Bella and I have figured out how to make great pumpkin pies. My part is to buy the pumpkin, build a fire in the outside clay oven, and put the whole pumpkin in there. After a few hours, you can stick a fork in it anywhere. It is all soft. Then Bella scoops it out, adds some spices and makes the crust. You have to taste it to believe how good it is. If you come for a visit, and it is pumpkin (actually squash) season, maybe Bella will make you one.

Bella makes awesome pumpkin pie.

The Snells and Leaos are back from Altamira, so everyone came over to celebrate Bella’s 16th birthday.

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Our dream is to plant a thriving church that will be good news in this neighbourhood, a place where children can come and play, where families can come for a walk, and where people can get training for things that will be helpful to them.

This week a grandma came to talk to me, to ask for some money for her grandson. He has a broken leg. He needs a little money for food until he can walk again. And he is hiding for his life in another town. Our neighbors say gunmen are in our neighbourhood this week, looking for him. This story is complicated and sad. But it is even sadder for these grandparents. She ended up weeping as she talked to me, “I don’t want to have to ask you for money.” And this is true for almost everyone here. I always get the impression people would much sooner work for their money, and have true friendships as compared to giver/receiver friendships. But sometimes it just gets difficult. Her 18 year old grandson asked me to take him to the hospital several times over the last few weeks, for x-rays. His knee was swollen and I think it was weeks before he got a cast. His aunt, who is a single mom with five children, (and they all live with the grandparents again) always came with him to help with the registration and lineups. As I would drop them off I asked the sister, “How are you going to get home?” She would kind of look down, so I would discreetly give her about $10 for a taxi, because the hospital line-ups take hours. This happened twice. The third time, she would not take any money from me. “I have money today.” I recounted this story to the grandma, because this was about her daughter and grandson. I said, “I know you don’t want to ask if you don’t have to”. And they have not asked, in all these six years we have been neighbours. It is really hard to be poor.

Many of our leaders received help when they were in need, and now they want to help others. May God continue to transform lives, and empower and motivate them to help others along the way.

Thank you, so much, to everyone who helps this work. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your encouragement and friendship.

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Emma took this photo of an iguana in our yard.

Water lilies grow wild in this region. I planted this one in our yard. Every night it blooms, and every day it lays back down in the water.

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The community comes together for the week-end before Christmas for a Children’s event, a volleyball game, a “Marrieds vs Singles” soccer game, and other similar festivities.

Via heads down the hill to help with the Children’s Christmas Event.

Two of these three boys are brothers. Their mother was murdered last year, so they live with their aging grandparents just outside the church gate. I get the feeling they would like to be done with childhood so they could earn some money, earn the respect of those around them, and make their way in the world. They always want to show me how strong they are, and how hard they can work, and the love to play with my cell phone. Unfortunately, I hardly have any time for them, and their story is common in our neighbourhood.

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Natal = Merry Christmas

Even though Anni and Via have lived in Canada for three and a half years, when they come home for Christmas they still jump right in, and they can still speak Portuguese.

At the Children’s Christmas Party, Emma helps Aline organize an event.

At the Christmas Youth Service, Anni played the keyboard.

Some of the neighbourhood boys watch the Christmas play. Monica made the artificial tree in the background by recycling two-litre pop bottles.

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While red hibiscus flowers have yellow dots in the middle, white hibiscuses have red dots. Do you think God thought this through on purpose, or do you think He created a formula for hibiscus-flower, color-combinations, and then was Himself surprised at how beautiful they turned out?

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God values time with us, His people, and He appreciates it when we believe He will keep His promises.

“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

Genesis 15:6 NIV

“There are many reasons not to worry.” Bella Bergen, December, 2014.

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Here is a devotional thought from Bella’s journal. Apostle Paul sets a high standard for us to follow, “when we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly” 1 Cor. 4: 12b-13a.

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Two of the Girl’s Group had birthdays. Bella, Emma, and Aline lead this group while Deanna is gone. This week I made several trips to the hospital with Bruno, who got his leg broken in difficult circumstances. His sister always comes along to help Bruno get through the hospital system. She waits with him all day, in some cases, even though she has 5 children and is a single mom. It turns out his sister is his aunt, and the mom of one of these girls (Bruno’s grandmother took him in as a baby. His mom lives across town, and doesn’t want anything to do with him). The grandma came over and told me more of their story this week. I find our lives being woven together with this family in more and more ways. In the book Christy, by Catharine Marshall, Miss Alice tells Christy that her “neighbor” is the person who is always being woven back into her life. I often think of that quote, and wonder how I can help the people God is weaving into my life.

Two Birthdays Are Celebrated!

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Hello All my Wonderful Friends!

Always a pleasure to be writing to all of you about the exciting things happening here in Portel. I understand that the Spring is finally starting to show its face again, and I am sure that this is pure refreshment to all of you!
This month, I have been enjoying the company of my new roommate, Manoela! She arrived about 2 weeks ago, accompanied by Christopher and Denise Meyer. It was so great to see them and spend some time with them. Manoela has already started teaching the Kid’s class, and we are adjusting to each other at home. So far, she is a great roommate who has relieved me of the terrible burden of dishes! It’s great to have someone to talk to and eat meals with. She is a true blessing to me.
As you can imagine, along with my classes and getting Manoela settled in, I have been pretty busy. It can be quite the challenge to be teacher, administer, and accountant. But of course, these are just the normal challenges that go along with, essentially, starting a small business. They are challenges that I know are worth it, and I am glad to have them.
I recently finished with my Vineyard Institute class, “Ministry to the Poor”. It was a great class in part for its relevance to my current situation. The effects of poverty are multifaceted, and what better way to explore those effects than being in the mist of it. The class highlighted for me how the Bible speaks time and time again about God’s concern and compassion for the poor. It also pointed out the many different ways that the people of God can be proactive in confronting these issues in everyday life. It helped me to often reconsider what and how I do things so that my ministry choices might provide the maximum benefit for those around me. The English school, I believe, is just one of the many ways that can help lead our community out of the claws of poverty.
This class also marks the end of my classes required to complete the VI Program. I am very excited about that, of course, because now it is behind me. But I also must say, the learning experience I gained through the program was extremely valuable to me. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in furthering their understanding of the Bible, as well as how to put its message into practice.
Over the past few months, I have also had the privilege to disciple a few women in our church. The women had expressed an interest in going deeper in their relationship with God and also having a deeper understanding of the Bible. As the time has past, it has been wonderful to see the ladies growing in their understanding of who God is, as well as personally grow closer to them. What I have tried to do with the women has been two-fold. I am taking them on a journey through the Bible as a story. I believe that if they can see the big picture of the Biblical story, the smaller parts will make sense in relationship to the whole. If they can see God’s overall plan for history, then they will be able to understand how each part fits into the ultimate plan. They will also be able to see how their individual lives have a part to play in the story. The other side that I am teaching them is how to hear the voice of God for themselves, and how to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom in their daily lives.
Please pray for these women. Pray that the power of God comes over them, and that they would experience the love of Christ in the deep reaches of their hearts.
Last week, my students took their first test. I was very proud of how they did. The day after the test, I taught them a song in English called, “Set a Fire” by Will Reagan and United Pursuit. I will post the video below of them singing it.
Please, pray for them as well. Many of the people in this region are not accustomed to studying so a course like this one can feel overwhelming to them. Many of the schools in this part of Brazil do not really teach the students how to learn. They need courage, strength, and perseverance to continue. Please pray that God gives this to them supernaturally. 
Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement. Though I have said it many times before, I want to remind you that we are doing this together. You are just as much a part of this as I am. Your prayers, your thoughts, and your financial sacrifices all make this possible. God bless you and your family!

Love, Allison

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