Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year

We hope that you had a great Thanksgiving. Can you believe it, just a couple more days and it will be CHRISTmas. WOW, how time flies. From our family to yours, have a Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year. We hope you enjoy our latest blog.

Upon returning back from the States, Elba had it on her heart to do some women pastoral care. She arranged for the women leaders to meet at a retreat center outside of Altamira. The time was filled with some teachings, but more importantly, time to rest and just have fun. It also gave the women time to talk and share their hearts with other women leaders about their struggles, challenges and successes. These meetings are very important because it allows the leaders to stop and reflect on what God is doing and has been doing in their lives, create a stronger bond between the leaders, and get re-energized to engage back into the endless work at hand. Unfortunately, not all of the woman leaders were able to attend, but we hope that at the next retreat they will be able to participate. Elba and I were pleased to be able to help financially to make this happen and invest more in their lives.

All the Altamira base missionaries families as well as some Brazilians friends got together and we celebrated Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun and a lot of food. We did not have the traditional turkey but we had plenty of chicken which was an excellent substitution. We also had stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, and some deserts. I am hungry just thinking about it.

Whenever Alyssa likes something, she really likes it. Case in point is her ballerina outfit. She loves it and essentially wears it almost every day even if it is dirty, wet, and very smelly. Personally, I do not mind if she wears dirty clothes or smells a little bad, but Elba and the Brazilian culture will have nothing to do with that. LOL. Camilly went back to school in the mornings and was having a hard time going to school. There were lots of crocodile tears and excuses not to go to school. Once she gets to school she is usually fine. It is just the process of getting her to school. She has this fear that we are going to leave her and not comeback. Please keep her in your prayers.

We found this tarantula in the girl’s room. It was as big as an orange. Praise God Elba saw it and we were able to kill it. We have not found any tarantulas in the girl’s room before so this was just a little too close for comfort. You can be for sure that I am a little more vigilant to check their room before bedtime.



We pray that you have a Merry CHRISTmas and a happy new year. Please continue to keep us in your prayers for good health, safety, and the Lord’s continued favor on the church and the ministries.

We are still in need of your financial support. Please help us by sending a check to the below address or giving on-line. It is a great investment in the Kingdom of God.

Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa

Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:

The Xingu Mission

P.O Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Or On-line donations at:

http://www.xingu.org/6_giving.html

Investing

We want to thank you for your continued prayers in our lives. We hope and pray that you have been blessed throughout the year receiving our emails and seeing the wonderful things that the Lord has and continues to do here in Brazil. We are writing because we need your help financially.

As you may or may not know, we are not salaried employees and we do not take any money from the church or CDR. We depend on donations to live and minister to the Brazilian people. The fact of the matter is that the cost of living has risen, the value of the dollar has dropped, and our responsibilities in ministry have multiplied. It takes your financial support for us to be here to help make an impact in Brazil and the lives of people like Cleiton and Cristiane.

Before coming to Christ, Cleiton and Cristiane were living together out of wedlock. Their lives were filled with partying, dismay and turbulence. But they encountered Jesus through the Mirante church and He has stormed into their lives and they have not looked back as they continue to grow spiritually. Cleiton and Cristiane have become an instrumental part of the leadership team at the church. They are both leading the youth group and Cleiton is co-leading the worship team. Cleiton is also a gifted preacher and has been teaching the Word of God at conferences and the church. The Lord has been transforming their lives in front of our eyes and now their future is filled with the hope of the Lord and His blessings. This is just one example of the many lives that have changed because of Christ working through the Mirante Church.

CDR, our community center has been reaching out to the community to help the underprivileged with affordable education in English and computers. This semester alone, we have around 300 students participating in our programs which is 100 more students than we had last year. We have also been providing wheelchairs to children that cannot afford one and providing hope for a better future for them and their families.

Will you help monthly? If you cannot help monthly, would you please give your best one time financial gift? We are convinced that this is a good investment in the Kingdom of God.

You can send your tax deductible gift to:

The Xingu Mission

PO Box 340785

Columbus, Ohio 43234

Or online at:

http://www.xingu.org/14d_dolan_donation.html

Thank you much for your consideration. Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa