NEW MISSION TEAM FOR PALMAS, TOCANTINS
In July we spent two weeks in Campo Grande. The first week was devoted to a team workshop with the new team we are helping to form and train in conjunction with Continent of Great Cities Ministry. This team has had many battles and changes along the way and we know the enemy has had a hand in some of it, but some of the changes have been blessings. We started with 4 couples and a single woman and are now planning to send 2 couples and a single. We also began forming this team to go to Goiania, Goias, but through many converging circumstances, we have felt the Lord leading us to a new capital city in the state of Tocantins. This team (pics above): Paulo and Renata Figueiredo and their children, Guilherme and Isabella, Flávio and Fernanda França and Kátia Costa are getting ready to move to the city of Palmas in January 2012. Our 5 day workshop involved team dynamics, processing and prayer about the changes on the team, and logistics and finances for the team. We ask for your prayers for this team as they prepare to carry the message of the cross to Palmas. We also ask you to pray for a third family to join them so that they may be a stronger force for the Lord in that city.
SERCRIS ANNUAL STUDENT REUNION
Our second week in Campo Grande was devoted to the annual SerCris student reunion. All ex and current students of the training school are invited for a 3 day renewal, retooling and reuniting retreat. This year Jerry taught on the LeaderSource material he has been developing through the SGA events we have hosted and the 3-week course he took last summer in Indiana. The course is about how to develop leaders in the image of Christ by employing methods which touch on the didactic, the relational, the experiential and the spiritual aspects of our formation. In the four pictures to the right you will see some of these aspects. Much work was done in groups to gain relational insight. We had a demonstration of learning by doing (experiential) where some of the men were taught how to put on make-up through explanation, demonstration, practice on themselves and then practice with supervision on another person. We also asked one couple to write all their hurts and resentments on some fruit and vegetables. They had to carry this sack of pain around with them for 2 days while reading scriptures several times a day on forgiveness. This relational, spiritual and experiential activity resulted in their learning quite a bit which they shared with the rest of the group at the end. All of the students left excited and transformed about using this method of disciple development in their own ministries throughout Brazil.
RENOVARE RETREAT
After our return from Campo Grande we spent a wonderful weekend of recovery at the first Renovaré retreat in Brazil. The Renovaré ministry is dedicated to helping ministers maintain their own personal spiritual growth and communion with the Lord. This is one of our main focus as we work with church leaders so not only was it good for us, but we also learned some wonderful new ways to help the ministers we minister to. The picture shows us with the speakers at this event: Lyle Smith and Mindy Caliguire who brought us inspiring lessons on the story of the prodigal son.
COSTA RICA
At the end of July, Gail and Angela took a mother/daughter trip to Costa Rica, something they had been saving for awhile to do. Angela is a Spanish teacher so we wanted to go somewhere where she could use her language skills. Costa Rica is a beautiful country full of volcanos and wildlife. They are very conscious of ecology and preservation of their natural resources and we were impressed with the pride the people have in their country. We went to the capital, San José, to visit the Arenal Volcano which is an active volcano, and to the Cloud Forest in the mountains.
At the left we are as close as they would let us get to the Arenal Volcano. We had a wonderful guide who filled us with information about volcanos and the country that Angela will be able to use in her classes.
After the volcano tour we spent some time in the nearby town of La Fortuna taking in the culture and shopping for souvenirs and then walked 7km back to our hotel.
To the right, we are riding in a boat across the Arenal Lake to our next stop in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Behind our hotel here there was a forest with trails and lots of wildlife and plants to observe. I loved exploring that forest!
This is a picture of our day in the trees on the zip lines. This was the most exciting part of the trip! We did 14 lines including a Superman fly, a short rappel and the Tarzan Swing (see my facebook for videos!). I enjoyed so much getting to spend some time alone with Angela and being in such a beautiful place was a huge bonus!
NEWS
While Gail was enjoying God´s creation in Costa Rica, Jerry was in Brazil working, preparing for several trips and visiting the church in Vitoria where we are helping to revitalize the congregation together with Continent of Great Cities.
Please be praying for our workshops in Niteroi, Brasilia, Natal, and Campo Grande in the next several months. We will also be speaking at the Global Mission conference in Dallas in October. Please let us know if you would like to help us with expenses for that trip as we are needing some support for this.
Thanks to each one of you for your loving support and encouragement.
All our love! Jerry and Gail
In July we spent two weeks in Campo Grande. The first week was devoted to a team workshop with the new team we are helping to form and train in conjunction with Continent of Great Cities Ministry. This team has had many battles and changes along the way and we know the enemy has had a hand in some of it, but some of the changes have been blessings. We started with 4 couples and a single woman and are now planning to send 2 couples and a single. We also began forming this team to go to Goiania, Goias, but through many converging circumstances, we have felt the Lord leading us to a new capital city in the state of Tocantins. This team (pics above): Paulo and Renata Figueiredo and their children, Guilherme and Isabella, Flávio and Fernanda França and Kátia Costa are getting ready to move to the city of Palmas in January 2012. Our 5 day workshop involved team dynamics, processing and prayer about the changes on the team, and logistics and finances for the team. We ask for your prayers for this team as they prepare to carry the message of the cross to Palmas. We also ask you to pray for a third family to join them so that they may be a stronger force for the Lord in that city.
SERCRIS ANNUAL STUDENT REUNION
Our second week in Campo Grande was devoted to the annual SerCris student reunion. All ex and current students of the training school are invited for a 3 day renewal, retooling and reuniting retreat. This year Jerry taught on the LeaderSource material he has been developing through the SGA events we have hosted and the 3-week course he took last summer in Indiana. The course is about how to develop leaders in the image of Christ by employing methods which touch on the didactic, the relational, the experiential and the spiritual aspects of our formation. In the four pictures to the right you will see some of these aspects. Much work was done in groups to gain relational insight. We had a demonstration of learning by doing (experiential) where some of the men were taught how to put on make-up through explanation, demonstration, practice on themselves and then practice with supervision on another person. We also asked one couple to write all their hurts and resentments on some fruit and vegetables. They had to carry this sack of pain around with them for 2 days while reading scriptures several times a day on forgiveness. This relational, spiritual and experiential activity resulted in their learning quite a bit which they shared with the rest of the group at the end. All of the students left excited and transformed about using this method of disciple development in their own ministries throughout Brazil.
RENOVARE RETREAT
After our return from Campo Grande we spent a wonderful weekend of recovery at the first Renovaré retreat in Brazil. The Renovaré ministry is dedicated to helping ministers maintain their own personal spiritual growth and communion with the Lord. This is one of our main focus as we work with church leaders so not only was it good for us, but we also learned some wonderful new ways to help the ministers we minister to. The picture shows us with the speakers at this event: Lyle Smith and Mindy Caliguire who brought us inspiring lessons on the story of the prodigal son.
COSTA RICA
At the end of July, Gail and Angela took a mother/daughter trip to Costa Rica, something they had been saving for awhile to do. Angela is a Spanish teacher so we wanted to go somewhere where she could use her language skills. Costa Rica is a beautiful country full of volcanos and wildlife. They are very conscious of ecology and preservation of their natural resources and we were impressed with the pride the people have in their country. We went to the capital, San José, to visit the Arenal Volcano which is an active volcano, and to the Cloud Forest in the mountains.
At the left we are as close as they would let us get to the Arenal Volcano. We had a wonderful guide who filled us with information about volcanos and the country that Angela will be able to use in her classes.
After the volcano tour we spent some time in the nearby town of La Fortuna taking in the culture and shopping for souvenirs and then walked 7km back to our hotel.
To the right, we are riding in a boat across the Arenal Lake to our next stop in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Behind our hotel here there was a forest with trails and lots of wildlife and plants to observe. I loved exploring that forest!
This is a picture of our day in the trees on the zip lines. This was the most exciting part of the trip! We did 14 lines including a Superman fly, a short rappel and the Tarzan Swing (see my facebook for videos!). I enjoyed so much getting to spend some time alone with Angela and being in such a beautiful place was a huge bonus!
NEWS
While Gail was enjoying God´s creation in Costa Rica, Jerry was in Brazil working, preparing for several trips and visiting the church in Vitoria where we are helping to revitalize the congregation together with Continent of Great Cities.
Please be praying for our workshops in Niteroi, Brasilia, Natal, and Campo Grande in the next several months. We will also be speaking at the Global Mission conference in Dallas in October. Please let us know if you would like to help us with expenses for that trip as we are needing some support for this.
Thanks to each one of you for your loving support and encouragement.
All our love! Jerry and Gail
posted by Family Institute of Latin America @ 5:27 PM
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