ZDolan Steve, Author at Xingu Mission

Hello to all my Faithful Friends and Supporters Back Home.

I want to start off by thanking you all for your amazing support and sacrifice and faithfulness to me and my family. You guys are truly the best, and I am lucky to have you.
As many of you probably already know, my brother Caleb Mark Hamer, died on February 26. He was only 26 years old, and leaves behind an 8 year old son, also named Caleb. My father called me the day after it happened, and of course, I was heartbroken. Immediately, I was thanking the Lord that I got to see him one more time before he passed. I realized how much my recent visit was really provision from God.
Caleb was unique. He was so funny in his very own special way. And Caleb was humble. He was a grateful person who wanted to help others when he could. And he loved his son.
I remember one story of when my brothers were little that always makes me laugh. My 3 younger brothers were all very strong and close in age. Caleb was in the middle and the strongest. One day, when they were just toddlers, the two other brothers, Joel and Joshua, were fighting over one of those plastic Tonya trucks. Joel had one leg hanging out of one side and Joshua had one leg hanging out of the other. During the fight, Caleb walks over and starts shaking the truck as hard as he could. Both Joel and Joshua fall out of the truck and Caleb jumps in and starts driving it around. It was hilarious! He was a tough boy, but he had a soft and fun-loving heart. I will miss him so much.
Many of you came together for his Memorial Service and Reception at our church to help and participate. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I thank you so much for embracing my family in our time of need and grieving. My sister in law even commented to me about how kind you were to them, and how lucky I am to have such great people around me. I agree with her.
Also, many of you may remember Steve and Elba Dolan. They also work here at the Xingu Mission and were there on the day I preached at VTC. Their family has also suffered loses recently. Steve’s brother-in-law passed away when they were still in the States, and just a few days ago, Steve’s dad also passed away. Their family just left to go back to the States again for the funeral. I can only imagine how difficult it has been to have two big blows like that in such a short amount of time.
I ask that you keep both my family and Steve and Elba’s family in your prayers. That God would bring true comfort in the mist of grieving. And that God would bring something good out of our suffering.
Even in this heartbreak, things are continuing to moving forward here at the Mission. I am planning to travel to Portel next week to visit again. I will be traveling with my friend, Manoela, and also Christopher and his fiance, Denise. Richie and his family are getting settled in there, and they have already started building a foundation for the school. I am very excited to see his progress, as well as find out what we need to do next in order to keep the project going ahead. Please pray for safe travels and wisdom.
I want to pray for you all as well. I just bless each of you with the tangible experience of God’s awesome love for you. For those of you who are sick or have sick family members, I speak healing and restoration over your bodies. I pray that, whatever struggle you are going through, the joy of the Lord would be your strength and salvation. I bless you in your finances that you would have the ability to take care of your own needs and also the needs of others. I lift up your relationships that peace and forgiveness would rule them all. Thank you again for your love for me. God bless.

Always,

Allison Rupert

Caleb with his mom, Debbie Hamer, this past January

Go to Source

Feb, 20

ZDolan Steve

Back to Work!

Hello Guys!!

So, I hear it is finally starting to warm up there in the north! My short experience with winter this year was quite the reminder of how much I don’t enjoy it. I’m glad for all of you that its coming to an end! I am also very happy to be back here in the warm, tropical climate of Brazil. It is the rainy season now, so it is not too hot. It’s perfect.
Despite the weather, I had a great time seeing all of you again. I really enjoyed the opportunity to preach at church and just share with all of you what I have been doing over the past year and a half. It was unfortunate that we weren’t able to have church on my last Sunday there because of the snow. I know, however, that the church is still planning on having a lunch to talk about my plans here in Brazil and how you can get involved. I hope you will be able to make it!
Next time I come to visit, it will definitely be in the summer so that I can stay longer and get to spend more time with all of you!
So, now that I am back in Brazil, I have settled back into my life as normal. I have been teaching a CDR again, which has started off great. This semester, I am helping my friend, Cleide, in one of the lower level classes. Most of these students don’t understand very much English, and as it turns out, neither do I! You may find this strange, but even though you are able to speak a language does not mean you know how to explain it to others. I am constantly learning new things that I always took for granted. Cleide is a great teacher, and without her, I would be completely lost! I know that my time with her will successfully prepare me for my venture in Portel.
My goal since I have been back is to slowly start preparing things for my move to Portel. My preparations are already underway, and God has already helped me so much. I have a friend here who is from Germany, and she will be leaving next month to move home. Because she is moving, she wants to sell all of her things. I jumped on the opportunity to buy them because when I move, I will have to buy everything. So far, the mission has provided most of what I need for an apartment, but I will have nothing when I leave here. So I worked out a deal with my friend to buy everything for around $750! That includes a washing machine, a refrigerator, a stove, table and chairs, etc.! It is such great timing for both of us, and I feel very blessed by this.
I just want to say again how great it was to see all of you. I was so thankful for all of your kind and encouraging words. You made me feel welcomed and loved and cherished. I know that you guys are thinking about me even when I’m not there. I know that I am in your hearts, just as you are in mine. I’m glad that you have chosen to continue with me on this journey. Thank you.


Me, my Dad, and my brothers

Below is a link with the pictures I took on my travels back to the US. Enjoy!

The States 2014

Love, Allison
Go to Source

Dec, 23

ZDolan Steve

Christmas, Others and River Trips

The prow of the boat (with its anchor rope) leads the way along the river

I recently returned from a river trip. I had the privilege of spending a few days traveling along the Xingu River and some of her tributaries. As I reflected during my visits with different people in some of the villages, there were a couple of thoughts that captured my attention.

First, these people where happy with our arrival in their communities (I was traveling with a team of Brazilians). Several people invited us to other villages and at a few of the homes where we stopped, there were sincere requests for us to return and share more of Christ in that place. One family traveled more than three hours by boat to the village where we would share the Gospel. Their obvious desire was to hear more of the Good News. The presence of the Spirit was evident in the simple meetings. It reminded me of the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. The people in the village really wanted Jesus to stay longer. They understood in His presence that they were experiencing something completely new and completely renewing. I can see this come to life as I travel along the river.

The other thought that struck me was how Jesus was often working along the periphery of society, both in his relationships and in his selected geographic setting. He traveled through many of the small towns and villages in Israel and Samaria (Matt 9:35, Luke 17:11). So while his ministry climaxed in Jerusalem, much of his time was spent in rural areas. Jesus went out and that is the essence of mission – reaching out to others and making the Gospel accessible. It seems that Jesus was someone who was very much at home along the water’s edge, in the fields, and along the back roads. Is our message for the least and are we working to make the Gospel accessible to those who live off the beaten path?

The Christmas message is that Jesus came for others. And many of these “others” are people who are often outside of our comfort zone, both in a social and geographic context. It is wonderful that Jesus invites us into a relationship where we can be part of what God is doing, wherever we are. I am thankful to be part of that Christmas story in a way that continues to bless others.

Support the Simon Family

Support National Church Planting

A river community that has electricity for about three hours each evening

The stars and moon reflect off the river

Sunrise ushers in another day of jungle life along the river

Dec, 17

ZDolan Steve

Living in Eternity Now

Happy Holidays to the Folks at Home!!

Often when I blog, I give you guys a little update about what’s going on in my life. This time, I want to talk about that but from a different angle. I want to talk about something that is close to my heart. Its an idea that propels me and gives my life meaning on a day to day basis.
Its the idea of investing in people. As we all know, we aren’t taking anything with us when we die. No money or possessions. So the question becomes, “What really matters? What is going to last?”
I believe that the investment we make in others is one of the treasures we will take with us to Heaven. And it’s a treasure that we can start building now.
I want to tell you about a few of the people who have made an investment in my life, and also about a few people that I have had the privilege to invest in. Remember, these are just a few examples…there are many more people in my life who have made an investment and have shaped me into the person I am today.
The first person I want to mention is Penny Barrick. Some of you may know her already. She is my sponsor, and she taught me how to do the 12 steps. She was there to help me when I was finally ready to get my life cleaned up. She did two things that made all the difference in the world. She loved me unconditionally, and she told me the flat out truth. For the first time in my life, I told all my most damning secrets to someone, and they didn’t judge me. Because of her own past, she very much understood what I was going through, and gave me a lot of grace as I moved to the next level.
The next two people are a couple that I’m certain many of you know–John and Cathy Lieb. I have spent countless hours on their couch, watching their TV and eating their food. I have debated with John about many political and spiritual questions and ideas. I have been put to work on the many projects that Cathy has around their house. I have borrowed many of their books. I have spent many hours crying and lamenting and laughing with them. Their patience and acceptance of me has brought immeasurable amounts of healing to my life.
I don’t want to know where I would be today if it wasn’t for these people. I’m sure that many of you have these same kinds of people in your own life. They may even be the exact same people that I have!
Now, I want to talk about some of the people that I have been able to invest in.

Some of you might remember my friend, Cleide, because I have mentioned her before in my blogs. She is a teacher at CDR, and has been around missionaries for most of her life. Through those missionaries, she has gain a relationship with God, an experience of family, and speaks fluent English. She is charismatic and extremely intelligent. Over the past year, our friendship has been a constant source of strength and laughter in my life. We have prayed together on several occasions about many things. We have been honest with each other, rather than putting on a ‘happy face’. I have been able to help her on many occasions financially. And she has fallen in love with my Red Curry Chicken. I feel that I am just one more human notch that God has prepared along the way for Cleide and her family. I am just one person here at this special time in Cleide’s life, helping her move on to the next level.

I want to also tell you about my young friend, Manoela. Her and Cleide have been friends for years, and Manoela also works at CDR teaching English for the children’s classes. She is also incredibly smart, but very shy. For Manoela, the longer I know her, the more I discover how amazing and gifted she is. Its like unlocking a secret. I have the privilege of teaching her English, and she is a member of my small group. Over the past year, it has been wonderful to watch her grow and be stretched as she becomes more willing to open herself up to others about her deep heart. I have made an effort to try and support her in anyway I can. I am currently working on trying to convince her to come with me to Portel. Her gifts with children would be a valuable asset there.
Both of these girls are my friends, but I have made a point to challenge them in different ways. I see all the amazing potential they both have, and my desire is to stand behind them and be a support whenever possible.
But you see, the only reason I am able to bless these girls in anyway at all is because someone first blessed me. We were all designed to do this, no matter where we are in our lives. We cannot measure in this life how many other lives we can touch just by simply taking the time to invest in one. Most people won’t do something “big” to change the world, but we can all do something small consistently and faithfully to change the world. I believe this is one of the most important ways for us to go about “storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven.” Please, think of the people around you who could use your help and encouragement and support. What opportunities could you help give them? What potential do they have that you could help them reach? I hope you will think on these things.
I love you all and can’t wait to see you soon! God bless you and your families!

Allison
Go to Source

Nov, 21

ZDolan Steve

November Amazon Update!

Thank you so much for your support.

Elba was in London England this month participating in a board meeting for the Vineyard Institute. She has been a part of the board for over a year. She was asked to come onto the board to participate in the creation of global theological training. The Vineyard recognized that there is a need for the Vineyard family globally to unite together to improve theological training, so with this in mind they created the Vineyard Institute, the first worldwide Vineyard partnership for theological training. Vineyard Institute is a multinational, multicultural and multigenerational working partnership between all Vineyard Churches; with the aim to move forward and unite existing, recognized and future theological training under one umbrella, in order that leaders can be trained and supported at all levels of church life around the globe. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the site http://vineyardinstitute.org/

After the meetings, Elba and her friend were able to do some sightseeing and also got to visit France.

CDR, led a vaccination campaign for good treatment toward children and adolescents in Altamira. This campaign was not just ran in Altamira but nationwide. The objective of the campaign was to help combat the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents by raising awareness to the public. The campaign was aimed at adults for the good treatment of children and adolescents through a symbolic vaccination, in which adults are vaccinated by the youth in the community. The vaccination was a piece of candy and the adults signed a vaccination card promising to treat children and adolescents well and help if any abuse is known. Before heading out to the streets, everyone received training through various workshops. Did you know that in Brazil, each year, 12 % of the 55.6 million children below 14 years are victims of some type of violence (SIPANI, 2009). Moreover, one in three girls (and one in four boys) are sexually abused before age 18, according to the Brazilian Association of Multidisciplinary Child Protection and Adolescence (ABRAPIA). We need to do our part to protect our children and abolish this evil in the world. Thankfully, we had many churches come out and participate in the campaign. I love it when the body of Christ comes together and is united. It is a beautiful and powerful thing.

The girls had a dance presentation at their school and they did a great job.

We are planning to come back to the States on December 6^th. We should arrive in Ohio on December 23^rd and will be leaving to come back to Brazil the early part of February. We are excited to see our family and friend. We are also excited to see my Dad. He is starting his 4^th week of a 7 week chemo and radiation treatments. Praise God he seems to be holding up well so far. However, he is having a difficult time speaking and swallowing. Please pray that he will be healed completely back to normal again. Thanks!!!

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:

http://www.xingu.org/14d_dolan_donation.html

Nov, 9

ZDolan Steve

November 2013 Newsletter

September 21st marked the end of our ninth year in Brazil. We are blessed to know and share life with the people of Northern Brazil and we couldn’t do that without you. You are a significant part of the ministry in Brazil! Thank you!

___________________________

For six months we’ve been working on the construction of a multi-purpose building. We hope to have rough construction of Phase 1 completed by year-end, then comes all the finish work. When Phase 1 is completed the building will serve as our initial church and our community development center. Long-term plans include; Phase 2 – building the second story, and Phase 3 – a large attached auditorium.

Our team has been doing most of the construction ourselves. Our hope has been that this hands-on approach would allow us to naturally integrate into the community as real people involved in the daily business of life. This strategy has been very successful in making us accessible and allowing us to gain access to the daily lives of others. It has served to break some of the regional stereotypes about pastors and church.

____________________________

Though our multi-purpose building is long from being ready, our garage is now too small for the church. Growth is stifled because of space, and rainy season is just around the corner. As we talked about where we could move to, we thought of a nearby building that was being used as a bar. We knew its client base was pretty weak but had no idea that it would go bankrupt within a few days. As a team we thought the building was great and a good price, but before we could formally close the deal the owner came back and lowered the price.

During the week we want to use the new building as a type of community center. We envision an atmosphere that is simple, safe, and pleasant; a place that attracts people, to hang out or just stop in.

We believe this community center will create significant relationships, break-down preconceptions about church, and provide opportunities for our church body to get involved and practice their faith in a relevant way. However, it will also be administratively demanding. Please pray with us as we seek wisdom for using this new facility effectively.

___________________________

We’ve had a full couple of months with plenty of “firsts” for the church here. We held our first baptism and church picnic at the river. Five people were baptized and we had a wonderful time of fun and fellowship.

The men held the first men’s retreat including, fishing, swimming, eating, conversation, devotions and sleeping under the stars.

The first use of our new rented space was to host a celebration for national Children’s Day. We held games with many chances to win prizes, story time with puppets., and a snack along with free time to just play or jump on the trampoline. We had around 50 kids come as well as many youth and adult helpers. It was a success and we hope the kids felt cherished.

___________________________

With all that is going on in Pacajá we’re reminded that a huge challenge for the modern church is figuring out how to contextualize Christian community life. How can the church balance community and individualism? How can the church maintain community that is accessible, relevant, vibrant, fun and even spontaneous? In our region the church at large has not done a great job of this. We believe this has been one reason that so many people don’t see church as relevant, even people seeking real life change.

We’re giving a lot of attention to trying to do better than the church at large, but admittedly we’re not exactly sure how to. However we’ve been encouraged, that people seem to feel our group is a safe, fun, and relevant place. We sense a family type atmosphere amongst the group and are seeing people invest their personal time and finances to help each other and the church community. Please pray with us as we try to form a group that is serious about Jesus and is relevant to everyday life.

___________________________

Prayer requests:

· Spiritual growth for the new believers

· Wisdom to guide this growing group

· Family—health, unity, college, etc.

· Finances for the building project

___________________________

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

Blessings in Christ,

The Wilsons

Oct, 23

ZDolan Steve

October Amazon update!

Thank you so much for your consideration to donate to us and our ministries. It is a blessing. We pray you enjoy the below email. To donate online please click http://www.xingu.org/14d_dolan_donation.html

This month we had a free dental clinic at CDR. As you are aware, CDR is our community outreach center. We had 2 dentists and 3 helpers from our sister church in Brasilia come to Altamira to help people in the community get free dental treatment. It was such a blessing to the community. Many people just could not believe how professional and nice they were treated. We converted Elba’s office into the dental clinic and they served over 170 people. We also did a clinic to teach the children how to care for their teeth, and gave them fluoride treatments.

Elba led a weeklong conference at our training camp for some pastors that live outside of the city. The conference focused on our values, and essentially who we are as a church. It was a very fruitful time for the pastors because they had the opportunity to reconnect with their fellow laborers, and get a refreshment course on our core values.

Also, this month we celebrated Children Day’s in Brazil. Children’s day is a National holiday. We had a big showing at the church with lots of children participating in the fun. We had clowns, a play about the love of Christ, and various games, such as tug of war, face painting, bowling, fishing, and potato sack races. The members of the church came out in force to make this a special day for the children.

On a personal note, we are planning to come back to the States on December 6^th. We should arrive in Ohio on December 23^rd and will be leaving the early part of February. We are excited to see our family and friend. We are also excited to see my Dad. He has been recovering well. He started his 7 weeks of chemo and radiation treatments on Monday October 21^st. This will be a tough go for him, so please continue to keep praying for him. Thanks!!!

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:

http://www.xingu.org/14d_dolan_donation.html

I found this pray mantis on our shelf and I got a good picture.

Sep, 19

ZDolan Steve

September Amazon Update!

We were invited to go to the Belo Monte Dam project so that we could start weekly church services. The Belo Monte is a hydroelectric dam complex that will be third largest in the world and is currently under construction on the Xingu River (more pictures below). The first night of church service had a nice turnout. Many people from many denominations came to celebrate and praise God. Everyone was so happy because they had not frequented church on the complex for some time because they just finished building the church. We were the first ones to have church in their new building. Pastor Athila spoke and when asked if anyone would like prayer, almost everyone came up. The Spirit of God was present and we are praying for continued success. Please join us in that prayer.

This month the church went to the river and held a baptism. There were several people that got baptized and the presence of the Lord was touching people. I really love watching people getting baptized along the river. First, I like the public testimony that it gives to people in the community. Second, I love that during the baptism the church is along the river singing and worshiping God. Lastly, the symbolism of letting the person be completely immersed in water being baptized into Jesus’ death on the cross and no longer being slaves to self or sin. When they are raised out of the water they are raised into a new life in Christ and are with Him forever. Praise the Lord and may His transforming power be upon each of them and us daily.

On a personal note and somewhat embarrassing for me, I had a birthday, and our friends at our cell group had a surprise birthday party. Unfortunately, it cannot be a just a little get together to eat cake and talk with friends. No, they always need to take it to the next level. Below they dressed me up and gave me a mustache with eye liner. Such fun….Not….I guess I should be happy that they did not break any eggs over my head.

We went to a local creek to get some relief from the heat. The water was so cool and refreshing and we had a nice time. The girls found this vine that was converted into a swing, however, it did not swing very high but it was fun for them. These are the some of the benefits of being in the Amazon basin.

We want to thank you for all your prayers for my Dad. He is now at home and recovering well. The nurses at the hospital were impressed on how fast he has been recovering. The power of so many prayers! Once he is recovered from the surgery, he will begin radiation treatments to make sure that all of the cancer cells are destroyed. Thanks for your continued prayers for my Dad, Mike Dolan. Below is a picture of my brother Jay, Marty and my Dad.

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:

http://www.xingu.org/14d_dolan_donation.html

The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam will be the third largest in the world. I guess the Discovery Channel came here to do an episode of Megabuilders (I think that is what they call it). The area pictured below is just one sliver of the total project.

Aug, 18

ZDolan Steve

Saturday Night

Saturday Night in Marabá from Ritchard Bergen

I do not know what these young people would have been doing last night had we not moved to Marabá 5 years ago.

I do know that many of their friends and family have made very difficult choices, and many of them are no longer here.

This is how God transforms things for good. He changes people, who change neighbourhoods, who change cities, states, and countries.

I am so glad to working with Ivanildo and Monica, Aline and Eliel, who made last night fun for our neighbours. I am also so grateful for every person, and there are very many, who have helped this Marabá project get to where it is today!

Thank you,

Rick Bergen.

Aug, 11

ZDolan Steve

Spiritual Retreat

Church planters, pastors, and missionaries do so much good in the world. Unfortunately, the attrition and burn-out rate are high, and this can undo the good work, and even be damaging. Steve Summerall told us, “Like a boat, we all leave a wake behind us. Some people understand what the waves they make, and some people have no idea.”

To increase the good, and to lessen the harm, Vineyard leaders from the United States have been encouraging a few Vineyard leaders from around Brazil to gather once or twice a year for two or three days, for a spiritual formation retreat. During these retreats we have the opportunity to become quiet, to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Other benefits include the deepening sense of family and community among us leaders, even though cultures vary greatly from region to region.

One of the exercises we did this week was to reflect on Luke 15:11-32. We were asked to identify with the younger son, who rebelled and then came back home. In the afternoon we went to our solitary places and reflected on how we are like the older son, who was not happy to see his repentant younger brother. Another time we reflected on God’s father-heart. What is it like for God when we, His children, act like this? What does God really think about us? This is a rich, powerful way to read the bible.

This time our retreat was located in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil. It is cold here. While we waited for a few others to arrive on our first day, we hiked to nearby waterfalls. The last day we ended with a meal that included ribs that were barbecued for 8 hours, along with entertainment from the gauchos, the local cowboy culture.

I cannot express how grateful I am to participate in these retreats. Now how can I bring this sense of community and personal relationship with God back to Marabá? How can I guard against our church simply becoming a bunch of meetings and things we do and don’t do? How can we help our neighbours understand how to relate in a healthy way to the Father, and to fully life life here with Him?

« »