This (pictured above in a Brazilian Prison) is Big Mike… Pastor Big Mike. We also call him "The Bear". The phrase of the week while he was with us here in Rio recently was, "Don't Poke the BEAR!"
Although Big Mike can get grumpy once in a while he has a heart of gold, and loves to preach the Gospel where most are fearful to go!
Big Mike with his X Team Heroes: Dan and Jordan- (Also pictured above-Christ followers taking up their cross!) Mike, Dan and Jordan came to Caju in Rio de Janeiro to build modest dormitories and bunk beds that will be used for Disciple Making in Caju. They also made this cross.
We never know what will happen when Big Mike is in Rio, but something always does. Warning: The contents of this email are fairly graphic in the description of Urban Violence.
I picked up the team at the airport and got them to the Life Church in Caju (a neighborhood recently pacified). Later that afternoon I was leaving the neighborhood and this is what I passed…
The army had blocked the main highway coming into the city just outside Caju and the adjacent neighborhood of Mare. A number of tanks and dozens of armed soldiers lined the busy corridor with weapons drawn on 
one knee and ready to fire at any moment. The Skulls or Men in black, special ops, were inside of Caju along with the Pacification Police also all with their guns drawn.
We had not seen this kind of action in over a year since the Pacification in Caju and the night in Arara with Big Mike.
We retraced our steps the night of the big shootout and remembered how the Lord came to our aid in a dramatic way. Here we are in front of a small store front church where we found refuge…where my walk of faith ended and also began as we left Singing… "Greater Things are Still to Come".
Now back in Brazil for the first time since that Intense experience Big Mike and the team once again were surrounded by warring traffickers and all kinds of military.
An armed band of drug traffickers from Caju entered the complex of favelas called Mare where a number of enemy factions reign. One of the raiding men from Caju got separated from his gang and became lost in the maze of homes, alleys and dead end streets. He was captured and tortured. The gang from Mare cut of his head and from the elevated highway that passes over Caju threw it back to the Caju traffickers.
That evening there were at least 5 different wars that broke out throughout the city. There was great fear in Caju that an imminent retaliatory invasion would occur. Two days later at midnight another invasion did occur in the streets of Caju, but it was an invasion of another type, an invasion of light, hope and love. Once again Pastor Fabio led his church to streets. Once again we were there. We to all the places that we used to go when the traffickers openly ruled Caju. We went to all the main praças (squares) that served as the Boca de Fuma (where the drugs were sold).
It was very emotional for me to go back to Arara and to all the places in Caju where we started our partnership with Pastor Fabio and the Life Church. So much has changed since then. First, the great harvest of Christ Followers. Second, relative peace that had come to the neighborhood. In fact, Pastor Fabio had said the church had become a bit complacent in her prayers for Caju- perhaps satisfied with the peace that the police brought.
Prayer. October is the month of prayer in Caju. The Church intensifies its corporate prayer morning, afternoon and evening. It was during an early morning, 6am corporate prayer meeting when Pastor Fabio sensed the call to go to the streets and reclaim the streets of Caju in the name of The Prince of Peace.
Preaching the Word. The Fruit of it. Pastor Marcelo´s father gives his life to the Lord. Men of the church gather around him.
Sharing Testimonies of the Transformational power of the Gospel with Caju Life Church in Novo Iguaçu with Pastor Marcelo and with a Judo School that meets at the church.
Personal Visits
Building Building Building
Please Pray:
I have lived in Brazil for the better part of 14 years and most here in Rio de Janeiro, but I am still shocked by the level of violence. Pray for peace in our city.
We have a presidential election on Sunday. Pray for justice and godly values.
Pray for the Brazilian Church in the midst of this great city (11 million people). We are praying for fruit- a disciple making movement among the Evangelical Churches in Rio de Janeiro.
Pray for the Caju Life Church, Pastor Fabio and his leadership team of 20. They are planting a church in Novo Iguaçu, a disciple making movement in the North East of Brazil and the 33 regions of Rio de Janeiro.
Thank you for your prayers and continued support.
Delighting in Him,
Craig, Alessandra and Alyssia
Or
Make checks out to: EFCA ReachGlobal
Attach a note that says: I am supporting the ReachGlobal work in Brazil by Craig Weyandt, Account 1409
Please Mail Check to: EFCA ReachGlobal; 901 East 78th Street; Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300
952-854-1300
