Dear Partners in the Faith,

In our last update we shared how our time in Brazil will most likely be one year because of the closing of the Brazil field, primarily due to giving (and weakening dollar) not keeping up to the ministry opportunities around the world, and reaching out to peoples who have little or no opportunity to hear the message of Hope. Priorities must be made and new countries and peoples have been targeted to reach with THE MESSAGE of Eternal Life. As hard as it is to see an end to our time in Brazil—We are firmly confident of God’s Sovereignty and Love for us and our leaders.

This week we return to Sao Paulo. (July 16^th) We will be spending some time getting our belongings out of storage and into the mission home. After being in storage for a year and having moved from the sea-shore area of Rio-(causes rust)- we will have lots of cleaning (from the free pollution after being in a down-town storage unit for a year). This can be a physically and emotionally challenging time.

Then we will begin working primarily with Pastor Marcelo and Gorete Dorigo in the church planting effort in the southern region of the city, called Taboao. We will be working under the leadership of our Brazilian colleague with an existing cell group. We know God has directed in this way and are thankful for this. Pray for our hearts to give joyfully all that God leads us to give in this ministry.

In our secondary ministry assignment, we will also be giving leadership to the area of developing more Testimony Couples for the Marriage Encounter Ministry. Pray for direction for the leaders in deciding which couples we should work with. Pray for us as we determine some adjustments to the process we will work through in preparing the couples in this way. Pray for strength for the late nights we may need to give to this ministry at times. (In the past that was often until midnight or 1 am on a weekly basis). We don’t know if we have that same energy but the city makes it difficult to begin the work until about 7:30 or 8 pm at the earliest. Pray for wisdom and discernment as we work with couples.

A third area of outreach will involve giving encouragement to Brazilian pastoral couples. One of those couples is still in training in Rio de Janeiro, and we wish to make periodic trips to encourage them, God willing and provisions available.

The Word of Christ is clear in our hearts to take the message of Forgiveness and Relationship restored with God along with making disciples as we go. We are committed to that call of God on our lives. It hasn’t changed because of the difficult news we have received. Are you willing to embrace us in our calling—walking together in faithfulness to do what God puts on your heart? We have heard from some of you in the last few weeks and that has been so meaningful to us—expressions of love, prayers and gifts to send us out in the name of Christ. Thank you so much! 

• Financial –money can be a delicate subject, but some really would like to know what our situation is, so we have included the description below–all items below are tax deductible gifts. We are in need of designated giving to enable us to minister as we return to Brazil. These needs are met exclusively when people give a gift to these specific areas. (See below for giving information.)
  • Your gifts to the Great Commission Fund (GCF-through missions giving on your giving envelope if you attend an Alliance Church) are essential for our continuing ministry in Brazil. The GCF gifts cover our housing, health insurance, Rachel’s schooling, documentation, a modest living allowance. In general the paradigm of those who give is changing and the value of the US dollar is dropping radically in Brazil and many countries around the world. We need new people to give regularly to our support through the GCF. In fact our godly leaders have already cut many basic areas, including cost of living increase to follow inflation, to keep the spending below the giving. Please consider a gift to this first. Some have known the Alliance for a long time and felt that the “Alliance” is covering our needs. The Alliance would if they could—but times have changed.
  • White Work Special—gifts to this fund basically cover all of our ministry and other equipment, seminars, travel, office supplies, and some phone expenses are only met through special designated gifts to this fund. (We estimate we need $710 a month to cover these expenses.) At this time we receive about $65 a month.
  • White Outfit –we need gifts to help us with expenses like clothing we bought to return to Brazil but because of the great need to the GCF and to the Work Special—we are asking that you focus on those needs first.
• To live this year to the fullest according to God’s plan! Selling our belongings and sharing the news with our Brazilian friends of our time-line will be difficult.
• For protection for Helen’s parent’s home, Don & Alice Gibbons in Paradise—that is in California (their eternal home in Paradise is secure) as today they are evacuated due to the fire in the West Branch so close to their home.
• Ministry transition –pray for our hearts to be in tune with God’s timing for our future direction.
• Spiritual
• Pray for continued growth in our spiritual walk.
• Pray for Doug and Helen to grow in the integration of our emotional health with our love for Christ, His Church, and His Kingdom. Pray also that our lives at home and the areas we struggle most in, would continually be transformed by Christ’s power within us.
• For strength and discernment when we work with people to know of spiritual strongholds and know our part in silent prayer, or to walk along side of a brother/sister to fight with them for these needs.

For more prayer requests see below.

Because of Christ and His faithfulness,

Doug & Helen
Your Alliance Missionaries serving in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Phone (till July 16- (414) 698-4050
Our phone in Brazil 011-55-11-5631-0370

Other Prayer Request 

Rachel

• For a good transition back into the school she attended in Sao Paulo, Brazil through 8^th grade. Rachel will be a senior and desires to re-establish/make a few good friendships for her last year in high school.
• For wisdom for Rachel of what activities at school and at church to be involved in.
• For direction for her college experience beginning Aug. 2009. Her desire is to attend Wheaton College but wants God’s leading.

Helen

• For wisdom and discernment in exactly the areas Helen should involve herself in the supportive role to the Brazilian pastor, Marcelo and his wife, Gorete, in Sao Paulo.

Doug

• For God’s special grace in living and driving in the city of Sao Paulo upon our return. This has been a difficult area for him.

Caleb

• For his adjustment to continuing on in college and residing in the US upon our return to Brazil.
• For continued provision from the Lord for his financial needs at Wheaton College. God has been good to him.
• For his classroom/learning experience at Honey Rock Camp this summer and wisdom as he works as a counselor for the remaining 4 weeks. Pray for patience and wisdom for Caleb as he works with “his boys” (6^th-8^th graders.)
• For his trip to see his brother, Aaron & Thaïs in GA in August. He is traveling by bus.

HOW TO GIVE

Ministry Fund Needs –all tax deductible

• GCF: giving to our general support
• White Work: $ 8,000.00 This provides for approved equipment, supplies for ministry.
• White Outfit: a need but a lesser priority than the two above—to provide for clothing etc.

You can give by sending in a check or by telephone and designating it very clearly for the account you wish your gift to go toward the item listed above.

C&MA
P.O. Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO, 80935-3500
Tel: (866) 443-8262

You can also give online by going to the site, www.cmalliance.org

• Click on the left “Locate a Missionary”
• Type in the name “ White” and Click on “ Search Now”
• On the Right side of our individual page in green Click on “Support this Missionary”
• Under the section that says Support a Missionary our names are listed and you can click on the little arrow and choose one of the three options there. If you desire it to go to the ministry projects listed above, Click on the appropriate item.

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