Thank you – Thank you for your encouragement. As we labor together in God’s harvest field, our hope in His promises increases. We pray that you may receive “an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” for all that you do in His name and for His glory.
Brazil – Church planting projects have multiplied in Brazil, adding an estimate of 14,000 new churches per year to the over 200,000 existing ones. Thank God for the good work and numerical expansion of His Kingdom. However, there is a huge need of discipleship. Harvest Brazil is committed to equipping churches that will meet this need and make a positive impact in the country.
PROGRESS OF SAMARITAN STRATEGY PROJECTS
Harvest Brazil equips churches to demonstrate God’s will in every area of life.What’s next?In 2016, Harvest Brazil worked with 49 local churches, while training their leaders. Countless testimonies of evangelism, conversions, re-dedication, and answers to altar calls have been part of their services. Thank God for bringing conviction of sins and salvation to many people. However, a sad reality is that there is little discipleship. Thus, believers remain in a prolonged “infancy” in their faith walk, a condition that results in churches whose presence and proclamation are irrelevant to their communities.
Harvest training
Using wholistic discipleship, Harvest equips local churches to flourish along with their neighbors. People learn about God’s intentions in all areas of life and start asking the question, “What’s next in my walk with Jesus?” The answer to this question helps them discover ways to practice obedience and grow in faith. Here are some examples:- At the Assemblies of God in Brejoens, Humberto and his wife, Eva, started adult literacy classes with a group of ten people. Now, a second class began, and the pastor’s mother is one of the students. There is excitement as they learn to read and write and a strong connection between church and community has been established. In days of severe drought, we did a training in this church and prayed for rain. The next day, a beautiful rain covered the land and God was honored.
– In Camboriu, Pastors Diogenes (Family Church), Paulo (Foursquare Church), and Silas (First Baptist Church) brought their churches together in obedience to the passage, “visit those in prison”, and started to plan a project in a local prison. Hopelessness, guilt conscience, and sickness describe life in that place. Local churches will offer activities to 20 prisoners, where they will learn to cultivate a garden, receive vocational training and instruction in God’s Word, and interact with believers, with the possibility to reduce their time in jail. From hopelessness to new life in Jesus, our goal is to facilitate the work of these three churches, serving by faith and in obedience to God’s calling.
– Our team members, Celso and Diogo, are father and son. A couple of months ago, Diogo and his wife, Leidy, lost a baby. In our last training in Feira de Santana, Celso and Diogo worked side-by-side and shared mutual consolations after the recent loss in their family. The Holy Spirit moved in powerful ways. Pastors Herivelton and Pedro are Diogo’s father and brother-in-law and leaders at the house church in Feira de Santana. The Lord stirred their hearts to start a new church in Alecrim Miudo. Together, we encouraged each other, visited and envisioned the expansion of God’s Kingdom in that place.
We thank the Lord for the task entrusted to Harvest, coming along with the growing number of churches to help them disciple their members to represent Jesus in all areas of life. People are asking, “What’s next?”, discovering opportunities to grow in their walk with the Lord, and making positive impact in their communities. Would you be interested to learn about Harvest approach to discipleship? We would love to share more about it, just let us know when we can talk.
Humberto and his wife Eva
Diogo and Celso
Pastor Pedro
PRAYERS
- In Bahia, God brought rains, Diogo, Leidy and Celso met after the loss in their family, Humberto and Eva launched pioneer projects, Herivelton and Pedro started a new church, and Adilson became the pastor of a small congregation. In the south, Diógenes celebrated his birthday, Cleiton was healed of laryngitis and Steve and Cefas traveled many miles for team meetings. God’s Word was broadly sown and the tasks of the last mission trip were successfully accomplished. We praise the Lord for the gifts of answered prayers, consolation, anointing, safety on the roads, life, health, provision and fruit in His harvest field.
- New mission fronts were launched in Brejoens, Alecrim Miúdo, Gramado and Porto Alegre. These are opportunities to advance the Kingdom and we need provision to move on with these projects.
- The Harvest Brazil team has dedicated, young, committed and enthusiastic workers. Please keep praying for protection and provision in all they do for the Kingdom.
- Local churches are discipling the Guaranys, Haitian immigrants, inmates, and drug users in rehabilitation. Please pray for fruits in all areas of their lives.
Thank you!