2013 Wish/Dream List

After talking with all of the Living Stones workers, this is a list of our dreams/wishes for 2013:

BIG PROJECTS/GOALS FOR 2013:

1.       Monthly supporters giving $30: www.wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder. Our current giving is at $400 a month. We need a minimum of $1000 a month, at least $1500 to grow.

2.       $20, 000 for a Kombi: www.wribrazil.com/trek

3.       A shaded dining hall/outside bathrooms for Cajueiro Claro (construction project)

4.       Two classrooms (with walls) for teaching in Mussurepe (construction project)

5.       Building for meeting/serving at the Carpina trash dump (construction project)

6.       Workers to teach basketball/soccer for Athletes in Action, workers to do home visitation/birthday party ministries.

7.       Encouragement of current leaders and new Brazilian leaders being trained

8.       Adding/assisting to Carpina/Guadalajara programs, making them Living Stones projects

9.       Beginning, with Athletes in Action, a program in Lagoa De Itaenga in the spring, and in Tracunhaem in the fall (Living Stone #7!)

10.   Our Easter program (Kits for Kids), Mother’ day program (Moments for Moms), Children’s day (Literacy for Living Stones), Soup/food program ($5 For 5), and birthday/Christmas program ($10 for Them) to continue/go well.

SPECIFIC GENERAL SUPPLIES:

1.       Games (that don’t require a lot of English: Uno, cards, topple, connect 4, memory)

2.       Math games/basic skills like flashcards and worksheets

3.       Zip lock baggies of all sizes  

4.       Birthday and Christmas cards for each one of the kids

5.       Posters to decorate the walls (with minimal English): maps, blank posters to use as whiteboards, calendars, attendance lists, birthday lists, and holiday posters

6.       The cube evangelism tool

7.       Dry erase markers/wet erase markers

8.       Small lotion/perfume bottles, gifts for mothers

9.       Quality art supplies (not easily gotten in Brazil)

10.   MP3 players

11.   Speakers (good quality, to have/teach music)

12.   “Journey through Bible Lands” Candle Discovery serious

13.   “Scripture Pictures” 52 visually interactive Bible stories for kids

14.   “Best Ever Games” Les Christie

15.   Activities/art projects for Valentine’s day, Easter, Passover, Mother’s day, Father’s day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

16.   “Where’s Waldo” or “I Spy” types of books, storybooks with lot of pictures and few words

17.   BBQ sauce, peanut butter, individually wrapped candy

SPECIFIC SUPPLIES BETTER BOUGHT IN BRAZIL:

1.       Hygiene products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, combs, and shampoo)

2.       Portuguese Reading/Literature books to teach basic reading and writing  

3.       Money for internet, to offer computer classes in Cajueiro Claro

4.       Sports equipment—always needed

5.       Seeds and such for planting a garden at each Living Stones

6.       Uniforms for the children

Thank you by Numbers

Living Stones is going into 2012 with a small surplus--thanks to God working through people like you. Please take a couple of minutes to see what miracles have been done this year:

* Over 17,000 meals served to impoverished families
* Over 300 children (and families) heard the gospel
* Over 125 children ministered to every single week
* More than 100 homes visited
* Ninety-four Birthdays celebrated (through the $10 FOR THEM project)
* Nine children gave their lives to Jesus
* Our literacy program was started (www.wribrazil.com/literacy)

Costs for the year: $13,600
Donations: $16,621 (the surplus is being saved towards purchasing a vehicle)
For more information about our finances this year, please write to amobrasil99@hotmail.com
Our monthly budget is $1000, and we are adding two more Living Stones programs next year, so will need a budget of $1500. Thank you for your participation!

Merry Christmas from the Coordinator

“I am blessed
I can bless
So this is happiness” –Yeats

I started to count my blessings this year, but after six pages, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to fit them all in this Christmas letter. Living Stones is reaping the fruit of long term investments of relationships and daily love. Nine children prayed with us this year to be saved. Over 125 children are ministered to weekly.  In total, more than 300 children heard the gospel in 2012—and saw what that looked like in practical ways.
Over 17,000 meals were served (5,000 through Living Stones directly, and 12,000 through our soup ministry). Living Stones, with your help through the $10 FOR THEM project (wribrazil.com/10forthem) provided 94 birthday parties for children who normally do not get to celebrate—or don’t even know when their birthdays are. Over 100 homes were visited, multiple times, and families reached out to through local churches.

Construction projects were completed at Cajueiro Claro, church celebrations at Mussurepe, Easter celebrations for all the children, Mother’s day for all the mothers, and Christmas parties for all the families in the three Living Stones programs. This is exponential growth from last year, and on a monthly budget of $1000. God is amazing!
For those who don’t know, I am the coordinator for a non-profit that works with local churches and church planters to begin programs for the poorest children in their communities, connecting them with lasting change. Living Stones LENDs, giving Love, Education, Nutrition, and Direction to impoverished children in Northeast Brazil.
In my personal life, I had a lot of frustration the first half of the year, asking God what I was doing wrong to feel so alone. But God’s timing is/was perfect and this summer I was able to travel extensively (to Hong Kong with Supercamp), and in August, began dating a fantastic guy from Jamaica. Caid lives in Connecticut but spent last summer at the Good News Youth Center in Indianapolis, where I volunteer whenever I am home. He’s finishing school in South Carolina, but in all this, we met and are seeking God’s will for our lives together.

In her book “One Thousand Gifts,” Ann Voskamp writes three things she is grateful for every day, discovered many things along the way, including two simple sentences that marked me profoundly: “Thanksgiving creates abundance” and “Thanks is what builds trust.” Could it be that the abundance the children I work with need—that I need—in all areas is found through thanksgiving? Through being and teaching gratitude?
Thanking God for everything, even the pain, the lack, the ugly, is what builds trust. In all of my relationships, they can only be transformed to beauty through gratitude. And it starts with simple “Thank yous” in the little things you begin to see when you practice.
Next year, Living Stones is teaming up with Athletes in Action (athletesinaction.org), who have already begun working in two churches: Carpina and Guadalajara, to give the children even more opportunities educationally and nutritionally. With them, we are also hoping to begin two more programs in 2013, in Lagoa de Itaenga and Tracunhaem: seven programs in 3 years! God is growing us His way: I just follow and thank Him that He makes the next step as obvious as possible so that even I can see it.
Thank you so much for your support and prayers this year. I am prayerfully asking for Foundation Builders—faithful givers who will provide consistent, monthly support (www.wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder) .  Our monthly budget is $1000 for Living stones and $400 for me. For next year we need $1500 and $500 respectively. Current consistent giving is $400 a month for Living Stones and $350 for me. God has provided, and will provide--we head into the new year with a surplus, and every month is a miracle. Please pray about being a part of our team.
Rachel Winzeler
God bless and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gifts!

Many people have been asking how they can provide Christmas gifts for the children in Brazil. Here is how: www.wribrazil.com/10forthem

Thank you so much for caring!

Flavio and Mercia: Married

Before

After

We are so glad Frank Penna could join us in celebration!

the church in Cajueiro Claro

Congratulations Flavio and Mercia!

Coming to a Close

As the end of the year approaches, we are pausing Living Stones a little earlier than normal because Rachel is heading back to the United States (e-mail her if you are interested in hearing about Living Stones: amobrasil99@hotmail.com) and Flavio and Mercia are enjoying their honeymoon. We celebrated our Christmas party in Cajueiro Claro, and the church has some special events planned closer to the actual day.

Mussurepe enjoyed watching the video of the year in review:

As well as our end of the year party. Vovo Bel is planning a big Christmas party for the community right before Christmas, where each family receives a food basket.

Massa Humana also has a special Christmas program and dinner planned for the families at the Carpina trash dump. It was hard to say goodbye to such cuties!

2012 Review Videos

Just a song long--please watch and see what God has done this year in the each of our Living Stones programs:
Cajueiro Claro

Mussurepe:

Carpina Trash Dump:

94 Birthdays

In 2012, because of your kind giving to the $10 for Them program (www.wribrazil.com/10forthem ), we have been able to celebrate 94 birthdays with children who would not have celebrated--or in the case of some--would not have even known it was their birthday.

Rosana turned 3 on December 3rd!

LAND HO!

Massa Humana, working with Living Stones at the Carpina trash dump, has been given land to build a facility to serve the community.

As you can see, it is also right down the side of the hill.

Please pray with us as God continues to lead and bless in this ministry!

Five Children Fed for $5

Become involved with something real this Thanksgiving.

1. Get inspired: watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv44_UYjDgc Over 12,500 meals served in 2012!

2. Join the Event: (officially on Facebook, but anywhere) Saturday morning, November 24th, for prayer and fasting (fasting optional) for Northeast Brazil and Living Stones

3. Share: donate at http://www.wribrazil.com/5for5

4. Spread the word: Tell others about Living Stones, or post the video on your Facebook wall

Community Church Reunion

Living Stones Mussurepe had a wonderful time at the Community Church reunion on November 15, 2012. 25 children joined in the fun at Word of Life camp in Northeast Brazil, spending the day swimming, playing soccer, and eating delicious food. Thank you for your support!

Two Year Anniversary!

Celebrating two years in Cajueiro Claro! Praise the Lord!

October, November, and December Birthdays

Please help us celebrate these birthdays by giving at www.wribrazil.com/10forthem. For $10, you can provide a present, cake, and party for a child who often does not get to celebrate. We have already celebrated some, but do not have the finances to continue for 22 birthday parties:

October:
5--Lucas (Mussurepe)
9--Valdinez (Mussurepe)
12--Marcone (Paudalho)
15--Danilo (Cajueiro)
18--Gulherme (Paudalho)
20--Henrique (Cajueiro)
22--Gustavo (Cajueiro)
24--Nino (Cajueiro)
30--Paul (Cajueiro)

November:
4--Lucas (Cajueiro)
5--Geu (Cajueiro)
6--Danielle (Mussurepe)
22--Jose Rube (Mussurepe)
26--Larissa (Paudalho)

December:
3--Rosana (Paudalho)
7--Precilla (Paudalho)
7--Vinicius (Paudalho)
13--Junior (Cajueiro)
18--Adriano (Cajueiro)
18--Edivanele (Mussurepe)
23--Roberta (Paudalho)
23--Moseis (Paudalho)

Marcone's First Birthday

Marcone has been a part of Living Stones Paudalho since he was little. He has never been to school, and spends most of his time begging for food or money. He is deaf, and does not know sign language other than gesures he uses to communicate his basic needs. There are six children in his family, their mother long gone and their father a drunk. Their Aunt looked after them as she could growing up, but mostly the oldest sister, Mercia, takes control.

I asked Mercia when everyone's birthday was, but Marcone was never regestered, and so doesn't have a birth certificate. No one knows when his birthday is. All we know is that he is younger than Mercia and older than Taciana. So no one has ever celebrated Marcone's birthday. Mercia and I agreed that this should change, so we picked a day and decided it would be his birthday: Children's day (October 12).
This year, Marcone had his first birthday party, through the $10 for Them program (www.wribrazil.com/10forthem). He had seen me come and give parties for all of his siblings, so when I put the birthday glasses on his face, he lit up and knew what was coming next. We sang Happy Birthday, and while he couldn't hear, he clapped along with us, shyly looking around. He ran off with his birthday present, too shy to open it in front of us. He let me take one picture, and get one hug. Happy 16th Birthday Marcone! The first of many.

Other Birthdays celebrated through 10 for Them (www.wribrazil.com/10forthem) in August and September:

Thank you to Dr.Taylor, John Winzeler, and unnamed doners for providing the $10 so that these children could have a birthday party!