Newsletter - October, November and December 2024
Introduction
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power comes from God and not from us." - 1 Corinthians 4:7
We are happy to share with you in this edition of our newsletter the action of the gospel that has reached lives. We are so grateful to be part of God's mission despite all our limitations. Having you as our intercessor and supporter this year has made all the difference! May the Lord's blessing be upon you and your family in 2025!
Women
In the Baixada community, we held a tour day to close the year's activities with the women who have been attending the Bible Study and Women's Tea groups. It was a moment of leisure, communion and contemplation of God's Goodness.
Among the women, we had a visitor who told us that she had attended our project for many years, when she was still a child. In her early teens, she became pregnant and ended up stopping going, but she never forgot the project, the people and the teachings she had there. When she arrived at the tour, she was very happy to experience this again after so many years! And she expressed interest in getting closer to God and participating in our activities again.
At the end, we had a time of praise and gratitude, where we encouraged them to share about something in their lives or in their year in which they had seen God's goodness. At that moment, it was interesting to see through their speeches that many understood that the tour, despite being carried out by people who had donated and organized, was like proof of God's goodness to them!
Lagoa do Opaia Project
In our new project, which began in September in the Lagoa do Opaia community, we already have children and teenagers who have been regularly attending the programs during the week. We have also made progress in our relationship with the local community. A family that confessed Jesus as Savior in December has been attending services here at the base and is being accompanied by our missionaries.
The project activities still take place on the street. Among the challenges for this semester is finding a suitable place to rent and structuring it to better develop the programs and investing in work that has a greater reach for adults.
Christmas in the communities
The evangelistic events were held in three communities : Baixada, Rosalina and Lagoa do Opaia, where our projects are located. They brought together around 600 people who heard the message of Salvation from God Emanuel!
December was an intense month full of programming at our base and projects. It was a challenge to hold these events due to the demands on resources, logistics and the spiritual responsibility of announcing the gospel to a public that, for the most part, does not live in Christ and is still trapped in darkness.
Thanks to God who gives us the mission, but also the means to carry it out, we were able to experience each of the events according to His provision in different ways, celebrate the birth of Jesus in gatherings so full of His presence and see people being touched by His love. All of this is also possible thanks to the brothers in Christ who invest in these works. Be a supporter in whatever way you can and be a part of this!
Projects and the Church
In addition to the Christmas evangelistic services in the streets of the communities, we also had several smaller end-of-year events with groups of teenagers and women from the projects and the church. The Good News perceives us and reaches us in all dimensions of life, so revealing the character of the integrality of the Gospel in a practical way is our mission.
We are grateful to God for giving us the privilege in 2024 to continue doing this through so many projects that have allowed us to evangelize, disciple, care for, train, invest in potential, feed, help, and so many other actions that we believe are implications of the Full Gospel of Jesus.
This year we saw our borders expanded by the Lord, and with that new challenges! We arrived in December with our hearts overflowing.
Construction
We have completed another stage of construction in what used to be the old gymnasium of our base and is now the space where we hold worship services, among other activities such as discipleship and evangelism. This stage consisted of putting up the walls, painting, and installing electrical and air conditioning units.
All of this work that has been done in recent months is, above all, steps of faith toward the purpose that God has placed in our hearts to have a suitable space for events with the primary objectives of evangelism, discipleship, missionary conferences, training, and mobilization to reach lives for Christ!
We still have other stages ahead in which we count on God's provision. The next step will be to improve the floor with ceramic tiles. If you can and want to participate in any way, please get in touch to collaborate.
Prayer requests
- ALCANCE SCHOOL
In January, we are receiving a team of students from Fortaleza and other regions of Brazil and abroad who will be with us throughout the month undergoing missionary training. Be in prayer for them and the entire team involved.
- PLANNING FOR GUINEA-BISSAU AND JUAZEIRO DO NORTE
Intercede for the strengthening of our work that is beginning in Juazeiro do Norte, planning and initial steps for what we want to start in Guinea-Bissau. Pray that the Lord will open the necessary doors, raise up people and guide us in His wisdom.
Bless the Mission Focus Life in Brazil and around the world. Be an intercessor for our missionary, bases and projects!
We need your prayers. Whenever possible, place these points before the Lord. We want His guidance and wisdom so that we can live what he called us as a mission to do!