Leni

You may remember a couple of posts we did about a year ago about a sister who is part of the house church that meets in our house.  Her sister died, and we shared how this house church ministered to her during that time.  Her name is Leni.  If you never read those posts then you can check them out here and here. 

 

We have known Leni for a few years.  She and her son Jorge have been a part of the house church that meets in our house now for a couple of years. 

She is a special sister in Christ and it's been amazing to see how much she has grown spiritually over the last few years.  

Leni and house church are a great fit.  She is really using her gifts for the Lord and seems to have really blossomed in her faith since we left the more traditional church type setting.  God is using her to grow His kingdom here in Porto Alegre. We feel blessed to have her and her son in our lives. They both continue to grow in their faith.  

They are also a lot of fun to be around.  Many Sundays they stay in our house well after house church is over.  They eat lunch with us, hang out and even take naps here.  Well, Jorge takes naps here. 

Leni has come over and taken care of our kids while Benay and I have gotten out of the city for a day or two.  The kids love her.  She's fun like a kid.  They love her until it's clean up time. She's like a drill sergeant.  The kids don't love that, but their mom and dad sure do.  Our house is usually spotless when we come home. 

She is always willing to help any person in any way she can.  She doesn't wait for a need to come to her, she goes and looks for ways to help others.  

Leni's occupation is a masseuse.   She is always on call with different hotels in our city.  When she gets a call for a client, she goes to give a massage, but her greater purpose is to share the love of Christ with people who, quite frankly, usually don't feel they have a need for Jesus. Most of her hotel clients are pretty wealthy and seem to be far from the Lord.  

What better mission field for Leni?  She has a captive audience of one for the length of the massage session.  

She never forces her faith, but if God opens the door then you better believe she will walk right in and start sharing her faith.  

Over the last few years the economic crisis has even touched Leni and her business.  In fact, it's been horrible for her.  

She has never complained.  We've prayed frequently for her over these last few months.  Her prayer has been that God would open some kind of door for her to help support her family. It's never been for her to become wealthy.  It's always been for her to be able to pay her bills and to put food on the table.  Her prayers are prayers of faith.  She and Jorge share a house together. She has been willing to do anything.  She has never allowed pride to get in the way of any opportunity. 

She was called a couple of weeks ago to give a massage to an older woman.  The woman fell in love with Leni.  

This woman was actually in town to see her kids as well as get treatment at a hospital.  You see this woman has breast cancer.  No one knows how long she has to live. 

When she met Leni she immediately wanted Leni to stay with her.  She asked Leni to come and stay with her in the hospital.  Leni went.  Leni has an incredible way with people.  This woman, without even knowing it, began to feel the love of Jesus through Leni.  

She then asked Leni to go back home with her and to stay with her.  Her home is in Argentina. Not exactly the answer Leni was hoping for because this would mean her leaving her son and her house church.  

She asked us to pray about it.  I have to admit, it was tough for me to know how to pray.  I was very thankful for this opportunity but didn't like the fact of her leaving us and her church family.  I thought, "We need her here."  Selfish, I know.  I'm just confessing. 

Then God reminded me that it's not our will but His will.  This is no different than when God asked Benay and myself  to move to Brasil.  We know some family members and friends would have preferred our staying close to them, but God was calling us to come here. If God wanted Leni's mission field to be in another country then I could not and should not try to stop it.  As God reminded me of that the praying suddenly got easier. 

We got a text message from Leni, before she had decided one way or the other, and she said with each passing moment she had more peace from the Lord that she was supposed to go with this woman and be Christ to her.  To share God's love for her. 

I thought, "How blessed this woman is going to be to have Leni by her side and she doesn't even really understand it yet."  

The financial part will also be a blessing for Leni and her family.  Leni will go to Argentina with this woman and work for her for three months.  This is the time they agreed upon to give it a trial run together to see if it is a good fit.  

Last week we went to Leni's house with some other people from our house church, Freitas and Auristela, to take supper, give her a hug, and pray with her before she left. We were also met by our sister Renata.  

We had a great time together.  

Leni is in the middle with the black shirt. 

We don't know what's going to happen and neither does Leni.  That's kind of the point when you truly step out in faith right?  Right now, she's just following the Spirit.  

When Benay and I moved here almost 8 years ago we just wanted to be a part of a church family that would follow the Spirit. 

We are still a church family in progress as we grow in our faith and maturity, but it's really cool for us to see Leni leaving her comfort zone and stepping out in faith as she follows the Spirit to leave this country to go and minister to this woman.  

Please pray for our sister especially over these next three months. That God would open a door through Leni to share His love for this woman, and that she would give her life to Christ.