their biological family - an aunt and uncle that already has 4 biological children. This is very rare that we are able to find a home together for four siblings, and we are praising Jesus for their aunt and uncle!
- We have had several adoptions in the last two months! Thank you, Jesus!
| |
Prayer Requests“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” - Romans 12:12
Thank you for being constantly in prayer with and for us! Here are some ways you can be praying for our ministry and the people we serve:
- We are still looking for a home for babies and children with special needs, either to rent or to buy. We have been looking for over a year and have not found a home in our price range that fits the structural needs. Now that we have the approval of the renovations of the Bethany home, we need to find the home for babies as soon as possible.
- We have two new families that have moved or will move to Recife soon to be part of our missions staff. Please be praying for a smooth transition, new friendships to form among the team, and for God to be ever-present to them on the roller coaster ride of emotions that can happen!
| |
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select "Shores Of Grace Ministries" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us!
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Shores Of Grace Ministries" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
| |
|
|
|
|
