Church Dedication

Thursday was the final day of building.  After beginning the morning with group prayer, some of the team members finished installing windows in the church while the rest of us went walking through the community.  We were able to talk with many Brazilians and invite them to the dedication service.  As we passed a soccer field, the Brazilians challenged the Americans to a friendly soccer game.  We had a great time playing with the kids.  The fellowship was great, but they are definitely better at this game than we were. 

The few houses that we went into were shocking in terms of living conditions; many do not have running water and electricity; what I found paticularly interesting was how excited they were to have Americans in their home.  They are very hospitable even though their living conditions are not comfortable.  We handed out most of the toys and those left over were given to the church to distribute as they minister to their community.  We then made our way back to the church and were excited to see its completion at noon!  God is good!  Mission complete! 

At 6:30pm, we returned to the church for the Dedication Service (let me tell you, it was a very rough and fast ride).  When we turned the corner and headed down the street, I could see the many kids standing in the road waiting for us!  The church lights were glowing and Christian music could be heard throughout the village!  My heart lept for joy for these people! The service went smoothly as planned and ended in many photographs, handshakes, and hugs.  The Brazilians were overwhelmed with thankfulness and appreciate all who have prayed for us and supported us throughout this trip. 

Thank you.

The hardest part was when the engine on the bus started and the door closed.  The children we befriended had surrounded the bus and were reaching up and calling out to us.  I was grasping for air to keep myself from crying....and then I remembered: We did what we came to do.  They needed the church, the team built it, and now we needed to leave it to them so they can reap the harvest. 

Praise God for this opportunity to serve Him in this way.  Again, our team thanks you for your prayers and donations. 

See you soon,
Wichita Falls CMU Team

Third Day of Building

Hello everyone, this is Brant bringing the latest from Teresina Brazil.  Today was an awesome day for us.  We headed to the work site around 7 am and got right to work.  The mortar was quickly made and we began laying brick while the roof was still being installed.

In the midmorning, a group of us were able to go to a grade school in Teresina. All of the kids gathered in the center courtyard of the school for a presentation by our group.  We had one of team members do a few magic tricks, one did some strength stunts (ex. rolling up a fying pan like it was "dough", and another one of our team members sang a Christian rap song.  The kids loved it.  I was reminded that whatever our talents are, God can use them.  During this time, we passed out a few hundred salvation tracks.  It was an amazing opportunity for us to be able to go into a school like that.

During our luch share time, Helena Burgess had the opportunity to share her testimony with the group.  She did an excellent job.  She reminded us of the verse in Romans 8 that all good things work for the good of those who love God, and who have been called according to his purpose.

After lunch, even though it was very hot, the group continued on with the building.  We laid the final brick this afternoon and also finished the last pieces of the roof.  Some of us were able to start installing the heavy metal windows.  The windows are crucial since the breeze flowing through is the only source of cooling.

Jim & Natallie laid the final brick in the church

Since we were a little ahead of schedue, we had some time to spend with the Brazilians.  The kids are so much fun to play and hang out with.  They are very curious about us "Americanos." 

Kids trying to "rap" with one of our team members

Tomorrow, we will work in morning to prepare for the dedication service tomorrow night.  We will also go out and visit many in the local neighborhood.  Please pray for this special time.  I pray that hearts will be receptive to the message and some will give their life to Christ.

Second Day of Building

Brothers and Sisters In Christ,

Hello from Brazil! We just finished the second day of the Church building project and no reportable injuries, thank you Lord. What a blessed time the team is having. We start our day with breakfast at the hotel at 0600 am. Then a 25 minute bus ride through the city out to the small village where our church site is located. On the way there, we have seen a loose horse slowly strolling down the center of the street, a family of four all piled on top of a motorcycle, trucks loaded with bananas and pineapples, and many other interesting things. Next to the church, in the back yard, is a mango tree, a banana tree, and even a cherry tree. You can not get any fresher than that! Helena Burgess and Natalie Dilli teamed up with the locals to make our lunch. The sandwiches really hit the spot. After lunch we have share time, and yesterday, we lifted Rickey and Ramona Stevens and a lady named Robin (who also has cancer) up to the Lord for healing. Today during sharing time Jim Dilli gave his testimony and gave thanks to the Lord for our fellow team members. The local children have been playing around the site all day. Today our outreach to the neighbor hood included giving out hair ribbons, flip flops, candy, sunglasses, tracts and more. Its time to get cleaned up for supper. Signing off for now.

Hope you are all having a wonderful and blessed day.

It is all about Jesus,

Brazil Mission Team

First Day of Building

Hey Prayer Warriors!  We survived the first day of building in the Brazilian heat and humidity; thank you for your prayers.  God is good.  We arrived at the site early this morning in order to get parts of the roof up so that we could have some shade while we bricked.  After we went through a 5 minute training session, we paired up and began to lay the walls.  The first layer was the most important because it set the foundation up for the rest of the layers....I guess that is sort of like your prayer life; you must have a solid prayer life for the rest of your relationship with God to be built upon.  A few from our group went with the pastor and his wife to their house to make sandwiches.  During lunch, a group member put on a small show of rare talents like bending a huge nail in half; he spoke of the strength of Jesus while he did this amazing stunt.  Tomorrow at 2pm he will put on a show for the children of the village.

We also went into the neighborhood and handed out toys and invites to the church's opening night dedication service.  One of our group members spotted a young boy (maybe thirteen) in one of the houses and called him to come out and meet us.   He then presented the boy with a soccer ball; I cannot describe his face to you....he lit up like it was all he ever wanted.  There was a scripture reference on the ball and our translator read the verse to the boy and then he and our group member played in the front yard.  It was one of the most emotional moments I have had on the trip.....just to see his face.  

Well we are VERY hungry and are now leaving for dinner....stay tuned for more updates!

In Christ,
The Wichita Falls Team

Travel and Arrival

Hey there!  This is Samantha giving you a full update on our current trip status; WE ARE HERE! And we arrived safely.  After 36 hours (Dallas to Atlanta to Miami to Manuas to Brazilia to Teresina) of flying and "waiting to fly", we landed here about midnight on Saturday.  After the exhausting trip, we have rested most of today; we were able to travel on a bus (a very bumpy ride :-) to the site where the foundation waits for its church to be built upon.  We circled up and prayed that God would give us strength and do only what He can do.....build a building.  Tonight we will attend the evening church service with the congregation of the mother church that is over the congregation that we will be helping build a building for worship.  I do not know what to expect tonight; however, we know that God is present and working. 

Please pray for our safety as we travel each day by bus to this area.  It is extremely hot and humid and the sun will most likely be beating down on us.  Please pray for everyone on this trip....that no one will get ill from the heat and labor.  We begin tomorrow. 

In Christ,
The Team

Preparation

It was great to be commissioned in both services at church on Sunday.  We had many come up to us after the service and commit to pray for us while we are gone.  With only a few days before we leave, all of the final preparations have been made and now we are just seeking prayer as we begin this trip.