New Beginnings Alliance Church
Madison, WI
Missions Team Report
January 1 – 13, 2009
São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Team Verse - Hebrews 13:18-21
Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Respectfully submitted by Nancy Lyons on Behalf of the Team:
Pastor William “Rick” Badger
Kathryn Bowen
Gary Herrmann
Linda Herrmann
Eileen Hocker
Melanie Lucas
Jeff Lyons
Nancy Lyons
Sandy Scott
Audrey Terrance
Preparation
The team planned and held four fundraising events with the help of other people from New Beginnings Alliance Church for the Brazil Missions Trip. We had one bake sale, two garage/bake sales, and a benefit dinner at the Samba Brazilian Grill in Madison, Wisconsin. In October, 2008, we began meeting weekly for briefing sessions, drama lessons with Brad and Cindy Christiansen from the Oconomowoc Alliance Church, and Portuguese language lessons with a friend of a team member, Giulia Romano, who is originally from São Paulo, Brazil.
The Dramas
Our team prepared for and performed two dramas (pantomimed actions set to Christian songs) called “Don’t Touch" and “Too Much” as our main tool for reaching across the language barrier to share the gospel. "Don’t Touch" is about a person who has been warned not to touch sin, represented by a sign on a chair. The person confidently touches sin a little bit, then a little more, and finally sits right in sin. The person then cannot get unattached from sin, as represented by the chair. Various people come by and try to get the person out of sin by pushing and pulling, and one gets stuck in sin too. Then a Christian comes by, who shares the gospel with the people stuck in sin, and eventually both are freed by Christ’s forgiveness.
The form of the "Too Much" drama we chose to perform was about an abused woman who had an alcoholic husband. Sometimes this drama uses a parent and child relationship or other addictions instead of alcoholism. Jesus reaches out to her over and over with His love alternating with the husband abusing the wife verbally and physically, and the husband throwing the Bible on the floor. The woman is given a Bible but she’s not sure whether to trust Christ or not. She plans to shoot herself, but Jesus shows her his nail scarred hands to show her that He knows about abuse and rejection and understands her pain. She gives Jesus the gun. The drama ends with the woman giving her life to Christ and Christ lovingly blessing her as His new child.
Getting Acquainted with São Paulo
On January 1, 2009 nine members of New Beginnings Alliance Church, along with one member of Fountain of Life Church, left Madison, Wisconsin to serve God in São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil. Our team leaders were Missions Director and Elder Gary Herrmann and church member Eileen Hocker, who in the past led missions trips for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The team consisted of seven women and three men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Half of our team was Caucasian and half of our team was African-American. This allowed us to fit right into the melting pot that is São Paulo.
We were greeted in the São Paulo airport by Joel and Cindy Rast of Brazilian Evangelical Association ministries, and their children Grace, Alex and Christian. The Rasts used to go to NBAC when they lived in Madison, Wisconsin. The Rasts and CAMA missionaries Doug and Helen White organized mission opportunities and transportation for our team in Brazil. While we were there, we lived at a Christian retreat center called Sambro, or “shade”, to remind people of the shade of God’s hand. Vitor and Maria Vera were our gracious hosts. The Rasts pose at right by the pool at Sambro.
Our First Challenge
The first night we were in Brazil, Gary Herrmann had to go to the emergency room of the Albert Einstein Hospital due to gall stones blocking a duct, a toxin problem, and pancreatitis. God provided a doctor who pioneered a type of surgery to fix this very problem, and who teaches other doctors how to perform it. The Lord also provided assistance through a group of people from the Rasts’ church, such as Jane Mecham and Nathaniel Fawcett, who work with Joel Rast at the Pan American Christian Academy, who translated for hours for Gary because the hospital personnel didn’t speak English. Gary had his own mission at this Jewish hospital, and passed out Portuguese New Testaments to medical staff, including his doctor, and to Nadia Folegatti, the mother of the young woman who taught us some Portuguese.
After a briefing from Doug and Helen White and two of their children, Caleb and Rachel, pictured below right, Eileen Hocker led the team in practicing the dramas. Substituting Pastor Badger for Gary’s parts as Jesus, the team carried on as planned.
Church Visits
The first church we went to on January 4 was called the Ingreja Aliança Aeroporto, or “Airport Church”, a church that Doug and Helen White have helped with. Pastor Badger preached, we shared testimonies, and we performed one of our dramas there.
Later on January 4, we visited the Ingreja Alliança de Villa Madalena, or “Alliance Church of Villa Madalena”, which is a daughter church of the “Airport Church” that Doug and Helen White helped plant. At this church, we performed the dramas and shared testimonies. Both of these churches are made up of people from various cultures, ethnicities, and classes, but most of the people in these congregations appeared to our team to be middle class or high class.
On the evening of January 6, we visited with a group of middle class people in a parking garage in Taboao. These folks were members of a future church that is being planted by Doug and Helen White. The first service of the Taboao church was to be after we left, but the future members of this church got together for devotions with Pastor Marcos Dorigo and to fellowship with us.
At left are Pastor Steve Watkins, his wife and children, and his mother and grandmother. Our team painted at Pastor Steve Watkins’ Baptist church, Ingreja Baptista, on January 8. We painted outside walls in front of the church’s main entrance, sanded rust and old paint off the gate, and painted parts of a newly constructed classroom building. This church is in a poorer neighborhood.
On January 11, we attended services at the Rasts’ church, Calvary International, where Pastor Badger preached. That evening, we attended Pastor Watkins’ church where we shared our dramas and testimonies. It was wonderful to see all of these services so well attended.
Home Visits
On Monday, January 5, we visited Nadia Folegatti. Nadia had her mother, Zoe, visiting her. We ministered to these ladies from the upper class as they were missing their beloved family member who had taught us Portuguese. We also visited homes connected with a church Doug and Helen White are planting in the Taboao neighborhood. On January 6, we met Pastor Marcos and Gorete Dorigo and their daughter, who will lead the new church. We split up into two groups, and went to visit two homes of people who are connected to the new church. It was a special time to visit their families, get to know them, and to share our testimonies with them.
Orphanage/Rescue Home 1: Casa Abba
Not far from where we stayed was a complex of buildings inside a walled-in courtyard, which used to be a brothel. Now it is Casa Abba, “House of Abba”, a home for boys from the streets. Not all of them are orphans. Delton Hochstedler from BEA ministries, who works at Casa Abba, explained to us that some of the boys have parents who have addictions, are poor, are abusive, or who lack parenting skills. Casa Abba is helping the children of “favelas” or poor neighborhoods (slums), to be safe and to learn about Jesus. The boys of Casa Abba range from ages 10 – 15, and there were eight or nine of them there. They go through different “stages” of what is expected of them at this home. At first, they are in a bedroom with bunks and a toilet and not much else. As they progress in learning and adopting positive behaviors, they earn the privilege of moving to another, nicer, bedroom. If need be, they can be sent back a “stage” to correct behavior. This is a Christian-run facility. Several of the staff members are BEA ministries missionaries. The boys have Bible studies daily. At Casa Abba, our team performed both dramas, and we shared the gospel with them. We also spent time having fun with the boys - making kites, playing basketball, etc. We gave Casa Abba a Portuguese Bible, clothing, school supplies, and a soccer ball we had signed. A prayer request is that they will be allowed continual use of land near their property which will become a park. Casa Abba's garden is currently on this land.
Orphanage/Rescue Home 2: Limiar
According to Limiar’s website, “limiar” refers to the threshold of a door. This orphanage aims to be a doorway for hard-to-place children, with physical and mental disabilities, to loving adoptive homes. Limiar is the only orphanage we visited that is not a Christian-based orphanage. We had the children make a craft, and some members of our team made kites with the children. We gave Limiar a Bible, a soccer ball our team signed, clothing and school supplies. Pictured from the left are Gary Herrmann, Joel Rast, Limiar’s social worker, a former resident who was visiting, the director, and Pastor Badger. It was great to see the young lady who grew up in a loving adopted family.
Orphanage/Rescue Home 3: Lar Efrata
Lar Efrata means “House of Bread” and was started in 1990 by Baptist missionary Richard Stimson. Lar Efrata is located in Embu Guacu, which is an hour southwest of Sao Paulo city. We met missionaries José Antônio Rosa and his wife Mônica of the Baptist Church San José, who allowed us to serve by folding and sorting laundry and helping with kitchen work. We also spent time with the children doing crafts, and playing. We gave Lar Efrata clothing and school supplies. They request prayer for their chef, Marcia, to be healed of cancer, and for money to be provided to finish a new home that has been started for her family at Lar Efrata. The kids range from age 3 to teens. At right, Joel Rast poses with some of the kids who live at Lar Efrata.
Orphanage/Rescue Home 4: Associação Lar Resgate
The Association of Home Rescue, or Lar Resgate, is located in São Paulo city. Missionaries Carlos Gomez de Azevedo and his wife Hulda Azevedo Pereira Bastos• Missionária Huda Pereira Bastos Azevedo create a Christian family environment for the children who range from toddlers to teens. We did similar activities with the children here as at other orphanages we visited. One 13 year old boy, Kennedy, is a prodigy on the piano who has had public concerts, and he played for us. This orphanage especially reaches out to help kids who are from homes where there is domestic violence. Carlos and Hulda, holding daughter Sabrina, pose in the middle of a group of Lar Resgate children, pictured at the left. They and the children worship at the “Airport Church” we visited earlier with Doug and Helen White.
Favela Ministries
On January 7, Joel Rast arranged for us to visit a community center in the Buraco Quente slum, or “favela”, where a friend of his named Guilherme - a former professional soccer player - has a ministry. This neighborhood is controlled by drug lords. Guilherme got their permission so we could safely minister there. We reached out to the children at a community center through our dramas, and with balloon animals, crafts, dancing, eating brownies, and talking. We were with about 50 children. One of Guilherme’s staff, Erica, is a young mother who has an abusive boyfriend or husband. The day Erica got saved, she went home and was beaten. Yet, she continues along with Guilherme and others, to reach out to the children of this community to give them hope through Christ to reach their goals.
In the photo at right, Cindy Rast, Erica, Linda Herrmann, Guilherme, and Joel Rast hang out in the office area of the community center until it was time for the kids to arrive.
Later on January 7, we ministered with Goran Tomic, a missionary with Ambassadors in Sports. At a soccer field, we performed our dramas for over a dozen pre-teen and teen-aged boys. Every boy stood up to show he had prayed to receive Christ. On January 8, we went with Goran to an adult soccer field and several men and older boys accepted Jesus as their Savior. It was a privilege to be present when these boys and men made this important choice.
Conclusion
We believe that as our “team verse” states, God equipped us with everything we needed to do His will in Brazil, and it is our ongoing prayer that He continue to work His will in us and in those we met in Brazil to glorify Himself. Gary Herrmann, has a vision for New Beginnings to have another short-term missions trip in a couple years, and if the Lord leads, missions trips to Brazil may become a regular planned outreach with our church.
Data
- Total team members: 10
- Duration of Trip: 13 days (including travel)
- Total visits (homes, churches, favelas, orphanages, rescue homes): 16
- Total salvation decisions recorded: 34
- Donations and Support: 7 suitcases full of donated clothing and school supplies to the orphanages/rescue homes visited - About 2 plastic grocery bags of school supplies (including scissors, crayons, markers, glue sticks, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers and inflatable globes) and 1-2 garbage bags full of sweatshirts, jackets, sweaters and coats went to each orphanage/rescue home. We also gave each orphanage/rescue home a Portuguese Bible and a soccer ball signed by our team.
