Paul Friesen, and a team from Cambridge, Ontario, came for a visit.

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Thanks for all your prayers for us.  We are so grateful and could not do this without your intercession.  We pray that you will be blessed with the below update.  .

A team of dentists from Brasilia, Brazil’s national capital, came again to serve the needy by providing dental services.  They had a busy two weeks.  They first went to the Marabá church, then the Pacajá church, and then on the river.  They served 405 people that required a total of 1244 procedures, and provided 887 fluoride treatments.  This is almost double the amount from last year. 

During their time with us last year, they had to perform hundreds of teeth extractions.  They were shocked by the poor condition of the people’s teeth and in an effort to relieve some of the trauma from the extractions.  The team decided to come and make dentures.  The team (including Elba) helped create the molds of the teeth.  We then took the molds and created the denture a couple of days later.  It was a monumental task but they were able to complete the goal and the results were amazing.    

During their time at the churches and river communities they had a chance to share about God’s love and pray for the kids and adults

This month the missionaries got together and had their first missionary retreat.  You might ask “why have a retreat?”  It is said that 29% of the reasons American missionaries leave the field were unpreventable. Leaving the estimated world-wide preventable attrition (A gradual diminution in number or strength because of constant stress) at 71%.  Preventable attrition included six major categories: 1) marriage and family reasons; 2) agency reasons; 3) personal reasons; 4) team reasons; 5) cultural reasons: and 6) work related reasons. Early intervention in the missionary life cycle, even before departure, would have made a difference in these attrition rates.

Craig and Linda Heselton came and taught us about Emotional Intelligence to help retool us and build up the team. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is simple defined as “the ability to recognize one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.”    It was definitely a learning experience for me and one that I hope will create more growth personally and professionally.    

It was also very good to just get all the missionaries together to spend time with one another.  This time together helps to build up our team and re-energize us for the continued road ahead. Our mission is looking to have marathon missionaries, and not sprinters.  For this reason, we are committed to the care of our missionaries so that we can help sustain the calling that the Lord has on their life as life-long missionaries. 

During the missionary care the girls had a great time reconnecting with the other missionary children.  They were essentially inseparable during the whole time we were together.  Every morning they were antsy to go and play with the other kids, and at night they did not want to come in.  We were so grateful for this time.  Also, pictured is Camilly and Alyssa trying to log roll. 

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:

https://xingu.org/opportunities/giving/dolan-ministries/

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Hello to all my very faithful supporters!

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:
I hope I haven’t alarmed you too much, but I do currently have a situation that needs immediate attention. This past weekend, while I was traveling, the school building in which we have our CDR English classes was closed by the owner. Though I don’t know all the details, what I understand is the director of Uniasselvi, which is the school we were renting a room from, was not paying the rent for the building. Therefore, the owner locked up the building with all of our supplies and materials inside. I have been in the process of trying to speak directly to the owner in order to at least get our materials out and possibly, continue to have our classes there. However, in the meantime, I am having to find another solution. Yesterday, I was able to find another school that allowed us to rent a room for the kids class held in the afternoon. My evenings classes, I am going to hold in my house.
My prayer is that this situation is resolved quickly, and that we can be allowed to enter into the building again to have access to our things and also have our classes there again. Please pray with me about this situation.

On a happier note, last week was a great time for our missionary team. A while ago, the team decided that we would start trying to have a Missionary Care Retreat once a year. We all had the pleasure of going to a lovely beach resort located in a city off the coast called Salinas. It is just a few hours away from Belem. While there, we also had the privilege of having the company of Craig and Linda Heselton who are pastors from the Columbus Vineyard. Craig gave us a seminar on Emotional Intelligence. It was encouraging and helpful, and it was great to get to know them better. It was wonderful for all of the missionaries to get to spend some time together away from the work setting. We had a lot of fun, and I believe we grew closer together as a team.

Some of the members of our team

Denise and I enjoying the pool

After the retreat, I visited Altamira for the weekend to spend some much needed time with Ronã. As always, we had a great time together. Please continue to pray for us as we walk out our relationship.

Out to dinner…

 
The next few months are going to be challenging for me. My friend Jennifer, recently went back to the States, and Richie’s family just left to go back on furlough to Canada until February. That means I am alone here in Portel. As I am sure you have already perceived, life can be pretty unpredictable here. Please pray that God takes special care of me in this season.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. They mean so much to me. I pray that you and your family experience peace. I pray that God is near to your heart and that you hear him calling your name. I pray that you know in the deepest place of your soul that he always sees you.

“Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:12
  
Love,
Allison

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Dear Friends and Family,

Well, we are only a few weeks away from our big move to Macapá! Denise and I couldn’t be any more excited! Things are a bit crazy and really busy, but we wanted to give everyone a quick update about what’s been going on. As we have mentioned in our last few newsletters, we are moving to Macapá as base leaders with the goal of planting other churches in the area. Macapá is at the mouth of the Amazon about 300 miles from where we currently live. It is accessible only by plane or boat.

Denise and I just got back from a trip to Macapá. We were there looking for a house to rent. Though the trip had its stressful moments, we found a house that worked for our needs. Our needs aren’t many, but it took some patience and persistence to find a house that had good security, was not too far from the church, had space for the dogs, and was within our budget. God definitely came through for us.

Pictures from the Macapá

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Pastor Felipe

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Denise and my new house

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In a few days Denise and I will be leaving town again on a four-day Missionary Care Retreat. Although we are focused on trying to get everything together for our move, we are both very excited to spend some time on the coast with the other missionaries from Xingu Mission. Longtime family friends, Craig and Linda Heselton who are pastors at Vineyard Columbus, will be joining us for the retreat. They will be meeting with all the missionaries, helping us sort through the ups and downs of the missionary life. It will be great to sort through some of these things before our new undertaking in Macapá!

Hanging out and saying goodbye to some Altamira friends

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Denise and I at the Gurupa Vineyard

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​Denise

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Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray:

• For the Missionary Retreat, that we would be refreshed, envisioned and encouraged as we move into this new adventure with Jesus.
• For our upcoming move to Macapá. Pray for all of the details including the transport of our possessions by barge.
• For increased financial support. We have been strongly encouraged to increase our monthly support.

We are so grateful to those who are supporting us monthly. If anyone would like to begin financial support, please go to the following link on the Xingu Mission website (https://xingu.org/opportunities/giving/meyer-ministries/). Even small amounts given regularly are extremely helpful. We can’t say how much we appreciate your support, financially, relationally, and most of all, your prayers. We love hearing from you!

In His Service,

Christopher and Denise

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Hello to all my Faithful Supporters!

I hope my last blog gave you a better understanding of life here in Brazil. I’m not sure what you imagine missionary life to be like, but maybe you now realize that it is not a paradise! Though, I would like to tell you that everyday, I am saving souls and seeing limbs grow, things are much more mundane in reality.
But I think this reality is normal for most of us. Our days are rarely filled with adventure and excitement teeming with a clear purpose. We ask the question, “Is my life meaningful?” So much of our time can sometimes be filled with seemingly meaningless tasks. We wonder if we are really making head way. Is it amounting to anything?
The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize that I need to find meaning in the mundane. I need to become more aware, everyday, of the subtle and unique way in which the presence of God is entering into my life and the lives of those around me.
A few weeks ago, I was at church and saw that many of the children had an eye infection. These children are poor and their parents, possibly out of ignorance, seem to pay little attention to their needs. I found the medication that they needed, and a few days later, I went to Portelinha to find the children I had seen. I gave their parents the medication and explained how to use it.
I’m not telling you this story to make you think I am a good person. The truth is that when I look at these children, I see a mountain of need that I have no power to attend to. I feel helpless. The medication is such a small gesture, such a temporary fix. I don’t have what they need, and it weighs on me.
I could tell you other stories like this one, and my feelings would be the same about all of them. No matter how much we give, it never seems to be enough. It is a drop in the ocean.
But I have learned to take delight in this drop. I have learned to accept that God takes our little cup of water and turns it into more than we could ever have imagined. I believe he takes these small, precious moments that come along throughout our mundane lives and touches them with his glory.
And so I pray for those children that our simple gifts of love will one day awaken their hearts to the ultimate love that is our God.
It’s easy for us to forget that our physical acts have spiritual significance. For better or worse, each day we change the world with little gestures. My hope is that for all of you who give to this ministry whether a lot or a little, whether through finances or prayer, that you would grasp the significance of your efforts. It is not of your own power, but with the backing of the Spirit of Power that works through us. We have a mission together, a journey taken in short steps. But we are never alone, and the desire of our hearts is always seen. God sees that we wish it were more. God sees our 2 pennies placed in the offering.
Thank you for opening your heart. Whatever little help I can give here, it is possible because of you. You are just as much apart of this as anyone here working in the field. Please, believe that. God bless you.

Love, Allison

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Last year shortly into our new homeschool year I had a horrible day that was part of a series of bad days.  I’m going to be completely honest.  The hardest part of this move to a place full of new things, new climate, new culture, snakes and tarantulas has not been the adjustment to all these new things.

 The aspect that has been the biggest challenge, the one that has brought me to tears and had me consider packing up and leaving…is…HOMESCHOOL. 

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For years, the Alpha resources sat unused on a shelf here in Maraba. 

Why?  Because they had never experienced or seen Alpha running, they didn’t know how to get started.

A few weeks into running the first Alpha here in Maraba, the team loved it.  The Brazilian pastor said it was ‘the best thing they had running’.

Two weeks later we were on a plane headed for Canada after receiving the devastating news that my Dad was dying.

But Alpha kept running, and growing.  Without us.

Since then we have had two Alpha’s in the church, two youth alpha’s and an Alpha in the Street.  Alpha has become part of our churches culture and it’s bringing people to Jesus.

It isn’t the only effective evangelism tool but it’s a good one.  It’s the one that took me from not believing to believing, and ultimately brought me here.  We’re pretty crazy about Alpha.

There are missionaries and Brazilians within the Xingu Mission who also have the materials but don’t know where to start.

They would like us to help them.  An Alpha kick-start if you will.

So, in the coming year it looks as though we could be traveling quite a bit.  Right now, there are four bases that would like us to come for two weeks, train their team and get them started.

We are excited!  We also need your help.  Traveling so much will increase our monthly expenditures and we will need extra funds to make it work. 

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Dear Friends and Family,

I feel like we say this every month, but there has been so much going on lately. This last month has been a whirlwind of exciting events! The month started out with a trip back to our future home, Macapá. As we told you in our last newsletter, we are moving to Macapá as base leaders with the goal of planting other churches in the area. Macapá is at the mouth of the Amazon about 300 miles from where we currently live. It is accessible only by plane or boat.

This month’s trip there was a very important trip because it will be our last time visiting before our move in October. Between spending time with our future co-laborers, getting ideas and information for our living options, and trying to get information on the costs of moving everything we own from one state to another through the Amazon region, it was a busy visit. We tried to spend as much time with as many people in the church as possible. One of our goals was to try and get a better understanding of the pulse of the church, its strengths, weaknesses and the overall vibe. The trip was definitely well worth it. After the visit, I believe that Denise and I have much more clarity on what we are stepping into and we couldn’t be any more excited!

The Macapá Vineyard

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The Women of Macapá

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The Men of Macapá

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Within a few days of our return to Altamira, my dad and my 13 year old nephew, Emerson, arrived in town. My dad came to visit us and speak one of the nights at the Northern Brazil Regional Conference which is called Intervinha. Emerson was just along for his first northern Brazil experience. Denise and I had many responsibilities at Intervinha as well. We were asked to be responsible for organizing all the music at the conference. One idea we implemented was to get as many Vineyard musicians from around the northern region involved in the music instead of only having musicians from one church lead worship. It turned out to be a lot of work and it created some challenges, but in the end we were so happy we did it this way. We hope that this is a model followed at future Intervinhas.

Intervinha Worship

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Dad & Milton at Intervinha

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Denise’s dad, Clinildo, at Intervinha

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Denise and me receiving a blessing

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We also had our good friend, Fabiano, from Southern Brazil coming to help us out with the worship. Fabiano leads Vineyard Music Brazil. Every time I am around Fabiano, I learn so much. He has such a heart for worship and is genuinely just a great guy. One thing that is very important to Fabiano is reproducing true worshiping musicians in the next generation. Because travel is difficult between the north and the south of Brazil, Fabiano talked to Denise and me about the possibility of learning some of the training they do in the South, so we can try to reproduce it in the North. This is something that Denise and I are praying about at the moment.

Milton, the regional leader of Vineyard Southern Brazil, and Felipe, the pastor Denise and I will be joining in Macapá

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After Intervinha we had a week to spend with my dad and Emerson. It is so much fun revealing my life here in Brazil to my family. We spent a few days on the river, spent some time at our favorite waterfall, visited churches, hung out with a lot of friends, and ate a lot of Brazilian food! It was very nice having some time with Emerson – it is amazing how much he has grown! I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. It was also great timing for my dad to visit. He was a great sounding-board for thoughts and ideas we have. We discussed everything from Denise’s and my ideas for the church in Macapá to my thoughts and questions about the first years in marriage. I am very blessed to have a father with such wisdom. The only hard thing about having my family visit is saying goodbye. This is always difficult, but what brings me peace is that I am doing exactly what God has called me to do.

Having fun on the boat

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Showing Emerson fruit in the yard

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Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray:

• For our upcoming move to Macapá. Pray for all of the details including the transport of our possessions by barge, and a safe and affordable home.
• For our financial support. There will be many financial expenses, both in the move and in becoming base leaders in Macapá. We have been strongly encouraged to increase our monthly support.

We love hearing from you. Even short notes are super encouraging. We very much appreciate your financial, prayer and relational support. We couldn’t do this without you and are grateful for each one of you.

In His Service,

Christopher and Denise

Link: https://xingu.org/opportunities/giving/meyer-ministries/

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Hello to All,

Well, my time in the States flew by as you can imagine. I am already back here in Portel, and classes started this week. I am so grateful that I got a chance to have lunch or dinner with some of you and just check up. I regret all those of you that I didn’t get to see. I really hope we get a chance the next time I’m in town. I also want to thank all of you who generously helped me in one way or another while I was there. Your support made the trip the refreshment that I needed.
While I was there, many of you asked the same question, “What is life like in Brazil?”. It’s a question that can be hard to answer, so I decided to do a little project. This week, I wrote down everything I did for one day. Although this one day is not all inclusive about my life here, it is a good representation of what my life can look like from day to day….

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

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