Brazil Trip 2014: Day 4

After the craziness of the last couple days, a more laid back day today was welcomed! We made a stop at the Big store (the Brazilian WalMart) to stock up on some necessities (i.e. Brazilian chocolate and coffee) this morning.  

Our ministry focus of the day was the feeding ministry service at Igreja Batista Viva.  We assembled food kits of various necessities like rice, pasta, beans, flour, oil, and more that were distributed to families in need in Vila Nova. 

During the service tonight, Paul shared about the need for men to step up in their families to lead by example and to love their wives and children well.  He challenged them to look to God as the example of a loving father since most families in the area have not come from a home with a good father, if a father was present at all.  The message was well received, and the emphasis this week on godly leadership from the men in the church is one that can transform families as they follow the Lord!

After the service, we served those in attendance a meal and distributed the food kits.  Though it wasn't a day packed full, there is still impact on the community.  We love seeing the church at work as the pastor, his family, and lay people serve the people in their area and give of their time and resources to help their friends and neighbors.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our team as we encourage the pastors and their ministries here!  Tomorrow we will be going into the Vila Planalto neighborhood, and Friday we'll be in Vila Safira.

Estela and several others from the church putting together food kits for this evening's service.  

Some of our best memories are from the opportunities we get to spend down time with the church members, drinking coffee, and sharing life!

Estela and her new friend Gi!

Paul sharing an important message this evening

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Brazil Trip 2014: Day 3

As you can see by the time of this post, today has been a long one to say the least!  Long and tiring, yes, but no less a blessing!

We got to spend the day traveling to and visiting with our two church plants outside the city of Porto Alegre in the coastal towns of Capão do Canoa and Torres.  Both of these ministries are led by men who faithfully serve their communities despite less than ideal circumstances.  Though the stories of their parishioners and neighborhood families are just as simultaneously challenging and inspirational as those we have encountered earlier this week, what has struck me most today has been the faithful work of the missionaries and their families in these towns.

Lindomar is our worker in Capão, and he has a vision for expanding his ministry in this town. Without any kind of formal Bible training or seminary education and having faced many difficulties with the building where the church is meeting, with raising teenage sons who are rebelling against the faith of his family, and with a lack of resources to do all he would like to do in the area, he presses on and works toward reaching his goals of seeing more people fed, more hearts reached with the Gospel, and more lives transformed with the love of Christ.  He is in the application process for a government program that supplies fruits and vegetables for organizations helping the needy.  He has an ongoing soccer ministry that reaches out to the neighborhood children and is reformatting the activities to involve the children's parents more so it becomes a family event.  He is in the planning stages for new programs that will spread the message of hope in the Lord to more people in the community.  His heart for his people is evident as he continues to dream big for the Kingdom!

Artênio is our missionary pastor in Torres.  He and his wife Lú have an evident love for the people of their community.  Tonight they held their weekly children's outreach where they have special activities and a meal for the children of the neighborhood.  Their work in Guarita (an area of Torres) is in a dangerous location, and they have had to relocate four times in the past two years because of the lack of safety or issues with their landlord.  But these things don't hinder the continuation of their ministry.  Just this morning Artênio was in the home of a couple in the community who have a unique story.  One evening last year Mercedes came home to find her husband Bento hanging by a rope in their shed.  She called for help and by the grace of God, Bento survived this suicide attempt and has since recovered.  However, this was his fifth unsuccessful attempt to take his own life.  When we visited their home tonight, he shared with us his struggle with believing the whole Bible and how he feels hindered when he tries to pray.  Though his wife has made a profession of faith, he struggles to accept Christ.  The spiritual warfare in this home is evident, and Artênio faithfully maintains a relationship with this family, being an example of the love of Christ!

This hardly begins to scratch the surface of these ministries in Capão and Torres, and the few short hours we got to spend at each location just aren't enough to encourage the pastors and their families the ways they deserve and to get to know the people in the communities like we want to.  But we pray that each family we visited, each child we hugged, and each home we walked by will be impacted by the ministries of Lindomar and Artêntio, these men of God with whom we are blessed to partner for the sake of the Gospel!

Pastor Magioli enjoying some chimarrão en route to Capão this morning

My sweet friends Jeisi (left) and Tracy (right)

Pastor never passes up a chance to play the guitar and sing, even if it's just the birthday song!

A quick walk by the beach!

This is in the neighborhood where our church in Capão is.

I can never get over the bare feet on these roads.

Lindomar and his wife Marilu

The mountains between Capão and Torres

Artênio and Lú, the workers in Torres

This is Bento, the man who has attempted suicide multiple times and now struggles to trust Christ for salvation.  Pray for the Lord to soften his heart and for the enemy's stronghold in his life to be released!

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Brazil Trip 2014: Day 2

Last night and today we had continued opportunities to spend time with the people of Igreja Batista Viva and its community in Vila Nova.  

The Sunday evening service at IBV is usually the biggest of the week.  Last night there was a great turn out for Trip, one of our team members, to share what the Lord is doing in his life these days.  The church body responded well to his teaching, and several made renewed commitments to live for the Lord.

Today we got to visit several families in the Campo Novo (near Vila Nova) neighborhood.  There are heartbreaking circumstances in many of the homes we visited, but the hope of Christ shines through in the midst of pain and suffering.  It is neat to visit some of the same people over the years and watch the children grow and the Lord continue to transform lives.

We saw children doing their homework with the school supplies they were given through Share Christmas.  We saw the building where IBV held their first service as well as the first building they first called home.  We visited a lady from the church who has gone blind and has been unable to attend services for some time.  We spent time in the home of a family whose husband/dad had recently been beaten nearly to death because of money he owed a drug dealer and will now live in a child-like, limited state because of extensive brain damage.  We were given Fanta (yum!) by a shop owner and his wife who have resisted coming to the church but are always welcoming to the Pastor when he visits.  

And this only begins to scratch the surface of the lives of the dear people with whom we interacted today.  There is so much more to be learned about these men, women, and children, who are precious to our Lord and should be precious to us.  Each story is unique and each heart needs the love of Christ.  It's refreshing to see the ministry in Vila Nova and Campo Novo continue each day.  Though the progress seems slow, the Lord is at work in this area.  Each time I've gotten to visit, I can see homes in better condition, smiles on more children's faces, and hope in places that seem like they should be hopeless.

Trip sharing his testimony at IBV's Sunday evening service

A number of people responded to the message preached.

We sorted out donated items to deliver to each church plant.

Pastor Magioli and Dona Maria (called Vozinha or Granny), one of the first believers in the community.  Her home is next door to the building where IBV used to meet.

Bárbara embracing Dona Bárbara, the woman who has lost her sight and has been unable to attend services

The smiling faces of little girls who love getting their pictures taken and visiting with us

This little guy has been collecting all the different parts for a bicycle so he can build one himself.  His dad is the one who is now suffering from extensive brain damage and won't be able to help with his bike project.

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Brazil Trip 2014: Day 1

After no major travel issues, we arrived safely in Porto Alegre yesterday.  However, with the busyness of getting settled, spending the evening out and about, and getting back to the hotel at around 1, there wasn't much functionality left for me to get an update out! 

Saturday night we had the privilege of being part of the official inauguration of the new building of our church in Vila Safira.  They pulled out all the stops for the occasion!  Complete with balloons and cake, the celebration lasted late into the night.  We celebrated with lots of music, a special skit, baptisms, a message from Pastor Magioli, a video montage of the church's history, and prayers of dedication for the new building and the church's continued ministry.  It was a beautiful evening to reunite with people I've known from previous trips and to meet new friends.

This morning we attended Sunday school and the morning worship service at our first church plant, now 10 years old, Igreja Batista Viva in Vila Nova.  During the service, there was more celebration with Pastor Magioli's grandson's baby dedication and our team's arrival.  One of our team members Estela shared her testimony this morning, also.  

The service was followed by lunch at a churrascaria, a Brazilian barbecue restaurant, where we introduced our team to a little more Brazilian culture!  

We're looking forward to this evening's service and not having to get up very early tomorrow!  

I'd love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions about what we're doing.  Thank you again for keeping up with us!

Getting checked in with all our baggage!

The new church's sign - It was dark so a decent picture of the new church building will have to be forthcoming.

The inaugural service's program

One of the young people who was baptized last night

Pastor Alexsandro and his family serving in Vila Safira

This is the woman in whose home the church in Vila Safira has been meeting for the past four years.

My lovely friend Ingrid

Our team touring the improved Ministério Pão Vivo Offices at Igreja Batista Viva

Viny and Wanessa dedicating little Pedrinho!

Estela sharing her testimony during this morning's service

A cultural presentation at the restaurant where we had lunch

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Brazil Trip 2014: And We're Off

(FYI: This trip is known on Twitter as #LBM10yrtrip if you'd like to follow along there.  You can keep track of us by following Bárbara [@bhbrasileira], Living Bread [@Living_Bread], and me [@Finchworthy])

Thank you all for your prayers for our team as we head to Brazil for the next 10 days!

Despite the snow in Lynchburg this morning, we didn't have any trouble driving to DC to catch our flight south out of Reagan.  I even got to have lunch with my friend Lindsey who lives in the DC area!  Now, our team is sitting in Miami, waiting for our 9:30 flight to Brazil.  We'll have another several hour layover in Curitiba before continuing on to Porto Alegre early tomorrow afternoon. 

There is a two hour time difference between Brazil and Eastern time until tomorrow night.  Then, Brazil will only be one hour ahead.  

I'm sending you our schedule for the week, so you can have an idea of what we'll be up to.  My goal is to get at least a short update out each day, but I'm not making any promises. :)

Ok - now to get some grading done before I have to board!

Kristi

March 2014 - Agenda

Friday, March 07, 2014

                  7:30am – Meet at LBM office to head to DC

                  2:59pm – Board flight to Porto Alegre, Brazil (via Miami and Curitiba, Paraná - Brazil)

Saturday, March 08, 2014

                  2:00pm – Arrive in Porto Alegre, Brazil

                                         Transfer to hotel for some R&R

                  7:00pm – Meet in lobby for departure to Vila Safira

                  7:30pm – Inaugural service of the new building at Vila Safira

                                         Dinner on the way back to hotel

Sunday, March 09, 2014

                  8:00am – Leave for Sunday School and service at Igreja Batista Viva (Vila Nova)

                  1:00pm – Lunch at Churrascaria Roda de Carreta (CTG 35)

                  6:00pm – Lanche at Igreja Batista Viva (aka early dinner J)

7:00pm – Church service at Igreja Batista Viva (Vila Nova)

Monday, March 10, 2014

                  Morning – Team meeting & prayer

                  12:30pm – Lunch

                  Afternoon – Visitations

                  Night – Dinner and R&R  

                  7:30pm - Bárbara will have a meeting with leadership of Ministério Pão Vivo at the hotel

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

                  7:50am – Meet in lobby for departure to Capão and Torres

                  Morning – Capão

Lunch – Capão

Afternoon – Torres

            Evening – Dinner in Torres & return to Porto Alegre

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

9:30am – Leave for Big (aka Wal-Mart) & Barra Shopping (largest mall in South America) – on your own for shopping. This is a great place to buy snacks, chocolate and other items to take back as souvenirs.

                  12:30pm – Lunch

4:00pm – Prepare for “Living Bread Service” (food distribution service) at Igreja Batista Viva (Vila Nova).

7:30pm – “Living Bread Service” – team will set up and serve dinner to those in attendance.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

                  9:30am – Leave for downtown, Luz & Vida (Christian bookstore)

                  12:30pm – Lunch

                  4:00pm  – Head to Vila Planalto for visitations

                  7:30pm – Service at Missão Batista Planalto

Friday, March 14, 2014

                  9:30am – Leave for Vila Safira to visit neighborhood and visits

                  12:30pm – Lunch

3:30pm – Head to Pr. Magioli’s home. We will meet for fellowship and an informal update on the progress of the work in Brazil and their vision for the future.

7:30pm – Dinner offered by the Magioli Family

Saturday, March 15, 2014

                  City tour & souvenir shopping

Sunday, March 16, 2014

                  8:00am – Leave for Sunday School at Igreja Batista Viva (Vila Nova)

                  10:00am – Service at Igreja Batista Viva

                  12:30pm – Lunch offered by Bárbara’s mom

                  Afternoon – free to pack & rest

                  7:00pm – Service at Igreja Batista Viva w/ meal afterwards

Monday, March 17, 2014

                  11:00am – Meet in lobby for checkout

                  11:30pm – Depart for lunch and airport

                  3:03pm – Board flight to return to USA (via Rio and Miami)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

                  9:15am – Arrive at Reagan Airport (DCA)

                                       Pick up rental van and drive to Lynchburg

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