About Rachel Winzeler

My journey in becoming a missionary hasn’t been traditional. When I was 16, I went on a short term missions trip to Brazil for two weeks and soon after knew that Brazil had a place in my heart and life. Five years later, I stayed with Tele Moraes and his family, missionaries with World Renewal International, for a three month internship. After that, they asked me to return and teach English at an International school they were beginning. Now, after eight years, I have lived in Brazil over three years, going back and forth because a tourist visa only allows a six month a year stay. I have taught English, learned Portuguese, and had experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Since 2008, I have been working with the Living Stones program. This is where my heart is, and my vision is to assist/start 10 Living Stones in 10 towns in 10 years. Living Stones is the outreach and church planting ministry in progress in Northeast Brazil. The mission of Living Stones is two-fold: meeting the needs of the children within the community, while planting/being a part of a growing church plant that is reaching out to the whole family. Living Stones helps L-E-N-D: L: Love, E: Education, N: Nutrition, D: Direction.

Being young and single, I have been able to keep my expenses very low: living with family while in the USA and working to cover costs, and minimal expenses in Brazil (plane ticket/visa costs about $2000 a trip, while food, housing, and other expenses being about $350 a month). While I have never had a problem asking anyone for donations for my kids at Living Stones, asking for myself has always created a hole in my throat. The other problem is that the US dollar is also worth much less than it was in the past—meaning the same expenses cost much more.

It has been a struggle for me to trust God to creatively work together the desires He has given me: for Living Stones, and having a family. Putting down roots and making solid, permanent decisions scares the brave out of me, but I need to have a complete budget that truly has my needs and future in mind. While I do not know my exact plan for the future, I know that Brazil is a permanent part of it. My position/amount of time in Brazil may fluctuate, but wherever I am, I will continue to represent and advocate for the Living Stones program and the children that it serves.

My monthly budget  is $850 a month ($200 Food/Transportation, $150 House/rent, $150 Other expenses/Savings/Emergency, $100 Health insurance, $150 Ministry Expenses ,$100 Taxes). By having these guidelines, I am saving for tomorrow, as well as having more opportunities to give. I am not a traditional missionary—but this is what God has called me to. Thank you for your support throughout all of these changes. If you would like to help support me, you can donate online at http://www.wribrazil.com/rachel.html or contact me at amobrasil99@hotmail.com for other options.