Wedding Day

Remember these guys?Yesterday Benay and I spent 5 hours with them at 3 different places to get different things notarized for their upcoming wedding.

For most men that leave the chácara, sexual temptation takes the place of their previous drug addictions. That's why we have started accountability groups for these guys. It's important for them (and for me and Paulo Renato) to have a place to confess our sins and encourage each other to stay strong in Christ.

Everton, as of yet, does not have a accountability group in place in his new city but it isn't stopping him from being a committed man of God.

He and Daiana have never been married. This is very common in Brasil. A lot of people just live together. After a while the government acknowledges those unions as marriages. So, for a lot of people, it makes sense to them to live together and just "try out" things before deciding (if ever) to get married.

When Everton left the chácara, he and Daiana made a commitment to God to stay pure until their wedding day. The problem was they had no money to get married. To apply through the government for a marriage license costs about $100. They did not have it. So they have been living, with their kids, in the same house for a month, but staying sexually pure.

My (Kevin) dad once gave me some incredible advice. He told me that people in the states have every opportunity to follow Christ. Thousands of churches, religious books,accountability groups, etc. Most Americans also have the funds to go on church retreats, seminars, etc. The problem is many Americans are lazy spiritually. They don't have the desire.

For people in third world countries, like Brasil, a lot of people have no means to do those things I mentioned, but they have the desire.

My dad basically said shame on us if we allow money (which we are blessed with more than most of our Brasilian brothers and sisters) to be the obstacle that keeps someone from doing the right thing or being able to participate in something.

Here is a Brasilian family who is waiting on God's timing to do the right thing by God and our country and yet they didn't have the money to purchase the marriage license. Believe me, they are definitely a city on a hill with what they have committed to God. Many men who have left the chácara fall immediately into sexual sin. Everton and Daiana are living testimonies to God's ability to help a couple do what is right.

Shame on us, God's family, if we don't do everything we can financially to make this wedding happen.

Our house church gave the money to buy the marriage license and yesterday Benay and I were blessed to take this family to begin the process.

September 16th is the day they will sign everything before the notary. Everton and Daiana blessed Benay and myself (as well as our sister, Leni) by asking us to be the witnesses to this marriage. We will follow this up with a house church blessing and celebration at our house on the 20th of September.

Please remember this family in your prayers. They are already being a light to their neighborhood and it will only get better as some members from other house churches will be going out there in the next couple of weeks to begin a new house church in Everton and Daiana's home.

God is definitely working.