Prayer Requests and Updates

With all we have going on here in Porto Alegre sometimes we forget to remind our supporters and friends of the things that they can be praying about. Needless to say, we all have praises and needs. Here are a few of ours that we would appreciate you lifting up to the Father:

• Claudio's Job: One of our brothers in Christ has been working as the "super" of an apartment building here in the city for 10 years. He and his family moved to another town about 30 minutes away (by car) back in June 2007. Because of the distance and the fact that things just aren't going well with the management of the apartment building we are praying that the Lord would bless Claudio with a new job closer to home. He is a very hard worker and is dedicated to his walk with the Lord. It would mean a lot to this special man if he new that brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe were praying for him and his job situation.
• Teen pregnancy: Unfortunately, we all make mistakes. Sometimes our mistakes are permanent. One of the members of our youth group is pregnant and expects to have her baby in May. She is learning a hard lesson and really needs a lot of prayers and encouragement. Her family is really poor and their living conditions are difficult. They expect to move into a new house sometime this year, but don't really know when they will be able to. This girl is only 16 years old and the father of the baby is only 14. They really have a hard journey in front of them. Please bathe them in prayer as they make decision that will shape how they live their lives. They need you to pray for peace, wisdom and encouragement through the Spirit. Please also be praying for purity for all our young people.
  
• Men's Study: On March 8th, I will begin a new 8-week study with the men in our church family. We will study and discuss the Spiritual Disciplines (prayer, meditation, worship, fasting, etc). I expect this to be a heart and mind opening experience for all of us. Please pray that the Lord bless us and lead us and we strive to grow closer to him and to each other in fellowship.
• English Class: Jennifer began and English class last week. She has 4 students on Tuesday and Thursday nights. 3 of these students are not-yet Christians. Please pray that Jennifer would be used mightily and that the hearts of these students would be touched to follow Jesus.
• Bible Studies/House Churches: We continue to reach out to our community through the house church network and through one-on-one Bible studies. I have a couple of studies and hope for more. I have studied with Ricardo for 2 and a half years. Please pray for Ricardo as we search the scriptures together and learn about the Christian walk. We have had 5 house churches since June of last year. We really believe that going out into the different neighborhoods and setting up small churches in people's homes is the most effective way to reach this entire city for Jesus. In the next week or two Jennifer and I will start working with our 3rd group which we hope and pray will become a house church. This will be a mid-week group Bible study in the South Zone of the city where there currently are no house churches. Please pray that the Lord bless us with wisdom, joy and endurance. We are very excited to take a study to a new part of town where many want to know Jesus!
• Easter Retreat: This year, instead of our Carnaval Retreat, we are planning an Easter Retreat (March 21-23). Please be in prayer that this will be a time when many who don't yet know Jesus accept him and that the rest of our church family will grow closer to him. Also, please be in prayer for our planning - that we would allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that we are doing.
• Chácara Study: We are half way through the study out at the Chácara (just finished week 5). The guys are excited and very animated about the things they are learning. Please continue to keep these young men in your prayers. There is a lot of turnover at this rehab center. It seems like each week there are one or two guys who have left and one or two new guys that just got there. They need the physical, mental and spiritual strength to endure coming off their various addictions. Please keep my co-teacher, Paulo Renato, in your prayers as well. We took over leading the study at week 3 and hasn't looked back. I am so happy to turn a ministry over to a Brazilian and so proud of the work and preparation he is putting into it. I praise the Lord for this humble brother who loves the men at the Chácara with all his heart. We all need purity and self-control, so I ask that you pray for this as well.

I thank you for your faithful, fervent prayers on behalf of our ministries and our church family. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness to His Kingdom.