“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?”
Psalm 106:1-2
We are sorry we have not sent out a newsletter in a few months. We have, however, kept our website updated frequently so those of you who have subscribed to the updates have kept up with us. We want to encourage all of you to subscribe to the website so that you will receive automatic notifications each time we post something new. You will find a place to do that in the right column of the website.
In a nutshell, here are some updates:
FAMILY – Jason and Allyson’s family is welcoming their new little boy into the world! They have a busy month ahead as they prepare to go back to Italy sometime in June. Jeremy’s family had to leave Kenya for a while right after Christmas because of the political unrest, but they are back and enjoying their life there. They are expecting their third child in September! Jana is really enjoying her work at Gladney Center for Adoption and does quite a bit of traveling. She has met a really nice young man, David Showalter, and we are praying as their relationship develops. He was a missionary with Crossworld in Milan for 3 years and met Jason and Allyson there. He is studying at Dallas Theological Seminary, preparing to return to Milan when he finishes his studies. Joel is really enjoying Fuller Seminary. He is having many opportunities for ministry both through the seminary and through his church. He was recently chosen to receive the Great Commission Scholarship, which will help reduce his school debt quite a bit! We are so thankful for God’s provision in every way! This summer he will be going to South Korea for 3 weeks to work with CentriFuge and CentriKids camps.
FREI DAMIÃO – After the flood in late January, it has been wonderful to see how God has provided help for the people in the community who lost so much. Through International Mission Board Disaster Relief funds, we were able to help supply immediate needs such as food, mattresses, blankets, bedding, water, diapers, medicine, and cleaning supplies. Now, through additional funds, we are in the process of building basic shelters on a higher foundation. Several other churches and individuals have also sent offerings that have helped to provide school supplies and labor for the reconstruction. A team from First Baptist Church Ellisville, MO helped with the reconstruction of one of the homes. Just last week, the health clinic in Frei Damião was inaugurated. The city government has delegated the administration of the clinic to the CADI. God is doing some amazing things there! Four more people were baptized recently.
BAIRRO IPIRANGA - The first Sunday in March, we ended our regular involvement with this congregation as Sunday evening services started in Pinheira. Things are going well there. We will continue to be involved there as needs arise, and certainly will continue to have this congregation in our hearts and prayers! They are still looking for a pastor, but the members are doing a great job at keeping things going. They have recently been involved in helping with a fundraiser for the Vinde a Mim orphanage. They have been blessed with several pastors who have been preaching and helping give guidance.
SÃO SEBASTIÃO – Several new Christians have been baptized and five of the members are enrolled in the Bible Institute in order to prepare themselves for ministry. There is a good possibility that the city will give them some land so that they can develop a community ministry similar to the one in Frei Damião.
PINHEIRA – This is where we are spending most of our time these days. We are in the midst of many changes there at the moment. The former pastor decided to move to São José and we have also just moved to a new building. We had been meeting at the pastor’s house, in the large garage. There is a nice group of regular “attenders”, and we are hoping and praying they will become committed followers of Christ!
ESTIVA – We are so thankful that the Pure Water, Pure Love well project was completed! It took several months to complete all required geological studies and to receive permission from the government to dig the wells. This is a real blessing to the community and to the residents of the Drug Rehab Center.
MISSION TEAMS - We have been blessed this year to have had three mission teams come to work with us: A team from Alberta, Canada was here from February 23 through March 8th. It was a small team that came specifically to do some electrical work on one of the buildings at the Drug Rehabilitation Center in Estiva. But they ended up doing much more! They also worked on the new orphanage building at Vinde a Mim and painted the pastor’s home in Pinheira. March 15-21, we had a team from First Baptist Church, Ellisville, Missouri. They visited in homes of those affected by the flood, did some construction on one of the shelters, and held vision clinics and children’s activities in three different neighborhoods. March 29 through April 5th, we had a team from First Baptist Church Minden, LA, my parents’ home church. We worked in Pinheira, visiting public schools, doing ladies’ teas, Children’s Bible clubs, men’s cookout, health screenings, etc. What a blessing to see the impact made by these teams and to see God opening doors of ministry as a result of their presence here. We are looking forward to having two teams in May, two in June and two in July. We will update you on those as they finish their time here.
PRAYER REQUESTS
* Please pray for the Ipiranga Church as they meet with a prospective pastor. Pray that the Lord will give wisdom to the leaders of the church as they plan for the future.
* Pray for the continuing ministry of the CADI. They have reached so many families in Frei Damião and the reach of the ministry is constantly expanding. Pray that God would lead as they hope to unite all house churches into one church in the neighborhood. The people are asking for this and the mother church is seeking the Lord’s guidance.
* Pray for Pinheira. This neighborhood has a unique mixture of mysticism and faith and because it is fairly distant from the city, many young people are bored and turn to drugs to fill their empty lives. The church there wants to be used by God to make a difference in that neighborhood!
* Pray for Jason’s family as they pack, crate and prepare to return to Milan in June.
* Please pray with us as we do all the necessary planning to receive the mission teams this summer. Pray especially that we would be able to find enough translators for the large youth team coming July 17-27. This is always a challenge, and we trust God to provide!
Thank you for your continued interest in our ministry and in our lives. Thank you for praying for us! We count on you and realize we cannot do what God has placed before us without His supernatural strength, wisdom, and power!
Blessings,
Ron and Alana
Melina, one of the residents of NURREVI (Women’s Drug Rehab Center) gave her testimony
The choir from Kobrasol Church presented a cantata
View of part of the crowd
Front Entrance of the Health Clinic
Part of the crowd gathered for the ceremony
Part of the staff of the Health Clinic
Many truckloads and wagonfulls of rubbish have been dumped in one central location so that, hopefully, we can get help from the city in taking it all to the city landfill. Much of the area cannot be reached by larger vehicles. Many dead animals have also been picked up from the streets. There is normally no trash collection in that neighborhood!
Photos: a) Food distribution at CADI b)Lining up to receive help
