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Written by: Tiffany Jacox, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Bellevue, Nebraska

One of my favorite things to do is to encourage others to see themselves the way God created them. People often struggle to see exactly where they fit in or to see the gifts with which God has equipped them. There are many reasons for these doubts and many of us have shared in that same struggle.

We can put our faith in the truth of God’s Word and use that truth to weed out the lies of Satan. We were created by God on purpose for a purpose! Jeremiah 29:11 states, "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'”

Every person on this planet was created by God, in the image of God for God’s purpose. Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

God created each of us for His purpose and provided us each with special gifts to do His good work. Ephesians 2:10 affirms, “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

No two people are exactly the same. God did that on purpose! I encourage you to read through 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. You will see those gifts explained and that we are instructed to use our gifts in love. We come together as the body of Christ, made up of many members—all of equal importance using our individual gifts together as the complete body of Christ. Doing our part in love allows God’s love to shine through. “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

We don’t have to worry about being perfect or doing it all. God provided us with others to help lighten the load and encourage us and He is also working in you! “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

We are to love one another; it is the second greatest commandment behind loving God with all that we are and all that we have. That means celebrating what each of us has to offer because God specifically equipped each one of us. It means coming together and sharing in one another’s joy and in one another’s pain and weakness. It means sharing in our good works that come from our deep faith and love of Christ. 1 Timothy 6:18 states, “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

No doubts. No comparisons. Just a celebration of the gifts each of us has been given to use in our part of God’s story.

• celebrate
• weallhaveapart
• Portuguese

Celebrating the Portuguese Parts... Yes! We are advancing with our Portuguese resources!
Interview with Sabrina Nino de Campos

MICHELLE: Tell us a little about yourself and your relationship with Iron Rose Sister Ministries, especially in light of what you are doing now.

SABRINA: I am Sabrina Nino and I am Brazilian. When I was 17, I started a missionary program for young people in Brazil. I studied for a year and then went to Bolivia for my internship. There, I met my husband, John, and later Michelle, at different church camp events.

in 2017, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, after visiting my family in Brazil. I spent two years total in Argentina, marrying my husband six months after moving there. John was already working there as a missionary with the church there.

Our desire, our plan was to move to the U.S. to study, living near my husband’s family, but my mom suffered a stroke and spent nearly a month in a coma. We left for Brazil immediately to support the family. After her health became more stable, we returned to our plan of moving to the U.S. for our studies. Currently, we are living in the same city as my in-laws and working with the Hispanic congregation while we proceed with our online coursework.

When I first met Michelle at the camp in Bolivia, I also got to know Iron Rose Sister Ministries. I fell in love with the idea of a ministry dedicated to women. Loved it. There’s a picture from that day... of a woman praying with me. We were totally opposite. We had nothing in common. Yet when we prayed for each other, it was so beautiful. I teared up from the deep love we shared as two very different women, coming together in that way.

(See right: Sabrina and Alejandra pictured from that day.)

As I continued with classes for the women in Bolivia, it encouraged me to find different activities for the women, strengthening the relationships amongst ourselves.

Later, when I went to Argentina, we started using Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ Bible study books. I enjoyed working with women’s ministry. It was challenging because the women were different from me and from others I had worked with, from different countries and other differences. But the books helped me to be more involved in the women’s ministry.

My mom always taught women’s classes and at age 10, she had me teaching classes! I didn’t know anything, but it instilled in me a love for giving women’s classes. It’s like it was in my blood.

When we first met, I asked you, Michelle, if Iron Rose Sister Ministries had any resources in Portuguese. She said that it was their desire and that Portuguese would be the next language they would add. However, at that time, there were other projects in the works, and they couldn’t dedicate themselves to that task at that time. I gave you my email address and we promised to keep in touch, awaiting God’s timing.

My desire continued and even grew, but from both sides, there were many obstacles and other priorities that hindered us from taking up the project of translating the materials to Portuguese. We were not in contact constantly, but the friendship continued, and I stayed connected with the ministry and its resources.

Fast forward to now, after several months of no correspondence because of what was happening with my mom’s health, I wrote Michelle an email to ask how the Portuguese project was coming along. It had become something that never left my mind. It stayed there until it became something that had to happen. One day, it was the only thing I could think about. So, I decided to sit down and write you.

Turns out, instead of responding to my email, you called right away.

MICHELLE: Okay, I need to insert something from my perspective here... I remember that day clearly. I called you because I had been praying for God to give us wisdom and direction during the pandemic. The night before and the morning I received your email, I was spending extra time praying about it. Then, when I got your email, I thanked God and called you.

Then, a few days later, Brenda Brizendine, one of our Team Members, called me on behalf of Nathan Holland, a missionary to Angola (a country where Portuguese is also spoken). He had returned to the U.S. with his family in light of the pandemic, but was taking advantage of the time to concentrate on a project we had discussed previously: the translation of Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ materials to Portuguese.

Nathan wrote me a lengthy email explaining that an Angolan sister, Dina, an official translator, had lost her job and now had greater availability to translate some of the Bible materials for the church.

I won’t go into all the details of each step that’s been taken or what each person is doing, but I never cease to be amazed at how God works. Only He can bring together a group of people, each with their respective talents, passions, and interests, in order that more women can be encouraged and equipped to connect to Himself and to other women more deeply.

SABRINA: Yes! It all came together in the perfect moment. Dina and Nathan appeared exactly when she needed a job and some guidance. Everything developed quickly, affirming that God was coordinating it all.

One of the ways I have been edified by working with this project is that... Well, since I had to leave Buenos Aires without being able to say goodbye, and then, while in Brazil, I was unable to be involved with any type of church activity. Since being here, I haven’t been able to do much while I await my immigration papers. I was greatly encouraged to finally be involved in something I am passionate about and that drew me closer to my Christian sisters and to God. I think I felt like I was on stand-by. Starting on this project has relit the spark inside of me.

From one day to the next, when I finally felt ready to serve, God gave me a purpose. I wanted to do it, and with the support of Nathan, Dina, Brenda, Michelle, Iron Rose Sister Ministries... it has all flowed so well.

MICHELLE: I have been highly encouraged by Sabrina and Dina’s comments regarding how much they have been edified through their translation of the resources. They have been encouraged, equipped, and inspired to encourage, equip, and inspire others, all to God’s glory. Each one is doing her part and I give so much thanks to God for what they and others have done and will do for other women, now also in Portuguese!

P.S. If you are interested in getting involved in this project or another area of Iron Rose Sister Ministries, please let us know. We would love to help you use your talents as a part you can play in the Lord’s work.