Open Doors, Open Hearts

As you may recall, we've had the honor of doing a few "mobile church" experiences in the home of Dario & Mara, a family we've become friends with through our brothers Renato & Branda. Recently, we've been able to develop this friendship even further. We are now every Saturday afternoon spending time in Dario & Mara's home, along with Renato & Branda, studying the Gospel of John together and sharing in some great fellowship time (last week Waleska made brownies! :>)

Dario & Mara are pictured here on the right with Victoria, the youngest of their three daughters - Fernanda and Bruna are the other two. Dario works as a corporate account manager for Banco Real, and travels quite a bit visiting clients. Mara is a full-time homemaker keeping busy managing this whirlwind of a family. They are fantastic people, and they are opening their doors and their hearts to allow God at work in their lives. We thank God for the opportunity to spend time with people like them, and pray that the Lord will make this home a "household of peace!"

A Visit to YWAM

This is our brother Roberto. As we told you in a post a few months ago, he is currently taking a on-site course in evangelism and missions through YWAM (Youth With A Mission). Two Sundays ago we, along with his wife Moema and son Kjeld, went to visit him for the day. We found him very upbeat about all that he is learning about the Bible and his relationship with God - so much so that his eyes are on fire! :)

YWAM's training ground is located in Morungava, a rural district about an hour outside of Porto Alegre. The property is blessed with spectacular natural beauty; perfect for meditation and concentration on the tasks of spiritual maturity. But don't be deceived - this is not a spiritual spa. Roberto and the other students have six full days a week of study, manual labor, chores, prayer, teaching children, theater practice, and evangelistic ministry in nearby towns. He describes it as the most intense experience he's ever had.

YWAM's facilities are pretty rustic, in need of some upgrades, but they serve as a reminder to the students that simplicity allows space for God to do great works. Here is Roberto in front of the cafeteria, and Moema in the library, where she volunteers twice a month to organize their books and help with their reading program.

Here are Moema & Roberto with Carlos and Eunice, the directors of this YWAM location. They are a great example of faithfulness to the Lord. 25 years ago, this couple sold their highly profitable business in Rio de Janeiro to move south and dedicate themselves to this work of training young Christian servants.

Roberto will spend the next two months doing field work in the nearby states of Santa Catarina and Paraná before returning home for his graduation in December. Keep up the good work, Roberto - we are with you all the way! We are eager to see what plans the Lord has for you and your family!

A Weekend with Friends

Last weekend we had the pleasure of hosting some friends of ours who are missionaries in Itú, a lovely town just outside of São Paulo. Back row, right - Mark and Ali Kaiser. I have known Ali for more than ten years, back to the days when I was doing Let's Start Talking in Itu and Ali was the "activator" of the church youth group where her parents are missionaries. We got to meet Mark for the first time earlier this year at the missionary conference in Canela.

Back row, left - Carol and Amanda, missionary interns in Itu. They came to POA last year as part of the Aggies for Christ team that helped build the chácara dormitory. Unfortunately, it rained most of the weekend, so we didn't get out a whole lot, but we did have some fantastic conversations about life, and we go to spend some quality time at the chácara! Mark & Ali recently encountered a place called Sitio Shalom in Itú that is similar to the chácara, and they would like to start helping with that work. So we took them out to our chácara and let them meet the guys and soak in the atmosphere of spiritual transformation. Mark even stayed out there a day and a night to get the full immersion experience.

We did a Saturday night on the town, hitting a Brazilian steakhouse for some great food, folks and fun, complete with a music and dance show. (Mark is acting like he's only going to take one piece of meat here, but he really wanted the whole skewer!)

Waleska and Amanda are really digging the barbecue beef! These are my favorite types of restaurants - an all you can eat meat buffet, what more could you ask for? The Brazilians know how to do it right!

We miss you guys already, Mark & Ali, Carol, Amanda! Come back anytime! :>)

The Newest Missionary in Town!

Please welcome Giovanni Müller Blume to the world! He was born to our teammates Kevin and Benay Blume in the early hours of September 3rd. Check out the link to the Blumes' blog in the right-hand column on this page to get all the inside scoop...

Guilherme's Baptism

A few weeks ago I wrote about a new Bible study we had begun with a young man named Guilherme. He is a bright guy with a bright future in the field of computer science. He has been dating Gabrieli, daughter of our friends and brothers Lauro & Lorena. Our Bible study time has been amazing - he has soaked up the Word like a sponge. It's always exciting to study the Word with someone who is so eager to learn. Last week Guilherme came to us and said he would like to be baptized! It's finally nice to be able to participate in a baptism! (It's a running joke here in POA that whenever I leave town for a trip, someone gets baptized - that has happened a dozen times over the past few years!)

The baptism was on Saturday at Mark & Ju White's home (they work in Viamão, a satellite city of POA). As you can see, Guilherme didn't need much help going under water!

Two thumbs up for a new life in Christ!

After the baptism we had a snack & conversation time at Guilherme's house with some of his relatives, several of whom attend the church in Cantão that we visit from time to time. L-r: Guilherme's aunt Daniela, his future mother-in-law Lorena, friends Valquiria, Waleska and Ju, his girlfriend Gabrieli, grandmother Helena (who is practically his mother because she has raised him since birth) and his stepmother whose name I forgot :>). Praise God for Guilherme's rebirth and pray that the Lord will continue to pour out His Spirit on Cantão!

Families Uniting in Christ

The work at the chácara is taking on new proportions! Now, family members of the guys who have completed the recovery program are deciding to follow Jesus and become part of His church! This is Jane, the mother of Rodrigo and Eduardo, at the moment of her baptism on Sunday.

Down we go into the cold waters, assisted by Isaias and Gabriel...

and up we come again in victory, reborn to a new life and new possibilities in Jesus Christ!

This is Jane with her sons Eduardo and Rodrigo, two great young guys who have finished the recovery program. Jane wants to be a part of our church family. We will be starting a new group on Sundays that includes Jane, Rodrigo and Eduardo. Pray that this group will eventually include Jane's husband, Valmir, and their entire family! Praise God for how He is moving and extending the work of the kingdom!

Happy Birthday Dad!

This post is in honor of my Dad, whose birthday was Wednesday of this week. This is Dad at his best: relaxing in a state park cabin, planning his next move to explore the off-the-beaten paths of our wild & wonderful West Virginia. If you haven't already, check out his photography websites on the links in the right column - they are spectacular! Happy Birthday Dad and we love you lots! We can't wait to see you at the end of the year!