Exodus Brazil Conference Updates

By Bob Ragan

As indicated in previous newsletters, Bob Ragan, our NoVADirector, recently traveled to Brazil to teach in a number of places, including the Exodus Brazil Conference. We can't tell you about every aspect of his trip in this limited space, but below we've printed excerpts from the E-mail messages he sent home while he was there.

Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 10:51 a.m.

Re: Brazil Trip Update #1

I deeply appreciate all of your prayers for this trip. Last night I shared with Willy's (Exodus Brazil Director) support group. In the closing prayers, several participants were sobbing as the Father spoke to them.

Sharing Sunday morning at a church did not work out, but instead, I shared my testimony at a paint factory! The owner is a Christian and there were about 150 employees in attendance. Willy noticed several men who were crying in the audience.

The Exodus Brazil Board has now been in existence for only two years. It reminded me of how Exodus North America first started out. Please pray for this board and Willy as they continue to carry out God's work here in Brazil.

Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 2:39 p.m.

Re:Brazil Trip Update #2

Willy and I have just returned from Sao Paulo. We took the night bus and arrived back in Londrina at 6:30 this morning (28th). Much has happened.

Over 50 leaders and 79 participants were present at the 2nd Annual Exodus Brazil Conference. The event was held in Sao Paulo because of the great need there, but very few from the city came. The prayer time at the end of my talk on "Restoring Gender Wholeness" ended up being over an hour long! Many participants were sobbing as they came into the Father's Presence. Four participants indicated they finally experienced true intimacy with the Father. God is so faithful!

I was also deeply blessed and honored to share with the Exodus Brazil Board, which has now been in existence for only 2 years. It reminded me of how Exodus North America first started out. Please pray for this board and Willy as they continue to carry out God's work here in Brazil.

I shared my testimony to over 250 people at a pentecostal Presbyterian church last night. The pastor has an incredible heart for ex-gay ministry. As we closed, he called all the people forward and they prayed for Willy and me. The pastor's prayers and later private comments deeply, deeply blessed me.

Willy and I cannot express enough our deepest gratitude for your prayers. We both have felt at peace in situations which normally would have been stressful and challenging.

Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004

Subject: Update #3 from Brazil

I wanted to write to tell you all that one of the ministry leaders here (Carlos) passed along some information to me regarding my trip here in 2000. I spoke twice for his ministry in Rio (once for his leaders and once for a larger gathering). He informed me that there were some Catholic individuals at the larger gathering, and evidently something in my presentation impacted them in such a way that they decided to start a Catholic group in Rio. Carlos indicated that this group is going well and growing!

Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:58 a.m.

Subject: Update #4 from Brazil (Final Update)

Curitiba is considered an arts center of Brazil and the gay community is quite large there. We had three speaking engagements in Curitiba. The first was to about 100 people who were from the local ministry. I had two hours to share and it went very well. There was a question and answer time at the end which had good discussion.

In the evening I spoke to about 500 people at a local church. Unfortunately Willy and I encountered some spiritual opposition as we spoke. It's hard to explain but it was as if we were speaking into a wall. In spite of this, many people came up afterwards and thanked me for sharing, indicating how much it meant to them.

The final presentation in Curtiba was Sunday morning at a small Presbyterian church. There was a group of about 25 people and it was a blessing. The two pastors were especially supportive and have a heart for those who struggle. I truly felt this was a good connection for Exodus Brazil.

Back in Londrina, we spoke at a 250 person church on the edge of an impoverished area. I believe the Lord will use this connection in the future to minister to the sexually broken in this area where there's a high degree of sexual abuse. Pastor Marcello gave an altar call at the end and three young men came forward who the pastor had been planning to talk with about giving their lives to the Lord. He was so blessed to see them come down the aisle!

On Sunday at Willy's church, I shared my testimony in both the morning service (about 500 people) and the evening service (over 1,000 people). Sunday evening was especially moving for me. Even with at 1,000 people present, the church was incredibly silent and attentive. In both services I shared about practicing the Presence of Jesus by placing our hands on our hearts and thanking Jesus for being within us. There were a number of people silently weeping by the time I finished.

Pastor Messias came forward when I was through and shared about his own heart for the sexually broken and how he longs to see the church be a safe place for them. He then prayed very powerfully for me, Willy, and Exodus. Since this was my last time of sharing, it was an incredible blessing for me.

Many blessings . . .

BoB