Only God

Today marks 2 weeks in Rio and tomorrow will be 1 month that we decided to move. I seriously am in a bit of system shock. We have 4 kids 2 dogs and had more stuff than we knew what to do with.

The Journey itself was adventurous but mostly uneventful. It was supposed to pour down rain every day but our plastic didn’t work out so we simply asked God to keep our bags dry. We drove 3 days seeing rain in the distance on all sides. The fourth day it started to rain and we weren’t able to find a store to buy a tarp so we again “resorted” to asking God to protect the bags. It rained the 5 hours to Rio but when we pulled up and opened the bags our clothes were only damp.

We know we will and already do miss many people and thing in Corumba. Melissa and I need to make a trip back at the end of this month to say good bye and get the last of our things. God lined up people to buy our furniture or spoke to us to give certain things. We sold the boat and were gone in a whirlwind. This gave us the ability to get into a house here and buy our appliances, a mattress for Melissa and I and a couch. We have many things we still need but know God sees all and will open up the doors of provision.

 

We pray God is using Ricardo and Larissa with the kids in Corumba and look forward to a  better good bye. It was amazing how God brought people in to take everything over.

 

 

One of the clearest things God laid on our hearts in this move was the need for our family to be in a place for the kids to have better educational and spiritual opportunities. The first night we were here Sylvio and Celeste took us into their home and immediately began to be another set of grandparents for the kids. The second night we were here we were in a home group. We have been to a church party, Alannah is learning to play with other kids. Daniel and Juliah have started school and love it. Moriah has a meeting today with the school to get her in. The majority of kids in this school go on to the federal education system, free college education for kids who get good enough grades.

On top of meeting our family needs we feel this is a clear step forward in ministry. We are taking more responsibility to disciple the people we are working with. We will be leading a work of Calvary Rio here on the outskirts. We were at a non Christian families home until 10pm last night with a Man from the neighborhood who has some connection with the church in Centro. Thursday they will come to a home group bible study at his home with some others. Anyone who has read our blog knows God has been moving me more towards “church planting” if you will. Taking more responsibility to build community and church with those we interact with. Melissa hopes to start girls soccer this Saturday, I am taking some men from the neighborhood in to a Men’s breakfast at the church Saturday morning.

The point, we are new and know God will refine and redirect much of the ministry we are jumping into but we can see he has prepared a balance here for us. Balance of helping and supporting the local Church, Calvary Rio and building new community, a work of Calvary Rio here in the Xerem area. We are very excited to see where all this goes, just don’t want the little boy from last night trying to kiss Alannah anymore, going to have to start breaking knees early with her.

I can’t state enough how amazing it is that in less than a month we have sold everything and began again 1200 miles away. We have been amazingly blessed. We know finances will be tight here and we have a lot of needs remaining. Not the least of which is a better car for the amount of driving we are now doing. Pray for us, we need wisdom first and provision second. We are considering some English lessons as evangelism and to help financially.

 

The move has been incredible and we know it was God all the way. I told Alex the day before we arrived God would provide a house when we arrived. We pulled in unloaded our stuff had a cup of coffee then met Sylvio and Celeste here to look at this house. The next day we paid the deposit. God is so big.

It reinforces what God has been teaching us. Abandon ourselves to him, free ourselves from the love of this world and the things of this world and He will abundantly bless us. Not always with comfort or easy living but with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. The two trips we have made to the beach haven’t been bad either. Nothing like swimming in the ocean when it isn’t 50 degree Oregon water.

 

Love you all, visit any time

 

The Lyon family