Back-to-Back Trips Educate Children about Christ

Joesph Hook helping kids with their projects

From July 6 through the 13, Brazil welcomed a group of 9 visitors from Greensburg, Indiana. During their stay, they conducted 3 different vacation Bible schools in Carpina, Guadalajara, and Lagoa de Itaenga and brought a total of 37 children to Christ. Through their Bible lessons, craft projects, and activities, these kids were able to laugh together and be educated about the undying love of Jesus. Joeseph Hook, visiting Brazil for the first time, described his time here as a "life-changing experience." He had the most fun communicated with children and building his Portuguese vocabulary.

Brookville Road Youth Group

But Brazil only had 1 day to rest before welcoming a group of approximately 30 teenagers on July 15. These teens will work together in an English camp preceding the first week of school and also host a youth conference. The English camp will not only help Brazilian kids with their pronunciation, but it will also further educate them about the universal love of God. Following the camp, the teens will lead a youth conference. The Community Churches of the area each chose teenagers whom they felt were qualified to be leaders in their congregation and the conference will serve as a learning period to equip the Brazilians with knowledge to lead younger believers.

Assuerio Naque prepares for Mission to Africa

Assuerio Naque, pastor of the Community Church of Ameixas, is getting the opportunity to live a dream that he's been shaping ever since he was seventeen years old. On July 3rd, Naque left Brazil to go to Mozambique, Africa. There, he will spend 32 days passing out leadership material that will help to prepare the pastors in Southern Mozambique for the challenge of planting more churches in the North. Then, in 2013, Naque will move his family across the ocean to begin his church planting mission.

The main focus of the mission, as Naque repeatedly stressed, was to "Train the leaders, plant a church." Although he set up his own time table of 5-7 years, Naque added that this was only his personal agenda; what God has in store cannot be known. Since that is the case, Naque is prepared to stay in Africa ten or twenty years, fully trusting in God's plan.

When asked what the biggest problem this mission might face would be, Naque said that the traditional religion of Mozambique would probably be an issue. Spiritualism is present everywhere, he said, even among the doctors. There has even been a history of violent situations from the spiritualists against missionaries in some cases.

Considering that Northern Mozambique has a high population of Muslims, Assuerio Naque commented that he didn't feel he would have any difficulty with them. In fact, Naque said that he felt a love for the Muslims because they are good people and family oriented, so they would not want to cause trouble.

Assuerio asks that everyone continue to pray for him and this ministry in Africa as well as for the power of Jesus Christ to be strong wherever he goes.