Faith for the Last Minute: Adventures in Brasil by Oria Daleoria dale - 11 Dec 2006
It was one week before I was due to fly to Brasil: my second trip there in 6 months. I had no flights booked, no money to book them and just about enough faith that it could all still come together.
For a few years God had been speaking to me about South America, specifically Brasil, and finally the time was right. From the very start of this journey I heard God say quite clearly, “This whole thing is going to be about faith. Are you ready to partner with Me in this? To wait until the 11th hour and 59th minute for provision? To trust Me until I say go? To be submit to me and wait until the right moment and then run like mad?” I said yes. But when the 11th hour comes and there are only a few minutes left and its gone way past the ‘possible’ stage, I tend to forget what it was we chatted about.
This was to be my second trip to Brasil. I was going to go as a part of a prayer team and needed to get there by Thursday. It was Sunday and if I was going to go I really needed to leave Canada on Tuesday at the latest. I left the house and walked down to the café where I hoped to study Portuguese and listen to some local vocals (Sunday afternoon pleasures). As I sat down with my coffee my mobile phone rang. It was an old friend I hadn’t spoken to in ages. As soon as I answered I knew “this is God and His last minute provision.” Sure enough. After a crazy conversation, so many things I’d prayed about were answered. I had the money I would need -- even more than enough. I booked my flight the next day, flew on Tuesday and arrived in Rio on Wednesday.
The first time I went to Brasil I felt God was telling me to learn about the culture, learn some of the language, see the country, travel, stay in hostels, walk the streets, see what I see, meet Brasilians; but don’t hunt specifically for the Christians. I knew no one and had no contacts in Brasil. Hooking up with a few Christians would have made this journey a little easier for me, but I felt like God said “just go”. So there I was, in the waiting area in the Vancouver airport ready to board my flight to Sao Paulo. In a few hours I would be in a city of 17 million inhabitants and, naturally, I had no plan. I was about to turn off my mobile phone… when it rang. It was another friend who said, “Here is a name and a phone number for a friend in Sao Paulo. A few people will pick you up from the airport when you arrive and put you up for as long as you want.” I was amazed again at God’s last minute provision. I ended up staying for three months.
That trip was to be the flip side of my second trip. I wanted to see what God is up to in His Church. I met up with a small team of people to pray in a few specific cities with local churches and groups. I felt that this was going to give me a well-rounded perspective on the nation as a whole. I have known for years that I would live in Brasil for an extended period of my life and I felt that through these two trips, God was finally beginning to set this up.
What I experienced during those 2 weeks was mind-blowing. I was witness to physical healings, miracles, answered prayers, growing communities and the formation of strategic set-ups for the future. Key relationships were formed between people, churches and cities. I cannot recall seeing the power of God made real to that extent in the past. I learned how to travel and adventure with God… to go when He says “go”, and to stop when He holds up His hand. I learned that I DO hear God and know His voice… and to obey in those moments.
I remember one incident when I was coming out of a club in Salvador with some people I had met in the hostel. It was late and this particular area of the city was pretty dodgy. The bouncers wouldn’t even walk on the street that we had to travel to get home. No taxis were coming. There were no buses at that time of night. There was no one to trust with a lift home. They waited. I prayed. Suddenly I had this insane peace flood over me and felt like God was saying “here’s your window.” I turned to the girls and said, “If we go now we will be okay.” And so we began to walk… and we got home safely. One example of how God was training me to trust Him in the moment, every moment.
And now… after many plates of arroz e feijao (rice and beans), some not-so-graceful samba lessons, many lost-in-translation moments with new found friends, many battles won and twice as many lost, I have realized that God loves to partner with us when we realize He really is trustworthy to do what He has said He will do.
header image and thumbnail for this article were taken by Oria Dale.
