Hello,

Pray you had a great and wonderful celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.  We will return to the States and be in Ohio from around June 16th to the end of July.  If you are available, we would love to see you.  What do you think?  Let me know.  In addition, we are very grateful for your continued partnership to spread the Good News of Jesus here in Brazil.  Be blessed with the below update.

The place where we live has a room for gatherings.  We asked the management if they would allow us to use this room to have an Easter service for the people living in and outside the area.  Praise the Lord; they agreed and let us use the space at no cost.  We sent out the invitations through social media and put a sign-out.  We had a very good turn-out.  !  During the service, we had a time of worship, followed by Elba preaching the good news of Jesus and His resurrection.  The kids got to paint eggs.  Afterward, we served breakfast that included waffles and pancakes.  The whole time was a success and an excellent opportunity to get to know our neighbors.  Interestedly people had such a great time that they did not want to leave until our time allotted was over at the room.  That was a good problem!

The girls lead the charge with the kids to paint eggs and pray with them. 

Again, we will return to the US on June 16th and stay in Columbus until the end of July.  We will attend the National Vineyard conference from July 31^st to August 3^rd.  Then will come back to Brazil on August 6^th. 

We would love to meet you to get caught up in your life.  It would be great to see you.  Please write me back, and I will get you on the calendar.  Our time is short in the US, and we will do our best to take advantage of the time we have. 

Also, if you would like us to share the vision of planting churches in Belém at your group or church, please let us know.  It would be a great honor!

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

• Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

• Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to the church and us.

• Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

• Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

• Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

• Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secure online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

As we reflect on the miracle of Jesus resurrection throughout this time of lent, we thank you for being part of our lives.  Let us celebrate the Lord and His gift of new life this Easter. We pray your Easter is filled with happiness and the love and grace of God.  Enjoy the below update.

Well, we did it….kind of.  We had an informal meeting with some people who attended previous Vineyard churches living in Belém.  We were pleased with the turnout; many people who came drove across town to participate.  It was fun.  People from Vineyard Central, Vineyard Mirante, Vineyard Pacajá, and Vineyard Santarem were in attendance.  We are deeply grateful to these churches for producing disciples seeking after the Lord.  We had an excellent time getting to worship, hearing the Word, eating together, and getting to know one another. 

As I have written in previous updates, we have a Dentist outreach that has served many community members that lack or have no healthcare access.  The project has been running for many years and has aided thousands.  The Dentist project is under our non-profit organization, CDR, and the project leaders came to visit Belém.  The purpose of the trip was to meet some dentists living in Belem and travel to surrounding areas to see if there is a need for the project to come and work.  What we discovered is that there is a HUGE need for many people that do not have access to quality dentistry.  We will keep you updated as we learn more about the areas of Belém that are in need.  We understand through conversations that more than fifty thousand families would benefit. 

The girls got back from Cristoval in Altamira safe and sound.  They had a great time at Cristoval, and seeing friends.  They are now back in school and doing well.  The school that they are attending is more challenging intellectually.  They are doing their best to get into a learning rhythm at their pace.   

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

• Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

• Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to the church and us.

• Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

• Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

• Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

• Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secure online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Let us continue to trust the Lord and pray this year will be one of trusting God in and through difficulties and in sharing the Gospel of Christ with many around us and those beyond us!  We are so grateful for your continued prayers as we embark on this new journey.  Thank you.  We pray you are blessed with the below update.

We are in the very early phase of putting together a church.  We are unsure if this will be a fast or slow process.  It is in the Lord’s hands, and we will do our best to be obedient and faithful to what he asks us to do.  We NEED your prayers. 

We are asking around to see if anyone living in Belém used to be a part of our churches, and if so, would they like to help us start a church in Belém?  We found several people and met with them to get to know them better and see if they would like to play a role in starting the church here.  Thankfully, we have only received positive feedback.  Below are two couples interested in helping. 

In addition, as a capital, Belém has many more resources, especially in healthcare.  Since being here, we have met with other church pastors and members who came to Belém for medical treatment.  Before moving here, we knew that helping people in this area would be a part of our life.  It is happening and is good, especially for Elba as a regional and national leader.  It allows us to help and connect with our movement’s pastors and members. 

The girls are in Altamira now and just finished celebrating Cristoval.  Cristoval is the alternative to carnival here in Brazil which is a retreat for youth with a focus on Jesus and having a lot of good clean fun.  The girls had a great time at the conference, and being with their friends.  They will be coming back to Belem this weekend.  Below is a picture of them with Elba’s twin sister Nira.  Please keep them in your prayer. 

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

• Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

• Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to the church and us.

• Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

• Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

• Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

• Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  As we are starting anew, we are holding on to this verse.  Thankfully, it is not just for us, it is for you as well.  Thanks for all your prayers.  If you want to be more a part of our team financially, please click below.

Happy New Year!  Thank you so much for all your prayers for our move to Belém.  We made it, and I can honestly say, “Toto, we are not in Altamira anymore.”  We moved into our rental house on January 6^th.  As you can imagine, we are still in the process of getting settled into and adjusting to life in a BIG city.  WOW, I forgot what that was like.  It has its pluses and minuses.  One thing I like about our house is that I have hardly seen a cockroach or a rat.  That is a plus!  In our other place, this seemed to be a daily tradition.  The traffic stinks, but finding what you want to buy at the stores is excellent. 

To be honest, we are humbled that God got this place for us to live.  The rent is a little over $900.00 per month, which is the most we have ever paid and a strain on our finances.  However, the reason we made this choice is that we are living in an area that does not have walls.  Almost all the houses in Brazil have walls in front of their homes for security purposes, which makes it very difficult to get to know your neighbors.  None of the places in our housing complex have walls, and we have been able to walk around to get to know people and start relationships.  Since we have few connections in Belem, we believe this is money spent well.  Here is a picture of my friend Manoel.  He lives near us and has been super helpful in orienting us to Belem and meeting other people. 

We had our farewell send-off from the Mirante church.  It was bittersweet, leaving so many loved ones, but exciting to get the opportunity to do it all over again.  We also passed over the senior pastor role to Elba’s sister Nira.  She is capable, and we believe the Lord has called her into this new role.  We are still in constant communication with the church.  Elba will continue to mentor Nira through this transition. 

      n

We got the girls enrolled in a new school, and they had just finished their first week.  So they were excited and nervous all at the same time.  But, by the power of the Lord and all of your prayers.  They like the school and have been making friends. 

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

·         Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

·         Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to the church and us.

·         Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

·         Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

·         Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

·         Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

“For unto us a Child is born a Son is given” Isaiah 9:6.  May your heart be lifted in praise this Christmas for the wonderful gift of Jesus and the joy He brings to our lives.  We are very grateful for all your prayers and support.  Thanks!  Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Today, December 15^th marks my 20 years as being on the field as a missionary in Brazil.  Wow.  What an incredible adventure the Lord has led us on throughout this time.

I am looking forward to many, many more.  Thank you for walking this journey with us. 

We will be leaving to start over again in Belém to plant churches at the beginning of the year.  We were able to rent a house that should help in building relationships with our neighbors.  We rented in an area where the homes do not have walls in front of their houses.  We hope that this will promote more interaction.  We are excited about this transition.  Please continue to pray for us. 

At the church, we had a baptism filled with joy and excitement.  Two parents got to baptize their daughters, which was very special.  During the baptism, the church sang and worshiped God.  Everyone in the church gets so excited that they want a front-row seat.  As I have shared in previous updates, the symbolism of letting the person be wholly immersed in water, being baptized into Jesus’ death on the cross, and no longer being slaves to self or sin.  When they are raised out of the water, they are raised into a new life in Christ and are with Him forever.  Praise the Lord, and may His transforming power be upon them and us daily.  

This month we also had the great opportunity to be with our missionaries.  We do not live close to one another, so it is rare to see one another.  Connecting and hanging out with each other for our three-day retreat is so good, energizing, and refreshing.  Craig and Linda Heselton came to share and minister to us all.  Another HUGE blessing was that my sister Lynn came and helped with child care. 

The church has gotten behind to help this family of three.  The mother of these two beautiful girls abandoned them and left the father responsible for raising them.  The father is a hard-working farmer that makes ends meet.  They live in a dirt floor, 1-room home.  The church has been raising funds to build a more appropriate house for them.  It is coming along.  We hope they will have a roof before the rainy season.  Thanks for your prayers. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you.  Merry CHRISTmas and Happy new year!

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

·         Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

·         Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to the church and us.

·         Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

·         Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

·         Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

·         Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

This month’s update is our annual fundraiser, and we need your financial support to continue with the work here in Brazil.  As missionaries with the Xingu Mission, we must raise 100% of the support for personal living and ministry.

As you know, we will be moving in about 45 days to Belém.  Moving to Belém will be expensive as we will be basically starting from scratch.  Your help is so important and needed.  Thank you so much for the consideration and support.

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

Elba and I were invited to participate in the National Chile Vineyard Conference this month called “Because being with you is refreshing.”  We went with our regional leaders from Brazil, and being a big country like Chile, they split the conferences into two regions, North and South.  It was a great experience; the Lord showed up during the meetings, and at all the churches we preached.  Similar to the Brazil National conference this year, the last night of the conference ended with a call to pass the baton well from the church’s senior pastors.  It was awesome to see how many at the conference went for prayer about being the next generation of church planters and pastors as they did in Brazil.  The pastors with years of experience prayed for them.  So many people were touched by the move of the Spirit. 

The girls are doing well and have a positive outlook on Belém.  We believe this is due to your prayers, and we are very grateful.  Please continue.  We will be going to Belém on November 23^rd to look for a house to rent.  Please pray for our travels and that we find the perfect home for us.  Below are Camilly and Alyssa trying to see who can eat a lime.  Camilly lost.  LOL

Thanks for your help and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

·         Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém church plant.

·         Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to us, and the church.

·         Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

·         Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

·         Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

·         Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

Picture of the team in front of an active volcano.  Lots of street art near one of our churches in Valpariso. 

If you want to unsubscribe from this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.  They are so important for us.  We pray you are blessed with this month’s update.

This month we had the churches in Altamira come to have a conference about small groups surrounded under the principles of worship, communion, discipleship, and mission.  Milton Lucas, our National leader, came and led the conference.  The theme of the Small Group Conference were:

1. Why Small Groups?

2. What are Small Groups?

3. How Small Groups Work

4. How to Lead Small Groups

We value small groups because of the community that it provides.  It is a place where people can get close enough to know each other, to care and share, to challenge and support, to confide and confess, to forgive and be forgiven, to laugh and cry, to be accountable to each other, to watch over each other and to grow together, to name a few.  Below are a few pictures of the conference, and us practicing in small groups.

As in the USA, September was Brazil’s suicide awareness month.  The purpose of bringing awareness is to acknowledge those affected by suicide, raise awareness, and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services.  Elba, with a Psychologist, shared at one of our local schools, and at the church.  The talks were more directed toward teenagers.  Suicide is a significant problem for so many different reasons and we pray that this time was effective and valuable to all the attendants.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  We are in Chile for their National conference and will be traveling home at the end of the week.  Please pray for our time here, and safe travels back home. 

Thanks and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

·         Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém / Ananideiua church plant.

·         Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to us, and the church.

·         Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

·         Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

·         Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

·         Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe to this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.  They are so important for us.  We pray you are blessed with this month’s update.

This month’s update will be about our recent trip along the Xingu River with Midge Shaw and Renee.  Midge Shaw has been coming to the Amazon for more than 20 years and has faithfully invested her time and resources to share the love of Christ.  We visited many churches and Midge spoke about the theme “Kingdom Come”.  Many people surrendered their lives over to Christ during the conferences.  The Lord healed people and gave words of wisdom, encouragement, and reconciliation.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  It was a tremendous Godly adventure. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  We are traveling to Belém tomorrow.  Please pray that the Lord will continue to reveal His plans to us, and the church. 

Thanks and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

• Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém / Ananideiua church plant.

• Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

• Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

• Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

• Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe to this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.  They are so important for us.  We pray you are blessed with this month’s update.

Elba started a new preaching series called “Resetting your life” at the church.  The series tries to help people reorient their life back to Christ.  With everything happening in the world, it is easy to get distracted and get caught up in everything that the world offers.  I know that you are constantly bombarded in the States with mixed messaging, click-baiting, and super-energizing headlines, and the distractions go on and on.  That problem is not just a problem in the first world countries.  It is a problem here as well.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in all these things that your attention fades away from God.  It is a battle, and we must constantly reset our thoughts to Christ.  We had three people come up to receive Christ after her sermon, praise the Lord.  Elba will preach “Why is it so hard to change” in this week’s message, and our dear friend Midge Shaw, who is visiting from the USA, will preach “Changing your life by changing your thinking.”  The focus will be on how to conquer the battle of the mind.  Please keep us in your prayers. 

The team of dentists from various places in Brazil came again to serve the poor in the communities.  Since the inception of this project, the leadership felt God calling them to help others to share Christ through acts of love by taking care of people’s teeth.  The team’s t-shirts read, “Because Jesus sent me.” They have had several busy weeks serving the needy by providing dental services for 549 people along the river communities of the Tapajós, doing cleanings, repairing cavities, and pulling teeth. 

Then they came to Altamira, and we converted an English classroom at CDR into a large dental office.  We set up four working dentist chairs, and the dentists worked almost non-stop daily.  They served 86 people in the community with many various dental services.  It was a huge blessing and success.  After their time in Altamira, they returned to Santarém and are still serving people in the community.   

They have provided the following:

Provided 600 children with dental kits and performed 3029 procedures

We are so grateful for everyone’s participation in helping promote the Kingdom of God and give good dental care. 

Guess who we saw while we were visiting Belém?  Elvis Presley.  Who would have thought?  He gave a show at a restaurant and did an excellent job.  Elba and the girls essentially had no idea who Elvis was, so it was a lot of fun getting them caught up on his life.  I think they are now Elvis fans.  Viva Belém!  😁

Thanks and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

• Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém / Ananideiua church plant.

• Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

• Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

• Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

• Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you want to unsubscribe to this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.  We pray you are blessed with this month’s update.

This month was super busy with our annual National Vineyard church conference.  To help increase more people participating, we have two conferences.  We have two conferences because it helps minimize the cost for the participants coming to the conference.  The first conference was in Sao Paulo, and then we had it in Altamira the following week.  Elba went to both and spoke at each one.  Joel Seymour, a regional leader from the USA, was the guest speaker.  Joel talked about our core beliefs, Vineyard values, distinctive, theology, and who we are as a church.  It was nothing new but powerful and a great reminder of what, why, and how we do things as a church.  

I took this excerpt from our last XM field report.  It was powerful.  “The last night of the conference ended with a call to pass the baton well.  Passing on the baton is most often when things get tripped up.  The good news of Jesus doesn’t belong in our hands alone.  Loving people means passing it on.  The churches we plant are not ours.  We are not building a kingdom for ourselves; we are working with God to build something that brings Him all the glory and honor and builds His Kingdom here as it is in heaven.  It was incredibly beautiful to see how many at the conference went for prayer about being the next generation of church planters and pastors.  The pastors with years of experience prayed for them.  So many people were touched by the move of the Spirit.  As you continue on your journey with God take some time to reflect on the legacy you are participating with Him in leaving.  We thank you for helping us through your prayers and support as we participate with what God is doing here in Brazil.  God bless you!”

The Xingu Mission is also so blessed to receive a new missionary family to Brazil.  The Blaylock will be serving with Christopher and Denise Meyer in Macapá.  The Blaylocks have four children, and this move to come to serve in Brazil has been long in the making.  We are excited about them coming and being a part of the team.  They get in Macapa today.  Please pray for them for a successful and easy transition.  We want more missionaries to come and serve, and we pray the Lord taught us in Matthew 9:38, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

We celebrated Alyssa’s 15^th birthday.  The 15^th birthday for girls is a BIG deal in Brazil.  I guess it would be similar to a girl’s sweet 16 in the USA.  We are very happy for Alyssa and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for her in her life.  The Lord has gifted her with many talents, and the Lord has used her to minister to many people.  We pray that she will continue to be used by the Lord and that her walk with Him will deepen daily.  During her birthday, I got the privilege to do a Father-Daughter dance.  It was great, and thankfully she carried the show. 

Thanks and much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

We appreciate your continued prayers:

·         Please pray that we will identify the new senior pastor of the Belém / Ananideiua church plant.

·         Please pray for our church, leadership, and congregation to help people draw close to God as we navigate this time and leadership transition. 

·         Please pray for the rejection of this virus from your loved ones and its eradication.

·         Please pray for our family, especially our girls, in this next phase of our lives.  

·         Please pray for our spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial health.  

Much love, Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa

_­­  

Tax-deductible donations can be written and sent to:

Please click the donate button to make a secured online donation:

If you would like to unsubscribe to this email, please reply with the word “Unsubscribe,” and I will remove you.  Thanks.