Please watch this short video of the testimonies of the youth in our

church in Maraba. We are so grateful for how God is working in the

lives of people in our neighborhood. It is very difficult for me to

watch this video without weeping because of God’s mercy and love.

During one of the first week-ends of this year we planned a spiritual

retreat. Thirteen leaders came from Altamira to help. From Friday to

Sunday the guys sought God in one camp while the girls sought God

another camp. The retreat involved silence, teaching, repentance, good

food, tears and joy. At the Sunday church service we asked if anyone

wanted to share what God had done in their lives.

Video in English (6 minutes):

Video em Portuguese (9 minutos):

This is our most important video to date. It captures the process of

God transforming lives.

After the mountaintop experience we all returned to the where we live

everyday. What the video does not show is the homes these kids returned

to. One boy’s dad stabbed his mother before Christmas. She blocked the

knife with her arm, so the knife cut right through her forearm. Another

girl’s brother was shot and killed a few doors from our house, while

she and many of this group were practicing the Christmas play. Other of

these youth need to stay awake all night on party nights to protect

their younger siblings from their mom’s drunken boyfriend and his

friends. But things look different now. (Interesting to me, these

disfunctional parents are just big, broken kids themselves. They

welcome us into their homes. We’re becoming friends. Their own stories

tear you up).

Please pray for Dianne, Jobel, Romulo, ZeZinho, Yara, big Luanna,

little Luanna, Anni, Via, Emma, JohnLennon, Maico, Adriana, Sarah,

Pablo, Marques, Kayele, Aline, Bruno, Sammi, Fransisco and Barbara, to

name a few. They are at a very tender place in their spiritual lives.

The devil would love to take them out, but greater is He who is in us

than He who is in the world. These are becoming the pillars of the

Maraba church.

And please don’t forget to pray for Ivanildo and Monica, who work with

us. They do a large percentage of the day to day pastoring, along with

Deanna, Anni, Via and Emma. Bella and I play support and coaching

roles. We appreciate your prayers too.