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Quarterly Zoom Meeting Link

Hello Family and Friends,

Zoom Meetings. You’ve lived ’em. You know ’em. You love ’em (or at least I hope you will love this one).

Agenda:

Introductions
Blaylock Share Stories and Pictures
We Pray With and For One Another

If you would like to join please click the link below. If you don’t have Zoom installed don’t worry. It will open up an internet tab and launch from your web browser.

Meeting is at 7:00 pm CST on Sunday September 18, 2022.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8382…

Meeting ID: 838 2277 0434
Passcode: 197442
One tap mobile
+15642172000,,83822770434#,,,,*197442# US

Looking forward to seeing whomever can make it!

-Derek and Amanda

Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785, Columbus
OH 43234 United States

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Sep, 13

XM

Blaylock

Church Growth and Investing in the Future


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September Missions Update!

Hey Friends and Family!

This last month has been an exciting time here in Macapa. We have licensed two new couples as pastors, started a building project at Vineyard Macapa, leased a new church space for Vineyard Viva, and been able to provide for some of the needs of people in our community.

Our family is doing okay. We had some physical health challenges this month, which we are starting to get on the other side of. We were able to purchase a missions vehicle and have been back in full swing with school – both for the kids and Derek’s graduate degree.

We are looking forward to our quarterly partnership call this coming Sunday night and will provide some family updates, fun stories, and pray for one another. Hope to see many of you there.

Prayer Request

1. Physical Health – We have had a round of illness, and nearly needed to make a trip to the ER.

2. Vineyard Macapa – children’s classroom expansion project. That everything goes well with construction, neighbors, and expenses.

3. Vineyard Viva – We signed the lease on a new location. Pray for finances and resolution of the details.

4. Discernment as we are looking at new neighborhoods for our family to move into.

5. Prayer for language learning!

6. For our kids to be able to make some friends.

Quarterly Partners Meeting Next Week

September 18, 2022 @ 7:00 pm C.S.T.

We will have our first quarterly zoom get together next week. I’m looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it.

Look for an email towards the end of the week with the zoom link!

If you cannot make the meeting it will be recorded.

Remember the Poor

One of the three core tenants that we are dedicating our entire lives to is this idea, given to us by Jesus, that we remember the poor and do what we can for those who are in need.

The founder of our movement, John Wimber, once said “I believe that the main reason God’s hand has stayed on the Vineyard is because of our commitment to the poor and needy. Serving the poor just isn’t an option for us. It is a life or death matter. This was entrusted to us.”

To that end, Amanda and I have become friends with someone here in the community. They are a single parent, who is struggling with all of the demands that come along with that responsibility. They are also faithfully investing in their relationship with Jesus. The situation with their current living arrangement had become very unhealthy and they needed to make a change for the sake of their wellbeing and their child’s wellbeing.

Amanda and I, along with the other missionaries, were able to come together and provide some resources for them to get a safe place to live, and some of the appliances needed to make a fresh start in a better environment.

The ministry funds that you all provide make this sort of ministry possible. Thank You!

Kingdom Investment

The above pictures show Vineyard Macapa, which is the first church planted by the Vineyard here in the city. The church is in Zone Norte – the North Side – and serves in the more economically depressed area of the city. That grassy area is actually a city street that the city has neglected.

This neighborhood serves as the locus for the lives of many of the people here. They live here, work here, shop here, and worship here. Many of them do not even have a vehicle and the congregation is composed largely of those who live within walking distance.

The church has the unique opportunity to serve the neighborhood, especially the neighborhood kids! They even have a small group during the week especially for them. Caring for these precious kiddos has also made a way for relational connection with their parents and many families have joined the church through their kids connecting here first.

Last month we spoke about how the Vineyard is invested in multi-generational impact, especially when it comes to our core tenant of Raising Up Future Leaders! I believe in faith that some of the next generation of pastors will be trained in the faith starting in these very classrooms.

Because of the opportunity we have it was necessary for us to turn the open space pictured above into two new classrooms to serve these amazing kids! Construction is underway and the ministry funds that you donate made this possible! Once Again – Thank You!

New Pastors at Vineyard Macapa

Meet Leo and Leda Vasconcelos!

Leo and Leda were licensed this month to serve as the assistant pastors of Vineyard Macapa with the eventual goal of taking over as the senior pastors!

Licensing in the Vineyard is not an aspirational endeavor, instead it is the process by which we recognize what God is already doing in someone’s life. Leo and Leda are amazingly talented pastors and musicians and they are already loving and serving their neighborhood well. They quit their old jobs to become interns over this last season in order to step into this role. They are giving their all for the sake of the Good News!

Vineyard Macapa was especially hard hit during the pandemic and lost their old senior pastors due to life circumstances. The leadership team at the church stepped up and the Meyer’s have been overseeing the church during this difficult time. Leo and Leda have been heavily investing in the church and the community and this is the start of a wonderful new season of growth and fruitfulness.

Check our our interview with Leo and Leda below.

Support

Prayer Support – I have been working hard on laying the foundation necessary to recruit a robust prayer support network. We need it! The success of our church planting here is very much dependent upon the faithful and fervent prayer of God’s people. I have launched a family website/spiritual formation blog and setup our mailing list access. 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 – Our family is taken care of thanks to your generosity. Thank you! Due to the church growth we are investing significant ministry funds here in faith – responding to what the Father is doing. As it stands, we will need up to raise an additional $300 per month for our ministry fund. Please pray for us as we fundraise for this and 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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Sep, 12

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report September 2022

Sep, 4

XM

Lesher

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2022- BOB LESHER

Aug, 29

XM

Meyer, XM

The Meyer – August 2022 Newsletter

August 2022 Newsletter
from Christopher & Denise Meyer

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanks you so much for your prayers and support. Please let us know if there is any way we can be praying for you!

We have had an eventful few months! I wanted to give you a quick update of some things going on.

New Missionary Family

On July 14th Derek, Amanda and their four children arrived here in Macapá, and joined the Xingu Mission family. We had been anxiously awaiting their arrival and we’re so excited to help them get started on their new journey.

When new missionaries arrive, they are basically starting from scratch. They only bring what they can fit in their suitcases. There is so much to resolve once they have arrived. They have no place to live, no furniture, no phone number, no bank account, no internet, no Brazilian documents, no vehicle, no understanding of where to find things in the city, and generally have little to no ability to speak the language. This is not to mention the fact that they are extremely dependent on others to help them. After three weeks in which the Blaylocks stayed with Denise and me, they were able to rent the house right next door to our house for them to live in! This has been great because they have their own space, but Denise and I are close by.

When I started my missionary life, I was a single guy with no children and it still seemed like a whirlwind. With Derek and Amanda’s family of six, I can’t even imagine! It would be really easy for them to feel completely overwhelmed with this first step, but they have been troopers with great attitudes and a willingness to try things even without much language. Denise and I believe Derek and Amanda will be a great asset to the Xingu Mission as they adjust to the culture and become more proficient with the language. Their presence is a definite answer to prayer.

Plans for the Future

We have many exciting things coming up here in Macapá. Below is a brief summary of some of what we are working on and praying about. If you could keep these things in your prayers, it would mean a great deal to us.

Assistant Pastors

Pastoring the two churches on the opposite sides of town, along with overseeing the mission and missionaries that are here in Macapá with two young children, has been a heavy load for us. Both Denise and I are tired. After a lot of prayer and conversations with our Vineyard Brasil leadership, we have decided that in the upcoming months we will be licensing assistant pastors at both Vineyard Viva and at Vineyard Macapá. We want to emphasize that it is not only our need for help that has driven this decision, but the evidence of pastoral gifting and a clear call that we have seen on these four individuals.

Léo and Leda who will be licensed as assistant pastors at Vineyard Macapá

Fred and Aline who will be licensed as assistant pastors at Vineyard Viva

Looking for a new location for Vineyard Viva

Vineyard Viva is currently looking to move to a new location. We are quickly outgrowing our current location and would like to be in a building where there is room to grow. Finding a place which has a location that works for our members and also has rent within our budget has been a little difficult. Please keep Vineyard Viva in your prayers as we continue our search.

Building a Children’s Wing for Vineyard Macapá

We have been blessed with a large number of kids at Vineyard Macapá. Presently our only option for Sunday school is to have our children meet outside in the open air. If it’s raining, we have no place for the classes. Even if the weather is nice, because we have our services at night, mosquitoes are a problem. We really want to invest in the children in our church, so we are now looking into options for building a small Children’s Wing. Please keep this in your prayers as we begin to plan.

Additional Prayer Requests

1) Please pray for the health of our family. For the last 3 months, our family has been continuously sick. We’ve had COVID, the flu, stomach viruses, pneumonia, laryngitis and many other odd sicknesses.

2) Please pray for our financial support. Because our family and ministry has grown, our financial expenses have also grown. Additionally, we have recently lost some long time supporters because of retirement. Please pray for God’s direction and provision.

3) Continue to pray for our house situation. As I mentioned in my last update, we have a house that we are desiring to purchase. We are still waiting for all the documents for the house purchase to be cleared and approved by a judge. This can sometimes take awhile.

Denise and I out on Brazilian Valentines Day

Jonas helping Denise pray for a little girl at Vineyard Macapá

Liam getting his first tooth

We appreciate your prayers and support, and love hearing from you.

In His Service,
Christopher & Denise

Contribution Link

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Aug, 29

XM

Wilson

The Wilsons in Brazil

We’ve Moved

The church movement we are part of has a vision to develop a community of passionate, mature, reproductive, Christ-centered disciples; to plant passionate, mature, reproductive, Christ-centered churches; and transform the world through love and good works, for the glory of God.

After ten years in Pacajá, the church blessed us to continue this vision by planting another church in the city of Palmas, Tocantins.

The actual move went well but our arrival was not as easy as we were hoping. We had electricity problems for the first ten days and both of us caught some tropical viruses. But we soon received our first guests Larry and Karen Pickett, who were a great blessing of moral support and helped us get organized and painted. We are so very grateful for them! We were even able to explore our new city together.

After much traveling in June and July, we are now “fully” moved in, and are engaged in meeting people and building relationships as we begin a new church in Palmas. Our new address:

Quadra 108 Sul, Alameda 13, Lote 62
Palmas, Tocantins CEP:77020-116
Brasil

Palmas, Tocantins

Palmas is the capital and largest city of the state of Tocantins. It is located between the Amazon Rainforest and the coastal savanna region of north-central Brazil. Palmas has roughly 310,000 inhabitants and several neighboring cities with 50,000-60,000 inhabitants.

The southern red dot on the map is the location of a small community church in the Taquaralto neighborhood. It was organically started when a couple moved from Altamira around 2012. The current pastors, João and Katia, were just new Christians when we worked alongside them ministering to remote interior communities in Altamira, back in the early 2000’s. They’ve been leading this group for 7 years now. The northern red dot (a 25 minute drive) is where our rented house is and where we are starting a city center church. It is strategically located near the downtown area. We look forward to working in collaboration with the Taquaralto church as a sister church in reaching Palmas and the surrounding regions.

We tend to start church plants out of relationship. Getting to know people and letting them know us is what gives us credibility and the opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in a relevant way. We are already engaging various strategies to find our place within the community, meet people, and love on them, but these first steps are very slow and difficult. Please pray with us as we seek relationships in this strange new place.

Travels

In June and again in July we traveled to the city of Portel, Pará (a two day trip). Portel is a mission-planted church that has now been turned over to national leadership. The mission is still involved with a water filter project there where filters are fabricated and delivered to those living in the remote river communities, where access to clean water is difficult.

Through our involvement with the filter project and accompanying an Ohio team to Portel, we have continued to build relationships with this wonderful Portel church family. It has been a blessing to encourage them and also be encouraged by them. They make us feel like family when we visit.

Prayer

Please pray with us for God to connect us with key people in this new city and for direction as we continue to develop a specific strategy for initiating a new church here.

Please pray for our health, especially Marsha as she continues to feel the effects of a mosquito virus contracted in May.

Blessings in Christ,

Keith and Marsha Wilson

Contact and Donation Information

Aug, 14

XM

Blaylock

Blaylock August Missions Update


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August Update

Hello Friends and Family,

It has truly been a whirlwind of a month! We have arrived in Macapa and are starting to settle in. In the midst of all of this change we have deeply appreciated your prayers, text, calls, and encouragement – Thank You!

Likewise, we have been warmly received by our new Brazilian neighbors, by the local churches here, and in the community. Below are some prayer request, skim updates, and an interview with the base leaders here in Macapa.

Prayer Request

1. Language and Cultural Learning – Ask for empowering to learn the language and to align with the culture of our new neighbors!

2. Our Kids – Our kiddos really are doing well, but of course they are also experiencing some homesickness. Pray for their comfort and support.

3. Physical Wellbeing – Our base leaders, The Meyers, have had quite a bit of physical sickness over these last few months. Please pray for the Blaylocks and the Meyers that we would be physically well.

4. Friendships and Relationships – Pray that we would notice what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of those around us as we lean into new relationships.

5. House – Our new house needs quite a bit or work in order to be fully functioning in a way that doesn’t make daily basic functions a challenge. Please pray that the issues will be resolved.

Your Impact

^{As I have prayed for you all this month these words from 2 Corinthians 9 have been on my mind. The folks here at Xingu have been blown away by your generosity and in how quickly you enabled us to get to Brazil!}

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Your generosity in supporting our family and in supporting Xingu Mission is sharing the gospel, raising leaders, and remembering the poor has an impact beyond you financial and emotional support. It results in the God receiving praise in the people who hear of your generosity and love. Thank you for everything you do, but more importantly, thank you for who you are.

Skim Updates

Pictured: Amanda and new neighbors. Our Street. 3/4 of the Pastoral Interns at the Airport. A Brazilian Birthday Party. Adalee’s New Buddy Liam.

Below are some of the highlights of what has happened since our last update

We arrived safely and well. All of our luggage made it! Thanks for praying.
We enjoyed staying for several weeks with the Meyer family. We shared their house, enjoyed many meals together, and were able to explore the city with them.
We are beginning to make some new friendships here in the city! We have some wonderful neighbors, and many of them also attend the church which is also here in the neighborhood. (The church roof is the third orange roof on the left).
We found a house! This last week we moved into a house that is in the same neighborhood as one of the Vineyard churches here in Macapa. Additionally, we already know some of the folks in this neighborhood from previous trips. We are in the process of getting everything setup and settling into a more normal rhythm of life after a crazy 15 weeks of being nomads.
Our new landlord is a local TV newscaster and director! He has been super accommodating and helpful to us as we are getting settled in. He has went out of his way to be of assistance and we are grateful for this relationship.
We have applied for our official documentation and Brazilian tax-Id number. We need these two documents to enable us all to initiate all of the other important functions – utilities, cellphones, banking, ect. The lady at the Federal Police station was super helpful and accommodating.
Over this next month we will need to finalize getting a bank account setup, purchasing a mission vehicle, and getting our house fully functional. In addition to that we are beginning new relationships in the community by sharing meals and spending time getting to know these wonderful folks!

Monthly Deepdive

In the video below we talk with the leaders here in Macapa. We discuss their background, how they met, how they came to be in Macapa, and answer the “why Vineyard, why here” question.

How To Contact Us

Now that we are in Brazil using WhatsApp will be the best way to have a phone conversation. Here are our new Brazilian phone numbers:

Phone Numbers:

Derek. +55 (96) 99158-4979

Amanda. +55 (96) 9199-3371

Email:

derek.blaylock@xingu.org

amanda.blaylock@xingu.org

Quarterly Partners Meeting

Many of you have expressed interest in some sort of regular partnership chat. If you would like to participate please save the date!

Save the Date: September 18, 2022 @ 7:00 pm C.S.T.

We will have our first quarterly zoom get together then. Invite and additional details to follow at a later time. We will record these sessions for those that cannot make it.

Support

Prayer Support – We have more than doubled our number over prayer supporters over the last two months! We are extremely grateful for everyone who is praying for us, and boy do we need it. We are starting a prayer support recruitment campaign with the goal of eventually having a minimum of 300 active prayer partners. We are 1/3 of the way there!

Financial Support – Our family is taken care of thanks to your generosity. Thank you! During our transition to the field we did have a few people reduce or withdraw support due to life circumstances. Because of this our ministry budget has a monthly shortfall. We are starting to fundraise to close this gap and if you would like to support our work please use the button below.

Donate

Xingu Missions

PO Box 340785, Columbus
OH 43234 United States

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Aug, 12

XM

Xingu Mission Field Report August 2022

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Xingu Website

Hello,

Happy August from the Xingu Mission! This monthly Field Report highlights new missionary life with our new missionaries hitting the field in Macapa. May it inspire you!
_______________________________________________________________

On July 14th Derek and Amanda Blaylock and their 4 children Selah, Amaris, Josiah and Adalee joined our mission on the field. They are starting out in the city of Macapa, Amapa alongside missionaries Christopher and Denise Meyer and Bob Lesher.

Accepting the call of God to become a full-time missionary is not an easy decision. Leaving the conveniences of life in your home country, leaving family and friends, uprooting your whole family and moving to an entirely different country with its different culture and different language has it is tests and trials. So what truly sustains a missionary in long term field work is not abilities or a desire to do good, but rather holding strong to obeying the call of God on their lives and understanding God’s heart for the nations.

The absolute trust, belief and dependence on God based from an intimate relationship with Him leads us to be obedient to His call and is what sustains a missionary through culture shock; being stripped of everything you know like how to make people laugh, how to bank, and what is the name of that fruit. Although you want to jump in and make a difference as fast as you can, you become very toddler like as you learn language and culture and make lots of faux pas and stumbles along the way.

Learning your host country’s language is foundational for obvious reasons. If you can’t speak the language, you’ll have a hard time sharing the Gospel. It needs to be looked at as the beginning of ministry. By pressing hard into language study, you can rebuild these skills and prepare yourself for deeper, more effective ministry in the future.

One also needs in the words and perspective of Derek: Humility – We are guests here. There is a lot of cultural knowledge that comes from tough lessons and many generations of experimentation. Lean into the Brazilian way of doing things and let a more complete understanding come later. Be teachable – Every encounter, every conversation, and yes – even every long line you stand in waiting to get something signed or approved is an opportunity to learn something about your new neighbors, practice the language, or notice the Holy Spirit in action. Anticipation – Anticipate that God is going to do some extraordinary things with you and on your behalf.

It was said once that “Your goal for the first term is to survive and want to come back.” Although that wording seems harsh, there is a bit of truth to it. As for the Blaylocks, their first term goal is “To work on transitioning our family to our new home in a healthy and life-giving way, continuing to learn a beautiful new language, spending lots of time getting to know Brazilians as a people, and building relationships with new friends and family in the community.”

As for how the Blaylocks are doing since landing on the field, they find it surreal after the time spent building up to coming. They feel warmly welcomed and are glad to be here.

Please pray for the Blaylocks and their transition as new missionaries. Thank you and God bless you!

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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

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Xingu Mission
PO Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234

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NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2022

Xingu Mission Field Report October 2022

Quarterly Partnership Meeting

Church Growth and Investing in the Future

Xingu Mission Field Report September 2022

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2022- BOB LESHER

The Meyer – August 2022 Newsletter

The Wilsons in Brazil

We’ve Moved

Palmas, Tocantins

Travels

Prayer

Blaylock August Missions Update

Xingu Mission Field Report August 2022