Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Hey folks!
Since I've started sending out monthly prayer/news letters by e-mail, I'm going to start using this blog for more of what most people use blogs for - thoughts, prayers, feelings, recollections - and not so much just for ministry stuff. If you are interested in receiving my prayer letters, though, please let me know at rachel.kornfield@gmail.com.
Right now, I'm feeling a little tired. Pretty soon I need to go get dinner ready because 5 people from my dad's ministry team are visiting this weekend for a retreat. It's been a good day, a lot going on, good conv. w/ my mom. It's been hard recently finding time to get together with my discipleship/mentoring group. I need to work on that. I've also been working on getting a doctor's apointment scheduled... I haven't been to a doctor for... um... years and my mentoring group has been getting after me about getting a general check-up. Nothing's wrong as far as I can tell, but I suppose it's a good thing to do occasionally.
It's funny how fun and tiring it is at the same time to have my dad's ministry team here. I love them - they're wonderful people - but it's a lot of work hosting them... although I shouldn't complain, I haven't done hardly any of the cooking or cleaning these last days - we've paid someone to help. Maybe it's just the fact that it is a lot of people :). Sometimes I'm such an intravert, but I also don't like living alone. Go figure...
Anyway, this is short, just to get me going on blogging again.
Love,
Rachel
Since I've started sending out monthly prayer/news letters by e-mail, I'm going to start using this blog for more of what most people use blogs for - thoughts, prayers, feelings, recollections - and not so much just for ministry stuff. If you are interested in receiving my prayer letters, though, please let me know at rachel.kornfield@gmail.com.
Right now, I'm feeling a little tired. Pretty soon I need to go get dinner ready because 5 people from my dad's ministry team are visiting this weekend for a retreat. It's been a good day, a lot going on, good conv. w/ my mom. It's been hard recently finding time to get together with my discipleship/mentoring group. I need to work on that. I've also been working on getting a doctor's apointment scheduled... I haven't been to a doctor for... um... years and my mentoring group has been getting after me about getting a general check-up. Nothing's wrong as far as I can tell, but I suppose it's a good thing to do occasionally.
It's funny how fun and tiring it is at the same time to have my dad's ministry team here. I love them - they're wonderful people - but it's a lot of work hosting them... although I shouldn't complain, I haven't done hardly any of the cooking or cleaning these last days - we've paid someone to help. Maybe it's just the fact that it is a lot of people :). Sometimes I'm such an intravert, but I also don't like living alone. Go figure...
Anyway, this is short, just to get me going on blogging again.
Love,
Rachel
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Dear friends,
I'm sorry it has been so long since I have written! Things here in Brazil are pretty crazy buzy, but going well! Many of you received the intercessors e-mail I sent out, letting you know I was preparing for another Promifé (for more information about what that is, see my January post)! Well I'm back! Here's the news:
It was a wonderful week. It is always exciting to see a group of people passionately seeking God and His will together. With a record 215 participants, we were able, for the first time, to create three distinct evangelism groups, focusing on different sections of the city of Santa Rita do Passa Quatro. I had the privilege of co-leading one of these groups.
The city of Santa Rita has a population of about 26,000 residents. We quickly discovered some of the challenges the town faces: strong Spiritist and Catholic populations; high rates of drug and alcohol addiction; and one of the highest suicide rates in Brazil today. According to Moody Bible Institute, Spiritism is the, “science, philosophy and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live by the spirit world.”[i] As Christians, we know that there are only three type of spirits active in our world: angels, demons, and God’s Holy Spirit. Brazilian spiritism, one of the most prevalent religions in this country, opens people directly to be possessed, oppressed and used by demons. I believe it is due to the prominence of this religion, more than anything else, that spiritual warfare is such a blatant part of Brazilian reality. Unfortunately, Brazilian Catholicism has merged with Spiritism to the point where involvement with one often signifies involvement with the other. Santa Rita contains one of the largest Spiritist centers of Brazil, which is visited by people seeking help from the world-over. Visible spiritual warfare occurred during our week there, but God used the situation to reassure us of His power and strengthen our dedication to Him.
So what did God accomplish through our week in Santa Rita?
1) We were able to have significant conversations with adults and young people in 353 different homes in the city, bringing words of hope and purpose through the Gospel. As a result of this door to door work and the mass evangelism in the evening, 356 people accepted Christ. Many more were prayed for and encouraged in their spiritual walk.
2) We organized a VBS that reached 475 children, 425 of which accepted Christ.
3) The evangelical churches of Santa Rita grew in unity through our example (the 215 Promifé participants represent at least 15 churches and 4 denominations), thus being strengthened and equipped to better face the challenges of their city.
4) Twenty-seven evangelical pastors and leaders from the town received encouragement and strengthening twice during the week through afternoons of leadership training.
5)A council of pastors from 7 different churches in the town agreed to participate in the follow-up work with those who were saved or were considering a decision.
6) Over-all around 2000 people heard the Gospel, and 781 children and adults accepted Christ!!!
This is such a tiny summary of what God did, but unfortunately, to tell you about all of it would take weeks! Thank you for your prayers, and praise God for His good works! I would be happy to answer any questions - just write me at rachel.kornfield@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Rachel
[i] Taken from the pamphlet The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error, compiled by Keith L. Brooks and revised by Irvine Robertson; published by Moody Bible Institute in 1976.
I'm sorry it has been so long since I have written! Things here in Brazil are pretty crazy buzy, but going well! Many of you received the intercessors e-mail I sent out, letting you know I was preparing for another Promifé (for more information about what that is, see my January post)! Well I'm back! Here's the news:
It was a wonderful week. It is always exciting to see a group of people passionately seeking God and His will together. With a record 215 participants, we were able, for the first time, to create three distinct evangelism groups, focusing on different sections of the city of Santa Rita do Passa Quatro. I had the privilege of co-leading one of these groups.
The city of Santa Rita has a population of about 26,000 residents. We quickly discovered some of the challenges the town faces: strong Spiritist and Catholic populations; high rates of drug and alcohol addiction; and one of the highest suicide rates in Brazil today. According to Moody Bible Institute, Spiritism is the, “science, philosophy and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live by the spirit world.”[i] As Christians, we know that there are only three type of spirits active in our world: angels, demons, and God’s Holy Spirit. Brazilian spiritism, one of the most prevalent religions in this country, opens people directly to be possessed, oppressed and used by demons. I believe it is due to the prominence of this religion, more than anything else, that spiritual warfare is such a blatant part of Brazilian reality. Unfortunately, Brazilian Catholicism has merged with Spiritism to the point where involvement with one often signifies involvement with the other. Santa Rita contains one of the largest Spiritist centers of Brazil, which is visited by people seeking help from the world-over. Visible spiritual warfare occurred during our week there, but God used the situation to reassure us of His power and strengthen our dedication to Him.
So what did God accomplish through our week in Santa Rita?
1) We were able to have significant conversations with adults and young people in 353 different homes in the city, bringing words of hope and purpose through the Gospel. As a result of this door to door work and the mass evangelism in the evening, 356 people accepted Christ. Many more were prayed for and encouraged in their spiritual walk.
2) We organized a VBS that reached 475 children, 425 of which accepted Christ.
3) The evangelical churches of Santa Rita grew in unity through our example (the 215 Promifé participants represent at least 15 churches and 4 denominations), thus being strengthened and equipped to better face the challenges of their city.
4) Twenty-seven evangelical pastors and leaders from the town received encouragement and strengthening twice during the week through afternoons of leadership training.
5)A council of pastors from 7 different churches in the town agreed to participate in the follow-up work with those who were saved or were considering a decision.
6) Over-all around 2000 people heard the Gospel, and 781 children and adults accepted Christ!!!
This is such a tiny summary of what God did, but unfortunately, to tell you about all of it would take weeks! Thank you for your prayers, and praise God for His good works! I would be happy to answer any questions - just write me at rachel.kornfield@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Rachel
[i] Taken from the pamphlet The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error, compiled by Keith L. Brooks and revised by Irvine Robertson; published by Moody Bible Institute in 1976.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Hi friends!
I'm safely back in São Paulo after an eventful three weeks in the US. During that time, I got to:
1. See several friends graduate from Wheaton College
2. Celebrate my sister Karis' graduation from Notre Dame
3. See my mom and sisters' summer apartment in Pittsburgh
4. See my brother's new job location and apartment in DC, and hang out with his girlfriend (whom I hadn't met before)
5. Hang out with various friends and supporters in the Chicago area
6. Do a "Brazil Night" - an evening of sharing about my ministry, and providing yummy Brazilian snacks - in the Chicago area. If you're interested in seeing the power point I presented at this even - with lots of pictures - please let me know! rachel.kornfield@gmail.com Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to attach it to this blog.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this special time!
Monday my dad and I leave for his yearly "dream team retreat."
Blessings to you all!
Rachel
I'm safely back in São Paulo after an eventful three weeks in the US. During that time, I got to:
1. See several friends graduate from Wheaton College
2. Celebrate my sister Karis' graduation from Notre Dame
3. See my mom and sisters' summer apartment in Pittsburgh
4. See my brother's new job location and apartment in DC, and hang out with his girlfriend (whom I hadn't met before)
5. Hang out with various friends and supporters in the Chicago area
6. Do a "Brazil Night" - an evening of sharing about my ministry, and providing yummy Brazilian snacks - in the Chicago area. If you're interested in seeing the power point I presented at this even - with lots of pictures - please let me know! rachel.kornfield@gmail.com Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to attach it to this blog.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this special time!
Monday my dad and I leave for his yearly "dream team retreat."
Blessings to you all!
Rachel
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Plans for these next few months
So... I just wrote an update about this last week (if you haven't read it, you should!), and now I should write one about the future, because a lot is coming up!
This month is the calm before the storm, although it's not feeling very calm. Being gone from daily activities for a week leaves one with a lot to catch up on!
Here's my schedule for the next few months (TAKE A DEEP BREATH... and plunge):
God bless each of you!
Rachel
This month is the calm before the storm, although it's not feeling very calm. Being gone from daily activities for a week leaves one with a lot to catch up on!
Here's my schedule for the next few months (TAKE A DEEP BREATH... and plunge):
- May 5-8 - helping put on the Sepal Annual Congress - an event that serves over 1000 Brazilian pastors and leaders
- May 9-29 - in the US for Karis' graduation and support raising! I'd love to see any of you who live in the Wheaton, South Bend, or DC area!
- June 2-6 - participating in a major MAPI planning retreat known as the "Retreat of Dreams"
- July 12-20 - Promifé!
- July 22 -Aug. 8 - back in the US with my family (probably. My parents will both be there living with Karis and Val in Pittsburgh while Karis recuperates from hip replacement surgery. Our house in São Paulo becomes a lonely place with them gone!)
- Aug. 9 - 16 - in Guatemala to celebrate the publication of the Ixil New Testament, the completion of my grandfather's life project
- The rest of Aug - not sure yet whether I'll be in the US or Brazil
- September - if all goes according to plan, back in Brazil for another 10 months of missionary service - pray with me about continuing to support me during that time!
- Writing studies for the teenagers' small group for my church
- Working on the MAPI website
- Working for the Sepal digital department
- Actually participate in the teenagers' small group
- Participate in CEVAP
- Participate in the structuring of the youth ministry at my church
God bless each of you!
Rachel
Last week in a São Paulo slum
Hi friends!
I figured I should tell you about last week, because it was a pretty unusual, big event! I spent Mon-Fri in the Northern end of my city (about an hour and a half drive from where I live in the Southern end) helping to translate for a short-term mission's team from South Dakota! The trip was organized by one of my Sepal team members, Val Gill. It was a cool experience - seeing the way God is working through a church/preschool in one of the poorest neighborhood's in São Paulo, and being able to contribute to something that was blessing them! The church (which is actually still in the construction phase) looks out over a slum and a group of government high rises that were built several years ago to replace a lot of the slum shacks. It was sad and sobering to get to know more about people's lives in that area, but here are some things God has been doing:
1. When the church opened the preschool in 2000, there was an average of three shoot-outs a day in the immediate vicinity. Kids and parents would often barely escape them on the way to or from the school. The church began to pray that God would bring "peace that passes all understanding" to the neighborhood, and one day a whole set of undercover police men showed up and managed to take away most of the gang members. Since then, the whole area has been much safer.
2. A huge fire destroyed most of the slum a few years ago. Hundreds of people were left homeless, and the church provided them with food, shelter, and hope. As a result of that occurrence, and the continual services the church/preschool provide to the area, all those involved are held in high respect in a neighborhood where respect even for your own family is relatively rare.
3. The preschool was originally happening in three small houses on a plot of land donated by a friend of the pastor's. However, the buildings were barely functional. Through old business associates, the pastor has gained grant after grant allowing them to tear down the old buildings and create new church and classroom space. They went into the project without a cent to their name, and God has already provided several million reais (Brazilian currency - currently a real is worth about 50 cents). And get this - none of the donators are Christians! While we were there, the vice-consul of the Japanese embassy here in São Paulo visited to see what the project was like and make a final decision about whether to donate all of the furniture necessary for the church and school, including a couple rooms of triple bunkbeds for visitors.
4. The leadership of the project discovered that if they provided full scholarships for kids to go to the pre-school, people did not respect what they were being offered. But if they charged SOMETHING - be it R$ (reais) 50, or some labor at the school or on the construction project, each month, people began to take what they were offering seriously and really appreciate it. This has once again created relationships of dignity and respect between those who work at the school/church and the neighborhood.
5. A little boy at the preschool was born with a huge head and a tiny, malfunctioning body. One day, God told one of the workers at the school that he wanted to heal the boy. They prayed for him, and he was completely healed. I got to meet and play with the little boy. If you saw him today you would never know there had ever been anything wrong with him.
These are just a FEW of the miraculous stories we heard about the way God is working in that neighborhood. As I studied sociology at Wheaton, we talked often about how the coming of God's Kingdom transforms not only individuals, but the context in which they live. I never before had seen this reality in such dramatic, clear ways as I did last week. May God's name be ever praised, His will be done, His Kingdom come.
I pray that all of us would turn to God when circumstances are beyond us, and as a result, be able to rejoice in the work He does.
I figured I should tell you about last week, because it was a pretty unusual, big event! I spent Mon-Fri in the Northern end of my city (about an hour and a half drive from where I live in the Southern end) helping to translate for a short-term mission's team from South Dakota! The trip was organized by one of my Sepal team members, Val Gill. It was a cool experience - seeing the way God is working through a church/preschool in one of the poorest neighborhood's in São Paulo, and being able to contribute to something that was blessing them! The church (which is actually still in the construction phase) looks out over a slum and a group of government high rises that were built several years ago to replace a lot of the slum shacks. It was sad and sobering to get to know more about people's lives in that area, but here are some things God has been doing:
1. When the church opened the preschool in 2000, there was an average of three shoot-outs a day in the immediate vicinity. Kids and parents would often barely escape them on the way to or from the school. The church began to pray that God would bring "peace that passes all understanding" to the neighborhood, and one day a whole set of undercover police men showed up and managed to take away most of the gang members. Since then, the whole area has been much safer.
2. A huge fire destroyed most of the slum a few years ago. Hundreds of people were left homeless, and the church provided them with food, shelter, and hope. As a result of that occurrence, and the continual services the church/preschool provide to the area, all those involved are held in high respect in a neighborhood where respect even for your own family is relatively rare.
3. The preschool was originally happening in three small houses on a plot of land donated by a friend of the pastor's. However, the buildings were barely functional. Through old business associates, the pastor has gained grant after grant allowing them to tear down the old buildings and create new church and classroom space. They went into the project without a cent to their name, and God has already provided several million reais (Brazilian currency - currently a real is worth about 50 cents). And get this - none of the donators are Christians! While we were there, the vice-consul of the Japanese embassy here in São Paulo visited to see what the project was like and make a final decision about whether to donate all of the furniture necessary for the church and school, including a couple rooms of triple bunkbeds for visitors.
4. The leadership of the project discovered that if they provided full scholarships for kids to go to the pre-school, people did not respect what they were being offered. But if they charged SOMETHING - be it R$ (reais) 50, or some labor at the school or on the construction project, each month, people began to take what they were offering seriously and really appreciate it. This has once again created relationships of dignity and respect between those who work at the school/church and the neighborhood.
5. A little boy at the preschool was born with a huge head and a tiny, malfunctioning body. One day, God told one of the workers at the school that he wanted to heal the boy. They prayed for him, and he was completely healed. I got to meet and play with the little boy. If you saw him today you would never know there had ever been anything wrong with him.
These are just a FEW of the miraculous stories we heard about the way God is working in that neighborhood. As I studied sociology at Wheaton, we talked often about how the coming of God's Kingdom transforms not only individuals, but the context in which they live. I never before had seen this reality in such dramatic, clear ways as I did last week. May God's name be ever praised, His will be done, His Kingdom come.
I pray that all of us would turn to God when circumstances are beyond us, and as a result, be able to rejoice in the work He does.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
This last weekend
Oh, here's a little piece about how I spent my weekend:
Friday (a national holiday because it was Good Friday) the youth group from my church headed to a small city (Atibaia) about an hour and a half away to hang out with the youth from a church there for a couple days. We scaled a huge hill (1450 meters high... um... just over 4757 feet) up to the top of a huge rock (known as Pedra Grande in Portuguese) and went rapelling! It was a first for most of the teenagers, and it was fun to be there to take pictures, and remind them that they weren't going to die in the process of trying it (I could speak with some confidence because I've been once before - about six years ago, down a waterfall)! I went again of course... although as I started stepping over the edge of the rock I wondered if I it was such a good idea after all... but I couldn't not do it after the confidence I had shown for everyone else!
After a slippery course down the mountain, we spent Friday night and the day Saturday with the Atibaia youth at a small, beautiful campground that included a swimming pool, a soccer field, a small zoo, and amazing food! It was tons of fun, although after hiking most of the day the day Friday, I was rather exhausted by half-way through Saturday! We had a lovely Saturday night service at the campgrounds before heading home that evening.
And that takes me into my reflections on Easter, which are in the next post!
Friday (a national holiday because it was Good Friday) the youth group from my church headed to a small city (Atibaia) about an hour and a half away to hang out with the youth from a church there for a couple days. We scaled a huge hill (1450 meters high... um... just over 4757 feet) up to the top of a huge rock (known as Pedra Grande in Portuguese) and went rapelling! It was a first for most of the teenagers, and it was fun to be there to take pictures, and remind them that they weren't going to die in the process of trying it (I could speak with some confidence because I've been once before - about six years ago, down a waterfall)! I went again of course... although as I started stepping over the edge of the rock I wondered if I it was such a good idea after all... but I couldn't not do it after the confidence I had shown for everyone else!
After a slippery course down the mountain, we spent Friday night and the day Saturday with the Atibaia youth at a small, beautiful campground that included a swimming pool, a soccer field, a small zoo, and amazing food! It was tons of fun, although after hiking most of the day the day Friday, I was rather exhausted by half-way through Saturday! We had a lovely Saturday night service at the campgrounds before heading home that evening.
And that takes me into my reflections on Easter, which are in the next post!
He is risen!
It's a calm Sunday night, and I figured I'd write a post for those of you who enjoy the more rambly pieces over the more official "this is what's going on with the ministry" news.
My mom is home, and I'm enjoying it immensely - only praying it will last. Karis is doing ok (well, sort of), other than the continual struggle of keeping up with school work and the increasing pain in her hip. I'm chatting with Valerie on-line in between writing this, and listening to some music from a cd that three college friends of hers sang for - http://cdbaby.com/cd/ypjfvc3 - it's good stuff! She got to be a part of a small invitation-only audience that heard it recorded live this weekend. Dan is doing well at his new job and learning a lot, as well as being supportive of his girlfriend's horse training profession.
It's Easter folks! How strange to spend Easter in a Baptist church who celebrates it through nothing more than special sermons on Sunday, after spending my last few Easters in Anglican churches that go all out to make it the spiritual highlight of the year! During college, I got into starting my spiritual preparation 40 days earlier with Ash Wednesday, and then doing special services for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday! At my home church of the last few years - Rez - the Easter service is 4 hours long - full of choreography and incredible worship and celebration! I kept up with it all a little through doing the readings in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, but it's not at all the same as celebrating it with a church body!
We did get to go to a really good service at Calvary International Church here in São Paulo this morning that definitely took me into a deeper and more real appreciation of Christ's death and ressurrection - they managed to combine Good Friday and Easter Sunday into one powerful service. The service was full of beautiful worship written by Keith and Krystin Getty, the authors of In Christ Alone, as well as other songs that really brought Christ's sacrifice and victory to life! I was deeply reminded today that God is in control and knows what he is doing during this difficult time with my family... that Good Fridays in our lives are always followed with Easter Sundays that far outshine them! our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us! (Rom. 8:17). Praise God for his victorious grace!
Anyway, regardless of church denomination, etc, He is risen! And that is the best news on the face of the Earth!
My mom is home, and I'm enjoying it immensely - only praying it will last. Karis is doing ok (well, sort of), other than the continual struggle of keeping up with school work and the increasing pain in her hip. I'm chatting with Valerie on-line in between writing this, and listening to some music from a cd that three college friends of hers sang for - http://cdbaby.com/cd/ypjfvc3 - it's good stuff! She got to be a part of a small invitation-only audience that heard it recorded live this weekend. Dan is doing well at his new job and learning a lot, as well as being supportive of his girlfriend's horse training profession.
It's Easter folks! How strange to spend Easter in a Baptist church who celebrates it through nothing more than special sermons on Sunday, after spending my last few Easters in Anglican churches that go all out to make it the spiritual highlight of the year! During college, I got into starting my spiritual preparation 40 days earlier with Ash Wednesday, and then doing special services for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday! At my home church of the last few years - Rez - the Easter service is 4 hours long - full of choreography and incredible worship and celebration! I kept up with it all a little through doing the readings in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, but it's not at all the same as celebrating it with a church body!
We did get to go to a really good service at Calvary International Church here in São Paulo this morning that definitely took me into a deeper and more real appreciation of Christ's death and ressurrection - they managed to combine Good Friday and Easter Sunday into one powerful service. The service was full of beautiful worship written by Keith and Krystin Getty, the authors of In Christ Alone, as well as other songs that really brought Christ's sacrifice and victory to life! I was deeply reminded today that God is in control and knows what he is doing during this difficult time with my family... that Good Fridays in our lives are always followed with Easter Sundays that far outshine them! our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us! (Rom. 8:17). Praise God for his victorious grace!
Anyway, regardless of church denomination, etc, He is risen! And that is the best news on the face of the Earth!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
News, March 13, 2008
Dear ones,
In the teenager’s small group I am co-leading on Thursday nights, our biggest problem has been having too many participants! My job has been to come up with ice-breakers and write questions for the Bible studies. We have stressed commitment and joint responsibility, and several of them are taking on important responsabilities within the group. We are studying what it means to be the body of Christ, based on 1 Cor. 12, and it has been a blessing to see them grow.
I spent two days in the Sepal digital team office a couple weeks ago, and have really enjoyed it! Since then, I have been working with them about 5 hours a week, translating interesting articles from a site called allaboutgod.com (I encourage you to check it out!), helping monitor the discussion forum, and doing a few other things. It is exciting to see this ministry grow!
My biggest prayer request at this time is my family: my mom has been in the
Friday, February 8, 2008
Plans for the New Year
Dear friends,
I am MAJORLY owing you an update. A lot has happened in the last few weeks! I am very excited about what God has been up to and the privilege of being a part of it here in São Paulo, Brazil. January is the main vacation month here, since this is summertime (we have, nonetheless, had some unseasonably cold weather... ), but in contrast, February is one of the busiest months of the year! Here's what I'll be up to these next days and months:
1. CEVAP - this is the name used for the Compassion International project at my church here in SP. It's an acronym for "CEnter for VAlueing the PErson," - one that amazinginly enough works in both languages! It's pronounced se-va-py. I will be helping out there every Saturday morning, doing two things:
A. Giving English classes to 12-14 year olds (knowing English greatly increases your possibility of getting a good job here in São Paulo, and so hopefully will be very useful to them in their futures)
B. Ministering through the "Projeto Calçada" or Sidewalk Project, which uses Bible stories to help kids talk about and overcome emotional traumas, leading them to greater intimacy with Jesus (if you want to know more, let me know! I'm really excited about it!). The director of Cevap, a good friend of mine, has seen some incredible transformation in kids' lives through this method, but has so much on her plate that she has been unable to keep up with it. I will be ministering to one kid each Saturday morning, as it is an individualized program that usually takes about an hour.
2. Co-leading the teenager's small group at my church - last semester, I helped out with this group informally, but now I will be doing a lot more! I will be developing weekly practical studies for the main leader to minister in the small group, starting with one on 1 Cor. 12 - finding our place in the body. The group includes about 20 young people from ages 12-18, so developing studies that are relevant and interesting to the full age range is quite a challenge! I will also be planning and leading weekly ice-breakers, and helping mentor the worship leaders.
3. Sepal digital department - my work with the Sepal digital department will officially start on Feb. 18th. I will be facilitating an active internet discussion group on various church/theology related topics, doing some translation work, and various and other sundry things! One huge prayer request is for wisdom in whether to change my flight to the States this May to the 9th instead of the 1st so I can help out the digital team at the yearly Sepal Congress May 5-9. Over 1000 Brazilian pastors and church leaders participate in this Congress (this year the number looks like it could reach as many as 1500 people), and the digital department is responsible for filming the whole event, as well as dealing with various technical difficulties that always crop up. It would be a huge learning experience for me, as I have never worked with that kind of thing before, but they desperately need people who are willing to learn. On the other hand, I was planning to use that time to visit those of you who are living in the Chicago area, and was greatly looking forward to it! I do not know when I will be back in the US after this May, since I am planning to continue living here indefinitely, either as a missionary, or with a normal 8 to 5 job. If you have any insight into the issue, I would be glad to hear it!
4. MAPI website - the MAPI website is growing, and with it the amount of work to be done is also increasing! I am dreadfully behind on updating the English site, so I apologize to any of you who have glanced at it recently. Pray that I find the necessary time for this ministry amidst everything else I am up to.
5. Hospitality - we have always used our good-sized house in Brazil to house small pastor's retreats, to deepen relationships through having people over for dinner, and for other ministry purposes. I was surprised last semester at how much of my time ended up being used in food-making and dish-washing! However, this semester provides new challenges in that area. My mom was called to the US unexpectedly by some complications in my sister's health situation (Karis went through an intestinal transplant last year), and will probably be gone at least through the end of February. That leaves me in charge of hospitality for my dad's executive team of 8 people (other than him) who will be sleeping, eating, and meeting here next week! On Thursday night, we will be joined by the MAPI missionaries, bringing the group up to around 18. Thankfully, we were able to enlist the aid of two wonderful Brazilian cooks for some of the lunches and suppers, but I will still have plenty to do! I would appreciate your prayers that all would go smoothly, and that I don't burn the food! I also will be hosting the young adults small group I participated in last semester every Friday night.
I am extremely grateful to see ministry relationships I cultivated during the second half of last year flourish into new opportunities, and excited at these chances to be involved in what God is doing! Nonetheless, coordinating my time between all of these different activities is a challenge. Pray that I would continue to be open and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit has for me at each moment, instead of getting too caught up in the rush to listen! Pray also that my relationship with him would continue to be my first priority.
Thank you so much for your love and support! Without you, I would not be able to be involved in all I am doing.
Rachel
I am MAJORLY owing you an update. A lot has happened in the last few weeks! I am very excited about what God has been up to and the privilege of being a part of it here in São Paulo, Brazil. January is the main vacation month here, since this is summertime (we have, nonetheless, had some unseasonably cold weather... ), but in contrast, February is one of the busiest months of the year! Here's what I'll be up to these next days and months:
1. CEVAP - this is the name used for the Compassion International project at my church here in SP. It's an acronym for "CEnter for VAlueing the PErson," - one that amazinginly enough works in both languages! It's pronounced se-va-py. I will be helping out there every Saturday morning, doing two things:
A. Giving English classes to 12-14 year olds (knowing English greatly increases your possibility of getting a good job here in São Paulo, and so hopefully will be very useful to them in their futures)
B. Ministering through the "Projeto Calçada" or Sidewalk Project, which uses Bible stories to help kids talk about and overcome emotional traumas, leading them to greater intimacy with Jesus (if you want to know more, let me know! I'm really excited about it!). The director of Cevap, a good friend of mine, has seen some incredible transformation in kids' lives through this method, but has so much on her plate that she has been unable to keep up with it. I will be ministering to one kid each Saturday morning, as it is an individualized program that usually takes about an hour.
2. Co-leading the teenager's small group at my church - last semester, I helped out with this group informally, but now I will be doing a lot more! I will be developing weekly practical studies for the main leader to minister in the small group, starting with one on 1 Cor. 12 - finding our place in the body. The group includes about 20 young people from ages 12-18, so developing studies that are relevant and interesting to the full age range is quite a challenge! I will also be planning and leading weekly ice-breakers, and helping mentor the worship leaders.
3. Sepal digital department - my work with the Sepal digital department will officially start on Feb. 18th. I will be facilitating an active internet discussion group on various church/theology related topics, doing some translation work, and various and other sundry things! One huge prayer request is for wisdom in whether to change my flight to the States this May to the 9th instead of the 1st so I can help out the digital team at the yearly Sepal Congress May 5-9. Over 1000 Brazilian pastors and church leaders participate in this Congress (this year the number looks like it could reach as many as 1500 people), and the digital department is responsible for filming the whole event, as well as dealing with various technical difficulties that always crop up. It would be a huge learning experience for me, as I have never worked with that kind of thing before, but they desperately need people who are willing to learn. On the other hand, I was planning to use that time to visit those of you who are living in the Chicago area, and was greatly looking forward to it! I do not know when I will be back in the US after this May, since I am planning to continue living here indefinitely, either as a missionary, or with a normal 8 to 5 job. If you have any insight into the issue, I would be glad to hear it!
4. MAPI website - the MAPI website is growing, and with it the amount of work to be done is also increasing! I am dreadfully behind on updating the English site, so I apologize to any of you who have glanced at it recently. Pray that I find the necessary time for this ministry amidst everything else I am up to.
5. Hospitality - we have always used our good-sized house in Brazil to house small pastor's retreats, to deepen relationships through having people over for dinner, and for other ministry purposes. I was surprised last semester at how much of my time ended up being used in food-making and dish-washing! However, this semester provides new challenges in that area. My mom was called to the US unexpectedly by some complications in my sister's health situation (Karis went through an intestinal transplant last year), and will probably be gone at least through the end of February. That leaves me in charge of hospitality for my dad's executive team of 8 people (other than him) who will be sleeping, eating, and meeting here next week! On Thursday night, we will be joined by the MAPI missionaries, bringing the group up to around 18. Thankfully, we were able to enlist the aid of two wonderful Brazilian cooks for some of the lunches and suppers, but I will still have plenty to do! I would appreciate your prayers that all would go smoothly, and that I don't burn the food! I also will be hosting the young adults small group I participated in last semester every Friday night.
I am extremely grateful to see ministry relationships I cultivated during the second half of last year flourish into new opportunities, and excited at these chances to be involved in what God is doing! Nonetheless, coordinating my time between all of these different activities is a challenge. Pray that I would continue to be open and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit has for me at each moment, instead of getting too caught up in the rush to listen! Pray also that my relationship with him would continue to be my first priority.
Thank you so much for your love and support! Without you, I would not be able to be involved in all I am doing.
Rachel
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Promifé
Promifé - I guess I'll try to put this eight day mission's trip into words, though some things are near impossible to describe. But I guess I should begin with the beginning and explain what Promifé is.
In the early 80s some Christian young people in São Paulo decided that they wanted to spend more time focusing on evangelism. They developed a plan to spend a week of their next vacation month sharing Christ door to door in their neighborhood. An American missionary named Ken Flurry liked the idea and took it back to the youth in his city, Riberão Preto. In July of 1983, Promifé - PROjeto MIssionário de FÉrias, or Vacation Missionary Project - began. Today, Promifé reaches out to people in small towns in the state of São Paulo twice a year - one week in January and one week in July - seeking to share the love of Christ and partner in His transforming work. Around 140 participants come from the cities of Riberão Preto, São Paulo, Campinas, and several other smaller towns in the state of São Paulo, as well as from the United States. I got involved in the project in July of 2000 when two teachers from my highschool, who had fallen in love with the project the previous January, invited students to join them for the next one. At the time, my sister Karis and I were the only ones to take them up on their offer, and almost all the other 15 or so participants came from Riberão Preto. The project had been placed the previous year under the leadership of American missionary Ric Sturtz, who had invited Brazilian Paulinho to be his co-leader. It was a transformational week for me. My soul had been longing for what Anne Shirley calls "kindred spirits" and I found them in the participants of Promifé, and especially a certain three: Alex, Geraldo, and Yara. I went back the next January, and every January and July afterwards that I could. During those weeks, God worked powerfully in my life not only through providing me with special friends, but through teaching me how to share the gospel in a simple way with Brazilian strangers (I think methods have to vary according to culture), experience Him deeply through intense times of prayer, walk in greater dependance on Him, understand more closely how His body works together, and develop gifts of leadership and administration. They were extremely formative times for me, to say the least. I was so passionate for the project, that several friends from church joined me for my second time, and several more for the third, and so forth. Friends also started sharing with friends from other churches, and the passion grew and spread. Today there are at least half a dozen São Paulo churches involved, including a Chinese-Brazilian one that sends over thirty members each time. This Chinese-Brazilian church, known as Pão da Vida (Bread of Life) has been an extra blessing as they have taught us even more about the move of the Spirit and having a servant's heart. They have also reached out to other Asian believers in the city of São Paulo, so that this last time the project included a member from a Brazilian-Korean Presbiterian church, as well as a Japanese-Brazilian believer. Several years ago, Pr. Ric passed off the main leadership to Paulinho, who has been passing it on to young Brazilian leaders. As he told me a few days ago, one of the main goals of the project is to form leaders among its participants. In this sense, as well as others, it has certainly been successful! This July, the project will be celebrating 25 years of existence. Paulinho is hoping to bring together about 250 young people (almost twice the normal number) for a "super-Promifé," including about fifty from the United States! If you have any interest in getting to know Brazil a little and participating in a work of God, feel free to come along! The project will be happening from the 12th to the 20th.
The Promifé schedule looks something like this:
Arrive on a Saturday (in the case of this next one, July 12), unpack, and get set up.
On Sunday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday:
Breakfast at 8:00
Worship, teaching, and training in evangelism from 9:00 to 12:00
Prayer and afternoon instructions around 2:00, and then door-to-door evangelism in groups of 2 or 3, as well as a simultaneous VBS.
Get back to the school (we sleep in the emptied-out classrooms of a public school) around 5:30 (sometimes later) to shower and eat.
Gather around 7:45 to pray and then head out for the evening activity: showing the film "Jesus" in a public place, and sharing the message of salvation with the people who come to it.
Get back to the school between 1o:30 and 11:30, have a snack, and head to bed.
Wednesday's our day off. We often go to a rural hotel type place to swim, play sports, eat barbecue, rest, and hang out.
On our final night (Saturday), instead of showing the movie, we have a service celebrating what God has done during the week. All the people from the town are invited. We present the results of our time there to the local church that has been supporting us and working with us throughout the week, as well as records of each home we visited, so that the church can do follow-up and discipleship with those that accepted Jesus. This January the "numbers" were the following:
In a town of 7500 residents:
250 children reached through the VBS
480 decisions for Christ in the homes and at the movie
Around 1300 people reached with the message of the Gospel
Sunday morning, we pack up, clean the school we stayed at, and head back to our respective homes to make up for lost sleep, knowing we have been changed in beautiful ways through seeing the Kingdom of God grow and experiencing the love of those around us. One preoccupation of mine is always whether the work really will be carried on by the local churches after we leave. At least this last time, one of the pastors had eight new Christians agree to come visit his Sunday service even before we had left! I know he is passionate about discipling those who came to know Christ, and am excited to see what God will continue to do in the town of Ibiraci. This next July, we will be working with three churches in a town known as Santa Rita do Passo Quatro.
In the early 80s some Christian young people in São Paulo decided that they wanted to spend more time focusing on evangelism. They developed a plan to spend a week of their next vacation month sharing Christ door to door in their neighborhood. An American missionary named Ken Flurry liked the idea and took it back to the youth in his city, Riberão Preto. In July of 1983, Promifé - PROjeto MIssionário de FÉrias, or Vacation Missionary Project - began. Today, Promifé reaches out to people in small towns in the state of São Paulo twice a year - one week in January and one week in July - seeking to share the love of Christ and partner in His transforming work. Around 140 participants come from the cities of Riberão Preto, São Paulo, Campinas, and several other smaller towns in the state of São Paulo, as well as from the United States. I got involved in the project in July of 2000 when two teachers from my highschool, who had fallen in love with the project the previous January, invited students to join them for the next one. At the time, my sister Karis and I were the only ones to take them up on their offer, and almost all the other 15 or so participants came from Riberão Preto. The project had been placed the previous year under the leadership of American missionary Ric Sturtz, who had invited Brazilian Paulinho to be his co-leader. It was a transformational week for me. My soul had been longing for what Anne Shirley calls "kindred spirits" and I found them in the participants of Promifé, and especially a certain three: Alex, Geraldo, and Yara. I went back the next January, and every January and July afterwards that I could. During those weeks, God worked powerfully in my life not only through providing me with special friends, but through teaching me how to share the gospel in a simple way with Brazilian strangers (I think methods have to vary according to culture), experience Him deeply through intense times of prayer, walk in greater dependance on Him, understand more closely how His body works together, and develop gifts of leadership and administration. They were extremely formative times for me, to say the least. I was so passionate for the project, that several friends from church joined me for my second time, and several more for the third, and so forth. Friends also started sharing with friends from other churches, and the passion grew and spread. Today there are at least half a dozen São Paulo churches involved, including a Chinese-Brazilian one that sends over thirty members each time. This Chinese-Brazilian church, known as Pão da Vida (Bread of Life) has been an extra blessing as they have taught us even more about the move of the Spirit and having a servant's heart. They have also reached out to other Asian believers in the city of São Paulo, so that this last time the project included a member from a Brazilian-Korean Presbiterian church, as well as a Japanese-Brazilian believer. Several years ago, Pr. Ric passed off the main leadership to Paulinho, who has been passing it on to young Brazilian leaders. As he told me a few days ago, one of the main goals of the project is to form leaders among its participants. In this sense, as well as others, it has certainly been successful! This July, the project will be celebrating 25 years of existence. Paulinho is hoping to bring together about 250 young people (almost twice the normal number) for a "super-Promifé," including about fifty from the United States! If you have any interest in getting to know Brazil a little and participating in a work of God, feel free to come along! The project will be happening from the 12th to the 20th.
The Promifé schedule looks something like this:
Arrive on a Saturday (in the case of this next one, July 12), unpack, and get set up.
On Sunday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday:
Breakfast at 8:00
Worship, teaching, and training in evangelism from 9:00 to 12:00
Prayer and afternoon instructions around 2:00, and then door-to-door evangelism in groups of 2 or 3, as well as a simultaneous VBS.
Get back to the school (we sleep in the emptied-out classrooms of a public school) around 5:30 (sometimes later) to shower and eat.
Gather around 7:45 to pray and then head out for the evening activity: showing the film "Jesus" in a public place, and sharing the message of salvation with the people who come to it.
Get back to the school between 1o:30 and 11:30, have a snack, and head to bed.
Wednesday's our day off. We often go to a rural hotel type place to swim, play sports, eat barbecue, rest, and hang out.
On our final night (Saturday), instead of showing the movie, we have a service celebrating what God has done during the week. All the people from the town are invited. We present the results of our time there to the local church that has been supporting us and working with us throughout the week, as well as records of each home we visited, so that the church can do follow-up and discipleship with those that accepted Jesus. This January the "numbers" were the following:
In a town of 7500 residents:
250 children reached through the VBS
480 decisions for Christ in the homes and at the movie
Around 1300 people reached with the message of the Gospel
Sunday morning, we pack up, clean the school we stayed at, and head back to our respective homes to make up for lost sleep, knowing we have been changed in beautiful ways through seeing the Kingdom of God grow and experiencing the love of those around us. One preoccupation of mine is always whether the work really will be carried on by the local churches after we leave. At least this last time, one of the pastors had eight new Christians agree to come visit his Sunday service even before we had left! I know he is passionate about discipling those who came to know Christ, and am excited to see what God will continue to do in the town of Ibiraci. This next July, we will be working with three churches in a town known as Santa Rita do Passo Quatro.
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