Faith Walk

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 

I would like to start off with the only appropriate beginning: God is amazingly, beyond anything ever seen or heard, awesomely, beautifully, faithfully, gently, mightily GOOD!! Like, for real! The point of this blog is to keep everyone up to date on what God is doing in my life. I was supposed to start a blog a year and a half ago but, if you know me then you understand why it never happened (I have recently been set free of procrastination) ha! Which means I need to give some background information.

I went on my first missions trip when I was 10 years old and went back to the same place at age 11. I went to the Dominican Republic and Haiti to minister to children in poverty and do street evangelism. That's when I was called to be a full time missionary.

As a teenager I went on two more missions trips to the Bahamas and Spain.

I went to the University of South Florida from 2007 to 2011 majoring in Psychology. By this time I had long forgotten my missionary calling and was more focused on pursuing the American Dream: Make lots of money and be happy! Holla! My plan was to go on to get my PhD and be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist (the kind that makes the most money) and do missions and counsel troubled & pregnant teens on the side. Half way through partying (with a little school on the side) God reminded me that I am a full time missionary. WHOA! Talk about God never changing! I thought I missed out on that calling 12 margaritas ago. I remembered the children, and decided to try to walk in my calling. After failed attempts of putting rules on myself and getting involved in any ministry at church that would let me in (while still partying)- a year and a half later I was just frustrated. I really didn't get "the whole God thing." I was good at being "Christiany" though, complete with Bible verse Facebook statuses and motivational talks with friends telling them what not to do. [My following posts won't be this long, please bear with me- I am almost to the good stuff.]

After the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, my passion for missions was reignited. I cried nonstop as I watched the footage of those beautiful people who lost everything. I tried to go on a trip there during spring break but it didn't happen. Finally one day I prayed, "OK God, I can't try anymore. It hurts too bad. Take it. I give you Haiti and Dominican Republic." The next day my friend's mom invited us on a medical missions trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti! Yeah, God!

July 2010 I had a huge encounter with God that changed my life. The moment I experienced the true love of God- the world no longer appealed to me. I was physically healed of anemia and other female problems. I was emotionally healed of rejection. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and Fire! Hallelujah! God redeems! He gave me His purpose: pour His love on the nations.

By March 2011 I was back in Orlando, FL working as a receptionist and volunteering as a youth leader at Church in the Son. God told me to leave school and move- so I did! 

I went on three missions trips from August 2010 to August 2011: Dominican Republic/Haiti, Guatemala, and Dominican Republic again. On all three trips I witnessed God's love poured out through physical healing, emotional breakthrough, physical provision, and most importantly- salvation. One amazing example of His love expressed through supernatural healing was at a disabled children's hospital in Santiago, Dominican Republic. My friend Mark and I were praying over a beautiful girl who had been crippled since birth, she was about 12 years old and had never stood up in her life. After praying over her and loving her for about an hour- she jumped up with her hands in the air! The orphanage workers were amazed at the miracle. Hallelujah!

God continuously rocks my life and blows my mind. God told me to quit my job in December and go into full-time ministry in January. That is where I am now :) Full time with my Jesus! I am leaving soon to the nations. Stay tuned :) Please comment this or e-mail me ReidaPipenha@gmail.com to get more updated details and prayer requests. Thank you! I love you all!

In Him,

Reida