ZDolan Steve, Author at Xingu Mission

If you do come down to Brazil, you might not want to come during your birthday. Terry from the Cleveland team got the Brazilian egg and flour treatment. Happy Birthday Terry. Thanks for being such a great sport. Missionary Allison Rupert loved every moment.

Aug, 2

Kombi’s Maiden Voyage: From Maraba to Pacaja on the Transamazon Highway

When you think of the word highway the images that spring to mind are usually ones of long stretches of paved roads, cars flying by at breakneck speeds, several lanes with well labeled signs. Well, throw all that out the window when you hear the term ‘Transamazon Highway’.

287km of dusty, bumpy twisting road (with speed bumps of all things) stretches
between Marabá and the town of Pacaja where Xingu mission has a church plant just three years young.

Two weeks ago at the crack of dawn we piled five of our youth, backpacks and hammocks, cold water and even a puppy into our beloved Kombi and headed north west. It was an in-country mission trip to Pacaja.

There are two seasons here in northern Brazil, rainy and dusty. We happen to be in the dusty season which is less dangerous than driving in the mud but the red powder that lays in the road inches deep flies up with every passing truck and billows in front of you like a red snow storm, making visibility impossible. Several times Phil had to stop.

Could she be any cuter?

Six hours and one rest stop later we arrived and were well received in Pacaja.

We hit the streets to invite neighbours to the first youth service and a children’s event the following day.

The pastors there fed us and took care of us while we ran the events, musical training and a few of our youth performed a skit and a dance. It was a fantastic opportunity for our youth to be able to pay it forward to this budding young church.

Inviting neighbours

The Kombi is serving us and others well!

Go to Source

July Amazon Update!

Praise the Lord that God continues to give the church grace and favor by helping others come into a loving relationship with Him. What an amazing privilege that we get to help others find Him. The church continues to receive new people into the church, and lives are being changed. We are so grateful. Please continue to pray for us to continue to reach out more into the community and be a church that is welcoming and life transforming.

We had our yearly pastors retreat this month. We had most of our pastors in the North of Brazil come for a week to get retooled, and rest. The week long retreat gave the pastors time to reflect, and reconnect with one another. The objective of the retreat was not to cram teaching down their throat but to allow them to step away from the work, rest and have some fun. We brought up a specialist from Rio de Janeiro to talk about family dynamics, what causes stress and how to identify it in their lives. It is very easy for pastors to neglect themselves and their families in an effort to help others. We have seen many people in ministry get burned out because of this very reason. We are always trying to be proactive to prevent this from happening to the pastors and leaders.

Alyssa turned 7 on July 4^th. What she wanted the most was for Brazil to win their match, and fortunately they did. We will not mention the games that proceeded this win. Alyssa had a nice birthday party, and then had a sleep over. I am not sure how much sleep was actually achieved but they had a great time. Here they all are for their princess morning breakfast. Also, Camilly and Alyssa’s hair turned green and yellow for their love of Brazilian soccer.

Please continue to pray for our spiritual, and emotional health.

Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa

Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:

The Xingu Mission

P.O Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43234

Or On-line donations at:

June Amazon Update!

The big highlight of this month was going to Pacajá which is about 155 miles to participate in the first church service in their brand new church / community center. Elba got the privilege to preach at their first church service in the new building. Keith and Marsha Wilson, and Ferriera and Fernanda Sousa have been working diligently to grow the church, and help people come into an intimate relationship with Christ. They have been doing an excellent job which was so evident because the place was packed. Their lives of dedication to the people of Pacajá, and responding to the call of God is a testimony to God’s work through them to touch others. It is exciting to see God expanding His kingdom in Pacajá. Please pray for the Wilsons, the Sousas, and that the Holy Spirit will continue to move in greater ways.

The news has been filled with protests here in Brazil, and a lot of the protests have become violent. The people are protesting against the poor infrastructure, education and healthcare systems. We gathered many people throughout the city to have a March for Jesus. Our gathering was very peaceful, and filled with joy and prayers. We walked around the city praying for sick people in the hospitals, for our elected officials, and for God’s peace and mercy to rule and reign throughout this city, and throughout Brazil. Elba’s voice was almost gone after the event as she helped lead the troops into prayers and spoke God’s word throughout the city.

We had a bunch of people come over to our house for the first soccer match against Croatia. Brazilians love their soccer just as much as Ohioan’s love their Ohio State Football. Everything essentially closes down during the games. Camilly and Alyssa school is letting them out early so everyone can watch the game today against Mexico. Here is a picture of everyone watching every moment intensely, and then celebrating a goal. Priceless. The next picture is our family before going to the March for Jesus. Pictured with us is our nephew Apollo, he lives next door.

Thanks for your prayers for us to be healed of our sicknesses. Praise the Lord we are feeling much better. Thanks. There are still a lot of people throughout the city with infections, stomach pains, and fevers. Please pray that this illness would be gone, and please continue to pray for our spiritual, and emotional health.

Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa

Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:

The Xingu Mission

P.O Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43234

Or On-line donations at:

If you look closely you can see Camilly on top of the truck. She was helping Mom share the Good News during the March for Jesus.

May Amazon Update!

For Mother’s Day, the church had a special breakfast for the moms of the church. The moms of the church were asked to bring a friend so that they could share in the fun. There was a strong turnout and we were blessed to have Penny Meyer share God’s Word with the moms to encourage their faith, and draw some of the woman closer to God. We like having these events because it is good way to invite people to the church in a non-threatening way. Plus, we wanted to bless the moms who do not have much with something very special. We hope that in the end the love of Christ was expressed.

CDR had an outreach to the local schools and the message we came to give was about “safe touch”. We did this same talk a year ago at another school because of its importance. Sexual and physical abuse is a major problem here in Altamira, Brazil, and the whole world. The implications of abuse on a child’s life can be catastrophic. Child abuse and neglect can affect all domains of development – physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral and social – which are often interrelated. It is our hope that we could make children aware of abuse, and give them a better understanding of what is abuse. We used different mediums to teach the children the rights and wrongs of appropriate touch. The CDR students played games with the kids, the teachers performed a theatrical play about safe touching, and then Elba taught the children about safe touching. We also opened the door for students that may have or are experiencing abuse to come and talk with us or to talk with their teachers. The director of the school was so appreciative of CDR for taking the time and effort to share about safe touching. It is our great hope that through this time of interaction these children will be in a better position to ask for help and recognize when they are being abused.

The girls got the opportunity to go fishing for the first time along the river when we went to Marabá. Thankfully the only thing they caught was a couple of little fish, and not an Anaconda. Bella did a great job teaching them to be patient and when to pull the line to snag the fish. Camilly was a little freaked out when she caught her first fish. I do not think fishing will be in her future anytime soon. Also pictured is Camilly and Alyssa dancing for Mother’s day.

Please continue to pray for us. We have all been sick this last week with infections, stomach pains, and fevers. Also, continue to pray for our spiritual, and emotional health.

Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa

Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:

The Xingu Mission

P.O Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43234

Or On-line donations at:

While we were in Marabá we went to go see Rio 2 to celebrate Camilly’s birthday. It was a big deal and lots of fun for the girls. Also, here is a family photo of us before we went to Christopher and Denise’s wedding.

April Amazon Update!

The church continues to do well and praise the Lord we continue to see salvations. However, even though we are seeing more and more people accept Jesus as their Savior the church has only seen moderate growth. We seem to have just hit a plateau. We do not want to get wrapped up in the numbers but we do wonder why people do not make that return visit. We try our best to follow up with each person but it is hard to put our finger on the cause. In the end, we believe that we are doing the will of the Lord and we pray that they will hear from the Lord to follow His next steps for their lives.

We just started Alpha at our church. If you are not familiar with Alpha, Alpha gives everyone the opportunity to explore the meaning of life in a relaxed, friendly setting. The Alpha course usually meets once a week for 10 weeks. Sessions begin with a meal, followed by a short talk and time to discuss what’s been taught. During the discussion, everyone is welcome to contribute their opinions and no question is considered hostile or too simple. Questions might include—Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going? We had 42 people come to our first class which is an introductory class and we asked if they would be willing to commit to the 10 week program. We had 34 people sign up. Praise the Lord! Please pray that they will hear from the Lord to continue to pursue a relationship with Him.

The girls are doing well and are back in school. Their friends are glad that they are back as well. Alyssa pulled out her front tooth and they got the opportunity to go swimming in the river. Camilly will be celebrating her 9^th birthday on the 18^th of April. We will be celebrating Easter in Marabá with Rick and Deanna Bergen and the whole Marabá church. We are excited to be with them. Please pray that our travels to Marabá and back will be successful and without incident.

May the Lord bless you this Holy Week and may you have a wonderful Easter celebrating the resurrection from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for spiritual, physical, and emotional health for us.

Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa

Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:

The Xingu Mission

P.O Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43234

Or On-line donations at:

We found this bug at the school. The people who found it had never seen anything like it, nor have I. Freaky!

Jul, 16

The Gift of Opportunity

Hello To all Friends and Faithful Supporters!!!

As always, I am so grateful for all of you. Everyday that I move forward here, I have you to thank for it. Your generosity and sacrifice are a major key to my success.
I want to highlight a special person for you this month to show you yet another way that you are helping to make a difference.

One of my students, Nayara Sabrina, is exceptional. Over the time that I have known her, she has learned English quickly. She was always a very active participant in class, asking a lot of questions. Her hunger to learn has been a delight for me as a teacher.
Nayara grew up in the country where she was very isolated. The schooling that she received was good but inconsistent. Her teachers were sent from the city, so she and her fellow students could not have class everyday. However, her parents were intentional about encouraging her in her education, and Nayara has a special love for studying.
When she was 17, she received a scholarship to go to the Federal University in Altamira. She and her family moved to the city, and Nayara began studying for a degree in biology.
Nayara had a desire to learn English, and the English classes provided at CDR were affordable for her family. She said that her original reason for wanting to learn was so that she could translate her own worship songs into English!
During my time with her, we would try to get together once a week and practice speaking in English, and I would often help her to translate documents and projects for her college assignments.
I admire her focus and joy. She is only 20 years old, but she knows exactly what she wants. She is always charming and curious. She also says that now, God has given her other desires as well for learning English. Being that she is a biology major, understanding English gives her many more opportunities. She can read articles published in English concerning her field, and she has the possibility of studying at other universities.
A few months ago, Nayara took the TOEFL test, which is an international standardized English test, in order to apply for a scholarship to study in the US. She passed the test, and recently, was accepted by the Science Without Borders program to study in the US. She received a full scholarship to go to the University of Miami for a year and a half, starting this fall. For the first 6 months, she will take English classes, and then, she will continue on to complete her degree in biology there.
It has been amazing to be apart of this process with her. It is such a gift to watch someone’s dreams come true. I have no doubt that Nayara will make the best of this opportunity, and that doors will continue to open for her in the future.
It also makes me very grateful for places like CDR. It is so easy to see how it can make a difference for the people of Brazil. Being apart of investing in the potential of others is a great gift.
Please keep Nayara in your prayers as she takes this big step in her life. Pray that she adjusts well to living in the US, and that her family is blessed as they let her go.

Love, Allison

Go to Source

Jul, 6

Are You Burned Out On Religion?

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30

I think a lot of people are burned out on religion. I know I am. The word itself makes me cringe. Jesus didn’t like religion either.

The word religion comes from the latin word religare which means ‘to bind’.

I don’t know about you but the word bind doesn’t sound like what Jesus is talking about in the passage above, nor does it sound like anything He said in the Bible. Ever.

‘Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly…’

Hm. Living freely and lightly? That sounds pretty attractive doesn’t it?

Last night we held the first youth Alpha. One of our youth, Max, took Alpha last year and gave his testimony. He said that he learned through Alpha that a relationship with Jesus, is different from religion, it’s something without pressure.

Most people here are very familiar with religion-but the idea that it’s possible to have a relationship with Jesus-that’s new.

Alpha offers a safe and open forum for people to ask and wrestle with the questions they don’t have answers for, without judgment. We want to introduce them to the Jesus that walked the earth 2,000 years ago, the one who wants to walk alongside them in their lives today. Alpha is an effective way to do this. It strips away the religion that can bind us and gets back to the basics of what Jesus was about.

And it wasn’t about binding us up, quite the opposite.

‘Get away with me and you’ll recover your life’

That sounds a little more like someone who has been set free doesn’t it?

There are many things that bind our neighbours, family problems, abuse, addictions, the list goes on and on.

They carry very heavy burdens.

Thirty-two of our young people came last night. The tables were set with purple satin cloth, the food was colourful fresh, enticing and nutritious. The groups ate, laughed and chatted before watching the video.

Afterwards we gathered in small groups to introduce ourselves and chat about what they thought about the video.

I have been a part of the Alpha course many, many times now and I have never experienced a time where God did not move, change and transform lives.

I’m so excited to see how He will touch the hearts of our youth who need so badly to be rid of their burdens, unbound and set free.

“I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Go to Source

Jun, 24

June 2014 Update

Hello from the States!

For over a year we have been constructing a multi-purpose building to be used for our community center and our church building. On June 1st, the last Sunday before our trip to the States, we opened the doors of the new building to have our first service. Elba Dolan came and spoke. Elba is a fellow missionary, head pastor of our Brazilian sending church and a leader of the association of Vineyard churches in Brazil. It was a blessing to have her and her family with us at this momentous occasion.

We celebrated afterward with snacks, sodas, and cake. We were pleasantly surprised by the large participation at the inauguration service. It was a fun night and a great way to celebrate the hard work put into this building.

___________________________

Two days after we held the inauguration service, our family left for the States. We are now enjoying seeing family and friends, and reconnecting and sharing with churches and supporters about the ministry in Pacajá.

If you are interested in hearing more about the ministry in Pacajá, please e-mail us ( marsha.wilson@xingu.org ) and schedule an individual visit or a small group visit We would love to meet with you while we are in the States.

Thank you for all your support! Please keep us and this work in your prayers.

Blessings in Christ,

The Wilsons

Jun, 24