Monday, February 29, 2016

Quick Family and Ministry Update



    So it’s summer now! At this point it may be hard for you to picture the boys going shirtless and going to the beach. But as nearly every activity “freezes” during this season, we have been able to enjoy the season, of course, but get some important work done.











    Thank you for believing in this work.

    Since the beginning we have been serious about seeking the Lord and very committed to the vision God gave us for this ministry. We started from scratch during a time when there was little interest in these matters. Then we saw that gradually the laws and the culture were changing concerning family and children. Soon, the churches began to realize it was a major problem within the churches, and our ministry was ready to attend to the requests. We see now that, unfortunately, things are not getting better in a general sense, so we have been working hard to prepare study material that could be used in the context of small groups with a facilitator, even in our absense. The good news is that now we have a couple whom we have brought alongside to the last several seminars done in the area. They have also walked alongside us in ministering to the group we had at church last year. They may be going to Europe as missionaries this year and have a vision to minister to families. They also are helping us in developing the Group Study Material.
    We are accepting fewer commitments this year for speaking at other places but in turn, we are offering the group study material which many churches have shown good interest in, as it would be a continuous work in their churches.
    Again, we are in awe of God’s infinite wisdom and perfect timing as he called us to Brazil and gave us the time to prepare and be ready to attend to the needs that would be presented. With this same encouragement, we want to encourage you to be sensitive to His guidance, even when it doesn’t make sense to others, or yourself!

    PRAISE REPORTS

  • The Lord has answered the prayers of many by raising leaders committed to the ministry.
  • The ministry has grown and we have been having lots of invitations. This has opened the doors for us to have an outlet for the group study materials which is a format very much used in Brazilian churches. Many pastors and leaders are showing interest in using it.
  • After many consecutive meetings to discuss the “Education Proposal” concerning sexual orientation of children did not pass in our city! Praise the Lord!

    IMPORTANT PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Health. All the work, travel, college studies and other commitments affected Fabio’s health last year. He had some tests and is treating some issues as the doctor recommended and will be following up with further blood tests soon. Please pray for his health.
  • Zika vírus. Brazil has been having an epidemic case of this virus passed by mosquito bites. In some cases it can be very serious.
  • Pray for our preparations as a family for our BIG MOVE to Japan. For the last year, we have dedicated a lot of time to the study of the Japanese language and to teaching it to our children, reading books about the culture and outreach in the cultural context, etc. Please pray that the Lord would continue to equip us for the work He is calling us to!
  • Japan: a nation with less than 1% Protestants and one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. Pray specifically for the city of Nagayo. (We will be sharing more about this on the blog, soon!) Just as it happened in Ezekiel 37, we believe that from a “dry land” can be risen an army of soldiers for Christ. The battle in prayer starts now.



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