Being Christ

This is Mark and Ali.

I stole this picture off their blog.

They are some of our best buddies in Brasil.  They are also missionaries and they live in the state of São Paulo in a city called Itu.

They've come down here 2-3 times to hang out with us.  They (along with Big Garrett) met us in the airport and hung out with us for a few hours last year on our trip back to the states.  Bronwyn and Ansley stayed with them in February when they had to go to a city up there to take the ACT.

Honestly, we look for any excuse to hang out with them.  We love them.

One thing we love about them is the way they live their faith.  They don't just talk about their faith, they live it and they live it to the fullest.  They have hearts for the poor and beaten up.

They are Christ to their city and we know the kingdom is growing in amazing ways because of this couple.

You need to go to their website and check out how God is using them.  They are reaching those that, honestly, not many Christians want to get their hands dirty being with.  The homeless.

I just looked at their picture again and was reminded of why they are making a difference to the "unloved" of Itu.  The picture is not just some cheese-ball family photo as is, let's be honest, the case with many family photos. Their smiles and happiness are who they are. This is really who they are.  Happy in the Lord.

We love to be around them and we love for them to be around our kids because they are an incredible example of what a Christian couple looks like.  We want and look for ways for our kids to be around Godly Christian adults.

If we can so strongly see Christ working in them and through them then imagine how much more the homeless in Itu see that.  Imagine how their lives are being changed by a couple that greets them with the smiles above and with a hug.  They have value to Mark and Ali.  That's exactly what Jesus did. That's how he lived. He went looking for the beaten up, the looked down upon, the unwanted.

I want to strongly encourage you to click here to read their latest blog from last Wednesday (the 12th) and then feel free to keep scrolling down and reading their earlier blogs as well. You will be touched and possibly moved to be more intentional in sharing the love of Jesus to the "unwanted" where you are.