Xingu Mission Field Report February 2024

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Xingu Website

Hello from Brazil!

We just held our missionary care retreat. This retreat was led by Michael and Helen Hansen. Michael provided a great perspective for us to discuss and ponder. In our short time together we witnessed God working in and through us. We were reminded how even our little interactions with others is a time to minister and can impact a person.

Our time is limited, our talents are limited, and God is pleased when we embrace those limitations and remain faithful to his plans for us. Our faithfulness and love for God is a Kingdom success.

We at the Xingu Mission have a clear sense of our call to plant churches and train leaders. We do what we do out of love for God and a desire for others to know God’s love for them. Your support in us fulfilling this role in God’s Kingdom is greatly appreciated.

We want to encourage you to embrace your time and talents and remain faithful to the place God has called you to serve.

Have a blessed month!

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Xingu Mission
Contact us:
Derek.Blaylock@xingu.org
Steve.Dolan@xingu.org
Patty.Fultz@xingu.org
Bob.Lesher@xingu.org
Christopher.Meyer@xingu.org 
Keith.Wilson@xingu.org
Marsha.Wilson@xingu.org

Our mailing address is:
Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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Jan, 27

XM

Blaylock

Blaylock Missions Jan 2024 Newsletter


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Happy New Years!

Happy New Years!

We had a wonderful holiday season here in Brasil. This was our second Christmas here, and this year it felt much more like home. That is not to say that we did not miss you all, but the Lord has blessed us with an amazing community here, and a prevading sense of beloning and peacefulness. We are glad to get to serve with these wondefully commited, passionate, and sincere people here in Macapa.

January is a big month for birthdays for the Blaylock family. Adalee turned 6 years old on Jan 16! Amaris turned 10 on Jan 25th! We are so proud of our amazing girls. They re growing up in so many ways: in adjusting to thier new home, in learning the language, in making friends, in serving the church, and especially in thier relationship with Jesus.

This month we are traveling. We leave next week to travel to Belem and then on to another city in order to meet with the rest of the Missāo Xingu team from all over Brazil. This will be a time for reflection, prayer, and planning.

We are coming back to the United States this year! Late this coming summer we will be traveling back to the USA for a few months for our stateside assignment. This will be a time for us to visit with you all, share what God has been doing, and our ministry plans for the next season. I will be starting to reach out to you all in the near future.

Thank you for all that you do and for who you are!

Love,

Derek, Amanda, Selah, Amaris, Josiah, and Adalee

Prayer Request:

1. Language Learning

2. Travel Mercy and Safety

3. Our Replacement Leaders As We Transition

4. Clarity For Our Future Team Members

Ministry Support

Thank you all for your feverent prayers and faithful support.

Prayer Support: We hope to increase our prayer support network and this will be a major focus for us this year. If you know anyone who may be interested please share this link with them: Newsletter Signup!

Ministry Funds: After we return to Brazil from our stateside assignment we will be moving to a new city to start new churches. To facilitate our move we will need some one-time assistance to help us and some core team members to relocate.

Additionally, as the scope of our ministry expands so will the funding needs. This year we will begin raising increased monthly ministry support. If you would like to assist with this please use the button below

Donate

What Do You Want?

For the last six or seven months I have been thinking a lot about the nature of desire. More generally, I have been asking myself and the Holy Spirit how we harness desire when it comes to making and being disicples. And to do this in a way that asnwers the questions that Millenials and Gen Z are asking. (In Brazil, these two generations are remarkabley similar to their American counterparts in outlook, internal narratives, and the questions they ask.)

We (rightly) tend to start where Jesus said we should: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”” – Matthew 16:24

In teaching this, however, I think that it is easy to make two fundamental errors:

1. Focusing on the intellectual content of the command.

2. Disicpling people to move against desires in a way that draws us away from the Lord rather than to Him. (I’ll disucss this one in the next newsletter).

Regarding the first. Mot of our attempts to convey this teaching tend to come in the form of presentation of content, a thorough exegesis, or an apologetic. That is – our methodology can tend to be principly an attempt to present the right information. That is of course where we have to start, but the information along with an admonishment of “now that you know this just do it” is simply not enough. It’s a mistake to think that solid exegisis, a thorough theological articulation, and an appeal to reason will produce meaningful change. The presentation is not aimed at the right apsect of our human experince. The Bible presents us not as principly rational beings, but as affective, desiring beings. For us, intent is nearly always prior to content.

It is nearly always the case, and esepcailly in something as profund as our sexuality or politics, that our desires pre-shape our intellect and the rational reception of information.

If you don’t believe me, this election season I invite you try to present the most rational, well reasoned case for your chosen political candidate to someone of the opposit political party in an attempt to have them intellectualy acknowledge the veracity of your claims and switch political affiliations. Good luck.

We contend not only with the stark, intellectual facts of our argument. We also must address deeply held ideas and images of the heart that shape how people interpret facts and information. And we must do this in a posture of humility and with the dispositions that come from the fruits of the Spirit rather than from a combative posuture, and the fruits that come from a mentality that we are under seige.

In his book Rennovation of the Heart the theologian Dallas Willard says that ideas are “very general models of or assumptions about reality. They are patterns of interpretation, historically developed and socially shared…Our idea system is a cultural artifact, growing up with us from our earliest childhood and out of the teachings, expectations, and observable behaviors of family and community” (pg 96-97).

Regarding images he says “Images are always concrete or specific, as opposed to the abstractness of ideas, and are heavily laden with feeling…they frequently present themselves with the force of perception and have a powerful emotional and sensuous linkage to governing idea systems.’ (pg 99).

These ideas and images, tightly bound up to our desires for the good life, are the primary stronghold of human evil in society and serve as the locus of our personal and social contentions.

I don’t think that the word order of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6, or the word order of the Great Commandment in Matthew 22 is accidental. It start first with this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart..” and then it goes on to speak of loving with all your soul, strength, and mind. The heart, that is the affective, desiring aspect of our being, holds a place of primacy in our lives when it comes to both proclaming the Good News, and in being disicpled in the Way of Jesus.

So when it comes to faithfully addressing questions of political action, of human sexuality, of worship styles, or of disicpleship methodologies, we often must address the question beyond the initial question. We often have to dig deeper to find out the why behind the questions of poltics, or sexuality, or worship styles. To do that, we must pull on the threads of desire which will lead us to the deeply held ideas and images, and beyond that – ultimatley to the desire for God Himself that is the most fundamental truth of our being.

This is admittadly hard work. It’s much easier to gather a crowd to hear an amazing exegesis of the Bible, than it is to cultivate the sort the life-on-life know-how and facilitate the sort of intimate gatherings that allow for exmainination and exegsesis of the heart.

Despite the difficulty, it is worth the effort. And cultivating an ecclesiology that facilitates the examination of desire will be a major focus of this next season of ministry for us.

In undertaking this endeavor, Jesus’ question to Blind Bartimaues in Mark 10 might be the most pertinent starting question: “What do you want me to do for you?”

Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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Dec, 8

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report December 2023

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Xingu Website

Happy Christmas! The field report highlights current needs of the missionaries. Please consider partnering with us.

The Apostle John wrote in Revelation that he saw every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven praising God. Missions exists to this end. John Piper says it best “Worship is the goal and the fuel of missions: Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” We count it a privilege and joy to know and worship Christ, and we want everyone to know this joy and the peace, hope, and love that come with it.

We are thankful that you follow what we are doing to further the Kingdom of God here in Brazil. To end the year, we want to share the specific needs of the missionaries on the field. Please partner with one of the missionaries and consider how you can generously fuel missions to bring about worship.

Click here to Donate – Missionaries and Bases

Steve and Elba Dolan – Steve and Elba moved to Belém, Pará, and have started a church plant there, beginning with a small group in their home. It is a capital city, and the cost of living is higher for them. They are also looking into moving the filter project to Belém. Steve oversees the Altamira/Macapá base. Elba is a national and regional church leader. They are looking for 15 people committed to giving $50 a month to partner with them.

Keith and Marsha Wilson – Keith and Marsha are church planting in Palmas, Tocantins also a capital city. They have started with a small group in their home. They also assist in training leaders in a sister church. Keith oversees the Pacajá/Palmas base. Marsha oversees the water filter project. The Palmas base needs to increase monthly operation support by $500 monthly (10 people giving $50).

Christopher and Denise Meyer – Christopher and Denise are the senior pastors of two churches in Macapá and are involved in training other leaders. They are constantly running short of financial resources. They need to increase $500 in monthly contributions.

Bob Lesher – Bob assists with the churches in Macapá. He focuses on an outreach ministry. Please consider helping financially with this outreach by giving to Macapá.

Derek and Amanda Blaylock – Derek and Amanda continue their language learning and cultural adaptation as they get more involved in serving the churches in Macapá. They are in need of larger one-time gifts for ministry and travel expenses coming up. They also need to increase their monthly support.

We are blessed to be a blessing. Consider these needs as 2023 closes, and you make plans for the coming year. God bless!

Click here to Donate – Missionaries and Bases

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Forward

Xingu Mission
Contact us:
Derek.Blaylock@xingu.org
Steve.Dolan@xingu.org
Patty.Fultz@xingu.org
Bob.Lesher@xingu.org
Christopher.Meyer@xingu.org 
Keith.Wilson@xingu.org
Marsha.Wilson@xingu.org

Our mailing address is:
Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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Nov, 16

XM

Blaylock

Blaylock Missions Christmas 2023


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Christmas 2023 Newsletter

Hey Friends and Family!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all! We hope that you are doing well, that your faith is prospering in every good endeavor, and that the joy of the Lord would increase for you as we enter into a very special time in the church calendar. This will be our last newsletter for the year as we are looking forward to focusing on the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. We will also be taking some time as a family to refresh and unwind before heading into a very busy new year in 2024.

We are entering this season with celebration! God has been working in the churches here, bringing people to Himself in faith, growing leaders, working miracles (yes, real miracles), growing families, and strengthening the community. Recently, we celebrated all of this with a large baptism and worship service (more on that below).

Thank you for your prayers regarding vision for the next season. Our prayers, conversations, and strategy meetings have been fruitful, and we think that we have some solid direction for the next season of ministry here in Brazil. We look forward to discussing that with you in the new year.

Our family is doing well. We all experienced a bout of illness that left us out of commission for two weeks, but we have now fully recovered. We looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with our missions partners, putting up our Christmas tree, watching Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life, and enjoying our 2nd Christmas in Brazil together.

We do plan on returning for stateside assignment next August. We found a ministry in Houston that provides vehicles for missionaries who are back stateside and have submitted our application. They told us to apply now, so we did. Please pray that they can provide a vehicle for us when we return home.

Every year during this season, I always make the time to read St. Athanasius’ essay called On The Incarnation. It is a beautiful reflection on the reasons for, and outcomes of, Jesus’s incarnation. I want to leave you with an excerpt:

“For in speaking of the appearance of the Savior amongst us, we must needs speak also of the origin of men, that you may know that the reason of his coming down was because of us, and that our transgression called forth the loving-kindness of the Word, that the Lord should both make haste to help us and appear among men…

For by his becoming man, the Savior was to accomplish both works of love: first, in putting away death from us and renewing us again; secondly, being unseen and invisible, in manifesting and making himself known by his works to be the Word of the Father, and the ruler and king of the universe.”

God’s Immense Grace To You All!

Much Love,

Derek, Amanda, Selah, Amaris, Josiah, and Adalee

Prayer Request

1. Fruitfulness and Formation in our Discipleship Groups.

2. Language & Cultural Comprehension.

3. Provision of Furlough Vehicle

4. Leadership Training and Leadership Pipeline at the Two Churches

5. Homesickness During The Holiday Season

Celebrating New Life

Thank you all for your prayers and support on behalf of the ministry here in Macapa. This last year has been a fruitful one for our two churches. Last Sunday week we rented a space to throw a party! We have had 20 people commit their lives to Jesus and join the church by taking their first steps in obedience through baptism. As you can see, God has been working in both young and old, and men and women. This is the result of the Holy Spirit empowering not only the pastors but also small group leaders and everyday disciple-makers committed to seeing what the Father is doing and joining Him in it.

This is not only the result of the work here. Your intercession on our behalf, your generous financial contributions, and your encouraging communication to us here – it all makes an impact for the Kingdom!

Praise God for the lives that He is changing here, and thank you for all that you are and everything that you do!

Support

Prayer Support – We always need more prayer support! If you know someone that might be interested in receiving these updates and praying with us please send this link. They will get an introductory letter about us and the mission when they sign up.

Financial Support – ln this coming year we will have some one-time ministry expenses. If you are able contribute, please use the link below:

Donate

Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785, Columbus
OH 43234 United States

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Nov, 10

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report November 2023

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Xingu Website

Happy Thanksgiving! This report is sharing the teams gratitudes this past year.

Gratitude is the single best predictor of well-being. We at Xingu Mission are thankful for God and his presence and provision in our lives and ministry. We are also grateful for all those that partner with us.

Along the lines of gratitude, each missionary will share gratitude specific to their ministry this past year. Rejoice with us!

Derek: I am grateful to see some growth in the leadership of the churches and the new small groups reaching their neighborhoods. (Macapá)

Amanda: I am grateful that even without complete language fluency, I have been able to love and serve the churches here in an effective way. (Macapá)

Steve: We are grateful that the Lord has called us to Belem. (Belém)

Elba: I am grateful for the excitement for the future of the Vineyard movement in Brazil. (Belém)

Bob: I am grateful for the leading of the Lord with the outreach ministry “LOVE IN ACTION.” It has been a desire of mine to participate in this type of ministry for some time. We are seeing some fruit of our labors recently! (Macapá)

Christopher: I am thankful for our assistant pastors in both churches. A few years ago, Denise and I really started to feel the toll of pastoring two churches while also raising two small children. We knew that we were dealing with burnout, so we began to pray that God would rise up new pastors who could work with us in the two churches. About a year ago, we licensed assistant pastors at Vineyard Macapá and Vineyard Viva. At the time, we felt peace from God about the decision, but there was still a huge mystery of how it would all work out. Although it took a little bit of time to develop a rhythm with our new co-workers, once we found that rhythm, it has worked out amazingly at both churches. It has taken such a huge load off of Denise’s and my shoulders. We are looking forward to our continued work with these new pastors for years to come. (Macapá)

Denise: One thing that I have been thankful for this last year in ministry is the community that God has surrounded us with. Multiple times this past year, God has brought to my attention the community he built through Christopher and me, not just from a growth ministry perspective, but also from a personal perspective. When we moved to Macapá 8 years ago, Christopher and I didn’t know anyone in the city. We have passed through some lonely times. Our community here has become our family, and not just people that we take care of and minister to, but also are the ones taking care of and ministering to us. (Macapá)

Keith: I’m thankful for God’s grace and presence in bringing about His ministry uniquely through each of us. I am not surprised that He does act in favor of the ministry that He calls each of us into, but for me, it always seems amazing and an adventure to see how, when, and by whom He acts. This element of creativity and the expectation of being confident that God will act somehow produces in me joy, eagerness, great purpose, and calmness, all at the same time, a thankfulness for who God is and how he invites us each to join in His plans, purposes, and action. Even in the thick of straining to see what He is doing next, this thankfulness shines as I reflect on what He has been doing. (Palmas)

Marsha: I am grateful for encouragers and God’s faithfulness. Starting a church plant as a team of 2 is sometimes discouraging and lonely. Encouragers both within our little group in Palmas and supporters outside strengthen us, bring insight, and help us feel not so alone. God, in his faithfulness, allows me to continue steadfast when these discouraging and lonely times come, fully knowing that his hand is upon me and He will fulfill his purpose. (Palmas)

Know that you are a blessing!

Click here to Donate – Missionaries and Bases

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Xingu Mission
Contact us:
Derek.Blaylock@xingu.org
Steve.Dolan@xingu.org
Patty.Fultz@xingu.org
Bob.Lesher@xingu.org
Christopher.Meyer@xingu.org 
Keith.Wilson@xingu.org
Marsha.Wilson@xingu.org

Our mailing address is:
Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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Oct, 23

XM

Blaylock

Blaylock October 2023 Missions Newsletter


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October 2023 Newsletter

Hey Friends and Family!

Happy fall to you all! Our favorite season in the United States was always fall. As the weather cools off, ball season starts up, and the rhythms of school, play, work, and church get into full swing. We miss the changing seasons. Here in Brazil, we have two seasons: hot and dry or hot and wet! We are in the dry season, which will last another 6-8 weeks.

As our other pastors return from furlough or come back from paternity leave, Amanda and I are able to hand back over some of the extra responsibilities that we have been attending to during this last season. This is allowing us to both focus and double down on some core areas. This is also allowing for additional time in our prayer investment, relational outreach, and the new small group that we are fostering in our neighborhood.

This last month, Derek and Adalee flew to Belem to visit with some of our leadership – Steve and Elba Dolan. After much prayer, fasting, discernment, study, and discussion, we think we have narrowed down the region where God is calling us to when our time in Macapa is complete. The trip allowed us to discuss this and begin the corporate discernment process. It was a great visit and Adalee had a blast! She adores Elba, and we appreciate the time that Elba took to dote on her. Elba exemplifies the Kingdom value of welcoming and attending to children.

We also celebrated Selah’s 11th Birthday! She had a great time celebrating together with our family and her best friend here.

Outside of some regular, seasonal flu, our family is doing well, and we are integrating into the rhythms and culture of our new community.

Below, we discuss a very special holiday: Dia das Crianças!

Below are our prayer requests. Please keep them in mind and pray for us in these various endeavors. Your prayers ARE greatly appreciated and greatly needed.

Much Love,

Derek, Amanda, Selah, Amaris, Josiah, and Adalee

Prayer Request

1. Fruitfulness and Formation in our Discipleship Groups.

2. Language & Cultural Comprehension.

3. Discernment for The Next Season.

4. Leadership Training and Leadership Pipeline at the Two Churches.

5. For our children as several of them have recently mentioned missing friends and family back in the US.

Dia das Crianças

On October 12, 1923, Rio de Janeiro hosted the South American Children’s Congress. The congress brought together scholars and politicians from several countries to foster dialogue and raise solutions around education, health, food, and safety of children. As a result of the success of this conference, Brazil mandated that October 12 would be recognized as Dia das Crianças in Brazil to honor its children, commemorate the value of childhood, and recognize the sacred trust of developing the nation’s children.

This holiday coincides with a federal holiday called Our Lady of Aparecida, which commemorates Mary’s Immaculate Conception of Jesus. As such, everybody takes the day off work and throws a big party!

Here, children are given gifts and special treats, and there are often parties or family gatherings held to honor the kids. Here it seems as if more presents are exchanged on this day than on Christmas.

Our churches came together to host a special event to commemorate this day with the community. We see in the Gospels the special care and attention that Jesus has for children and seek to emulate that. We have learned that if we approach the children in an incredibly intentional way by practicing the critical Kingdom value and spiritual discipline of welcoming and attending to the presence of children in a corporate manner, that Jesus is especially present to us!

Mathew 18: 1- 5 states:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

The word ‘welcome’ in verse 5 is the word dechomai. It means to embrace, pay full attention to, and offer hospitality to someone. Jesus explicitly states here that when we offer welcome – offer dechomai – to a child – we also receive His presence and encounter the Kingdom of God!

This is something that our family has gotten to lean into ministerially in a very special way during this season. Amanda is in charge of the children’s ministry at Vineyard Viva, and we both frequently serve in the nursery or as teachers for children’s church. We can attest to the truthfulness of the above verses. We have encountered Jesus in a special way as we attended to these precious kiddos that God has entrusted to this community.

Support

Prayer Support – The success of our church planting here is very much dependent upon the faithful and fervent prayer of God’s people. If you know someone that might be interested in receiving these updates and praying with us please send this link. They will get an introductory letter about us and the mission when they sign up.

Financial Support – We are continually amazed at the generosity and provision we receive from you all. If you would like to contribute, please use the link below:

Donate

Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785, Columbus
OH 43234 United States

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Oct, 13

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report October 2023

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Xingu Website

A happy fall to all! This report highlights the short-teams. We want you to come!

Why should you go on a short-term overseas mission trip?

Short-term team members offer encouragement, love, respect, and support from back home to the missionaries, local ministries, and the local church body, producing a long-term impact.

Short-term teams gain a global perspective of God’s Kingdom and the spiritual growth of its participants when used by God.

A few short-term teams have recently visited the ministries here in Brazil, ranging from 2 to 4 people.

A team of 2, accompanied by the Wilsons, visited a region with a long-term relationship, helped make water filters, ministered, and gave first aid training.

A team of 3 from the Meyer´s sending church visited Macapá and the work there. They held conferences at two churches, participated in outreach events giving food away, hosted a fellowship time with a cookout, made numerous home visits praying for people, and got in a jungle/nature day.

A team of 4, accompanied by the Dolans, currently in the country at the time of this writing, traveled to the interior of Pará and are building restrooms at a church plant on the river.

They also held a service in that location and at the home church reaching out to this river area.

In all cases, the local ministries and the local churches felt blessed by the teams, and relationships were formed or solidified through the team’s visits. With today’s translating technology, several continue to write back and forth with their Brazilian friends. The missionaries love sharing their work with the teams. It’s been expressed that it is therapeutic for them.

Do you want to partner better with God’s work in Brazil? Come for a visit and get personally connected. We’ll have the coffee waiting!

Check out the videos on short-term teams on the home page of our website. http://www.xingu.org

Click here to Donate – Missionaries and Bases

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Xingu Mission
Contact us:
Derek.Blaylock@xingu.org
Steve.Dolan@xingu.org
Patty.Fultz@xingu.org
Bob.Lesher@xingu.org
Christopher.Meyer@xingu.org 
Keith.Wilson@xingu.org
Marsha.Wilson@xingu.org

Our mailing address is:
Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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Sep, 19

XM

Wilson

September 2023 Update

Palmas Church

In March, we were finally able to start a home group inviting all the people we know in Palmas, most of whom have no significant church experience besides our team.

Our initial focus has been on “breaking the ice,” seeking to connect this diverse group of people and introduce Christianity as relevant and relational. We’ve been sensitive to the social dynamics and people’s religious experiences, reservations, and doubts, working hard to create an atmosphere where people can engage openly.

As we get to know and trust each other, we’ve increasingly gone deeper in our discussion of the Kingdom of God and become more personal. This disconnected group of random people is starting to form into an informal community.

We are still at the very early stages of anything that might be called a “church,” but we are excited that people appear comfortable and engaged and consider the group relevant.

Please continue to pray with us. We believe God has called us to nurture a mature, culturally relevant, socially engaged, and spiritually intimate community of believers in Palmas. As we work intentionally toward that, we need God’s direction, grace, and equipping at every step.

Life in Palmas

Palmas is so much different than our previous reality in Pacajá! There are several comforts, like restaurants, a mall, sidewalks, no street dogs, etc. But connecting with people and forming relationships in a larger city is also much more difficult.

As we continue to adapt and develop a rhythm of life in our new city, we’re striving to intentionally organize our personal lives around the community’s context in a way that gives us access to people in an organic way.

Daily walks in the neighborhood; frequenting certain stores, restaurants, and parks; participating with the bicycling community; driving with Uber; anything to become exposed and familiar hopefully leading to relationships.

Please pray with us for favor, grace, and new ideas as we try to organize our lives in a manner that is healthy for our family, and strategic for our Kingdom task.

USA Visit

During December 2023, we’ll be in the States for about three weeks. Our primary objective is to connect with our sons and daughters-in-law and the rest of our extended family. But we would also love to connect with you!

If you have some free time during this window, please contact us as early as possible, we would love to get something scheduled!

Prayer

Please pray with us for God to connect us with key people, and direction as we continue to develop a specific strategy for initiating a new church here. Please also, pray for safe travel and great visits in December.

Blessings in Christ,

Keith and Marsha Wilson

Contact and Donation Information

Sep, 18

XM

Blaylock

Blaylock Missions September Newsletter


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September 2023 Newsletter

Hey Friends and Family!

We are sure your fall season is off to an active start! Ours sure is. This month’s update will be a shorter one because we have quite a bit of ministry activity this month.

Our kids have made some new friends in the neighborhood! They have a group of friends that they now see and play with daily. They have all but claimed a giant tree in the field across form our house and are working diligently on constructing a tree fort. This has been wonderful for them, and getting to know a few of these families has been quite encouraging.

This is an important month for both our family and for the mission. We are currently hosting a team from the United States here in Macapa! We love having teams come down because it allows folks to experience cross-cultural ministry, make lasting connections with the people here, and enables our supporters to see firsthand our churches’ passion, work ethic, and spiritual vitality.

We just had a team come down last month to visit the river ministry and water filter project, and we have another team coming down in early October to support our new church planting efforts in other cities. Perhaps you can be the next team down!

Next week, Adalee and Derek are flying to Belem to meet with the leadership to discuss where we believe the Lord is leading us after our time in Macapa. Please pray for discernment for all involved and for a good trip. We hope to update everyone in the near future on these plans.

Below are our prayer requests. Please keep them in mind and pray for us in these various endeavors. Your prayers ARE making a difference.

Much Love,

Derek, Amanda, Selah, Amaris, Josiah, and Adalee

Prayer Request

1. Fruitfulness and Formation in our Discipleship Groups.

2. Language & Cultural Comprehension.

3. Discernment for The Next Season.

4. Leadership Training and Leadership Pipeline.

Support

Prayer Support – The success of our church planting here is very much dependent upon the faithful and fervent prayer of God’s people. If you know someone that might be interested in receiving these updates and praying with us please send this link. They will get an introductory letter about us and the mission when they sign up.

Financial Support – We are continually amazed at the generosity and provision we receive from you all. If you would like to contribute, please use the link below:

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Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785, Columbus
OH 43234 United States

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Sep, 8

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report September 2023

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Blessings to you as fall approaches! This report highlights the Brazilian national pastor’s conference hosted in Northern Brazil.

Care for the caregivers. Through your giving for church planting and training leaders in Brazil, we were privileged to partner with the National Association of Vineyards in Brazil to hold their first national pastor’s conference. More than 80 pastors were present, and it was a time to focus on caring for those who spend their lives serving others.

Why was this special?

Having a national conference supports unity within the body. John 17:23 reminds us that unity allows the world to see God’s love.
Conferences allow pastors to gain a proper perspective on their ministry through the encouragement of one another.
Pastors from different parts of the country allow for new perspectives as one learns different approaches to similar problems through the teachings, break-off sessions, and lunch conversations.
Churches are organic entities that are not static. Being together allows for new insights as the Word is made fresh even as it is eternal. Pastors need to pursue understanding, continued education, and spiritual growth; conferences are a great tool.
Pastors need rest and conferences amongst their peers to allow for the change of pace, setting, and reduced responsibility for a few days.
Conferences nourish the health of the pastor, which benefits the whole church.

Walter Trobisch wrote, “The one who gives out much must also take in much.” Here are a few quotes from attending pastors:

“God spoke strongly in all sessions, but particularly through the phrase “waiting is part of the answer” .
“When I heard reports of difficulties that I faced or was facing, it seemed that I felt stronger and compelled to fight. I felt that God took me there for a rest of my soul. I feel very cared for by God and our leadership.”
“God ministered a lot in my life, about leaving everything in God’s hands and that the ministry is not ours, it’s God’s!”
“This holy mixture of South and North was wonderful!!! How incredible it is to hear the story of each one… the good things and even the difficulties… because this humanity brings us closer to each other and to God.”
“What impacted me were the chat groups, having time to listen to others and be heard.”

It was a worthy investment to support this national pastor’s conference, and your giving helped! Thank you for your support!

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Xingu Mission
Contact us:
Derek.Blaylock@xingu.org
Steve.Dolan@xingu.org
Patty.Fultz@xingu.org
Bob.Lesher@xingu.org
Christopher.Meyer@xingu.org 
Keith.Wilson@xingu.org
Marsha.Wilson@xingu.org

Our mailing address is:
Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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