Everywhere we went, we encountered people who had been deeply and consistently touched by the work of Renewal Ministries. As we talked with people (often through a translator, Portuguese is hard!), we’d realize, “You’re just like us . . . with the same convictions, heritage, movements of the Spirit, and desire to serve the Lord and his Church.”

Leaders constantly thanked us for the clear and bold teaching of people like Ralph Martin, Peter Herbeck, and Sr. Ann Shields. Multiple communities showed us their formation materials, which included books like The Fulfillment of All Desire and Hungry for God. Young people pointed to the Renewal Ministries YouTube channel and podcasts like Burning Hearts as a source of inspiration and encouragement.

It felt like meeting distant cousins we didn’t know we had or had only heard about. While I believe and hope we encouraged them, I flew home deeply challenged and motivated by their faith, hunger, and conviction for all the things we care most about in Renewal Ministries: the centrality of the Gospel, the lordship of Jesus, the reality of heaven and hell, the high call of discipleship, and the need for baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Our mission began with the Cancao Nova community outside of Sao Paolo. Our devoted and generous guide and primary translator, Fernando Nascimento, had orchestrated several meetings with Cancao Nova leadership, two podcast recordings, a live television prayer experience, tours of several formation houses, and exhortations and teachings with different leaders and those in formation. It was a full couple of days, but Rachel and I were deeply impressed with Cancao Nova’s organization, impact, and radical commitment to preparing people for the coming of the Lord and leading people into baptism of the Holy Spirit! They are prolific in their outreach, consistently reaching hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Next, we traveled into the mountains to the Diocese of Pouso Alegre to spend several days with the Jave Nissi community. Jave Nissi is a network of charismatic communities with about eighty houses of formation across the diocese. The first night, we joined a prayer meeting. I spoke about four reminders I felt like the Holy Spirit had for these incredibly faithful and joyful people: Jesus is Lord, suffering will happen, we need the Holy Spirit’s power, the reality of the final judgement really matters.

Rachel led a prayer response, and the night closed with Spirit-filled worship. Next, we visited a house of formation and joined a “small” gathering of young adults in the evening. “Small” turned out to mean over six-hundred young people energetically worshipping God and listening attentively to Rachel’s anointed preaching on Ephesians. The room was hot, and the microphone struggled, but you could clearly see the Holy Spirit moving in these young people!

Then, we traveled to a retreat center for a weekend conference with around three-hundred leaders from the various communities. The weekend included two more podcasts, a very wonderful meeting and prayer with the Jave Nissi Board of Directors, a tremendous amount of coffee and Brazilian pudding consumed, and sessions led by Rachel and myself on topics like the power of the Word of God and the full life in Christ. One evening, we led people in prayer through worship, communal empowerment, prayer ministry, and prophetic words. At one point, we felt called to pray for all the people these leaders represented and specifically that the grace of the baptism of the Holy Spirit would be poured out that very night! The next day, one of the younger leaders told the group that someone texted him that during the time we were praying, she was alone in her room but suddenly had a profound experience of God’s love and power. She said, “I think I’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit!” 

Isn’t that wonderful? Praise God!

I’m still unpacking the trip’s graces and the insights. It was deeply refreshing to spend significant time with people who are hungry for God. These new friends in Brazil know Jesus, love Jesus, and passionately want others to as well! I’m eager to see what the Lord has in store for Renewal Ministries in Brazil moving forward, but I’m also profoundly grateful for his providence, protection, and generous anointing while we were there. Please join me in praying for these wonderful communities—that they may remain zealous for the Gospel and full of the Holy Spirit, since through our connection in the Lord, it is indeed a small world.

This article originally appeared in Renewal Ministries’ May newsletter.