Heiderich News Brief - January, 2008
posted in Missions, South America |Heiderich News Brief - January, 2008
Family Institute of Latin America Website
Here in Curitiba:
The big event at the end of the year here was the graduation of 5 more students from the Bible Institute of Southern Brazil. Cícero and his wife Nilza are currently working as evangelists here in the congregation. Joaquim has been a house group leader for years and plans to continue with that work. Luis will be working with the church in Campinas, São Paulo and Rodrigo will continue his studies. The Curitiba Church ended the year with 260 adult members and 90 children. We are thankful for the 20 baptisms and 10 transfers that God sent to us in 2007. Jerry is meeting with 4 of the men who have graduated from the Institute to mentor them in their work with the church plant in Sitio Cercado and encourage their continued spiritual growth, teamwork and maturity.
Brasília Team Update:
The final workshop of 2007 with the Brasília team was held in São Paulo. Jerry lead the 4-day event consisting of coaching and training the 5 couples. We were joined by Alaor and Miriam Leite and Valentim and Leila Zanatta (who we are hoping to train to help us in our ministry). Bryan Gibbs spent one day with us and then went on to Brasília to meet with the leaders and church members there. Major decisions were made at this retreat. The first decision is that the team will now be going to Brasília in July of 2008. Fundraising is taking longer than was at first expected, making a January arrival impossible. The second decision is that the team is now in its final form of three couples. Two families have decided not to participate in the project for various reasons. The three families who now make up the final team are excited about getting to work in Brasília and the congregation there is better prepared to receive them. The couples will spend this first semester of 2008 preparing themselves for full-time ministry and working together as a team.
Prayer needs:
Please pray for generous individuals and churches that will join with us in the vision for church growth in Brazil’s capitol city and support the Brasília Team. Pray for wisdom for us as we map out our schedule of events for 2008. We want to be doing what God needs us to do here in Brazil and multiply our ministry in the lives of others. Pray for our family, as we will be living on 3 different continents this semester. Angela and Joel are in Dallas (trying to buy a house), we are in Brazil and Kristofer will be participating in ACU’s Study Abroad program and living in Oxford, England. He leaves today on this new adventure. We are excited for him, but feeling the strain of everyone being so far apart. God bless each of you with surprising new adventures this year. Thank you for continuing to partner with us in this wonderful ministry.