News, Sept. 13, 2007

Dear friends,

This is my first prayer letter I’m writing from São Paulo, Brazil! This first month has had its challenges, as I’ve transitioned back to a country and culture where I haven’t lived for four years, but overall it’s been really good. I find myself thriving on Brazilian affection and courtesy, and daily grateful for the opportunity to get up and have one more go at figuring out what God has for me here.

Three weeks ago I accompanied my parents to a consultation that brought together denominational leaders from all over Brazil to talk about pastoring of pastors. Not only did the consultation mark a turning point in my dad’s ministry, in which he began to bring the evangelical church together in a new way, but we got to celebrate 15 years of MAPI (Support Ministry for Pastors and Leaders, started by my dad in 1992. For more info, see www.mapi-sepal.org.br/english). During the trip, I got to translate for two men from South Africa. It was intriguing to learn more about that part of the world, and the challenges that are faced by church leaders there.

My dad shocked me on the last day of the conference by announcing that we’d have the conference materials up on the MAPI website by Sept. 10. Since I am currently the main person in charge of the website, I found this task rather daunting. Nonetheless, I did manage to get the main information up only two days late, by Wednesday, Sept. 12. I will probably continue to be the main MAPI website administrator, both for the English and the Portuguese, for the next year. We are also working toward getting a site up in Spanish, since MAPI has spread to Bolivia and leaders from other Spanish-speaking countries want more information.

The MAPI website generally takes about 10 hours of my time each week. I have also been engaged in conversations with the SEPAL (Brazilian branch of OCI) research team about working with them during my time here. They continually provide dependable research about varying aspects of church and spiritual realities here in Brazil. I will probably be investing about 20 hours a month in this area.

Other opportunities creep over the horizon: helping with a home for street children; teaching English at the slum ministry at my church; translating a booklet from English to Portuguese for a soccer outreach ministry (connected to Ambassadors; also at my church); helping out at the MK school where I grew up; co-leading a church small group for teenagers. In October I will travel to southern Brazil with my parents to help with the administration of a REVER (Restoring Lives, Equipping Restorers – an inner healing branch of MAPI) National Congress, and then from there to a SEPAL team retreat. I may also begin teaching English at a school for a few hours a week to help make up for the money I am lacking in support.

Pray for me that God would give me wisdom about where to invest my time in these coming weeks and months. There are a myriad of opportunities, but it is not yet clear to me where my gifts will be of the most use, and where I can best contribute to Kingdom growth. Thank you so much to all of you who help to make this time in Brazil possible!

In God’s care,

Rachel Kornfield