April 28, 2008

God's Vision For Our Ministry

God called us to the Sao Paulo area of Brazil to work with and help and train churches to share the Good News of Christ with others. There are approx. 20 million people in the city of Sao Paulo, and another 2.5 million living in the ABC area, which consists of the cities of Santo Andre, Sao Bernardo, Sao Caetano (where we live), Diadema, and Maua. God gave us a vision and a plan, where He will show His glory, that includes the following four things:

1. Preach in Churches: we preach to the members of the church, to en- courage and challenge them to be the "fisher of men" that Jesus wants all of us to be. We also preach the Gospel at the end of each message to the lost that are visiting or that are members of the church. Interestingly, about 1/2 of the people that have accepted Christ in the churches are members of the church.

2. Train Pastors, Leaders, & Members: we lead People Sharing Jesus seminars in churches to train people how to effectively & powerfully share Christ with others. Written by Dr. Darrell Robinson, founder of Total Church Life Ministry, People Sharing Jesus is an excellent tool to encourage and teach people how to be powerful and confident witnesses for Christ.

3. Make Visits With Churches To Share Christ:
we make visits with members of the churches to help them share Christ with others. We have helped churches to share Christ in many homes, in a health center, a hospital, a Vacation Bible school, a Rotary Club meeting, and a ministry for business people. God is opening many doors. This picture shows a visit to Sao Mateus Hospital in Sao Paulo.

4. Share Christ In Schools: this part of our ministry is growing alot. We always work with a church in the area of the school, so they can try to do follow-up work with the students & teachers that accept Christ. We have 2 teams, and Kevin speaks in one class while John speaks in another class at the same time. In 2007, our 1st year, we spoke in 15 schools and saw over 9400 students, teachers, and school staff accept Christ. In 2008, Lord willing, we will speak in 25 schools.

April 25, 2008

Brazil Has Great Beaches

We live in Sao Paulo and we are only 1 to 1-1/2 hour from the ocean, depending on where you go. When we get the chance we like to go to the beach to relax for the day, especially after a long & busy week. There are many beaches to choose from that are close in Praia Grande, Santos, Guaruja, Bertioga, Riviera,... We especially like Enseada Beach in Guaruja and Riviera Beach. Because it is tropical weather here, you can go to the beach a good part of the year. Most people say that the best beaches in Brazil are in the northeast part of the country, and we hope to travel there sometime in the future. Here are some beach pictures to enjoy.

April 23, 2008

Many Accept Christ In A School In Santo Andre

We had a great time sharing Christ at EE Carolina De Mello school in Santo Andre, and we praise God that 454 students and 9 teachers accepted Christ. We worked with Igreja Batista Vila Gerti on Tue. 4/22 and Wed. 4/23 at the school, speaking to students in 5th to 8th grades and in high school. We always work in the schools with a church that is in the area of the school, so that they can try to continue to work with the new believers to disciple them and help them to grow. Our friends Gabi and Luiz were our interpretors on Tuesday, and our friends Pamella and Flavia interpreted for us on Wednesday. Check out the pics from our visits:


Amazing Story Of God Using An Ordinary Man

You need to watch and listen to the video below of how God used a "nobody" in amazing ways. This man had incredible faithfulness for many years in reaching out in love to the lost in Sydney Australia. What makes it incredible is that he saw no visible signs of fruit or success, and yet he continued to obey Jesus - to be a "fisher of men". This video is a must see.



April 22, 2008

God Loves To Use Ordinary People

Dwight Moody was a simple ordinary man. As a young man he sold shoes to make a living. He was not your idea of someone that God could use to reach many many people for Christ. And he was not formally trained or educated to be the evangelist that God called him to be. But Mr. Moody was a man totally committed and surrendered to God, and as a result God was able to use him in great ways. God's hand was on him in a special way. There are many other examples of plain ordinary people that God has used in great ways ... Billy Graham is the son of a farmer ... Jesus' disciples were fishermen, a tax collector,... King David was the "runt" of his family ... God loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things, because everyone knows that it was God that did the great work. And God receives all of the glory, which He is worthy to receive. Can God use you to do great things ? Absolutely, if you are willing to sacrifice yourself and be fully committed & surrendered to Him. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. And he will do even greater things than these..." - John 14:12-13