What a Year: 2014

Take some time to watch this video and see what God has been doing this year through Living Stones.

Over 12,000 meals served through the Soup ministry in Belem, the Trash Dump, Mussurepe, Cajueiro, Paudalho, Acacias minisry, and Santo Antonio.

Over 4,000 meals were served at the Living Stones programs in Cajueiro Claro and Mussurepe.

Around 35 children are in our full-time program at Cajueiro Claro, 70 more in outreaches in Mussurepe, Lagoa, Belem, and 90 more in partnerships at Guadalajara and the Trash Dump.

Over 300 children heard the gospel through Living Stones in 2014, in living and active ways such as sports programs, music/drama outreaches, church events, birthday parties, and special celebrations.

Thank you for your generous giving of over $15,000 this year (not including December). We cannot continue without you.

Five Perfect Presents

1.      Become a Foundation Builder: www.wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder. It starts with a dollar a day. Support a child, build a church, and change a community.

2.      Buy a present for a child in Brazil by giving $10 for Them: www.wribrazil.com/10forthem. For the cost of a gift card, a birthday or holiday present can be purchased and given to a child who would normally not receive one.

3.      Feed 5 children with $5 for 5: www.wribrazil.com/5for5. By giving five dollars (a fast food value meal) to Living Stones, you are providing a hot lunch for five children who lack basic nutrition, security, and care.

4.      Know how to Pray by signing up for Living Stones monthly e-newsletters at www.buildinglivingstone.blogspot.com. Sign other people up for our monthly e-newsletters as well.

5.      Become a Representative for Living Stones: http://wribrazil.com/lsconnect  this is a gift to others, since for every person who needs to receive, there is a person who needs to give. By connecting others to what is happening in Brazil and how they can become involved, you are giving them a chance to do something real and lasting. Write to receive your packet of information today: amobrasil99@hotmail.com

Our Soup Ministry and Providing Meals: $5 for 5

This Thanksgiving season, let's make sure everyone gets enough to eat. 

The soup ministry, run through a local restaurant in Brazil, is serving 1,500 meals a month in communities all around. Every day, they make two huge pots of soup (each having at least 25 good-sized meals), and Pastor Flavio has organized many volunteers to take it, pass it out, and share Jesus in needy places:

Monday: Paudalho church and Belem Living Stones Outreach

Tuesday: Mussurepe Living Stones Outreach and a group that serves another part of Paudalho

Wednesday: Cajueiro Claro Living Stones and Paudalho church

Thursday: Acacias church outreach and Santo Antonio church

Friday: Cajueiro Claro Living Stones and Mussurepe Living Stones Outreach

Saturday: Trash dump ministry with a local Baptist church

Sunday: Evangelistic ministry through a different Baptist church

The need for consistent food is especially great in the rural areas of Cajueiro Claro and Mussurepe. Receiving soup twice a week helps their families make ends meet, but does not mean they will always have food. It costs Living Stones about $1 to provide a child with a hot meal in a hard-to-reach rural area. Are you willing to give up a value meal to enable 5 children to be fed today?  Give here

Baby in Brazil

Caid and Rachel Ferguson are happy to announce that we are expecting a baby June 17, 2015. With Caid finishing his bachelor’s degree spring 2015, we have decided to begin our ministry together in Brazil, and welcome our new baby into our lives there. 
Rachel has been serving as a missionary in Brazil since 2004, and been the coordinator of Living Stones since 2009. Caid has joined the ministry full force, serving in Brazil in 2013, marrying Rachel, and now leading our family in future ministry. 

Our needs are in two phases:
Phase 1 is raising $10,000 for airfare, birthing expenses, and basic relocation costs. We are also asking for a small group of faithful monthly supporters, who feel called to minister with us. We need $1,000 a month for basic living costs.

Phase 2 is when we return fall 2015 with specific and concrete plans, welcome you to meet our child, and raise the funds for a vehicle. Thank you for your care and interest on the adventure that God has called us on!

If you would like to join our support team, you can give online at Caid and Rachel Ferguson
Or mail a check to made out to World Renewal
address: World Renewal , P.O. Box 399, Greenfield, IN 46140 (Enclose a note/memo on the check with our names on it)

Incredible Trip

Caid and Rachel Ferguson, joined with Rachel's brother John, enjoyed being in Brazil from October 9-18. During that time, they met with all the Living Stones programs (John took pictures) and leaders, discussing the past, present, and future. They were also able to meet with the board of directors and receive guidance on things to come.

On October 19, they were joined with the group from Shelbyville Community Church 

We visited a different Living Stones each day, praying for the community, and having a Children's Day party where we passed out Bibles. Craig Olson is an amazing photographer, who has captured the magic: 

Mussurepe Day 1

Desterro Day 2

Trash Dump Day 3

Guadalajara and Lagoa de Itaenga Day 4

Cajueiro Claro Day 5

Finishing up Day 6 and 7

Trip to Brazil

Caid and Rachel Ferguson, Coordinators for Living Stones, are headed to Brazil from October 8-25. Please keep them in your prayers as they meet with people and plan, dream, and love on all the kids. But they are not going alone. Each of the seven people going on the trip with them has prayerfully considered why they are going, and what God may have for them. Please take some time to pray for them, and hear their stories (John is traveling with Caid and Rachel, the rest of the team is coming on the 18th)
John Winzeler(Rachel's brother)
Craig's Story (Leadership at Shelbyville Community Church)
Taylor's Story (Craig's wife)
Susan's story
Larry's Story (Susan's husband)
Tom's story
Mark Farnsley

Foundation Builders

This month we are taking some time to highlight a specific aspect of Living Stones:

One time gifts help us with specific projects, but it is the faithful monthly givers ($30 or more) that allow us to consistently provide over 1,500 meals a month and disciple around 200 children weekly. We are so grateful to these families and individuals for being our Foundation Builders:

The Nolens

Mrs.Steen

The Warrens

The Flinks

The Weilands

The Lindmans

The Barwinskis

The Leonards

Ms. Powers

The Wrights

The Zaletas

The Millers 

Without these people, many of whom have been faithful givers for years, we would not be able to continue. Through them, and generous one time gifts, we have our $1,000 monthly budget. But we are currently working to support six different ministries, each of which, even part-time, need $500 to function properly.

Our monthly $1000 is being stretched to support three programs, and the other three are either on hold from lack of funds (Lagoa de Itaenga), or supported/running through other ministries (Guadalajara, through Glory Sports/Athletes in Action, and the trash dump, through volunteers from Firm Promise Baptist church).

In October we will be setting our yearly budget, and are hoping to be able to provide more for our brothers and sisters in Brazil--but we cannot without more Foundation Builders.

30 people giving $30 monthly can double our monthly budget and provide for us to support our current programs better.  60 people giving can allow us to fully support our current programs. 90 people giving $30 monthly can allow us to grow and begin new Living Stones programs in communities that desperately need it. 

Since the beginning of Living Stones, it has been individuals who have made Living Stones happen. But it has always been our dream that churches in the USA would come alongside churches in Brazil and "adopt" them--forming reciprocal relationships that benefit both communities and create lasting change.

Brandywine Community Church has been the first to do this, adopting Lagoa de Itaenga. Shelbyville Community church is sending a vision team next month to be able to pray for and adopt a sister church as well.

Compassion International and World Vision work wonders in the lives of children. But imagine your church adopting a church, reaching out through the children, and changing the entire community. Imagine sending missions groups to them, and them sending missions groups to you. Imagine the children in your church growing up knowing the children of their church in Brazil--and what an impact those long term relationships will make.

Please consider becoming a Foundation Builder. And please pray about asking your church to partner with a church in Brazil through Living Stones. http://wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder/