Category Archives: Uncategorized

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English School Enrollment

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Our big news as a church/mission here in Marabá is that we started
taking applications for an English School program, which will start on
February 5th. This is part of our CDR, Regional Community Development
NGO (non-governmental organization) program. It will provide graduates
with a work skill which will help them get better jobs. CDR is designed
to work closely with our local church, to help people break out of
generations of poverty.
The reason we are able to do this English School at this time is
because of Art and Cyndi Rae. They are really spear-heading this, as
one of the practical ways they can serve Brazilians during this time
when they themselves are still learning Portuguese. They are in their
second year in Brazil. Phil and Jen Snell, who are in their first year,
have been supporting the project by getting the desks and the building
ready. Monica is learning English, and loves administration. She is
helping with enrollement and other tasks.
We have openings for 30 students. The first week 20 signed up.
Here is a  photo of Art Rae serving at a retreat breakfast.
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Hilux

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Our big news this week, as a family, is that we purchased and drove
home the 2008 Toyota, diesel 4×4 truck. We had an old 1997 Mitsubishi
gas truck that has cost us a lot of money over the years. We’ve had to
rebuild the engine 2 times, replace the clutch, the compressor, which
has cost us thousands of dollars. We drove it to Belem
mid-December. It overheated and needs a head gasket. It’s still there
and still getting repaired.
This Toyota we just bought has only 83,000 kilometers and should run for
years without repairs. May people helped with donations, prayers,
encouragement, and support. Thank you. This truck will be used in
Maraba and out of town to plant churches. Deanna will be able to use it
for medical needs and going to the clinics and hospitals. I look
forward to travelling to other mission bases and churches, and to
travelling on the secondary roads outside of Marabá, where we plan to
plant churches. This truck will serve us well in the city and along the
rough interior roads, and along the trans-amazon highway.
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January 1, 2013

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Annika organized an all night party for the youth of the Marabá church, to celebrate bringing in the New Year. The preparation involved scouring the chacará for branches and old wood to build a bonfire. The fire lasted through two cloudbursts, and the party lasted until daylight, the first morning of 2013.

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New Year’s Eve Celebration

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Last night (New Year’s Eve) felt more like a family celebration here in Marabá.
* We watched some photos and videos of the good times we’ve had together.
* We prayed for one another.
* We sought God’s presence together.
* Some people went to the front and gave personal testimonies.
* We ate food together.
* The youth presented a choreographed dance.
* There was a lot of hugging and wishing each other well.
* There were about 100 people present.
* It felt more intimate or “familyish” than some of our other celebrations.

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Roast Chicken

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We have been having so much fun with the clay oven, baking bread, squash, fajitas, and pizza. Here our family roasted a chicken, the day after Christmas, just for us! Interesting enough, in all these meals we hardly have any leftovers. The clay oven makes delicious food. You are invited to come for a visit so we can fire it up for you to try.

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Christmas Sunday Service

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Christmas is the best holiday for getting people to present skits, and dances. As these young people prepare to do something special, they invite their families who normally do not come to church. Ivanildo bar-be-qued some meat, and people brought other food, and we had a “Church Family Christmas Celebration”. There were about 175 people present, and it felt like a bustling, healthy community. It felt like the first drops of rain, when we know a rain storm is coming. It felt refreshing.

Phil and some others worked real hard to get our overhead projector working. This project was a long time coming. The 100 foot long HDMI cable worked! Some other things worked. We pushed our huge sound cable through the tube under the floor so we can put our sound board at the back of the church. Things are starting to come into focus. It is very cool.

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Team Christmas Party

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On Christmas Eve everyone who lives on the “chacara”, plus a few more, gathered for a staff Christmas party. Everyone brought a $5 gift, and we played the White Elephant game, where you can choose someone else’s gift, or pick a wrapped one on the table.

We ate bar-be-qued chicken, oven baked buns and other treats.

Fancy coffee cups were the most-traded gifts.

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Annual Soccer Game

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Every year Ivanildo organizes a special soccer game, “marrieds against singles”. Sometimes this is known as “old guys against young guys”. The “marrieds” have always lost in the past. This year some of the youth who are now living with their girlfriends joins the “marrieds / old guys”. Since marriage itself is kind of rare in our neighbourhood, living with a girl counts as marriage. It’s kind of complicated, a part of the culture of our neighbourhood we are hoping to change as we teach and model the benefits of long-term commitments and true love. Still, the game was a lot of fun, and this year, thanks largely to two of the youth who joined the “old married guys”, the “marrieds” won.

The youth all want a rematch but Ivanildo says, “Only next year. You have lost for the year now.” (Huge smile).

I was hoping to play but some other people came over and I could not get down to the field in time. The girls took these photos of the game and the bystanders.