Hello to all my Gracious Friends and Supporters!

I have some news for you all that I have wanted to tell you for a long time. But first, I want to give you all the back story.
As you already know, when I first moved to Brazil, I quickly started teaching English at CDR. I decided to offer my students an extra class if any of them would be interested in more help. A few of my students came, but not many, expect for one. His name was Ronã Moura (pronounced in english Ronan), and he already spoke English very well. Twice a week for almost a year, we met together as I gave him stuff to read in English and then we would discuss it.
Over that time, we developed a friendship that continued as he went on to finish the 4-year program with other teachers. He has since gone on to continue to be apart of CDR in Altamira as a class assistant and teacher.
A little before I came here to Portel, we decided that we would like to know if there was a possibility for our relationship to grow farther than just friendship. Ronã and I discussed this possibility with our leaders and friends, and they suggested that we start a specific process that goes as such. Ronã was a member of a different church at the time, and my leaders didn’t know personally where he was at spiritually. They suggested that he agree to start coming to the Vineyard in Altamira, and start building relationships with the people there. They wanted to discover if he would fit well in the church and in our community. They asked that we would not date during this time to give Ronã a chance to grow.
Over that time, they saw Ronã grow substantially as he involved himself with a home group and practiced with the worship team. They began to see in him what I had seen. That he was kind, vulnerable, and had a very open heart to know and follow God.
Ronã is very unique to me. He reveals a tenderness that I find rare. He is funny and smart. As I said before, his English is very good and he is a teacher at CDR. He recently graduated from the Federal University with a bachelors in Science Education. He has a hunger for learning and excels at whatever he puts his mind to. I have so much respect for him and his attitude toward life. And of course, I think he is cute!
After having completed this process of allowing Ronã to become familair with our church, I sat down and had a conversation with Richie who is the Base Leader here in Portel. Richie said that he was pleased with how Ronã had progressed and with his connection to our community. Richie agreed that he and I could finally start dating. As you can imagine, Ronã and I are very excited about this as we have waited for this opportunity for a long time.
At this time, we don’t know what the future will look like, but I will gladly let you know more as things change.
I ask that you would pray for us that God would continue to direct our relationship and our future. Thank you again for all your support and love and concern for me.
I also want to personally thank all those who played an intricate part in this process. Their support and advice have been a true blessing: Christopher and Denise Meyer, Danny and Penny Meyer, Steve and Elba Dolan, Richie and Christie Bouthillier, John and Cathy Lieb, and Cleide Oliveira. I love you all and I thank you!

Love, Allison

Ronã with his mother

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If you come to visit us, and if you like hot food, I will make a batch of these baked beans. Here is how I cook them, and how you can make them where you are too. Note: I use our pizza oven, but I think this recipe will work with a slow cooker too.

1. Wash a kilo of black beans, and pull out all the not-good ones, and check for little rocks and pull them out too.

2. Add a package of chili peppers, hot paprika, and half a package of pepper corns.

3. Look in the cupboard to see what else you have, and add a generous amount.

4. Add sausage or bacon.

5. Mix it all up and add water.

6. Let it bake by the fire all day, about eight hours or so. Add more water every couple of hours, when you add more firewood. Near the end of the day, do a taste check for salt. It is kind of hard to predict how much will come out of the bacon or sausage, so if it needs a bit more you can add it near the last hours of cooking.

7. For supper, you can have a bowl of the best baked beans you have ever tasted.

8. The next morning you can have refried beans, fried tomatos, and fried eggs. It’s a meal that will keep you going all the way till lunch time.

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Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers, support and notes over the last month. They are so encouraging!

It has been an eventful few months for us. As I’ve shared in the last few newsletters, Denise and I have been doing a lot of traveling. Our only trip this month was to Piratininga, São Paulo. Denise was invited to sing on a Vineyard Brazil worship album. Denise has never had the opportunity to sing on an album, so to say that she was excited would be an understatement. I was also excited for the trip for a number of reasons. I was excited to see what Denise would think of studio time, I was excited to hear her voice recorded, and I was also excited to be introduced to the Southern Brazil Vineyard Region.

The history of the Vineyard Church in Brazil is an interesting one. It seems that for a while, there were Vineyards multiplying in the north making up one region and Vineyard Churches multiplying in the south making up a second region, but with no connection between the two groups of churches. In more recent years, there has been a conscious effort to unite the two regions. This might sound simple, but you have to understand that the north and the south are very different places. The south is much more developed than the north. With the exception of the language being Portuguese, in many ways Piratininga feels much closer to the United States than what I have become accustomed to in the north. Even the way the southerners talk about the North, it is if they are describing another world. According to a lot of the southerners I talked to, all they really know about the North is the Amazon River and the vast rainforest.

Once we got to São Paulo, Denise got to work right away. We were at the studio a few hours after we arrived. While Denise was in the studio, I spent most of my time getting to know people. We stayed with the pastor of the Vineyard Church of Piratininga. His name is Milton, and he and his family are awesome! Milton is also the leader of Vineyard Brazil which is comprised of the churches in the southern and northern Brazilian regions. I felt so encouraged that Vineyard Brazil is in the hands of such a cool and talented guy.

Denise recording vocals in the studio.

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Denise with Milton – Milton is the Senior Pastor at the Vineyard Church of Piratininga.

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Pastor Milton blessing us at church.

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Denise’s recording time went well. She was pleased with the results and is looking forward to more opportunities in the future. While there, Denise and I participated with the worship band at their Sunday service. We were also invited to speak to a group of young adults about the life of a missionary. Overall we both had a great time. We met many great people and were able to get a much broader picture of Vineyard Brazil.

Denise leading worship and me in the background at the Piratininga Vineyard.

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Hanging out with new friends in São Paulo.

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A young adult small group from the Piratininga Vineyard. We spoke with them about missionary life.

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Although our travels have been a blast, we are looking forward to getting back to our responsibilities in Altamira. We realize that our move to Macapa will be here before we know it. We are working hard to finish well here and to make sure that any ministry we have been looking after will be left in good hands when we leave.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for grace to finish well in Altamira as we hand off our various responsibilities.

Pray for wisdom as we make decisions in approach our move to Macapa in late 2015 or early 2016.

Continue to pray for our financial support.

We feel so privileged to serve God as missionaries in Brazil. Thanks again for the part you play in that. We appreciate your prayers and support and love hearing from you.

In His Service,

Christopher & Denise

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

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Dear Friends and Family,

We never want you to stop hearing from us that we appreciate you very much! Your prayers and support continue to be so important to us.

It’s been a crazy season for both of us – filled with fun times and hard times – but it has all been an adventure. In the last month or so, we have visited three church plants in three cities. Throughout these trips, God has definitely walked with us every step of the way. We began these trips looking for God’s clarity and guidance as we face some big decisions in our life, and we feel that God has clearly met us on that front. We are so excited to share some of these things with you.

Denise and me on the boat.

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Our adventure began with a trip to visit the new Vineyard Church of Santerem. The added bonus on the trip was that Denise’s parents are presently pastoring this Vineyard. We were both so excited to be able to spend some time with Denise’s family and their new church. Denise’s parents have been involved with the Brazilian Vineyard Movement from its beginnings, and recently moved from Altamira to Santerem to help with the development and growth of this new Vineyard. They are truly gifted people and the Santerem Vineyard is lucky to have them.

Us with Denise’s parents and brother.

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Us with the Santerem worship band. While there we were able to do a workshop with the worship band.

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Straight from Santerem we headed to the city of Macapa to visit their Vineyard Church. We were invited to be guest speakers at their church retreat. We had an amazing time with the people of the Macapa Vineyard. It was truly special and God showed up in amazing ways. During the retreat, multiple people gave their lives to Christ and the majority of people shared that they experienced God in ways they hadn’t experienced before. Denise and I were both so excited and humbled by the way God showed up at the conference.

Speaking at the retreat.

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Us with some of the retreat-goers.

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We returned to Altamira for five days, but then were off again to visit the new church plant in the city of Portel. This trip was extremely fun for us because we were able to hang out with some of our favorite people! This church was planted by Richie and Christie Bouthillier. Richie and Christie have been involved with the Xingu Mission from its infancy. I actually stayed with them fourteen years ago when visiting Brazil. They had a great deal of influence on my life during that month and were two of the primary people responsible for me making the decision to move down here and work for the Mission.

Joining Richie and Christie is my good friend Allison Rupert. Allison recently moved to Portel to help out with this new church plant. You might remember me talking about Allison in past newsletters. When I first moved to Brazil, Allison was actually my neighbor. Allison really helped me with the first stage of living in Brazil – if it weren’t for her my arrival here would have been much more difficult. Through this we became very close friends. It was so great seeing her!

Richie and Christie and the Portel Vineyard.

Denise, Allison and friends enjoying some “Flinstone” sized ribs.

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Trying to speak my best Portuguese to my buddy, Ramon.

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As I stated earlier, the primary reason for these trips was to get some clarity from God. More specifically, we were looking for where to plant ourselves next. We have both felt that our time in Altamira was temporary, but we both wanted desperately to hear God’s direction in these decisions. After visiting these three church plants and other church plants before, one thing that was extremely obvious was that all of these places could use some helping hands. Everywhere we went, we got the impression that the workers were few, but the harvest was great. This has made a decision difficult. For me, there is a certain amount of guilt about my inability to help everywhere. Through this process, I have had to learn to hand my thoughts over to Jesus and to allow him to guide me. Although there are still a few places that we want to visit, we believe at this point that God is calling us to Macapa.

Macapa is decent size city of around 350,000 people. The city is completely surrounded by the Amazon River system which makes boat and plane the only way in and out. There were many things we like about the city, but the reason we feel drawn is because of what we saw in Macapa Vineyard Church. During our time there, we both felt God speaking that this was the church we are being called to. It’s a small church of around 25-30 people. The majority of the church is young adults and young married couples. Denise and I both felt very at home within this crowd. We also feel that there was a massive amount of potential with this group. They are extremely hungry for God but in many ways lacking direction. We feel that we can be helpful in this. We also connected right away with the pastor. Pastor Felipe is a true warrior for God. He is doing an amazing job with the resources he has. While we were there, Felipe fully expressed his need for help in the church. At the moment, he delivers the sermons, leads the worship, is the church’s counselor, is discipling new leaders, training new musicians for the worship band, and doing everything else that the church might need. He told us that the majority of his prayers are centered around a provision for help.

While in Macapa, Denise and I felt an ease and comfort ministering to the people there, almost as if we were pieces being fitted into the right puzzle. It felt very natural to function as part of the Macapa community. Although we have a long road ahead and many things that need to be sorted out, we believe God is walking with us and directing our steps. We couldn’t be any more excited to start this new adventure.

Macapa Vineyard

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Felipe and his family

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Prayer Requests:

– Please pray God would give us clarity, confirmation and grace as we move toward ministering in Macapa.

– Pray for safety and discernment as we continue to travel.

– Pray for continued growth in our financial support.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We love hearing from you!

In His Service,

Christopher and Denise

Link to contribute: http://www.xingu.org/14g_meyer_donation.html

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Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers and support. They have been greatly appreciated!

Things have been going well for Denise and me. We are learning new things every day. For me, there is so much to learn – whether it is culture, language, marriage or ministry, my brain usually is filled to the brim.

The season we are in at the moment is demanding but exciting. This should probably be called our travel season. We just got back visiting Maraba before Christmas and we have some upcoming trips on the horizon. We will be visiting Denise’s family in Santerem in early February. We are very excited about this! Denise’s mother and father are pastoring a new Vineyard Church in Santerem. Seeing new church plants is very exciting for me. It allows me to see the stages of church growth happen. From Santerem, Denise and I will head towards a city called Macapa where there is another small Vineyard. We will be guest speakers at the Macapa Vineyard Youth Conference. We are also trying to work out the details for a March trip to visit the new church plant in Portel. There are other places we are planning to visit: Pacaja, Paraiba & Uruara.

Denise’s mother, father and two brothers

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Denise and our friend Chelsea from our home church in Sunbury, Ohio

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One thing that has been sad for Denise and me is that fellow missionaries Clyde and Kelsie Berquist and their family are moving back to the United States after 11 years here in Northern Brazil. Denise has known the family since their arrival and was Kelsie’s Portuguese teacher years ago. Although I only met Clyde and Kelsie a year ago, I have grown to love and respect them tremendously over this short time. They have such beautiful hearts and are an inspiration to many. Denise and I are both going to miss them, but we also know that our relationship with them will continue. We are confident that no matter where they are, God will always be doing amazing things through them.

Clyde and Kelsie’s Going Away Party – The Brazilians wanted to wash their feet as a sign of respect and love. As you can see, there was a long line and it was very emotional. Clyde and Kelsie will be very, very missed.

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Clyde and Kelsie’s Children

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God has created each and every one of us with different gifts and hearts for different ministries. Throughout my Christian life, God has always used me in a very specific way. My heart has always been touched when I see individuals on the outside looking in whether it is with non-believers or just Christians that are struggling. This is no different in Brazil. When Denise and I returned to Brazil after our visit to the States, I noticed a young man that was involved in the church months before had disappeared. I began to ask around, but no one seemed to know exactly where he was or what he had been up to. After a few months Denise and I tracked him down, and had him over to our house for lunch. We began to talk to him about what he had been up to and why he had disappeared. We learned that the main reasons he was no longer involved in church was because he had lost his job and all the clothes he owned were falling apart and were filled with holes. I asked him if he had any friends or family helping him through this rough stretch, but he explained that he had a falling out with his family and that his closest friends had all moved on from Altamira. The more we talked the more it became evident that he felt extremely isolated and alone. Although he was aware of the fact that God accepted him no matter what clothes he was wearing, the issue was that he was embarrassed for the fellow church goers to see him this way. When he explained this to me, my heart ached for him. I also wondered how many people disappear from their church for similar reasons.

The next day I took him out and bought new clothes for him, not because I thought he needed nice clothes to go to church, but because I wanted to illustrate that he’s not alone and that there are people willing to help him through this period in his life. It’s been 3 months since we had him over for that lunch and things have totally turned around for him. He has been a consistent presence at church, the young adult service, and the home group Denise and I lead. He is also working again and has begun to repair his relationship with his family. It has brought much joy to my heart seeing him so happy and thriving in life, but it has also reminded me that many times all God is asking me to do is to take an interest in a person’s life, be present and show a little love. It’s amazing what a difference this can make.

After church one night, a bunch of friends stopped over.

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The two of us

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Bugs

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Prayer Requests:

– Please pray God would continue to encourage, empowerment and guide us as we minister together in Brazil.

– Pray for safety and discernment as we travel.

– Pray for continued growth in our financial support.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We love hearing from you!

In His Service,

Christopher and Denise

Link to contribute: http://www.xingu.org/14g_meyer_donation.html

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Dear Friends and Family,

Denise and I are in the middle of a month of travel, so this will be a brief newsletter. We first went to Santarem (a city about 300 miles west of where we live in Altamira). Denise’s mother and father pastor a church there. Her two brothers also live there while they attend university. We had a great time visiting with them and getting to see their church.

Denise with her mom, dad and brothers

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Denise’s aunt and uncle in Santarem

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From there we flew to the coast of Brazil to the city of Macapa. We were asked to do a conference for the Vineyard Church there. I preached at the church there, then we traveled to a Retreat Center for the conference.

Denise and I on the beach

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An agouti – a rodent related to the guinea pig, but with much longer legs

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“Our kids”: Nel, Bel and Jack

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I will send a longer newsletter in March with all the details of our travel, but I wanted to get this short note out today to thank you for your friendship, support and prayers. We appreciate your continued prayers for our health, finances and safety as we travel.

We miss you all!

In His Service,

Christopher and Denise

Link to contribute: http://www.xingu.org/14g_meyer_donation.html

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Dear Friends and Family,

Denise and I just wanted to send a short message expressing our gratitude for each one of you. It’s during the Christmas season that I find myself reflecting on the ones I love, how thankful I am for you, and how much I miss you. Your prayers and support are more appreciated than you will ever know.

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Just a very quick update … Denise and I have been doing well. We have been able to take a trip to Maraba, just the 2 of us, to relax and spend some quality time together. It has been great because life continues to be very busy for us.

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We hope your holidays are blessed!

In His Service,

Christopher & Denise

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Hello!

I just got back yesterday from a week long visit to Altamira. I was there to take care of some things with my permanent visa. I was last there in December, but this time around felt very different for me. I realized how much my life has changed in just a few short months here in Portel. My first 2 years in Altamira were all about preparation. Now, I am finally in the trenches.
This is both exciting and challenging. There are days when it seems like getting even simplest thing accomplished required all the resources you can muster. Just a few weeks ago, I went to the electric company only to find that they were without electricity so their system was down. It is the rainy season which makes it a little cooler, but I am also constantly fighting mud as I ride my bike through the city. My clothes often take a few days to dry. Taking care of my house is a full time job in itself with the leaking roof and toilet. I live with a can of bug spray in my hands to attack the mosquitoes. Even taking out the trash is a bit of an art form. It’s difficult to describe to you my daily life, but it is a life of few conveniences compared to what I was used to in Altamira. Having a week away was something I really needed.
Now that I am back, I feel refreshed and ready to take on these challenges again. Because despite all these difficulties, I know I am in the right place. I have been waiting a long time in my journey through ministry to finally start building something, and I truly sense that that is happening here in Portel.
It is not only the English school, but the church. I told you that I started discipling a few women in our church, and I am seeing them grow. I also recently started a home group in my house, and I am already seeing the people in the group growing closer to knowing Jesus.
We meet on Saturdays for lunch. Lunch is the big meal for everyone here, so I thought it would a great opportunity for people to relax and spend some time getting to know each other. A little after lunch, we start our group. Manoela takes the children in the kitchen to do a craft, and I go with the adults to do a Bible study in the living room. I am introducing them to the Bible as a story, and each week, they open up more with questions and thoughts. I feel a sincere hunger among to learn about God and understand how they can have a genuine relationship with him. After the group, sometimes we hang out more or we go swimming at the beach. It sounds simple enough, but it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve wanted to see God’s work in progress, and I’ve wanted to be apart of that work.
What has also been a blessing is having a new couple living in my house. They are Jim and Joann McCann from VCDC. They arrive about 3 weeks ago and will be staying until mid-June. They came for the main purpose of wanting to serve, and they have been doing that since they arrived. Everyday, they head over to Richie and Christie’s house to help with homeschool. They have also been helping with our home group by hanging out with the kids and praying for people. Another thing that has been a true blessing to us is, once a week, we have a small kinship for the missionaries. It is not often that we get a chance to receive ministry, and I believe it has been a great help to all of us. Jim and Joann have great attitudes about all the differences here, but they have been suffering from the heat. Please, pray that God protects their health and allows this to be a great experience for them.
I few weeks ago, I had the privilege of following my friend, Jennifer, around to take some pictures of the work she is doing in Portel. We spent the morning in Portelinha, which is the poorest part of our city and also where our church is located. I have added a link below of the images so you can get a better idea of those who live in our neighborhood.
For Easter, Manoela, Jim, Joann, and I spent the morning helping the kids from Portelinha color Easter eggs. The kids had a blast making their eggs, and then we served them cake. I included some pictures of that as well.
 Of course, I always need your prayers. I am sure that you have noticed in your own lives that the needs are always greater than the resources. We are constantly asking God for provision in so many areas of our lives. God is so faithful to us and always willing to help us. Please pray that he continues to give me the energy and resources I need to do the work I am doing. Please pray that he puts the right people in my way to help me. And please pray that those who are hungry to know God would find us. Thank you so much for your loving kindness. Thank you so much for your sacrifice and faithfulness.

Love, Allison

Pictures!

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