They say a picture paints a thousand words…Here are a few thousand words of Thankfulness and Wonderous Joy.
Thank you for praying.
More soon…
Delighting in Him,
Craig and Alessandra
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Pictures Paint a Thousand Words
Friday, January 24, 2014
Into The Darkness
Interview with Craig and Alessandra at Black Rock, Fairfield CT January 2014
1. Tell us about the upcoming soccer World Cup in Brazil and how the events that revolve around it present outreach opportunities?
· The World Cup is coming to Rio de Janeiro and 11 other cities from June 12 to July13- 31 days of the 30 World’s best football Nations will compete for the World Cup Trophy while millions of fans from virtually every nation on earth will exalt their national heroes as they attempt to put the ball in the net!
· Our Purpose along with our Brazilian Partners, Exodus Cry and many other missions organizations from around the Globe will be to “Exalt the Name of Jesus Higher than Soccer”!
· The Problem is that the World Cup and the Olympics are two events that most promote human trafficking in the World! Most Trafficking serves the purpose of sexual tourism, prostitution, and involves children, teenagers and woman.
· While we can see the visible infrastructure of the city being prepared for the millions of tourist- Roads, Metro, Stadiums etc- There is an invisible infrastructure being built for the purpose of selling these children, teenagers and woman into prostitution.
· The Hope or Ministry Opportunity that we are engaged in is called, the Freedom Project or Projeto Liberdade. The Freedom Project has three levels of attack:
o Prevention- Showing of the Nefarious Documentary; 9/2013-5/2014
o Intervention- House of Prayer- 31 days during the World Cup -24/7
§ Luke 18 The Persistent Widow- vs 7…will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
§ Listen to His Voice and Obey- As God leads we will Go out to the Streets- into the Darkness Seeking the Lost.
o Restoration- Long term care and Discipleship
2. We are all watching the winter Olympics in Russia. The Summer Olympics will be in Brazil. How is the church on Brazil gearing up for the Summer Olympics in 2016 and what will the role of the churches that you work with?
§ The Perfect Storm- It is very unusual that the Olympics would follow so closely behind the World Cup- It is an opportunity for the traffickers to continue their work. The Olympics is much bigger than the world cup- 200 Nations and Millions of tourists all in the city of Rio.
§ This is also an opportunity for us, ReachGlobal to continue our work with our partners. We are using the World Cup as Preparation for the Olympics!
3. You have a baby on the horizon. What is her due date?
· Alyssia Weyandt, our little girl, we will be born on April 25th.
4. Speaking of your expanding family, you have been involved in the anti-trafficking of children in Brazil. Tell us briefly, how wide spread is the problem and how has the church and you as missionaries responded to the challenge?
· Alessandra spent two years as the Articulator for the Bola Na Rede (Ball in the Net ) Campaign against Child Trafficking, abuse and Prostitution linked to the World Cup and Olympics.
· Our focus was and is on Awareness- Making the Brazilian Church and Society aware of the Problem by visiting Schools, Churches, and Networks of Professionals and Volunteers who work in the area of Children Education presenting facts and leading discussions about the problem.
· What we Learned-
o Trafficking is the Exploitation of the Vulnerable! Two great causes of Vulnerability in Brazil… 1) Poverty 2) Sexual Abuse- It is estimated that 30% of Brazil’s poor are abused by a family member as an infant or child.
· The Hope against Trafficking-
o Jesus! Jesus is Just. Without Jesus there is no true Justice. Every Justice initiative must begin and end with Jesus.
o The Church- Jesus call us to Make Disciples- Go into Darkness! Let Christ Shine.
o Governmental Reform- Cutting off the Demand- The church must be the voice for the voiceless. Tougher Laws and Punity against the “Johns”-
5. Tell us briefly about your ministry in Brazil?
· We exist to Glorify God through the Multiplication of Transformational Churches in Brazil and Beyond!
· The goal is to impact lives with the transformational Gospel and we do that by developing, empowering and releasing Brazilian leaders who have a passion to make disciples and impact their communities.
· Transforming the Brazilian church: That is why we are involved in the Freedom Project- It is really about transforming the Brazilian church by Empowering them to respond to Ministry opportunity in the wake of city crises. Walk as Jesus Walked! John 10:10, Duet 10:18!
6. How has Black Rock enabled you to serve the people of Brazil?
· Core Value!
o We work in Partnership! We have many Brazilian Partners and we have many American Parnters!
o Black Rock is a vital Kingdom Partner in our Ministry to the Brazilian People.
o Two Vital Roles Black Rock has in our Ministry Partnership
§ Prayer- Fruitfulness, Protection- physical and spiritual
§ Financial Support-
· We go to Where the People are.
· We invest in Training.
January 2014
Alessandra and I enjoying an early January snow fall in New Jersey with our good friends, Jeff and Kris Weigel.
Thank the Lord with us…
- Alyssia is six months in the womb and continues to grow strong.
- We have been received so warmly by family, friends and churches celebrating and providing for this new little life.
- We received our greatest monthly support ever in December. We sure needed that to balance the books! We thank the Lord for His Church and for all who partner with us in Prayer and Financial Giving!
- Alessandra's research project took a giant step forward over the past weeks. God continues to soften hard hearts along the way!
Please pray on our behalf…
- Alessandra arrived back in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Pray for us as we spend these next 6 weeks apart. It is difficult for us to be away from each other- especially in light of the pregnancy.
- I remain in the United States to raise Financial support. We are at 83% of our total goal! We are looking for individuals and churches to contribute to the remaining 17% or $1500 per month. This increase will allow us to continue to develop, empower and release key, Brazilian Leaders and to invest in the World Cup Outreach, The Freedom Project. These funds will also bring us up to the salary level recommended by our mission. My goal is to be fully funded and back in Brazil by March 4.
- Thursday, January 14, 2014, I will be in Madison, CT showing the Nefarious- Merchant of Souls- documentary exposing the reality of modern Human Trafficking. God is raising up a network of mission agencies and churches in Rio de Janeiro to come together in the Freedom Project against the injustice of the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children, teens and woman during the 31 days of the World Cup. Please pray that God would reveal His heart Thursday evening and that hearts would be transformed. Let us cry out together that God will send justice to His chosen ones who cry out to him day and night (Luke 18:7).
Thank you for interceding on our behalf!
Delighting in Him,
Craig and Alessandra (for Alyssia)
FINANCIAL DONATIONS:
Donations: ON-Line
Or
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
Or
Personal Gift for Craig Weyandt, ReachGlobal Brazil
Please Mail Check to: EFCA ReachGlobal
901 East 78th Street
Minneapolis , MN 55420-1300
952-854-1300
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Pass on what you heard from me—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2
We just completed our second Biblical Pathways course, 2 Timothy. The goal of Pathways is to equip Pastors to train others to study and teach the Bible with precision! Our ReachGlobal colleague, Mike, representing Pathways came to Rio de Janeiro to lead us through the material. My colleague Jeff and I along with two Brazilian Pastors also contributed. Pastor Fabio pictured Below.
I concluded our 3 days together with a challenge to take the next step and pass on what we have heard and studied from the scriptures to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. My goal as a ReachGlobal missionary is to impact at least one transformational church in each of Rio de Janeiro's 33 regions over the next ten years.
Saturday evening I ventured out to the north zone of the city to a neighborhood called Barreira do Vasco, a large urban favela, to visit Leo and his new Life Group (LG). I met Leo on the night of the shootout in Arara, and the Lord has put him on my heart since then. Last week he led me through the streets of Arara we visited young men that started to follow Christ but since have fallen away. That was difficult but a precious time.
This week was sweeter. Leo did not participate in the first Pathways course (Jonah). Pastor Fabio, Cintia and Marcelo did. These leaders taught the Jonah course to Leo and about 39 other leaders of small groups over the past two months. Leo and I walked for more than 20 minutes through the labyrinth of streets in this large Favela passing hundreds of homes and poor families until we arrived at our destination- the home of a 20 year-old, single mom named Gabriela. Leo said, "Pastor Craig, tonight I will be teaching the first chapter of Jonah to our group (pictured above) using the Pathways method of teaching" (3rd Generation teaching!).
The group started. Leo prayed; they took turns reading chapter one; and he asked… "What did you like or did not like in the story? Where do you see that? What verse? After each one shared an observation Leo continued, "What does that teach us about who God is?" (understanding).
Amanda answered, "He is all powerful and does as he pleases". "Why do you conclude that?", Leo asked.
" In vs 4 it says that God made the wind blow and created a storm; in vs. 9 Jonah identifies God as the Creator and made the land and the sea; in vs. 13 when the sailors tried with all there force to out row the storm God made the storm grow even worse so they had to give up!" Amanda replied.
Another continued, "in vs. 14 even the sailors cried out- Don't kill us for throwing Jonah out of the boat for you, Oh God, do as you please!
Leo asked me, "Pastor Craig, do you have anything to add?"
So I asked the group, "What else does it teach us about who God is? Gabriela said, "It teaches us that God did not want to kill Jonah but was willing to go after him when Jonah ran away. He even sent a fish to save him"!
Leo ended the time talking about repentance. We like Jonah, worship the Lord God. We hear his voice; We know what to do; But sometimes we, like Jonah, choose not to obey. The same God that went after Jonah comes after us when we go astray! He desires that we turn from our bad way and turn to Him in Obedience.
I was pretty amazed by what I witnessed. We trained faithful leaders who trained faithful leaders who are teaching the Gospel with precision in the nooks and cranny's of this humungous city, places that I or my colleagues could never reach on our own!
Please Pray for the young men who like Jonah, are trying to flee God's presence. They are pursing the world:
Guilherme (we met in the home of Guilherme's Grandmother when the Life Group started in Arara). It is his first work experience and he, 20 years old, has made friends with a 27 year old work mate that is showing him new experiences that the city has to offer.
Walace- He is serving his mandatory year in the military and is under great social pressure to participate in the worldly activities with his platoon.
Diego- Gifted worship leader that is AWOL.
Pray that God would protect Leo and Marvin from discouragement as they shepherd this portion of the flock.
Pray for the other 40 Life Group Leaders that God would reward them for their faithful service and time in the scriptures.
Pray for Gabriela and other young mom single moms. She is 20 and has a 5 year old and a three year old – Boys! She shared with me that one of the reasons for her going to church about a year ago is her boys. Boys that grow up in the Favela without direction often die.
Many Thanks for your Prayers!
Delighting in Him,
Craig and Alessandra
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)