Brazil Update 2007 Video

The Brazilians are here

Assuerio, David, Alyssa, and Mariana (Moraes's cousin) are here in Indiana. If you would like to spend time with any of them let Steven Turner know by calling 317-840-1270.

Here's what is new!

Community Church

Northeastern Bible Seminary is gearing up with some great plans for 2008! There are plans for a new path of study called the Basic Course on Christian Leadership. This basic course is an intense 12 month program focused on helping students get even more involved in church planting and urban mission work. Everything is concentrating on evangelism, discipleship and leadership training, done in a very practical way.

The International School of Carpina is finishing up the year very strong indeed. The Lord gave us 39 students and the perspective for 2008 is an increase in our numbers. Parents are excited about their children's behavior improvements, as well as their interest in learning.
We need more American teachers who can come for at least a semester. If you are a retired teacher, come and join us. Dedicate a semester of your life and teach in Brazil in your own language!

Community Church in Ameixas The construction site is a very busy place right now. In the next 45 days the shell will be up and ready to receive 65 people from Macaé Baptist Church from Rio de Janeiro. They will travel 1,500 miles by bus and spend 3 weeks in Ameixas to help us build the church building and do a Vacation Bible School, street evangelism, and much more. Please, keep their trip in your prayers.

Prayer requests

Prayer Requests for the different Churches and Ministry outreaches are up on the Google map of Brazil. Check it out on the link on the left titled Map of Churches.

Summer Trip Video

God has blessed Brazil with great leaders. The major church planters Ricardo and Assuerio pray for them to keep faithful and daily sharing the good news.

Asuério (left) wants to go to Africa in 2010 and Ricardo (right) wants to start a new church in 2010. The goal for Ricardo is to raise $25,000 by 2010 for a house he can build on his land. Pray and ask God what you can do to help these servants of the Lord in this great work.

Brief Brazil Ministry History

See the vision!

Fall is coming and missions conferences are just around the corner. Tele will be in the US during the month of November again this year.

We are giving blog readers the first opportunity to make an appointment! Whether you want to meet with him one-on-one or have him visit your church you will need to make an appointment. Tele's time fills up fast so be sure to get on his schedule right away!

Call Steven Turner at 317-840-1270 or Bill Mulford at 317-894-2763 to discuss plans.

Now, for the first time, we have a complete map of all the churches & future church sites in Northeast Brazil!

View Larger Map
There is also a permanent link to this map on the left hand side.

Blue= Current Churches
Red= Churches we have helped start
Green= Future sites of Community Churches (be praying for these cities)
Yellow(Yellow)= Current outreaches (house churches or Bible studies)

Pastor Asuério Naque & M.A.S.A.

Post by Steven Turner

I am Steven Turner, field rep from Brazil. I want to thank everyone for their prayers for the summer and the trips. This year I visited Pastor Asuério Naque and his family who are starting a church in Amexias, Brazil. I went to see how he was doing and how we could help. Pastor Asuério's heart’s desire is to return to Africa in 2010. A new mission statement has come out of this summer’s talks and prayers are with him.

“Reaching M.A.S.A. for Christ in 2010”.
Mozambique, Angola and South Africa (MASA) are his target countries.

At this time I will be working on raising Asuério's support to the $1500 a month level. Asuério also needs a sending fund of $20,000 for tickets, house rental, car and household items. People in South Africa get around by car, but I only saw two taxies and two buses in the week I was there in 2006. I also met a great young man who Asuério had led to the Lord during my stay in 2006. Keep praying for Pastor Asuério Naque and his family that God will use them in Amexias to spread the gospel.

If you would like to help financial please send donations to:

World Renewal International
P.O. Box 399 Greenfield IN 46140,
marked for Asuério Naque-Brazil.

Brazil Walk 2007

Introducing the first annual Brazil Walk held at Southeastway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday, October 6, 2007. The purpose is to increase interest and awareness of what is happening in Brazil, to encourage prayers for the people and ministries in Brazil, and to raise money for the Living Stones Ministry in Brazil.

WHEN: Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. Check-in and late registration will be from 9:30 - 10:00

WHERE: Southeastway Park, 5624 South Carroll Road, just south of Thompson Road

WHY: Your gift allows you to participate with Christ as He continues to build His church, one living stone at a time - through the activites of church planting and community outreach to under- Privileged Kids in northeast Brazil.

What: Walk for your health and for the health of living stones, a church planting and Children's ministry in northeast Brazil. We will walk to encourage our Brazilian brothers and sisters in their walk with Jesus. Two routes are avaliable: a 1 1/2 mille road walk (stroller friendly) or a 2 1/2 - 3 mile road/trail walk. Funds raised will be donated to the living stones ministry in Brazil.

How: Fill out the Brazil Walk 2007 registration form (which can be downloaded from HERE) and send it to World Renewal International at:

World Renewal
P.O. Box 399
Greenfield, IN 46140

There is a $35 registration fee to participate in the walk , but this fee will be waived if you collect at least $35 in pledges. All pledges given are tax deductible. The Pledge form can be downloaded from HERE.

Greetings Everyone from the Alcance in NE Brazil,
Pastor Greg here. Thank you for your prayers for safe
travel. Garrett, Jesse and I arrived last Thursday
(July 12) without incident. We made it through
airport lines and even customs as though we had a
personal escort. We were glad to see a bed after the
long flight and a meal that didn't have to be unwrapped.

Since arriving, Steve Turner and Tele have kept us
hooping with a to-do list. We have done a variety of
things including: making Alcance an Internet Wireless
hotspot, making cabinets for under the frontdesk,
stripping paint from an iron gate and paving a strip
of roadway out in front. Our days are still loaded
with things to accomplish, it has been a joy to work
along side our Brazilian friends/believers. We marvel
at their creativity, work ethic and devotion to God.
It comes through in there work. Please continue your
prayers for our physical strength as none of us have
experience paving a road!

Sunday was an absolute homerun! We attended three
church services beginning at 10:00am and ending
around 8:30pm. I cannot describe the joy, excitment
and humility we experienced worshipping with our
friends in these community churches. My eyes well up
with tears as I think of the people and their
devotion to God as they gather in these local
congregations. Some walking over a mile in the back
hills here on dirt roads which are very steep. It was
a privilege to be a part of the team that
participated in these services. Steve Turner preached
twice that day and God used him to bring eight new
people into His kingdom. We praise the Lord as He
continues to work in and through us.

Garrett says: "I'm having a great time and looking
forward to seeing everyone back home."

Jesse says: "It's great to be working for the Lord
down here. Keep praying us through and we'll see you
soon."

We do covet your prayers as we will have more
opportunities to share the gospel and encourage the
beleivers here in this great ministry of NE Brazil.

You are all in our thoughts and prayers,
Pastor Greg

Written July 8th

Today is Sunday and we are still talking about and thinking about the Big Dump. Cathy says she awakened multiple times during the night flailing away at the flies, only to realize she was back at Alcance with not a fly in sight. The picture above is of Josie trying to put her feelings down on paper. Hopefully her thoughts will be included here. I had to include one more picture from the Big Dump.
The people here at Alcance Brazil are simply amazing. You can sense the power of God in their lives as they live simply and work very hard to serve the Lord. Here are pictures of Pastor Assuerio, Tele, Heather and their one-year old Christopher, and more to come. Johnnie is a little fire ball. Full of joy and fun!
Chuck Taylor

After arriving in Carpina, Brazil about 24 hours after leaving Indianapolis, We had a wonderful lunch at a local steakhouse, and then set about the tasking of packing the medicines. They have to be counted out in 30's or whatever is appropriate for the particular medicine. Labels have to be written in Portuguese explaining the contents of the snack-size baggy, and the instructions for taking it.By 10:30PM all the adrenaline was spent and we hit the sack HARD. What a thrill to see God's protecting and guiding hand at work in our lives!
On Saturday, we left for our first clinic at 9AM. This was at the "Big Dump." (The literal translation of the Portuguese name for this community). This is a village of people who live on the huge garbage mountains outside of Carpina. They search through the garbage looking for food and anything usable for their shacks or clothing. As you can imagine, these people have unimaginably poor hygiene. The mayor of Carpina again this year made the mobile health units available to us, so that we would have some shelter to work from. He is a believer, and a good friend of Tele. This year a husband and wife team of dentists who attend the community church of Acacias here at the Alcance also came, so the mayor also made the mobile dental unit available to us. They pulled 16 teeth in about 110 degree heat! These units don't have air conditioning--nor ventilation unless you want flies buzzing in your sour surgical field.
The pictures above show Josie Forrest, and Paul greeting the patients and taking their vital signs. They put up with the stink heat and flies with hardly a comment. Second is Dr. Flink examining a family in one of the mobile units. The chief problems were worms, lice, respiratory infections, untreated severe hypertension, and fungal infections. The two year old boy in the picture above (mother in a red top) has a protruding abdomen. His mother brought him to the clinic because of a cough. He had a belly full of worms, and was coughing up worms. (The worms travel through the blood to the lungs, are coughed up and swallowed, re-infecting the gut again). He also had a thick crop of lice, as did his mother and siblings.
The final picture shows the last few patients waiting to pick up their medicines at the pharmacy. As you can see, There are lots mangy dogs running around. What you can't see is how thick the flies are. This is the most immediate sensation you feel while at the dump. They just don't leave you alone. It's almost exhausting trying to swat the flies away, and it's almost useless. It's understandable why the people who live here seem to let the flies have their way, sometimes with dozens of flies crawling on them and making no effort to brush them away. We were torn between keeping the doors of the trailers closed to keep the flies out, and opening them to let some air in.
Despite the heat, humidity, stench, flies, and disease, we all cam away knowing that we had somehow been changed. We certainly will have a hard time complaining about our petty problems for a good long time. We're still discussing what exactly it all means. The long-term influence on this community's health has been tiny. They will return to the same lifestyle that produced their diseases. So what did we accomplish? We told them about the love of God in Jesus, and we showed them. We healed their discomfort if only for a time. And we followed Jesus' example. Only He knows what the eternal significance may be.

Medical Trip Begins

Well, we made it! Months of frustrations trying to prepare for this medical mission as responsibly as possible are finally behind us. Trouble with visas. Absolutely no cooperation with Brazilian officials in guaranteeing safe passage of our medicines. (even a request to split the medicines half and half with one gov't official in return for assuring safe passage!). We had bought $2000 worth of medicine and vitamins, and $24,000 worth of medicine had been given to us by MAP International (a division of Christian Medical and Dental Association). Last year a crate of tylenol and vitamins had been confiscated at customs as we entered Brazil. What would happen this time? We finally gave up worrying about and prayed, "God we've done every reasonable thing we know how to do. This is your problem, not ours."
Then we began to see the hand of God at work. First, all seven of us (Steve Turner, Josie Potter Forrest Craig, Paul & Chuck Taylor, and Steve & Cathy Flink) were able to get exit row seats in a PACKED out jet to Rio de Janeiro. This is a 9-hour flight, so the extra space was a God-send! In Rio, we prayed as we approached Customs, "please blind the eyes of the agents." Josie Potter went first with her crate full of toys and school materials for children, and a few large bottles of vitamins and Tylenol mixed in. The agent's eye was caught by something on the Xray and he pulled her over and searched her first crate. When he saw all the toys and school supplies, he waved the entire group through! Thank you Jesus! And thanks to all for praying for us! Picture: a small part of the excellent supply of medicines we have for clinics this trip. This is the best selection I've ever had on a medical mission!

More to follow, Chuck Taylor

Summer Trips

The Medical summer trip team will arrive in Brazil today. Please be praying for them as they are trying to get in two crates full of medicine into the country. Without the medicine the medical clinics will have a hard time helping the sick.

More news to come!!

Today

We just talked to Tele and he was on his way to the Ministry of Labor to give them all of Jeff's documentation. ( A+ certificate, Resume, and transripts.)

Please pray that they give us a work permit so that we can apply for the work visa!

Pray for finances!

The Value of the US Dollar has dropped to a $1.83 to R$1. ( last year it was $2.20 to R$1 ) This is the lowest the Dollar has been in 7 years and it is putting a financial burden upon the Brazil Ministry right now.
It is like getting a pay cut even though everybody in the US is still giving the same.

Please pray this month about giving a little extra to World Renewal Brazil!

Exciting Things Taking Place

We just finished our sixth week at the International School. It is beautiful to see the kids progressing, not only intellectually and socially, but spiritually as well. Of course, those students who were with us last year are far more advanced than the ones who just started, but it is amazing to see how well the new students are doing with just a few weeks of English and Bible teaching. During our daily opening session, we drill them with the weekly Bible verse that goes with the Character trait of the week. They are all so eager, as they raise their hands to recite the verses in both languages. Of course, our main goal is not only for the kids to know those Bible passages by heart, but to take the opportunity we have to coach them along as they can practice those truths on a daily basis.

The word is going around and interest is growing among the parents, not only in Carpina, but in the towns around us. Jumping from 13 students last year to 38 this semester has been an answer to prayer. We thank all of you who have been praying with us in this matter. The other day, we had a couple of parents visiting our premises. They were asking our receptionist what in the world we were doing that makes the whole town talk about the International School. We truly believe God is the One giving all of us the strength and wisdom to put the program into place. And that is why it is making a difference, not only in the kid’s lives, but in their family members as well. We have a couple families who have kids in the school visiting the Acacias Community Church for our Sunday morning services, so it is good to see how the Lord is using the school to reach people with the gospel.

Since Pastor Assuario and his family moved to Amexias, the Holy Spirit is really using them to reach new people in the community. They have seen new believers growing in their faith, as they take their discipleship training, are plugged into small groups, and participate in the Saturday night worship service. Our World Renewal Brazil band is going there every Saturday afternoon to help out with the service, as well as teaching music lessons to some locals. January 2008 is the time when Amexias is going to receive a missionary group from the Baptist church of Macae. They will come in a bus with 45 people to help us build a church building. During the whole month personal evangelism, discipleship with the new believers, and Vacation Bible School will take place. From bricklayers to cooks, from architects to school teachers, they will all be working together to see God’s kingdom being expanded in Northeast Brazil. This church will be providing the labor, and the Community churches will provide the material. The amount we need to raise by the end of the year is $25,000.

Send any gifts to World Renewal International P.O. Box 399 Greenfield Indiana 46140, with a note “Building Fund- Brazil”.

36 Students

Felipe with Tele

The school has just started its second school year in February. We have a total of 36 kids enrolled. We are still harvesting the results from last year's hard work…Felipe, who came to our school after being "invited to leave" from a neighboring town school because of aggressive behavior has become the "protector" of a very shy and scared new kid in the class.. No one dares to mess with him…he's as strong as an ox and as gentle as a teddy bear.. His mother came to pick him up yesterday. She's moving to town to be close to the school and she was in tears as she thanked me for the change the school had made in her son's life…he turned a new leaf… but we all know that Jesus is the one who made the difference in his heart! Isn't it wonderful? Praise the Lord! Please pray for him and his catholic mother, Michelle and aunt Ednalda, who is our new geography teacher, one of the 3 non-born-again Christians in our staff, and who are very open to the gospel.

All the kids, even the parents are excited about the new enlarged school (we are now teaching K3-5^th grade). The new playground was a BIG hit. Kenny Smith, a custom cabinet maker from Kansas made a gorgeous wood playground Fort, which was enlarged with a castle keep with slides and sandbox; and Heather's father (a retired Salvation Army missionary) painted English toy soldiers as sentries at the Castle gate.

One father was so excited about the school that he really wanted to help remodel the building and paid this year's and NEXT YEAR'S tuition in advance to buy new (safer)flooring for the entrance, meeting hall, library, dining room and hallways. Other changes are in progress, turning more of the rooms into classrooms, and putting up a gate around the front of the Alcance, including security cameras."

Another good story is Heitor, who came to school today with his coveted 3 merits. He's been having a lot of demerits lately. So he came and gave his demerits to Tele and asked "Sir, I am giving these back to you--can I can have a fresh start?"

Thank God for fresh starts.