August 2022 Newsletter 
from Christopher & Denise Meyer

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanks you so much for your prayers and support. Please let us know if there is any way we can be praying for you!
 
We have had an eventful few months! I wanted to give you a quick update of some things going on.
 
New Missionary Family
 
On July 14th Derek, Amanda and their four children arrived here in Macapá, and joined the Xingu Mission family. We had been anxiously awaiting their arrival and we’re so excited to help them get started on their new journey.

When new missionaries arrive, they are basically starting from scratch. They only bring what they can fit in their suitcases. There is so much to resolve once they have arrived. They have no place to live, no furniture, no phone number, no bank account, no internet, no Brazilian documents, no vehicle, no understanding of where to find things in the city, and generally have little to no ability to speak the language. This is not to mention the fact that they are extremely dependent on others to help them. After three weeks in which the Blaylocks stayed with Denise and me, they were able to rent the house right next door to our house for them to live in! This has been great because they have their own space, but Denise and I are close by.
 
When I started my missionary life, I was a single guy with no children and it still seemed like a whirlwind. With Derek and Amanda’s family of six, I can’t even imagine! It would be really easy for them to feel completely overwhelmed with this first step, but they have been troopers with great attitudes and a willingness to try things even without much language. Denise and I believe Derek and Amanda will be a great asset to the Xingu Mission as they adjust to the culture and become more proficient with the language. Their presence is a definite answer to prayer.
 
Plans for the Future
 
We have many exciting things coming up here in Macapá. Below is a brief summary of some of what we are working on and praying about. If you could keep these things in your prayers, it would mean a great deal to us.
 
Assistant Pastors
 
Pastoring the two churches on the opposite sides of town, along with overseeing the mission and missionaries that are here in Macapá with two young children, has been a heavy load for us. Both Denise and I are tired. After a lot of prayer and conversations with our Vineyard Brasil leadership, we have decided that in the upcoming months we will be licensing assistant pastors at both Vineyard Viva and at Vineyard Macapá. We want to emphasize that it is not only our need for help that has driven this decision, but the evidence of pastoral gifting and a clear call that we have seen on these four individuals.

Looking for a new location for Vineyard Viva
 
Vineyard Viva is currently looking to move to a new location. We are quickly outgrowing our current location and would like to be in a building where there is room to grow. Finding a place which has a location that works for our members and also has rent within our budget has been a little difficult. Please keep Vineyard Viva in your prayers as we continue our search.
 
Building a Children’s Wing for Vineyard Macapá
 
We have been blessed with a large number of kids at Vineyard Macapá. Presently our only option for Sunday school is to have our children meet outside in the open air. If it’s raining, we have no place for the classes. Even if the weather is nice, because we have our services at night, mosquitoes are a problem. We really want to invest in the children in our church, so we are now looking into options for building a small Children’s Wing. Please keep this in your prayers as we begin to plan.
 
Additional Prayer Requests
 
1) Please pray for the health of our family. For the last 3 months, our family has been continuously sick. We’ve had COVID, the flu, stomach viruses, pneumonia, laryngitis and many other odd sicknesses.
 
2) Please pray for our financial support. Because our family and ministry has grown, our financial expenses have also grown. Additionally, we have recently lost some long time supporters because of retirement. Please pray for God’s direction and provision.
 
3) Continue to pray for our house situation. As I mentioned in my last update, we have a house that we are desiring to purchase. We are still waiting for all the documents for the house purchase to be cleared and approved by a judge. This can sometimes take awhile.

We appreciate your prayers and support, and love hearing from you.

In His Service,
Christopher & Denise