Easter Celebration with Belem

Belem is an outreach run by Pastor Flavio and his friend Edgar. Up until recently, they were distributing soup once a week through the soup ministry. Edgar is continuing to minister in the community, but now the ministry is more limited to special celebrations and occasions. We were excited to have some of the children from Belem be a part of our Easter celebration at Cajueiro Claro!

*Note: The painted rocks you see in the video were the "eggs" we hid for the Easter Egg hunt!

What a Year: 2014

This is our first year working in Belem (although we have been working with some of the same children since 2007), and God has really blessed! We are excited to see what God is doing in Desterro as well.
Pastor Marco has been looking into the ministries offered to children in Desterro already, to see what further needs the community has. We are excited to see how God leads in 2015!

Updates and Children's day Party

World Renewal Brazil has been doing an excellent job of documenting all that is happening with Desterro, our newest church plant:
First Church Service and Children's Day Party

For a quick review, Belem is a poor outlying suberb of the town of Paudalho (pop. 30,000). A friend of Pastor Flavio lives there (named Edgar), and asked him to come minister to the families once a week, and pass out soup.

 (Edgar and his wife)

(Pastor Flavio sharing in Edgar's front living space, made just for this opportunity)

Down the road from Belem a couple miles, in a little community called Desterro (pop. 3,000). Within this community was a church that was abandoned for 9 years. God has just recently opened doors, and a new church plant was able to being in that building. We are praying to see how this community grows and see how a partnership with Belem and Living Stones might work.

 (praying for Pastor Marco and his family)

Our Children's day party started off with us walking around the community, praying and inviting all the kids we saw the come and join us. 

The pastor was late, with the keys, so when Flavio came with a Kombe load of kids, we started our party outside in the street.

By the time the Pastor came with the keys, many of the kids from the local community had joined us, and we filled up every pew in the church! It was a wonderful time to share Jesus with this community outreach that is just beginning. 

Belem and Desterro

Belem is a part of the town of Paudalho, and the main road through Belem is called Desterro. The dusty/muddy (depending on seasons) road is finally being paved.

A couple kilometers outside of town was an church with plenty of land around it--boarded up for the past nine years. 

Through different connections and God stories, Evangelical Friends churches have put a down payment ($10,000) on this building, and a church is beginning. More funds are still needed ($20,000), and our prayers and support for this community.

Pastor Marco and his family will be serving as leadership, and partnering with Living Stones Belem and Pastor Flavio in connecting the outreach already started in this area. We are so excited to see how God is raising up churches in Northeast Brazil! Go here to read the report on the World Renewal Brazil website. 

Praying about the Future

Morning Star Friends Mission trip was able to go with Pastor Flavio to deliver soup and minister in the neighborhood of Belem (part of Paudalho)

We are also praying about future opportunities that God is opening up in Belem

Belem: Living Stones #6

It is hard to put a number on Living Stones ministries, but here is a review:
1. Living Stones Cajueiro Claro, begun in 2010 by Pastor Flavio, in the rural area outside of Paudalho
2. Living Stones Mussurepe, begun in 2012 by Pastor Flavio, in the rural area a bit further outside of Paudalho (there are many small towns around there that need the gospel!)
3. Living Stones Trash Dump, begun in 2012 by Massa Humana (Washington Araujo), Living Stones works alongside them to give support in the trash dump of Carpina
4. Living Stones Guadalajara, begun in 2012 by Glory Sports and Athletes in Action (Luizinho Andrade), Living Stones works alongside them to give them support in Guadalajara, a subdivision of Paudalho
5. Living Stones Lagoa De Itaenga, begun in 2013 by Pastor Ricardo, in Lagoa De Itaenga
6. Living Stones Belem, begun in 2014 by Pastor Flavio, located in the city of Paudalho

Living Stones also works alongside of Carpina Glory Sports, is helping Paudalho church distribute soup, and Pastor Flavio also works in Gravata, a city a couple hours away, at least once a month. All together, we are getting close to our 10 programs in 10 towns in 10 years!

In 2010, we were sad to have to close down Living Stones Paudalho. They had been working since 1998, when Pastor Assuerio began the ministry. Because of finances, they had combined with PETI, a government program to help working children go to school instead of work. At times, the partnership was a blessing, and working with/feeding 150 children a day--but it was wrought with complications, including much government corruption.
In 2013, we were very excited to work with the church in Paudalho to begin distributing soup to the families around the church. There are no workers or resources to re-open a Living Stones program at this time (praying!!), but this has been a great way to reconnect with many of the families, and provide them some much needed services.

Pastor Flavio, who grew up in Paudalho, right next to the church, has been invited to begin a ministry in Belem. It is a poor area off of the center of town where many of the children who used to be a part of the Living Stones program live. He is beginning small, with whatever resources he can find, and is asking you to pray about supporting this new work. Thirty children are signed up so far, to come a couple times a week.

Introducing Living Stones

This blog is to keep you updated with what is going on with the Living Stones program in Belem, part of the city of Paudalho, in Northeast Brazil.  If this is your first time hearing about Living Stones, or you would like a quick refresh, here is a quick look at the program: 

Living Stones serves impoverished children.

We work with many street children (a term used for both market children--who work in the streets and live with their families--and homeless street children--who work, live and sleep in the streets, often lacking contact with their families: Casa Alianza, Worldwide Statistics, Sept. 2000) and at-risk children who apply for help and welfare assistance in the urban context, and generally impoverished children in rural context.

Each child is individual, as well as their story and needs, whether they are temporarily or permanently in need. For most of these children, the meal they receive at Living Stones is the only hot meal they will have all day. We help them scholastically and nutritionally, enabling them to go to school instead of spending that time begging/working for food.

 

Living Stones is located in Northeast Brazil with World Renewal Brazil.

Working under the ministry of World Renewal Brazil (http://www.wribrazil.com), Living Stones is a program individually connected with and under its respective church to serve the children in their community.

 

Living Stones is a community outreach and church planting ministry.

We work with churches who desire to either 1. Begin a new church plant, or 2. Expand their church ministry within their community. We come alongside our brothers and sisters in Brazil to help train them and give them the resources to make a lasting difference in their community.

Through the week = Living Stones

On Sundays = A new church plant, or community outreach

 

Living Stones LENDs: enabling churches to provide Love, Education, Nutrition, and Direction

Each Living Stone program is set up to help their community in the best way possible. Some are full-time programs, serving two groups per day, in conjunction with the school system. One group goes to school in the morning, 1:00-4:00pm Living Stones (lunch and classes), and the other group comes 8-11am Living Stones (classes and then lunch), and goes to school in the afternoon. Some Living Stones are half-day programs,  some are in conjunctions with Glory Sports ministries, and some are on the weekends. 

You can help Living Stones LEND by giving a HAND

Have a HEART for the ministry, investing a part of yourself. ASSISTANCE by coming to Brazil yourself is always welcome and needed (opportunities athttp://www.wribrazil.com) . Please take the NEEDS of the ministry before the Lord (find out more at www.buildinglivingstones.blogspot.com) , who supplies abundantly, and lastly, DONATIONS are always a blessing (options are under the donation button at www.buildinglivingstones.blogspot.com).  

The cost of the Living Stones program is approximately $1 a day per child. Please pray about supporting a child with a monthly donation of $30 (www.wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder) Once 60 people are committed, we can begin to plant a new Living Stones program and church in a community.