We have a team of 22 people, 15 college/high school students and 7 adults, heading to Guanacaste, Costa Rica on August 14 to share the love of Christ.
We have seen the faithfulness of God through team preparations. Fundraising efforts were not without great challenge but He provided every penny we needed and then some. We saw God provide anonymous gifts and donations through generous people. He provided through extra work, odd jobs, graduation gifts, selling bottled water on the street corner, long lost refund checks that were suddenly found, sweating our brains out at yard sales . We also witnessed God’s healing power in the life of one of our team members. So we praise our Abba Father who delights in meeting the needs of His children!
What will we be doing in Costa Rica? We will be working with YWAM missionaries, Diego & Salla Silva, on a Bible distribution project where the goal is to make sure 96,000 homes in this region have a Bible. We will be showing the movie “To Save A Life” in Spanish, playing soccer, ministering in schools, visiting with a pregnant teen ministry. Several students will be leading skits, music, teaching, and sharing personal testimonies in local villages and home visits where we will build relationships, share Christ and pray for the people.
Please pray for as we bring Truth, Light, and Hope to the lost people of Costa Rica through the love of Jesus Christ. This is our prayer: “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”~ Acts 26:18
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Brazil - Day 5 in Ingazeira
Hello everybody! This is Bailey,
Just giving you guys a update on what the Brasil team did today. We went to two schools today and did skits, testimonys, and made witness bracelets. Mrs.Debra, Mrs.Jennifer, Mrs.Jill , me, and Sydney had good talk with the older girls at the second school, and Kp gave his testimony with the boys.
We also worked on the construction project that we started on Monday. The family who´s house we worked on was grateful that we would spend our time to help them. Little did they know how much "doing unto others" blessed us.
Everybody played soccer at Pastor Carlos´ church, and we all had a bunch of fun. Pastor Carlos was really happy that his team beat Mr. Hebert´s and Mr. Doug´s team. Of course, after soccer, saying our goodbyes was difficult, but the people there were happy when we said we would be back next year.
Tomorrow we will be in Pelo Sinal again, with Pastor Moabi and his family. God is definitely moving in the lives of the people we come in contact with, and we are excited to see what He has planned for us tomorrow!
Just giving you guys a update on what the Brasil team did today. We went to two schools today and did skits, testimonys, and made witness bracelets. Mrs.Debra, Mrs.Jennifer, Mrs.Jill , me, and Sydney had good talk with the older girls at the second school, and Kp gave his testimony with the boys.
We also worked on the construction project that we started on Monday. The family who´s house we worked on was grateful that we would spend our time to help them. Little did they know how much "doing unto others" blessed us.
Everybody played soccer at Pastor Carlos´ church, and we all had a bunch of fun. Pastor Carlos was really happy that his team beat Mr. Hebert´s and Mr. Doug´s team. Of course, after soccer, saying our goodbyes was difficult, but the people there were happy when we said we would be back next year.
Tomorrow we will be in Pelo Sinal again, with Pastor Moabi and his family. God is definitely moving in the lives of the people we come in contact with, and we are excited to see what He has planned for us tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Brazil August 2010
Our team of 13 left for Brazil on Aug. 5 from Charlotte. After a very long flight and bus ride, we arrived in Afogados Ingazeria. Day one in the outback was a trip to Solidao for house visits, soccer, and prayer for the city at the mountain top statue. In the evening we participated in an outdoor service with the local evangelical church. We sang, performed a skit, and Daniel preached.
Day two began with a church service in Ingazeria, where Pastor Carlos has his apartment. In the afternoon, we went to a new city named Carniaba to work with the local church there. We visited houses and participated in their evening service. I think there are lots of future opportunities in that city.
Day 3 (Mon., right?) was back in Ingazeria. We helped start construction on a bathroom for a family with 2 small girls. They have been in that house for 2 years with no bathroom. They use the woods. Think about that for a minute.
In the afternoon we spoke to a group at a school. Harper gave his testimony and did a great job. We performed two skits and sang a few songs. Some of the school girls performed 2 dances for us.
Day 4 we went to a small village named Tres Umbuzieras. (forgive my spelling!) Our 3 teams visited about 13 homes to share the gospel. This is another place where the fields are ripe for harvest! Its so exciting to see people so receptive, not only to foreigners, but also to the presentation of the gospel.
This afternoon we were in Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited on all 5 trips to the outback. (Hugs and greetings were given on behalf of past team members to the kids!) We went to a few houses and played with the kids on the soccer field. We will be going back to Pelo Sinal on Thursday.
Tomorrow we will be back in Ingazeria for school visits and to help with the bathroom construction again. We are hoping to get it finished!
Prayers are appreciated for health and safety of team members, as well as receptiveness of the people we come into contact with. Hopefully we will be able to blog again soon!
Day two began with a church service in Ingazeria, where Pastor Carlos has his apartment. In the afternoon, we went to a new city named Carniaba to work with the local church there. We visited houses and participated in their evening service. I think there are lots of future opportunities in that city.
Day 3 (Mon., right?) was back in Ingazeria. We helped start construction on a bathroom for a family with 2 small girls. They have been in that house for 2 years with no bathroom. They use the woods. Think about that for a minute.
In the afternoon we spoke to a group at a school. Harper gave his testimony and did a great job. We performed two skits and sang a few songs. Some of the school girls performed 2 dances for us.
Day 4 we went to a small village named Tres Umbuzieras. (forgive my spelling!) Our 3 teams visited about 13 homes to share the gospel. This is another place where the fields are ripe for harvest! Its so exciting to see people so receptive, not only to foreigners, but also to the presentation of the gospel.
This afternoon we were in Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited on all 5 trips to the outback. (Hugs and greetings were given on behalf of past team members to the kids!) We went to a few houses and played with the kids on the soccer field. We will be going back to Pelo Sinal on Thursday.
Tomorrow we will be back in Ingazeria for school visits and to help with the bathroom construction again. We are hoping to get it finished!
Prayers are appreciated for health and safety of team members, as well as receptiveness of the people we come into contact with. Hopefully we will be able to blog again soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Peru Trip
Don't forget to pray for the Peru team as they prepare to leave on Friday!! The team members are: Bill Niccolai (team leader), DeLynne Day, Larry Furr, Toni Little, and Nancy Woodell.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday in Pelo Sinal
Today we went back to Pelo Sinal primarily to put the new roof on Jose's house. How like God to put on our team an engineer and 3 men who work in construction!! The old tin roof had already been removed so our guys along with the owner Jose, our bus driver Manuel, Pr. Carlos, and Pr. Moabi got right to work. Cheryl, Emilie, and Monica also worked at the house throughout the morning. Even better, Jose and his oldest daughter accepted Christ!!! (His wife accepted on Saturday.)
The rest of the team divided up and went on house visits. One team (Bonita, Sheila, Faith, and Katarina) were able to visit with a woman who had attempted suicide when we were there on Saturday. We heard about it after she had been taken to the hospital. They were able to share the gospel with her today and she accepted Christ. She was open with what she had done and our group was able to tell her how devestated we were to hear about it. We were so grateful to have the chance to come back today----especially since this was a change in schedule! She said learning about Jesus and receiving salvation was "just what she needed."
DJ, Shelby, Justin, and Ruth went to a type of recycling center where kids were making things out of recycled objects---cans, cardboard, plastic, etc. Not really sure if this was part of a school or not. But they were able to share Christ with them using salvation bracelets. The teacher and 5 or 6 students accepted Christ. Our kids gave them each 2 bracelets, one to keep and one to share. See! The kids are fantastic missionaries!!
Tomorrow we leave our hotel and travel 3 hrs to a new city called Arco Verde. We will be going to a school and a daycare. Since this is a new place we aren't exactly sure what all we will be doing. But to be sure, God does!!
We'll be staying there tomorrow night and going back to Recife on Friday for the day. Then we come home on Saturday. Not sure if we'll have internet access after tonight. So just keep praying and we'll definitely blog as soon as we can.
The rest of the team divided up and went on house visits. One team (Bonita, Sheila, Faith, and Katarina) were able to visit with a woman who had attempted suicide when we were there on Saturday. We heard about it after she had been taken to the hospital. They were able to share the gospel with her today and she accepted Christ. She was open with what she had done and our group was able to tell her how devestated we were to hear about it. We were so grateful to have the chance to come back today----especially since this was a change in schedule! She said learning about Jesus and receiving salvation was "just what she needed."
DJ, Shelby, Justin, and Ruth went to a type of recycling center where kids were making things out of recycled objects---cans, cardboard, plastic, etc. Not really sure if this was part of a school or not. But they were able to share Christ with them using salvation bracelets. The teacher and 5 or 6 students accepted Christ. Our kids gave them each 2 bracelets, one to keep and one to share. See! The kids are fantastic missionaries!!
Tomorrow we leave our hotel and travel 3 hrs to a new city called Arco Verde. We will be going to a school and a daycare. Since this is a new place we aren't exactly sure what all we will be doing. But to be sure, God does!!
We'll be staying there tomorrow night and going back to Recife on Friday for the day. Then we come home on Saturday. Not sure if we'll have internet access after tonight. So just keep praying and we'll definitely blog as soon as we can.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday in Agua Branca
Today we travelled to a new city called Agua Branca. Pastor Carlos has been preparing for this visit for 5-6 months. It's a rather large city and is in another state---don't ask me the name please.
We started out in the school, in their "gym." It was sort of a covered cement basketball court but they use it for volleyball, soccer, and assemblies as well. Brooke, KP, and Chad shared their testimonies. (And let me just say that 16 yr old KP was a ROCK STAR to the girls there.) They were actually screaming for him when he walked up to speak! We all got a kick out of that and we'll try not to let it go to his head.
After lunch, we went to a small remote village almost an hour from Agua Branca. As with most of the other smaller villages in the outback, our bus can't go on the dirt/gravel/rocky/hole-filled roads. So we rode in pick-up truck taxis. Can I just say that we'll all be needing appointments with a chiropractor when we get home?
This village seemed very oppressed to us. Since it was such a long way there, we only had a little over an hour for house visits, prayer walking, and a school visit. Quite a few children prayed to receive Christ in the school after DJ used salvation bracelets to share the gospel. Another group went to an afterschool type program and another 8 kids prayed there. There were still more salvations through the home visits. As Pastor Carlos establishes more relationships in this area, it looks promising that this will be a place we'll return to on future trips.
I'd like to say that the kids on this team are blowing us all away. They are excited and willing and BOLD. They led our team devotion tonight and we were all commenting that we wished we had been more like them when we were their ages. The parents of the kids on this trip should be very proud. We are honored and blessed that they are on this team.
Tomorrow we return to Pelo Sinal to put a new roof on a house!! We'll also go on house visits and the guys will play soccer in Solidao in the afternoon. Go Team USA!
We started out in the school, in their "gym." It was sort of a covered cement basketball court but they use it for volleyball, soccer, and assemblies as well. Brooke, KP, and Chad shared their testimonies. (And let me just say that 16 yr old KP was a ROCK STAR to the girls there.) They were actually screaming for him when he walked up to speak! We all got a kick out of that and we'll try not to let it go to his head.
After lunch, we went to a small remote village almost an hour from Agua Branca. As with most of the other smaller villages in the outback, our bus can't go on the dirt/gravel/rocky/hole-filled roads. So we rode in pick-up truck taxis. Can I just say that we'll all be needing appointments with a chiropractor when we get home?
This village seemed very oppressed to us. Since it was such a long way there, we only had a little over an hour for house visits, prayer walking, and a school visit. Quite a few children prayed to receive Christ in the school after DJ used salvation bracelets to share the gospel. Another group went to an afterschool type program and another 8 kids prayed there. There were still more salvations through the home visits. As Pastor Carlos establishes more relationships in this area, it looks promising that this will be a place we'll return to on future trips.
I'd like to say that the kids on this team are blowing us all away. They are excited and willing and BOLD. They led our team devotion tonight and we were all commenting that we wished we had been more like them when we were their ages. The parents of the kids on this trip should be very proud. We are honored and blessed that they are on this team.
Tomorrow we return to Pelo Sinal to put a new roof on a house!! We'll also go on house visits and the guys will play soccer in Solidao in the afternoon. Go Team USA!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday in Solidao and Monday in Ingazeria
Sunday in Solidao started in the school with a little program for the kids. The local pastor's teenage daughters led them in singing and games. Some of us hiked to the statue that overlooks the city. It has sort of become tradition to go there and pray over the city. The others stayed at the bottom of the hill and witnessed to a few people. One woman approached the group and asked why they were there. What a perfect opportunity!
We were able to visit with a lady (Damiana) with whom we've had previous contact. Her baby was named after Wendi McCarn who led Damiana to the Lord 2 years ago. Baby Wendi is beautiful and we'll post pics soon. This family is still faithfully attending church and growing in the Lord. Her husband who was an alcoholic 2 years ago is a believer and is now mentored by Pastor Moab weekly. Praise God!
The afternoon was spent ministering to Pastor Moab and Pastor Carlos and their families. We had the privilege to wash their feet---literally. They were encouraged and we were blessed to honor them for all they do as missionaries in this area all year long.
The team ended the day at a worship service. Brooke, KP, and Chad gave their testimonies. The team performed a skit originated by Mark Kessler and the Steele Creek youth (to "God of This City") It was a late night but a very encouraging Lord's Day.
Monday we travelled to Ingazeira and Cacimbinha. These two places are very oppressed and have previously been difficult to witness and form relationships in. Some of the group led a program for the younger kids at the school including face painting and singing. Shelby and Brooke used the story of Joseph and his brothers to teach about forgiveness.
DJ, Chad, Justin, Hebert, and Rico met a group of teenage boys and witnessed to them. All 3 accepted Christ! One wanted a group to go talk to his mother and another wanted to know how to study the Bible and start a Bible study.
Meanwhile, Sheila, Emilie, and Katarina went next door to the boy's home and witnessed to his mother, grandmother, and sister and they accepted Christ as well. God is moving in that little village!
The elders of the village (which is only about 10 homes) met in one house with Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab and some of our team. This was a time of building trust and relationship.
In the afternoon in Ingazeira, there was a boy's soccer game. Daniel, Hebert, Rico, KP, DJ, and Justin played the Brazilians and actually won! DJ and Justin gave their testimonies and did a great job. The girls played a handball game (NOT the Americans). We had a little worship service afterwards. Kesia sang and Shelby gave her testimony. We also performed the skit again.
During the games, some of the team went on house visits. Many people prayed to receive Christ. God did some miraculous things today and answered prayers of Pastor Carlos as many people he had been praying for were saved.
Tomorrow we go to Agua Branca which is a new city for the team. We are expecting great things!!
We were able to visit with a lady (Damiana) with whom we've had previous contact. Her baby was named after Wendi McCarn who led Damiana to the Lord 2 years ago. Baby Wendi is beautiful and we'll post pics soon. This family is still faithfully attending church and growing in the Lord. Her husband who was an alcoholic 2 years ago is a believer and is now mentored by Pastor Moab weekly. Praise God!
The afternoon was spent ministering to Pastor Moab and Pastor Carlos and their families. We had the privilege to wash their feet---literally. They were encouraged and we were blessed to honor them for all they do as missionaries in this area all year long.
The team ended the day at a worship service. Brooke, KP, and Chad gave their testimonies. The team performed a skit originated by Mark Kessler and the Steele Creek youth (to "God of This City") It was a late night but a very encouraging Lord's Day.
Monday we travelled to Ingazeira and Cacimbinha. These two places are very oppressed and have previously been difficult to witness and form relationships in. Some of the group led a program for the younger kids at the school including face painting and singing. Shelby and Brooke used the story of Joseph and his brothers to teach about forgiveness.
DJ, Chad, Justin, Hebert, and Rico met a group of teenage boys and witnessed to them. All 3 accepted Christ! One wanted a group to go talk to his mother and another wanted to know how to study the Bible and start a Bible study.
Meanwhile, Sheila, Emilie, and Katarina went next door to the boy's home and witnessed to his mother, grandmother, and sister and they accepted Christ as well. God is moving in that little village!
The elders of the village (which is only about 10 homes) met in one house with Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab and some of our team. This was a time of building trust and relationship.
In the afternoon in Ingazeira, there was a boy's soccer game. Daniel, Hebert, Rico, KP, DJ, and Justin played the Brazilians and actually won! DJ and Justin gave their testimonies and did a great job. The girls played a handball game (NOT the Americans). We had a little worship service afterwards. Kesia sang and Shelby gave her testimony. We also performed the skit again.
During the games, some of the team went on house visits. Many people prayed to receive Christ. God did some miraculous things today and answered prayers of Pastor Carlos as many people he had been praying for were saved.
Tomorrow we go to Agua Branca which is a new city for the team. We are expecting great things!!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Brazil--Saturday in Pelo Sinal
OK, we'll start with our departure which started off with some drama. Our first flight to Miami out of Charlotte was delayed almost 2 hours. Considering we only had an hour and a half to make our connection for Brazil, this was NOT good. God worked it all out because that flight was delayed as well. Yay! After almost 30 hours of travel (flights plus a nice 7 hr bus ride) we ended up safe and sound in Afogados da Ingazeria.
This morning (Saturday) we went to Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited during previous trips. It was such a sight to see dozens of children running down the street to meet our truck! Precious! Our whole group went to visit one of the poorest homes in town. They are in need of a new roof since theirs is tin and makes the house extremely hot. The team agreed to give from their spending money and some of our team funds to buy the materials. What a God thing that 3 of our team members are in the construction business!! We're going back on Wednesday to raise a roof!! Oh, and the lady of the house accepted Christ!
We spent the rest of the day singing and playing games with the kids, making house visits, and of course, playing soccer. Several people accepted Christ. We've found that there is still a big stronghold of tradition/religion (Catholic). God is breaking down barriers, especially with the younger generation.
We found out that around lunch today one of the young moms who had been at the kids' activities tried to commit suicide this afternoon. Pray for this mom. We are hoping to be able to visit with her on Wed. Pray also for our team member/translator Kesia. Her grandmother has been in critical condition in Recife (Brazil) for a few weeks and passed away last night. She left early this morning to be with her family and will probably join us again in a few days. Pray for her as she copes with this loss.
There are 5 teenagers on this trip and they are jumping right in! Justin gave his testimony to a group of kids today and all who heard it were blessed.
Tomorrow we go to Solidao, a larger town in the area. Keep praying for open doors and open hearts. It will be a late night but we'll try to update again tomorrow.
This morning (Saturday) we went to Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited during previous trips. It was such a sight to see dozens of children running down the street to meet our truck! Precious! Our whole group went to visit one of the poorest homes in town. They are in need of a new roof since theirs is tin and makes the house extremely hot. The team agreed to give from their spending money and some of our team funds to buy the materials. What a God thing that 3 of our team members are in the construction business!! We're going back on Wednesday to raise a roof!! Oh, and the lady of the house accepted Christ!
We spent the rest of the day singing and playing games with the kids, making house visits, and of course, playing soccer. Several people accepted Christ. We've found that there is still a big stronghold of tradition/religion (Catholic). God is breaking down barriers, especially with the younger generation.
We found out that around lunch today one of the young moms who had been at the kids' activities tried to commit suicide this afternoon. Pray for this mom. We are hoping to be able to visit with her on Wed. Pray also for our team member/translator Kesia. Her grandmother has been in critical condition in Recife (Brazil) for a few weeks and passed away last night. She left early this morning to be with her family and will probably join us again in a few days. Pray for her as she copes with this loss.
There are 5 teenagers on this trip and they are jumping right in! Justin gave his testimony to a group of kids today and all who heard it were blessed.
Tomorrow we go to Solidao, a larger town in the area. Keep praying for open doors and open hearts. It will be a late night but we'll try to update again tomorrow.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
News from the Amazon
The team has had a great couple of days in Cruzeiro Do Sul. Yesterday they attended a baptism service where 15 people were baptized in the river! They also met a man who walks 12 hours to church every week....12 HOURS! Can you imagine that?
Tomorrow they will be traveling for 3 hours by boat down the river and then will be doing visitation from village to village. Please pray for their time with each of the people that they will come into contact with, that the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts even now to hear the truth of God's love, forgiveness and salvation.
Also, please be in prayer for Airton's health....he has not been feeling good thus far on the trip. Being the only translator can be exhausting and that on top of other health issues have had him really feeling bad. They had a prayer service at the church last night and Airton was prayed over by the pastor and Doug and, praise the Lord, he has been feeling better today!
The guys are all doing pretty good, but they are VERY hot! They asked us to pray that God would send a nice cool breeze through the state of Acre, Brazil!
Thank you all for joining with us in prayer for this team and for the people of Brazil!
Tomorrow they will be traveling for 3 hours by boat down the river and then will be doing visitation from village to village. Please pray for their time with each of the people that they will come into contact with, that the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts even now to hear the truth of God's love, forgiveness and salvation.
Also, please be in prayer for Airton's health....he has not been feeling good thus far on the trip. Being the only translator can be exhausting and that on top of other health issues have had him really feeling bad. They had a prayer service at the church last night and Airton was prayed over by the pastor and Doug and, praise the Lord, he has been feeling better today!
The guys are all doing pretty good, but they are VERY hot! They asked us to pray that God would send a nice cool breeze through the state of Acre, Brazil!
Thank you all for joining with us in prayer for this team and for the people of Brazil!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
From the Amazon....
We've heard a little from the guys who are on mission in the Amazon in Brazil. They arrived safely in Manaus late Thursday night. On Friday they visited with missionaries from PAZ (Project Amazon) and spent some time at an orphanage. Saturday morning they flew to Cruzeiro do Sol, where they will remain for the rest of the trip. A few of the guys called home this morning (Sunday). They are doing well. I think the plan was to attend a baptism service at a local church. Phone service is limited and I'm pretty sure there's no internet. I'll pass on what I hear. Until then, just keep praying for safety, for the divine appointments that the Lord has set up for them, and for everything they do to honor and glorify the Lord.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Back To Brazil We Go!!!
The gang from World Outback is headed back to Brazil. There is a vision trip planned for June 18-24 to the Amazon. Then in September we'll be returning to Solidao.
Fundraising is kicking off VERY soon!
Any golfers out there? We're sponsoring a golf tournament on April 16! You can find the registration form below.
And you don't have to be in the area (Charlotte) to participate!! There are hole sponsoring opportunities and of course we'll gladly accept donations. All donations are tax deductible.
Fundraising is kicking off VERY soon!
Any golfers out there? We're sponsoring a golf tournament on April 16! You can find the registration form below.
And you don't have to be in the area (Charlotte) to participate!! There are hole sponsoring opportunities and of course we'll gladly accept donations. All donations are tax deductible.
Click here for golf tournament registration form
Read previous posts about Brazil to see what we'll be doing there. There will be door to door evangelism, soccer ministry, kid's ministry, dental clinics, and discipling believers. We'll hopefully be blogging from Brazil again as well so you can follow along with us.
Come on out and support World Outback! Fore!!!
*Edited to add: Please register by April 9!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
World Outback Goes to India!!
Check out this video of Pastor Airton Pupo and Dr. Diego Barreto's trip to India.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
More pictures!
Here are some pictures from the Ingazeria library story told here.
Edileusa praising the Lord for the Bible
Another Bible, another praise
Precious
Edileusa and one of the twins in front of the library
Daniel with Edileusa's twins Els and Ens
The rest of the crew
Edileusa praising the Lord for the Bible
Another Bible, another praise
Precious
Edileusa and one of the twins in front of the library
Daniel with Edileusa's twins Els and Ens
The rest of the crew (Thanks to Cheryl for the great play-by-play picture taking.)
Hey, how do you like the new look, complete with the ministry logo? Thanks to our friend Faith for her help!!
Hey, how do you like the new look, complete with the ministry logo? Thanks to our friend Faith for her help!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
And now with pictures!!
We wrote about meeting Baby Wendi here. Now we have proof for you!!
Our Wendi first meeting Baby Wendi
Here they are the next day at church where Baby Wendi was dedicated. She's wearing a dress Wendi brought her that belonged to her niece.
~Baby dedication~
The family asked our Wendi to come up front with them. Isn't that the sweetest?
Our Wendi first meeting Baby Wendi 
Here they are the next day at church where Baby Wendi was dedicated. She's wearing a dress Wendi brought her that belonged to her niece.
~Baby dedication~ The family asked our Wendi to come up front with them. Isn't that the sweetest?
We'll try to add pictures as time allows. We're all trying to get back into the groove of "normal" life. Keep checking back!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Resting in the Lord....................
The team had a great time of rest and relaxation at Porto De Galinhas Thursday and Friday. It was so nice to finally have a shower with hot water, water pressure, and without little frogs staring at you. We had a little shopping time and were able to ride the doon-buggies to the beach to see the fish and coral. Some even had opportunities to do water aerobics, take dance lessons, and play a mean game of beach volleyball! Napping in the hammocks was another popular past-time. Did I mention that we finally got to eat some Brazilian pizza!? YUM! Okay..........so are you thinking that this is supposed to be a mission trip instead of a vacation? The Lord's work never ceases, even in the midst of f
un and relaxation. A few team members went back into town to pick up some necessities and were able to share Christ with an awesome young man that sat on the street making beautiful carvings out of cashew tree bark. Come to find out he already new Christ but had become disillusioned by people that seek to make a profit from "religion". We were able to encourage him and gave him a Bible in addition to buying a few pieces of his incredible handy-work. He was so grateful for the Bible he said he would read it and carry it everyday with him in his backpack.On the way bac
k to the hotel we passed a couple selling cashews out of a wheel-barrow on the street. You could tell from their dress they were probably Christians (they were completely covered!). Airton asked them if they were believers and they were thrilled to find out that we were believers too. She asked about our mission, hugged us, and said she had a Word from the Lord for Bonita. It was Psalm 40:1. This lady had no idea that this was Bonita's testimony scripture. Bonita hugged her and they began to cry together. It was such a huge encouragement for both of them. It was amazing to watch God work through perfect strangers that met on the street!Did I forget to mention the surprise birthday celebration for Diego (our Brazilian dentist friend)? At dinner we all slipped in a pair of bubba teeth and had them bring out a cake for him as we sang happy birthday. Oh my..........talk about some ugliness........we laughed so hard. Wait till you see some of those pictures!
We closed our time with group devotions and reflection as we each shared some of our favorite highlights from the week. God did amazing things. We discussed what happens when you return home from a trip like this. How do you transition back to your world with the reality of distractions, problems to deal with, cell phones, family responsibilities, etc? The conclusion was that we have a mission everyday. We are to share Christ, be like Christ, and live it out in our everyday lives. God called each one of us to the life that we are living. We must seek Him and stay close to Him as we learn to balance the tasks He has given each of us to do in life. Boy, that can be difficult!
The love and laughter we have shared together this week is unforgettable. It is bittersweet to go home. How can we begin to thank You Lord for the blessings and miracles that we saw at every turn?!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Final day in the outback........
Tuesday we started in Caçimbinha, the small village that's name means "little well". The first time we went there in May the village seemed very oppressed. This time there were many who had already received Christ and were reading their Bibles. We were able to encourage them and then witness to those who hadn't yet prayed to receive Christ.
Sheila, Airton, Bonita, KP, and Jill went to visit a lady named Rosa. When they arrived, she was able to mumble that she had been waiting for them to arrive. She had a stroke 13 years ago and has been very sick since and it was evident that she is in her last days. Pastor Carlos was able to get her a bed and mosquito net since our first visit in May. This time they were able to talk with her about assurance of salvation and she could only say "yes" and "Jesus". They sang to her while Jill held her hand and stroked her hair. They sang songs and prayed with her and cried with her. It was a very moving situation. While Jill stayed in her room massaging her legs and arms, the rest witnessed to her husband, daughter, and two granddaughters. All prayed to receive Christ.
Also at this house one of the granddaughters told them she had been reading the Bible she received in May. She had started in Genesis and was already in Psalms! She's 13! That is dedication and she hadn't even become a Christian yet!
Evan shared Christ for the first time with four people and they all accepted Christ. He was pumped!
Daniel, Cheryl, Wendi, and Monica met and shared with a woman whose husband had left her four years ago. She had three sons and she was just waiting on her husband to come back. So sad. The 16 year old and 10 year old sons and the mom accepted Christ. It was the 10 yr old's birthday and they were able to give him snacks and a soccer ball.
After lunch at Pastor Carlos's apartment in Ingazeira, two groups went out to do door to door evangelism. Doug, Evan, KP and Airton stayed at the church to play futsal with local boys.
Sheila, Cheryl, Bonita, Kesia, Daniel, and Jennifer went door to door. After a few uneventful visits involving major strongholds and age-related difficulties, a little girl came running up. We recognized her from previous visits. She wanted us to come with her to encourage a new believer her mom had led to Christ. We went to the public library and met the mom. Unfortunately the new believer had already left. We were just chatting with them and asked if the library had a Bible. She said no and we offered her one. We are having a hard time even describing the reaction we received. She was raising her hands and praising the Lord. It was precious.
Then she said her new believer friend didn't have one either and now she could come to the library and read this one. So we gave her one to give to her friend. She started jumping up and down!! She kept praising the Lord and we kept wanting to give her more!! We gave her daughters Bibles and left her a stack to give to local believers who didn't have one. She told us how expensive Bibles were there and how people had to share. By this time she was out of control with tears of joy and shouts of "glory to God". We looked over to her 13 year old daughter and tears were rolling down her face........okay......there wasn't a dry eye in the house! Oh to be that excited about God's Word!
In the evening we went to a local home and held a service for about 20 people. Diego did his tricks, we all sang, and Daniel brought a Word of encouragement to the people. It was awesome! Several decided to follow Christ. We were able to leave each person a Bible.
What an awesome way to end our time in the outback! God has done AMAZING things over the last 5 days. We praise Him for using us and for keeping us all safe and healthy. We don't have a count but many received Christ and many were discipled and encouraged. Keep praying for our travel back to the USA. You never know who might meet Jesus along the way.
We have traveled the long trek back to Recife on the bus today. It was a great time of sharing testimony, fellowship, and much laughter. We had a couple of hours to shop this afternoon and enjoy Brazilian pizza. Tonight we surprised Diego at dinner by presenting him a birthday cake while we all wore bubba teeth. Can't wait to share those pictures. The dentist was quite surprised! Tomorrow we rest and relax as we prepare to travel home. Again, thanks for all the encouraging comments and prayers. We know God moved because you asked. We love you and will see you at home.
Sheila, Airton, Bonita, KP, and Jill went to visit a lady named Rosa. When they arrived, she was able to mumble that she had been waiting for them to arrive. She had a stroke 13 years ago and has been very sick since and it was evident that she is in her last days. Pastor Carlos was able to get her a bed and mosquito net since our first visit in May. This time they were able to talk with her about assurance of salvation and she could only say "yes" and "Jesus". They sang to her while Jill held her hand and stroked her hair. They sang songs and prayed with her and cried with her. It was a very moving situation. While Jill stayed in her room massaging her legs and arms, the rest witnessed to her husband, daughter, and two granddaughters. All prayed to receive Christ.
Also at this house one of the granddaughters told them she had been reading the Bible she received in May. She had started in Genesis and was already in Psalms! She's 13! That is dedication and she hadn't even become a Christian yet!
Evan shared Christ for the first time with four people and they all accepted Christ. He was pumped!
Daniel, Cheryl, Wendi, and Monica met and shared with a woman whose husband had left her four years ago. She had three sons and she was just waiting on her husband to come back. So sad. The 16 year old and 10 year old sons and the mom accepted Christ. It was the 10 yr old's birthday and they were able to give him snacks and a soccer ball.
After lunch at Pastor Carlos's apartment in Ingazeira, two groups went out to do door to door evangelism. Doug, Evan, KP and Airton stayed at the church to play futsal with local boys.
Sheila, Cheryl, Bonita, Kesia, Daniel, and Jennifer went door to door. After a few uneventful visits involving major strongholds and age-related difficulties, a little girl came running up. We recognized her from previous visits. She wanted us to come with her to encourage a new believer her mom had led to Christ. We went to the public library and met the mom. Unfortunately the new believer had already left. We were just chatting with them and asked if the library had a Bible. She said no and we offered her one. We are having a hard time even describing the reaction we received. She was raising her hands and praising the Lord. It was precious.
Then she said her new believer friend didn't have one either and now she could come to the library and read this one. So we gave her one to give to her friend. She started jumping up and down!! She kept praising the Lord and we kept wanting to give her more!! We gave her daughters Bibles and left her a stack to give to local believers who didn't have one. She told us how expensive Bibles were there and how people had to share. By this time she was out of control with tears of joy and shouts of "glory to God". We looked over to her 13 year old daughter and tears were rolling down her face........okay......there wasn't a dry eye in the house! Oh to be that excited about God's Word!
In the evening we went to a local home and held a service for about 20 people. Diego did his tricks, we all sang, and Daniel brought a Word of encouragement to the people. It was awesome! Several decided to follow Christ. We were able to leave each person a Bible.
What an awesome way to end our time in the outback! God has done AMAZING things over the last 5 days. We praise Him for using us and for keeping us all safe and healthy. We don't have a count but many received Christ and many were discipled and encouraged. Keep praying for our travel back to the USA. You never know who might meet Jesus along the way.
We have traveled the long trek back to Recife on the bus today. It was a great time of sharing testimony, fellowship, and much laughter. We had a couple of hours to shop this afternoon and enjoy Brazilian pizza. Tonight we surprised Diego at dinner by presenting him a birthday cake while we all wore bubba teeth. Can't wait to share those pictures. The dentist was quite surprised! Tomorrow we rest and relax as we prepare to travel home. Again, thanks for all the encouraging comments and prayers. We know God moved because you asked. We love you and will see you at home.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Pelo Sinal
Today we travelled on the truck/taxi (turnip truck, as Monica calls it) to Pelo Sinal. We were able to use the local Catholic church for Diego to his tricks. How about God using the Catholic church as the setting where tons of children prayed to receive Christ?! Very cool.
Lunch was at the house of the vice-mayor of the city. This woman welcomed the May group as well. She is Catholic and apparently the leader of the church. (They don't have a priest right now.) Pastor Carlos has established a relationship with her and has been teaching her about the Bible. She has a 4 month old baby who she wanted to be dedicated to the Lord today! By Pastor Carlos! It was so neat to see how the Lord is moving in that city. This lady is so close! It will be a BIG deal if she receives Christ. Pastor Carlos and Airton have said that it is truly a miracle that she has welcomed us into her home, the church, and the school.
Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab each shared their testimonies with us. It is amazing to see how God has orchestrated their lives and ours together for His work.
We were also asked to speak to the older kids at the school there. After lunch we divided into teams and were assigned to a classroom. We shared the gospel with the students and teachers and many accepted Christ.
Many of us have reconnected with kids and adults we had previously met. Relationships are being developed and God is working through them.
One of the girls Daniel witnessed to in May is named Jussara. He took her an NC State shirt this time and had promised to visit her family. At the church this morning she told him that she had been reading her Bible and had read a very interesting story she wanted to share with him. This afternoon Daniel, Sheila, Airton, and Evan went to visit her. Jussara said the story she had been reading was "about a man who took his son to be killed. But at the last minute angels of the Lord told him not to kill him." (Abraham and Isaac!) Airton explained the story further and Daniel was able to relate it to Jesus as a sacrifice for us as he witnessed to her friend and her mom.
KP witnessed for the first time to four people at the dental clinic and they all accepted Christ. We're so proud of these teenagers for being so bold!
Sheila thinks it's funny that a few of the teachers were enthralled with the idea of homeschooling. Once they found out she homeschooled they were asking tons of questions. I'm pretty sure they thought we were all crazy. (This team is made up of all homeschoolers!)
Keep on praying! Thanks for the comments too. We've been so encouraged by them. Tomorrow we are in Ingazeria all day and it's our last day in the outback.
Lunch was at the house of the vice-mayor of the city. This woman welcomed the May group as well. She is Catholic and apparently the leader of the church. (They don't have a priest right now.) Pastor Carlos has established a relationship with her and has been teaching her about the Bible. She has a 4 month old baby who she wanted to be dedicated to the Lord today! By Pastor Carlos! It was so neat to see how the Lord is moving in that city. This lady is so close! It will be a BIG deal if she receives Christ. Pastor Carlos and Airton have said that it is truly a miracle that she has welcomed us into her home, the church, and the school.
Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab each shared their testimonies with us. It is amazing to see how God has orchestrated their lives and ours together for His work.
We were also asked to speak to the older kids at the school there. After lunch we divided into teams and were assigned to a classroom. We shared the gospel with the students and teachers and many accepted Christ.
Many of us have reconnected with kids and adults we had previously met. Relationships are being developed and God is working through them.
One of the girls Daniel witnessed to in May is named Jussara. He took her an NC State shirt this time and had promised to visit her family. At the church this morning she told him that she had been reading her Bible and had read a very interesting story she wanted to share with him. This afternoon Daniel, Sheila, Airton, and Evan went to visit her. Jussara said the story she had been reading was "about a man who took his son to be killed. But at the last minute angels of the Lord told him not to kill him." (Abraham and Isaac!) Airton explained the story further and Daniel was able to relate it to Jesus as a sacrifice for us as he witnessed to her friend and her mom.
KP witnessed for the first time to four people at the dental clinic and they all accepted Christ. We're so proud of these teenagers for being so bold!
Sheila thinks it's funny that a few of the teachers were enthralled with the idea of homeschooling. Once they found out she homeschooled they were asking tons of questions. I'm pretty sure they thought we were all crazy. (This team is made up of all homeschoolers!)
Keep on praying! Thanks for the comments too. We've been so encouraged by them. Tomorrow we are in Ingazeria all day and it's our last day in the outback.
Sabbath in the outback
It was an awesome Lord's day in the Outback! First of all the we were blessed with slightly overcast skies that gave us an incredible breeze.......thank you Lord!! We began the day in Solidao at Pastor Moab's church where they had a children's service. Diego was up to his old "tricks" again (literally!) There was also a baby dedication.......guess who??? YES........baby Wendi was dedicated to the Lord by her family. It was awesome to see our Wendi standing with baby Wendi's family and remembering what the Lord has done in these lives. The baby was even wearing a beautiful little dress Wendi had given her. (i wish we were able to post pics from here!) We prayed that she would follow Jesus all the days of her life. It was a beautiful moment!
After church we did some house visits. There seems to be a different dynamic this time with the people. Legalism and ritualism seems to be a huge barrier to these people from developing a relationship with Christ. Many have left the Christian church because of rules they cannot seem to keep yet they are without peace and assurance through the Catholic church. We have found that most do not have Bibles to read therefore they are relying on man instead of God. It is providing a great opportunity for us to hand them a Bible and let them read Truth for themselves. God's Word does not return void!!! Discipleship is happening.
During our lunch and "siesta" time Tiago (16 yrs old....Philipe's brother) shared his testimony of miraculous healing of a childhood illness he had. The same illness had taken his older brother's life as a baby and he had "inherited" the same. The difference was that his mother had prayed to idols for healing of his brother. When Tiago was ill she remembered the God of her mother who was a Christian and he was completely healed.
Tatiana worked a dental clinic while the rest of us went back out on house visits. The harvest was plentiful!!! Many believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved. Many were also encouraged in the Lord.
We attended a church service in the evening where we actually sang (oh my!!). It was more like a joyful noise! Pastor Airton brought the Word from Genesis 32. It was about reconciliation and forgiveness. Kesia Vale brought down the house with a beautiful song!! Many of the congregation came forward and the team was able to pray individually for them as needed.
We hurried home for the big game...........soccer that is........Brasil and Chile. Some of the brave ordered pizza and stayed up........the pizza never was delivered. Ha! It was an awesome day!!
By the way...WAY TO GO PANTHERS FOR THE BIG LAST MINUTE WIN (thanks to daniel our sports update reporter). This morning we are headed to Pelo Senal. Thanks also for the encouraging posts and comments. Keep praying!!
"Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish today."
After church we did some house visits. There seems to be a different dynamic this time with the people. Legalism and ritualism seems to be a huge barrier to these people from developing a relationship with Christ. Many have left the Christian church because of rules they cannot seem to keep yet they are without peace and assurance through the Catholic church. We have found that most do not have Bibles to read therefore they are relying on man instead of God. It is providing a great opportunity for us to hand them a Bible and let them read Truth for themselves. God's Word does not return void!!! Discipleship is happening.
During our lunch and "siesta" time Tiago (16 yrs old....Philipe's brother) shared his testimony of miraculous healing of a childhood illness he had. The same illness had taken his older brother's life as a baby and he had "inherited" the same. The difference was that his mother had prayed to idols for healing of his brother. When Tiago was ill she remembered the God of her mother who was a Christian and he was completely healed.
Tatiana worked a dental clinic while the rest of us went back out on house visits. The harvest was plentiful!!! Many believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved. Many were also encouraged in the Lord.
We attended a church service in the evening where we actually sang (oh my!!). It was more like a joyful noise! Pastor Airton brought the Word from Genesis 32. It was about reconciliation and forgiveness. Kesia Vale brought down the house with a beautiful song!! Many of the congregation came forward and the team was able to pray individually for them as needed.
We hurried home for the big game...........soccer that is........Brasil and Chile. Some of the brave ordered pizza and stayed up........the pizza never was delivered. Ha! It was an awesome day!!
By the way...WAY TO GO PANTHERS FOR THE BIG LAST MINUTE WIN (thanks to daniel our sports update reporter). This morning we are headed to Pelo Senal. Thanks also for the encouraging posts and comments. Keep praying!!
"Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish today."
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