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Cezar's Hunt for Easter

Cezar (the tall one on the middle) is from Belem (Bethlehem, in English). Living Stones doesn't have a church or program in Belem, but any time possible, Pastor Flavio comes and brings the kids to join in at Cajueiro Claro. Cezar has made a decision for Christ, and Living Stones is working hard to grow that relationship.
Cezar and his family are the poorest in their needy community, and his father died tragically when he was young. Each Easter season, children from the International school help host an Easter Egg Hunt, where the Gospel is shared: an opportunity for everyone to hear. Last year was Cezar's first egg hunt ever, and he found so much more than just chocolate!
Help us provide Easter Celebrations for all of the communities that are reaching out to children like Cezar: children who wouldn't get a chance to celebrate Easter otherwise: wribrazil.com/kitsforkids.

Camila Leads the Worship Team

The second week of February is Carnaval in Brazil; filled with music, dancing, and danger for many at-risk children. Camila lives in the small town of Cajueiro Claro, where most locals spend Carnaval drunk or absent. Camila has grown up in the Living Stones program, and now leads the worship team at church. She wants the opportunity to go to church camp and share Jesus through her music.
Camila doesn't have the funds for camp. She is working hard to earn a scholarship by memorizing verses and reading books of the Bible. Church camp is the highlight of her year. It costs $30 to provide Camila and other growing leaders this scholarship opportunity: Join in at Carnaval Camp.

Eduardo Dreams of Playing Soccer

Christmas is a time for dreaming. Eduardo, who lives at the trash dump in Carpina, dreams of playing soccer. Not just at the strip of land next to the burning trash heaps, but on a team, where people get to come cheer and he might even get to wear shoes.

World Renewal Brazil has a dream: a Glory Sports complex where kids like Eduardo can come, play soccer (and other sports), and hear about Jesus. Living Stones is so excited about the doors this will open for the kids (like Eduardo) that they serve! 

A donor has offered $10,000 to put a roof on our soccer field. But this dream is to share: it is a 2 to 1 matching fund. We have $20,000 to raise. If you are interested in joining our dream, find out more at Glory Complex

End of the Year Videos

For those of you who want more information about each one of the Living Stones programs and outreaches, here is the place for you:
Year in Review for Cajueiro Claro:

Year in Review for Lagoa de Itaenga:

Year in Review for Guadalajara:

Year in Review for Mussurepe:

Year in Review for the Trash dump community:

Merry Christmas from Living Stones!

In 2015, Living Stones enabled local leaders to LEND to the kids in their communities. We shared love through special events like Carnaval church camp (10 kids received scholarships to go), Easter (the International school joined to bless 7 communities and 180 children), Mother and Father’s day, and Children’s day (a big thing in Brazil). Our full-time programs in Cajueiro Claro and Lagoa de Itaenga were able to regularly provide education and nutrition to 60 children. Both also began computer classes for the kids, expanding their future opportunities. We are so excited for our sister churches (Shelbyville Community church with Cajueiro, and Brandywine Community church with Lagoa) and partners: Lagoa is joining with World Help child sponsorships to reach out to even more children next year.
Living Stones outreaches and prayer partnerships included Mussurepe (teaching English in the local school), the Trash dump community (assisting local youth called Massa Humana), and Guadalajara, which has grown to serving 60-100 kids through sports! As always, we share direction with the children: Jesus Christ, who is the Way. For 2016, Cajueiro will focus on educational classes and Lagoa will double their program. We are looking for sister churches and partners who will help us start our next full-time program! For more information, go to Buildinglivingstones.blogspot.com and fiveminutesoffergie.com (the Living Stones Coordinators).

2015 Yearly Report

Project: Cajueiro Claro. Regular attendance of 30 kids, with around 50 for special events. About 250 meals served a month.
Project: Lagoa de Itaenga. Regular attendance of 30 kids, and 400 snack meals served a month.
Outreach: Guadalajara. Regularly meeting three mornings and afternoons a week, with events on most Saturdays, Lane and Misse run this sports ministry with no financial help from anyone. They have 60 regular kids, with up to 100 for special events.
Outreach: Mussurepe. Vovo Bel has her farm open to reach out to the community, having once a month church, and weekly prayer meetings for the woman. Caid and Rachel taught English at the local school for a semester, and then at the farm for a semester, reaching around 30 kids. Vovo always serves snack meals as well (over 100 a month)
Other: Soup meals distributed at Cajueiro, Mussurepe, Trash dump, Belem, Paudalho, Acacias outreach (Nova Esperanca), Santo Antonio in January: 1,100, and then the soup ministry was closed. The Trash Dump community was served by Massa Humana, with Caid and Rachel helping bi-monthly, serving about 40 kids. The Belem kids (about 20) were brought to special events through the year, like Easter, VBS, and Children’s day.The Acacias Outreach (Nova Esperanca) had special events like Easter and Children’s day in the community, reaching out to around 40 kids.

TOTAL IMPACT in Numbers:

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Meals served	2500	4,000	4,000	4,000	2,500
Snack meals					7,500
Soup meals		13,000	13,000	13,000	1,100
Birthdays	7	94	250	50	60
Children in the programs	35	170	280	195	150
Children heard the gospel at special events	300	300	600	300	400
Cost	$9,590	$14,111	$31,650	$12,600	$21,685
Donated	$12,347	$18,110	$34,026	$16,740	$25,732 (not December)

Christmas

This Christmas, Instead of wondering what to buy this holiday season, give the gift of kindness and generosity, donating $10 to Living Stones, providing a Christmas present and (helping fund a) party for the neediest children in Northeast Brazil: wribrazil.com/christmas 
At the same time, decorate your own tree with a special ornament or gift tags from Living Stones:

With some great help from Craig Olson, we are also excited about our 2016 calendars! Here is a sneak preview:

 Write to amobrasil99@hotmail.com for your ornament, gift tags, and calendars!

Trek 2016

Mark your calendars now: the Trek for Transportation 2016 (a 4k run/walk in solidarity with our Brazilian brothers and sisters to raise funds to reach the children with the greatest needs) will be on May 14th, 2016 at 11am. We are trying a couple of new things, so take note:
1. The Trek is in May, instead of June.
2. The Trek is at 11am instead of 10am, so plan to stay for a picnic lunch. We will provide hot dogs and marshmallows (bring your own healthy food).
3. The registration fee is $30 per family--so please bring yours. Southeastway park is kid, pet, and wheel friendly, so feel free to bring any and all of those things.
4. As always, all the forms and information can be found at wribrazil.com/trek
5. We want your fellowship! Please come! But if you can't, please donate online and help us reach our goal of $5,000.

Thanksgiving Feast

The holidays are just around the corner, and pumpkin spice is filling up the air! At Living Stones, we like to take some time around Thanksgiving to remember the children who do not know what it is like to open the refrigerator and eat whenever or whatever they'd like.

This Thanksgiving season, would you be willing to give up a meal to join in prayer for our Living Stones children? For the price of a value meal (around $5), we can provide five hot meals for them. Join our $5 for 5 program.

Making Children's Day Happen

October 12 is Children's Day in Brazil, but most of the poorest children are often overlooked. Living Stones was so excited to partner with the International School kids, who made sure to share the joy of fun, games, and of course, presents. Here was at Cajueiro Claro:

And Lagoa de Itaenga: 

Many other people contributed to share God's love in Northeast Brazil. Click the highlighted place to see more about other celebrations in Cajueiro Claro, Lagoa de Itaenga, Guadalajara, and the Trash Dump Community. 

World Help Partnership

Living Stones is pleased to announce that we are partnering with World Help to provide some child sponsorships; creating more impact and opportunity for children in Northeast Brazil. 

We will be starting small, and the process is long, but it is exciting to see how God is opening doors. As you know, we have not done child sponsorships in the past, due to our focus on church planting and lack of staff. We have always encouraged people to invest in children through a local church community that was already passionate about making a lasting change. That has not changed. 

World Help is about partnership, not ownership. They come to assist what God is already doing in communities and local churches that just need some financial help and encouragement to keep going—and to grow. As we met with Kraig Cole, the director for child sponsorships, we were excited to see how World Help and Living Stones shared the same values and goals. Our partnership will not limit or change how Living Stones is working—it just adds to our team. 

We will make sure to keep you updated on what God is doing through World Help in the future (probably starting middle of 2016), as the beginning phase is mostly just paperwork. For those of you who are currently partnering with us in prayer and financial giving—please don’t stop! Your involvement is what enables us to function. World Help will not be taking over any of our programs—only enabling us to reach out in new ways. 

Thank you for joining us in welcoming World Help to our Living Stones team!

100 Birthdays

Our "10 for Them" program has been on hold for awhile, since the Fergusons were busy having a baby, but now it is back in full swing. In the past we celebrated individual birthdays--and this worked well in areas where the children lived close, and when we only had about 60 kids. But now we have 200-250 children to celebrate!
We now celebrate once a month with each group of Living Stones children (between 2-7 kids at each party): Cajueiro Claro, Lagoa de Itaenga, Mussurepe, Guadalajara, and the Trash dump community--having cake, birthday cards, and of course, pictures in the Birthday hat:

We have been working on gathering all the pictures and birthday dates of the kids (a BIG job, since many of them do not know when their birthday is), and will be putting together an updated Birthday/prayer calendar for 2016!

Instead of presents for my (Rachel Ferguson) birthday this year, I am asking for birthday parties for the Living Stones kids--I want to celebrate 100 Birthdays! It only costs $10 for one of these group birthday parties at 10 for Them

Father's Day in Brazil

In Brazil, Father's Day is the second Sunday in August. This August 9th, Living Stones children will be inviting their fathers to a special celebration at church. It is common, especially in rural Brazil, to see a church full of women and children--the only man there being the pastor.

Living Stones focuses on working with children, and has already had a special Mother's Day celebration, but now we are looking to the men. These families--these communities need the male leadership for lasting change.

Funds given to Living Stones goes to basic costs unless otherwise specified. Help us with the cost of food and party supplies for our Day for Dad (look under Brazil outreach projects). This year, with the US dollar being high, we only need about $100.

Mid Year Update on Living Stones

Video updates instead of newsletters this summer! If you ever want more information about Living Stones, specifically or generally, make sure to write to amobrasil99@hotmail.com. Here is the update on Caid and Rachel Ferguson:

Announcing Ana Sofia Carol Ferguson

For those who enjoy the video blogs: 

For those who enjoy reading blogs

Caid and Rachel thank you all for your love, care, and prayers as we begin life with 

this new "Living Stone." Let the adventures continue! 

Thank you to our Trekkers!

Thank you to all those who participated and/or gave to our 6th annual Trek for Transportation! We appreciate you!

Caid and Rachel Ferguson put together a short video blog thank you:

Thinking about an Upgrade?

Caid has had his Iphone 4S for almost 3 years now. We were told that Sprint Iphones could not be unlocked or used Internationally, and if we wanted to sell it back, it was worth $20. Then a friend told us that a law had recently passed that after two years, phone companies were obligated to unlock your phone (if you ask) since you had essentially (over) paid for the phone. We called up Sprint once more and were transferred to their international department, since we let them know we were moving to Brazil. In 20 minutes the phone was unlocked and has been an amazing asset to our ministry here in Brazil (and my first smartphone).

Having a camera/recorder has enabled us to make vlogs (video blogs) and updates quickly on Facebook and Youtube. Having Whatsapp has enabled us to be part of ministry groups, knowing who is sick, who to pray for, and what ministry opportunities come up last minute (it is also much cheaper than texting in Brazil, and very widely used!). We now have Skype and Facetime to talk to family abroad, and have never been so connected.

That said, if you have a nice smartphone (Iphone, Samsung, or LG work in Brazil), but are thinking of upgrading--here is a great idea: unlock your old phone and give it (and a sturdy case please--life is tough on phones here!) to Steve Turner to bring to Brazil for one of the pastors/ministry workers. Getting a decent phone with a camera and communication apps into the hands of these dedicated workers can enable them to send updates and document their work much easier. Thank you technology!

June 13th is our Trek for Transportation

We are getting excited about our 6th annual Trek for Transportation 4k run/walk! We hope you will come out to Southeastway park at 10am on June 13th, 2015 to help us reach the rural areas of Northeast Brazil. All of the information you need is at http://www.wribrazil.com/trek.

Just in case you missed it, here is a new video explaining what Living Stones is to those who are new, and here is a video about our recent Mother's day celebrations.

Preparing for Mother's Day

May is just around the corner, and we are excited about the different outreaches to our very important Mothers of Living Stones children. Join with us to celebrate them:

You can donate here.