Skip to main content

The Land Deal Revisited

new locationI was reading a prayer sheet from our home church this morning and I noticed the following,

  • Pray for Mike & Dawn Jewell in Brazil. Continue to pray for the land deal

There have been some interesting developments lately on that deal.

I have already mentioned two important documents that the Lord has helped us to attain.

Our CNPJ number which recognizes Faith Baptist Church as a governmentally approved organization.

The other document came from City Hall recognizing our status as a “religious” organization which will exempt us from certain taxes.

These were two important steps that God allowed us to accomplish with the help of a good friend and brother in Christ from Calvary Baptist Church. With these documents in hand we can proceed with government’s and God’s blessing.

When Alexandre visited Curitiba back in January the challenge he took was, “10 months for Faith”. The plan was that one-hundred people (or giving units) contributing R$50 per month for ten months would produce the R$50,000 we would need to purchase a piece of land for our church building.

Six months into the campaign we have but R$10,000 in the bank. However, and that is a BIG however, that is R$10,000 more that we as missionaries have seen raised by our Brazilian brothers in our thirteen years of ministry! So, we are very excited at God’s provision. This “wait” has also allowed us to reevaluate where would be the best place for our church. We’ve changed our minds and began looking inside the neighborhood.

Another interesting development is that Saturday there was a meeting in the neighborhood. The mayor sent representatives with the news that the residents will soon be given the deeds to their property.

This is very interesting to us because it will allow us to purchase land in the neighborhood. Something which was prohibited until this Saturday’s meeting. We are praying about purchasing a couple of neighboring houses for $22,500 (that is 22,000 dollars)! These would allow Alexandre to move into the villa and we would be able to use the two for our services. They are just 200 meters from the property I mentioned a couple of months ago.

fabfour

In ten days Alexandre will be returning to Curitiba to “encourage the troops” to continue their contributions which they promised at the beginning of the year. We are praying that João, Maicon, Guilherme and Samuel will also be able to go with Alexandre. This will allow them to divide into two teams and visit four or more churches during that weekend. 

Prayer Requests:

  1. Wisdom to make a good purchase in God’s timing
  2. Safety and God’s blessing on Alexandre’s trip
  3. God’s blessing on our VBS which will take place on the 21st – 23rd

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Caught up to Paradise - 2 Corinthians 12

Residing in Michigan for over half my life, I had heard about Paradise. Because Paradise is a small town in the Upper Peninsula, you may have never visited there in your life, but you knew it existed. It was WAY up there next to Tahquamenon Falls and nothing else. Where's Tahquamenon Falls? Next to Paradise and nothing else. It's a long way from home.  Why all of the talk about Paradise? Because Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 12. There was this guy who had been caught up to Paradise. Not in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but into the REAL Paradise. While there, he'd heard things that he was unable to repeat. What on earth was this? Who was this guy? Here's what was going on. Paul defended his position of Apostleship in chapter eleven and gave the Corinthians an idea of what Apostleship looked like in chapter twelve. It came with great wonders, like seeing or instead hearing unimaginable things. But, too, that position came with a terrible cost. God gave Paul a &q

What to get God for Christmas

Jesus left perfect surroundings, relationships and glory to be born into squalor. He was homeless before birth. His father was a carpenter in a culture where carpentry was a despised trade. His, mother though young and giving birth to her firstborn, had no attendant nurses, helpers or friends. Rather than a pristine hospital, birth was given in the filthy stench of a stable. Romantic? Hardly. This sacrifice brought a life of hardship. Why? Why this odd story? Obedience. God's gift to humanity was His son. Jesus' gift was obedience to the Father. He paid the greatest price. Not because we are special but because he loves His Father. His gift was the perfect gift. Our Father wants obedience for Christmas and every other day for that matter. In Brazil Christmas is becoming commercialized. A phenomenon familiar for years in the United States tickles a growing economy. There is little time for meditation on God's Gift. There are no chestnuts roasting or Jack Frost nippin

Stop Trusting

Isaiah 2:22 says Isaiah 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Prophet is saying that we shouldn't put our trust in humankind because they are so finite. They are not like God, who is infinite. People are fickle. They change their minds. They love you and then hate you in moments.  God invites us to trust him completely with everything that we have. He doesn't show himself to us physically or as a spirit. He demands that we have faith. However, he also gives us the faith to trust him.  The universe shouts "Creator!" and yet we often ignore the proclamation. This ignorance does not make God's creation any less a physical demonstration of his grandeur. God's boundless being becomes more amazing in his presence within us. How can the infinite God dwell in the mortals he commands us not to trust?  Jesus said, "with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible."