Work at camp continues.

Dear friends and family,

“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:38

Planting, watering or reaping. Those three words were what our winter camp season this year was all about. In the first week of camp we had about 50 kids from the town of Tres Ranchos come to camp. Many of these could not afford the fees and came through our scholarship program. It was a privilege to see many of them hearing the Gospel for the first time and the tremendous response when the call came to those who wanted to ask the Lord into their hearts. A single mother who is the attendant at the local bread store told one of our staff that her 9 year old son loved camp and came back a Christian. She went on to say that her son told her that her habit of drinking was wrong according to the Bible and that he did not want her to be disobeying the Bible. She also said that now the only music that was being played at her house was Christian music from a CD we gave campers! Praise the Lord!!!

On the second week of camp we had close to 70 campers, most of these from Christian homes. Most claimed to already have accepted the Lord as their savior yet many confessed to having doubts about the reality of the Bible and the secureness of their salvation. Telma and I talked to many of these, teaching them to resist the Devil as he tries to bring doubt and confusion into their minds and about how to grow as Christians. On the last day of camp during the last Bible study by the campfire, my Dad made a call to all who already had the Lord Jesus as their Savior yet wished to dedicate their lives to Christ and many stood up. Praise the Lord.

Our program this season was blessed by an AWANA set sent to us by supporters in Washington State. Also camp had an ice-cream machine donated. This was a big hit as it is a novelty here in Brazil. Thank you for all your prayers for this winter season of camp, your prayers MADE a difference! In the Middle of August the road starts to be opened to Camp #2! It is very exciting to see this new project taking off. In October our plan is to have the road complete and have the dedication ceremony along with the meeting of the Board of Directors.

In January our plan is to have the camps for ages 15-16 being held at the new location, even though it will still be sort of rustic. We hope to have the first building up by then.

We continue to raise the funds for the cabins which will cost $20,000 per cabin completely finished and furnished.

Please pray for
-the opening of the road to Camp #2.
-for all the staff that will be traveling (vacation).
-for all the Church retreats in the second semester.
-for the health of all of the staff. God bless you!

Your Friends, Marcos, Telma and the boys!

April

Dear friends and family,

We have been back at Victoria Ministries for a month now. No chapped lips on the flights back, thanks to all the Chapsticks that were given to me ! Looking back at our nearly four months in the USA visiting all those that have supported us and the ministry here we have much to be thankful for. 

Since our arrival we have been busy setting up our daily routine of sending the boys to the Brazilian school, helping them with their homeschool, house choirs and camp ministry. A friend in the USA reminded us that we must look at life as a marathon to be run and not a 100-metre dash. As the Bible says,

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1 NASB

So we are trying to set ourselves well for this marathon and to not get overrun by all the challenges ahead of us. One day at a time, each thing at the right time and everything remembering that God is in control. God has blessed us though and life is very much back to normal with cheesebread on a regular basis, choirs for the boys and Sunday School for the staff kids!  

  

Camp Victoria has been blessed this first semester with many weekend church retreats, something that we really wanted to happen yet in previous years had not occurred. Usually our second semester is busy and the first semester is slower. This is great since it gives us a chance to serve more churches and offer our training programs, summer/winter week camps and also advertise Pioneers Mission Brazil. We are also getting request from some churches to give the Bible studies in these retreats, this is also something new that is a privilege.

  Last weekend we had a board meeting and the service where I became the Executive Director for Victoria Ministries. It was great to see many volunteer staff that have made Victoria Ministries possible over all these years. It was good to be able to share a little about our past service with Victoria Ministries (1997-2008) and the road that lead us back here as we learned that God is not interested in all the impressive stuff we can do for Him but in our obedience to what He has for us.

The construction of Campsite #2 is to begin in July as we start it off with our ten day discipleship program for young people. We have received funds to set up the first building which will be named Pioneer building and will serve as bathrooms/showers, office, tool-room and veranda dining hall. Our idea with this building is to make it possible for us to have groups using that facility as they come to serve in volunteer camps (construction) sleeping in tents or even in more rustic church retreats.

You are invited to come down and help us here at Victoria Ministries!!!

Please pray for

⦁ further planning of campsite #2, 

⦁ for the church retreats we will be hosting, 

⦁ for our staff (health, strength and wisdom),

⦁ for the financial needs of campsite #2.

God bless you! 

Your Friends, Marcos, Telma and the boys! 

Well it has been a while since our last post. We are currently in the US visitng churches and friends that participate in the ministry in Brazil. We will be heading back in the end of February. Has been a very busy time with lots of traveling but God has given us strength.