For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
August 2006
Dear Loved Ones,
It was such a joy to see so many of you this summer. Rich and I had a wonderful time reconnecting and catching up with you. And Anna had a great time meeting and getting to know all of you! It was refreshing to be fed and renewed by our friendships and relationships. We are continually amazed by how the intimacy stretches across the miles and how warm and comfortable it feels when we finally see you. We're now back in Rio resettling into our home.
This month you are receiving our brand new prayer card with a picture of our entire family! We hope that you will keep it in a place that reminds you to pray for us.
Your prayers are a vital part of our ministry in Rio. We know that so many of you pray for us daily and we would love to have many more of you praying regularly for our lives and our work in Brasil. As we've had time to reflect on our experiences and our daily ins and outs of life in Rio, we have become more and more aware of the intense spiritual battle in which we are entwined. We spend much of our time in places inhabited by the enemy and those who serve him. We are often surrounded by spiritual darkness and heaviness.
The neighborhood in which we live is controlled by drug lords and our streets are patrolled by dealers and those seeking their goods. We also spend lots of with kids and teens who are on the streets almost all of the time. We are constantly in contact with spirits of addiction, destruction, and hopelessness.
Please join us in this spiritual battle where we find ourselves. Pray seriously and regularly for the city of Rio, for the children in the favelas and on the streets, and our family and co-workers. Pray that the enemy would be defeated, his darkness lifted and that the Spirit of the Lord would fill the city. We have listed some other very important topics for which we desire prayer on the back of our card. We need and covet your prayers, as they are a vital part of our lives in Rio.
Love & Saldades (missing you),
Rich, Rebecca & Anna Nichols
P.S. We are excited about the response to our letter last month, but we've heard that some of you are still considering supporting the children at Projeto Vidinha (Project Little Life), the children's home that we wrote about in June. We encourage you to mail your forms in as soon as possible.