Spencers Open their House

Earlier this month, Waleska and I were privileged to be a part of a very special moment in the life of our dear friends Joao and Clarice Spencer. They are among our closest friends here. Joao is an Air Force fighter pilot while Clarice is a doctor, and they have one son, Joca. They live in a closed neighborhood for officers in Canoas, a suburb of POA where the airbase is located. For some time, they have wanted to invite Joao's Air Force colleages to their home for Christian fellowship. In addition to doing the usual things that people do when they invite friends to their home (meal, hanging out), Joao and Clarice wanted to share with their friends why they follow Jesus.

On the first day of November, Joao and Clarice finally found the right moment to begin fulfilling their dream. They invited their friends Jose Neto & Clarissa, and Fabio & Lilliane, to enjoy a meal with us and with Everton & Diana from our church. The thermometer marked 100 degrees fahrenheit that day, the hottest day we've had so far this year. But that didn't stop what the Lord was going to do.

Joao really went all out - he made Greek souvlaki barbecue, combining the best of Southern Brazil with the best of Greece, and let me tell you, it was delicious! After the food fun, we had a time of singing and of sharing. Joao just opened his heart and share why it was important for him to be a follower of Jesus and how much blessing this had brought to his life over the years. Tears came to his eyes as he spoke. I could tell it was an amazingly meaningful moment for him. His friends listened attentively and appreciated his openness.

I wanted to write about this moment just to show how amazingly simple church can be: inviting those we care about to our home, sharing a meal together, and talking openly about why we follow Jesus and why this makes a difference in our lives. It reminded me of the first apostles, when they were testifying in Acts: "We are witnesses." Their time with Jesus changed their lives, redirected their lives towards God's glory.

Joao and Clarice are witnesses to how Jesus has changed and redirected their lives, and they wish to share their living testimony with those they know. We commend them for their loving spirit, and we ask for your prayers as they continue to invite and to testify, to make their home a house that changes the world - one family at a time!

Mr. Chaves

Here I will tell you about the oldest member (age 66) of our congregation, Mr. Chaves (means "keys" in Portuguese). Chaves was once a successful real estate agent here in town, quite well-to-do by all accounts. Unfortunately, he let drinking get the best of him, and his family asked him to leave. Chaves recoved from his addiction at the chacara at the same time that Paulo Renato was there. Paulo and Chaves are great friends. Here they are in this photo:

Chaves lives in a very simple house in a not-so-nice neighborhood in Alvorada. I was not present to witness the following story, but it testifies to his character. Kevin and Paulo Renato tell me that once, when they were visiting Chaves, two young girls came to Chaves' door asking for food. This is a common occurrence. All Chaves had to eat in his house were two bananas. So what did he do? He took his two bananas and gave them to the girls. I tell you, that is a great example of faith acting in compassion. Chaves receives a monthly retirement pension, and with that money he takes care of himself, his dogs, and ends up being salt & light to a desperate community around him. We praise God that Chaves is our brother and pray that God will continue to give him many more years of life and health!

Dilamar

When the guys at the chacara reach the 7-month mark in their 9-month recovery program, they are allowed to make their first visit to the home of their family and loved ones. Recently we had a unique situation with the latest guy to reach 7 months - Dilamar is his name. He's on the right here; I'm doing my famous Rehbein closing-my-eyes-pose for photos.

It was the first time I had ever met one of these guys who literally had nowhere to go for his home visit. Dilamar's father and one of his brothers are in prison; his mother is deceased; his wife and son want nothing to do with him; his other brothers have no contact with him. Imagine, a 40-year old man, who should be at the peak of his life experiences, yet apparently had no one who wanted to spend time with him. I talked with Waleska and Paulo Renato and Isaias, and we decided to receive Dilamar in our home on Sunday, October 25 for his first visit. It was a memorable experience!

Here is the crew that participated in the visit: Spencer, Dilamar, Paulo Renato, Valter (a recent chacara graduate who preached for us on Sunday morning), Christian, and myself. This particular Sunday was a Celebration meeting for all of our house churches. Valter gave a powerful sermon based on the book of Haggai and his own life experiences. Dilamar shared some of his story with the church family and they welcomed him with open arms. It was one of the best celebrations I've experienced here in POA. The intensity of love and commitment to God and to one another was fantastic.

When guys come to your house, you have to feed them - and I did, with George Foreman burgers and oven-baked fries! Needless to say, no one walked away hungry. All of us were encouraged by our fellowship on this special day, but Dilamar was encouraged most of all. Dilamar realized that God truly is on his side and that he has a family in Christ, the church local and worldwide, that cares for him. Pray for this special brother, that he will continue to persevere in his recovery!

Camila's Baptism

Pictured here are Camila and Rudinei, sister and brother (sorry for the bad photo crop, but it was the best I could do). They and their parents, Daniel and Miguelina, attend the Morrows' house church. Earlier this month, Camila made a decision that gave everybody great joy: she decided to be baptized!

Waleska and I were fortunate to be present for this joyous occasion, along with several other Christian brothers & sisters. The baptism was performed at the Lucas de Oliveira church building, a place I know well from my LST campaigns in 1999 and 2000.

Camila's brother Rudinei, her mother, Miguelina, and her niece, Emily...

Paul had the honor of performing Camila's baptism. The smile says it all! Praise God for Camila's decision and pray that she will be strengthened in her new walk with Jesus!

A Visit to Rats Creek

There is a city about 40 miles west of Porto Alegre called Arroio dos Ratos (Rats Creek in English!) I would probably never have set foot in this town were it not for an initiative of Silvio, our brother in Christ. A great friend of his named Junior lives in this town. Junior used to be very active in the church but for various reasons, he has stopped being active. Junior and Silvio maintain frequent contact, and two weeks ago, Junior invited Silvio to come visit his family and bring along some Christian brothers. So Paulo Renato and I tagged along for a short mission trip!

Junior is in the middle here, with Paulo Renato on the left and Silvio on the right. Junior's children Julia and Gabriel appear here as well. This photo was taken in front of the old coal mining company. From 1850-1950, millions of tons of coal were extracted from this area. After hydrolelectric power plants came into vogue, most of the coal-burning plants shut down and mining virtually stopped. I was completely unaware of this history and found it quite fascinating, being a West Virginian and the son of a geologist. Every town has a unique piece of history worth knowing!

After our trip to the coal mine site, an afternoon coffee and snack was waiting for us, including freshly baked bread! You know me, I won't ever refuse a good meal...

Junior's wife Marcia had everything ready for us. Both Junior and Marcia work as monitors at a juvenile detention center in Porto Alegre. It is a hard, emotionally charged job, and it takes its toll on them. Junior is currently on medical leave as he tries to recover from depression.

We ended our day with a devotional from the book of Joshua and prayer time, and have an open invitation to return to "Rats Creek" and visit this fantastic family. Pray for Junior, Marcia, Gabriel, and Julia, that God will bless them with health and happiness, and that they will choose to make their home one that is centered around Christ and His family!

Everton & Diana's Wedding

We are about a month behind in postings, so let's try to get caught up now! (That's what I'm telling myself here...) Everton is a young man who graduated from the chacara program in June. You read about him in earlier posts when the Aggies for Christ helped fixed up his new house when they were visiting in July. In September, Everton and his wife Diana officialized their marriage at the courthouse and before their Christian family, on a fine winter's Sunday at the Blumes' house. The Blumes and our sister Leni did a great job of planning this ceremony and celebration.

Everton's grandparents and aunts were present for the ceremony. He has overcome a lot of obstacles in terms of family; both his parents died when he was young and he was raised by a foster family that eventually rejected him. The church has truly become his family.

Diana's grandmother, sister, and brother were also present on the occasion.

Everton and Diana have five children! Going clockwise: Ismael (in Diana's arms), Leonardo (the oldest), Bruno, Diego, and Cassia (the newest arrival in Everton's arms!)

We praise God for this special family and ask you to pray for their strength and courage as they overcome life's daily obstacles. May the Lord continue to give their victory through faith, hope, and above all else, love!

new house church!

This is our new house church! We are just starting with Patricia (my sister) and her friend Sabrina. Raquel on the back is our church member. At the same time Joao and Clarice are helping another family to build a new house church! It`s wonderful to be able to multiply! Please pray for our new house churches! Love in Christ, Waleska!