B N Missions

Well it's me again. So here is my update, I will try and keep it brief because I am thinking you all could be getting tired of my ramblings about life on the mission field. This weekend has been jam packed for my brain and I am trying to keep up. Here in Santarém and PAZ we have had many "short-termers" varying in stay from weeks to 2 months to me at 6 months. Different ages, walks of life, and from very different places. As of late, three have left. ☹ All amazing people, seeking where God would have them and taking there time here with PAZ to hear if the Lord is calling them to missions full time into the future, or here to offer help during a summer break. They have been an asset in many ways let along just sheer manpower. I pray the Lord blesses them and we will see them again soon.
My time here is not usually this packed with great activities. Let's recount the days:
Thursday I was invited to a pray vigil, where some young people were crying out to God, awesome to be apart of that. Except for the fire ants, mean little buggers.
Friday baby shower for a friend here, Ruth. It was cool to see… Why? Well for one, I can't seem to get away from baby showers no matter where I go, ha-ha. But it was cool to see the Grandma's pray for this unborn child. The grandma's are working on the mission field, the daughter (the lady who is pregnant) was raised on the mission field and has returned to work here also and so a new generation of children coming and hopefully joining this work. What a blessing.
Saturday we (short-termers) were invited to spend some time with one of the main leaders of PAZ, Project AmaZon. Where she shared the vision of PAZ, why they do what they are doing. My heart got so excited. I will try and recount…
PAZ was started in the 70s I think, but the vision from the beginning was to evangelize the Amazon Basin, then all of Brazil, then the rest of the world. They compared it to Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Well, Paz is having a big effect on things here and spreading the word about Christ. I can't begin to tell how much things have changed due to PAZ planting churches. But really it's the Holy Spirit planting churches using the people of PAZ. And other missionaries here too.
PAZ has been sending out church planters into the deeper parts of the Amazon and having great success, and recently sent out workers to another city here in the basin called Fortaleza. It is a large city, not considered easy soil. But they are now running a church that has about 1500 members in it in 2 years. YEAH!
And so they plan to continue on in this, send a team to Sao Paulo to start a church plant there. They can't wait to see it boom into a great church that worships the Lord, and leads people to Him. And by going after the Judea (the Amazon, and reaching the unreached) and then going after Samaria (other parts of Brazil) and doing so in larger cities where they gather resources also. This will help the work continue on to the ends of the earth by funding more to go out to the rest of the world.
Two of my new friends here, Jennifer and Josiah, are actually planning on being part of that team to go out to the rest of the world. The excitement for me is so joyous. This is just the beginning… but what a pleasure to take the gospel to those who don't know, who NEED Christ. They need His companionship, His relationship, protection and provision for their lives. What a joy to introduce them to the God who created them and sees them like no one else can, with immense love. I love vision and hearing it cast. You get to see the big picture, the reason why we do what we do. The vision keeps you on the road.

SO what does this mean? It means please pray for me. As I get so excited about this vision of church planting, and discipleship.

PAZ is a bit different than most of the organizations I have worked with, in the fact that they are a cell group church. And I am not gonna lie, I am still trying to get used to it. But I see the fruit of it. The goals are to get everyone involved in a cell group and everyone is discipled and has a discipler. So the church is not ONLY the pastor's responsibility, it is in the hands of the people. Who are going out and making disciples. AND then multiplying, and growing.
And as for the team they sent to Fortaleza, they used a very different mode there also. Here is my best description. You can take a seed and plant it in the ground and water it and grow it and it will grow, but it will take time. Or you can transplant a tree, a fruit bearing tree. One that has proven in the past it can bear fruit and plant it and it will continue to bear fruit. You will get a crop (small but good). Or you can transplant a whole orchard and bear a huge crop after you have watered and adjusted to the new place. The yield of the crop will be huge. The first is a believer but staring out. The second is a believer who has learned and proven himself; fruit bearing raised up leaders, lead a cell group discipled…. The third is to transplant a team, a group of these believers who have proven fruit bearing in the past. Transplant that and your start will be great and people are attracted to what's happening, growing, the thing in motion.
They have proven this new method effective. As I think they sent either 100 or 50 couples or families to Fortaleza and in two years are at 1500 in their church. What a blessing to that city and people.

So I would definitely ask for your prayers. As excited as I get about vision, I am still human and am homesick. But as a friend put it "you need to fight for an eternal mindset." I really liked that I knew I needed more of an eternal mindset, but I don't know how well I have been fighting for it. SO Lord speak to us all and give us the courage to follow.

PS: I heard an interesting (not sure if it is fact) tidbit that America is one of the 3rd largest unreached people groups in the world. Really hit me. Wow, and think of all the immigrants to the US daily. AGBC, be lifting up Michael and Erica as they are in the heart of it in Miami.

So as we were chugging away at our cell group we were puney. But remember I spoke about the congresso and how many people came to the Lord or came back to the Lord? Well, Sylvia and I get to see some of that fruit. As a girl name Chyoni came back to the Lord, and on fire. And we are merging our cell group with her and a few of her friends. So we had our first meeting last night (Saturday), which went very well. She is so pumped and I am excited to see what God has up His sleeve. As we had more than ten people there I think. Please remember to pray for Fajita and Gabriela, and Fabioani, as they are the girls in our cell who are not so consistent. I pray they will have more of a desire to know God and get involved in the cell where they can fellowship, learn and be encouraged.