Pray for Rio Branco
February 12, 2020
Dear Brethren,
Grace and peace from us in fairly peaceful Cruzeiro do Sul. It looks like the rainy season is finally going to get under way. Most of the rain is falling in southern Brasil though and we are still waiting. I had to cancel a river trip in January because the bottom dropped out of the river. I was able to send our bricklayer by canoe to the last congregation at the mountains on the Moa River to continue the work on their new building. In fact, it worked out that because the roads dried up, he was also able to spend a few days at Gama, Amazonas (opposite direction by almost a hundred miles) to finish the parsonage for missionary Anísio.
Bev and I made a mission trip to the state capital Rio Branco. Let me tell you what that is all about. Almost 30 years ago we started a church in Rio Branco. Only after much prayer and reluctance on my part that I agreed to start a new church there. At the time there was one rather solid Brazilian convention church and a sprinkling of Regular Baptist churches. Most of them were dying. At the same time, we had dozens of folks who had been saved here in Cruzeiro and had moved to Rio Branco and were begging for a church with solid doctrine and evangelistic spirit. Three times a group of them bought their own tickets and came to Cruzeiro do Sul to beg me to start a church. My reluctance was because ethically I did not want to infringe on a region that already had churches. Nevertheless, I finally acquiesced. We had a good pastor from Brother John Hatcher’s work in Manaus who was in Rio Branco at the time, but was poised to return to Manaus. We started meeting in a school in a neighborhood that had no church of any kind. I visited them once a month. We eventually found property and I helped them build their first building. They grew quickly and soon we organized the church.
Over the years the convention church finally became charismatic. It is now the largest “evangelical” church in the state. They dragged 25 of the 27 convention churches in the states into the prosperity gospel movement. Many of the Regular Baptist churches died. The 2 or 3 that survived are just hanging on. They are extremely legalistic and reaching no one. Our church, Igreja Batista Memorial, grew steadily. They got up over 200 members. They built a bigger building and were doing great, then the pastor left. He put in his place a guy who is a hypercalvinist (without consulting our church). The new guy is a good teacher, but very arrogant. Recently he has been calling himself Rabbi Lopes! The church quit preaching the gospel a few years ago. We have reached out to them in several ways, but there is no longer any interest in reaching the lost. The church is dying. They now have 50 or fewer people in their Sunday services. I know this because one of our members who has stayed faithful puts videos on Facebook of the Sunday services. I have seen 3 of these videos and can count the number of folks present.
For about 3 years now I have been struggling in prayer about what to do. Recently unchurched people from Rio Branco have been begging me to start another church. Bev and I went to meet informally with a few of these folks a couple of weeks ago. Looks like we are going to have to bite the bullet and do what has to be done.
First Baptist Church of Cruzeiro do Sul continues to take the gospel to the most remote places. During 2019 we sent out two more missionary families. We will continue to do this until we have planted churches in all the cities of our state, neighboring states and countries. BUT, Rio Branco has half the population of our state. There are almost 500,000 people concentrated in one spot and the gospel has been abandoned by the local churches.
Thanks for staying with me through this long read. I need you to pray with us about this challenge. Frankly I don’t know exactly how to proceed, but we cannot wait any longer. So please help me with your prayers.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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News & Reports – February 2020 Issue [Online Edition]
The Online Edition of February 2020 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below. Read how God is working through the lives of our faithful missionaries and continue to pray for them.
Note: You can click on any headline to view the story on our blog.
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Hopelessness Prepares Hearts for Eternal Hope
January 30, 2020
Dear Friends,
We just completed our first Missions Training Seminar of the year with 30 participants. Seventeen of those were from other regions of Brazil. The first week was spent in biblical studies and evangelical missions’ theory here in Curitiba. The next week the group traveled to Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, a 20-hour drive from our base.
You may have heard or seen on the news one year ago about the rupture of a mining dam in the town of Brumadinho. In that industrial disaster, there were 270 people who were killed. Though it has been one year since the disaster, the whole town is still badly traumatized. What adds to the townspeople’s sense of fear is that there are over 300 similar dams encircling the area and it is the rainy season there. Many people moved away, of course, but most do not have enough money to uproot, move and begin life somewhere else.
Our mission team found quite a wide spectrum of attitudes among the citizens of Brumadinho as they sought to share the gospel. On the one hand, there were many who are very angry; angry at the mining company that allowed the disaster to happen, angry at their loved ones for leaving them alone and even angry, blaming God for letting the disaster happen. On the other hand, the sense of loss and hopelessness helped to prepare the hearts of several to listen to God’s word of eternal hope and salvation. Our volunteers rejoiced to have a part in leading many to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. They themselves were moved emotionally by the sight of such devastation, but more so by the joy that God used them to bring hope and salvation where only sorrow dwelt before.
When Charlene and I moved to our neighborhood a few years ago, we thought that it would be helpful in getting to know our neighbors if we visited each home and introduced ourselves. When we visited, we would ask if there was something that they needed that we could pray about for them. No one was outright rude with us, but there were a few who evidently weren’t interested in spiritual things. One elderly lady, though, was very cordial to us and invited us in for a cup of coffee. She not only asked us to pray for her then, but invited us to return as often as we liked. Through that one lady, we met many members of her extended family and often prayed for her and them. During the recent Christmas holidays, we were out of town and received a message from one of her daughters that she had been admitted into the hospital with lung cancer and that she was gravely ill. We wouldn’t be arriving home for a few days, but her family told us that she really wanted to see us before she died. After we returned home, the very next morning, Charlene and I went to the hospital to visit her. She seemed to be unconscious, or in a coma, but still Charlene and I bent near her ear and reminded her of our Savior’s love for her. There was no evident sign that she heard or took in anything that we said then, but in less than a half hour after we left, we got a message from her granddaughter that she had passed away almost immediately after we left the room. I don’t pretend to know all, or even much, of what the Lord is doing in the unseen realm of this world, but I am certain that He was orchestrating the details of this dear lady’s life and death for His glory. As a result of that lady’s love for Charlene and me, her oldest son asked me to speak at her funeral service. During our years of visiting with her we had shared the gospel and she had assured us that she knew she was a sinner and in need of Jesus as her only Savior. She told me that she trusted Him and Him alone to save her. I shared that news with nearly 100 people from her family and friends and let them know that they too could have the certainty of their own salvation if they surrendered to Christ. By the Lord allowing that dear lady to “hang on” for just a few more days and minutes, a door of opportunity arose for us to share the gospel with her family.
We can see that God is at work all around us in huge citywide events, as well as small individual circumstances for us to make His love known to those who are lost. We want to be attentive to His guidance to step in and share the message of grace.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]hotmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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Successful Surgery & Record Attendance at Christmas Musical
January 21, 2020
Dear Brethren,
Grace and peace to all. 2019 ended and 2020 started with tons of work, but no real news. Sorry, it’s true! I have worked a lot, but don’t have much to report or little to show for all the activity. There are a few things that you may be wondering about, so let’s fill in those blanks.
Andrew is finally home and well. After over a year in and out of hospitals, fighting with said hospitals, doctors and insurance company, the Lord opened the door for the equipment to come to Manaus for his procedure. The word came down right as I was in the midst of the preparations for the Christmas Musical. Andrew went to Manaus and once the final dates were set for his surgery, I went to be with him. It was a huge success. In fact, it was the first procedure of this nature in all of northern Brazil. There were over 20 people (mostly doctors and other health care specialists) in the room to watch the procedure. The doctor was able to do all that we had been praying for and a couple of other things were corrected, also. You can’t imagine my joy 2 weeks later seeing my son on the front pew during the Christmas Musical smiling at his little boy, Devin, who was on stage. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for him. Thank You, Lord!
The musical was a lot of work as usual, but really great. We had 6 presentations (6 nights) ending on Christmas night. We are now in our new building and set several attendance records. We averaged just under 1200. On Christmas night we had 1718 in the building. Many people were not able to get in. A few more people were saved.
I only made one short trip out of town so far this year. I visited the congregation at Canela Fina. This work was started by Igreja Batista Betel, which is one of our daughter churches. It rained big time and it was pretty muddy, but the building was packed with over 200 people.
The first weeks of the year have been mostly just plain ole hard manual labor. I have been building a new office for me in our garage. Beverly needed a space for her crafts, so I gave up my office in the house and built my new space. It is not quite finished, but getting there. Yesterday I finally installed a new router to be able to have internet service. Now all I “need” is a lazy boy and big screen TV for my man cave to be complete! Waiting for Beverly to approve those last 2 items. It may be a while.
In my spare time (?) I have been working on my boats and motors getting ready for the upcoming mission trips of the rainy season. The new 60HP and 25HP outboards have finally arrived. My old motors were 11 years old. Thanks to the churches and friends who have helped to purchase the new engines. It took months to get them here, but now it will only take a few more days to have the boats ready. There are a number of repairs to do on the boats. The 25HP is already installed on the jon boat, but waiting for water in the river to do the break in. In fact, last week I was supposed to go up the Moa River, but the rains stopped suddenly, and all the rivers are shallow and clogged with stumps. The bigger boat needs several repairs and the installation is much more complex. Right now, I am waiting on new control cables. The old ones off the old motor are different, so I had to order new ones.
Bev and I have had some health issues. She had dengue fever! Fortunately, she had a mild version of it or maybe she is just plain tough. Probably the latter. I have had 2 kinds of infections over the last few weeks. Routine stuff, but very painful and debilitating. Had to go through rounds of antibiotics. Even though health care here in Cruzeiro do Sul is rather precarious, I have the advantage of having folks in the church that are doctors, nurses and lab owners. One lady that has a lab, came to the house to take my blood sample, did the full round of tests and even brought the results to me. One of our doctors took care of me by cell phone. I did have to go out, get a shot at the ER and buy medicine, but our folks take good care of me.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Growing & Being United in the Love of Jesus
January 20, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Pastoring a church in any situation is not easy. I think it is especially not easy pastoring a church in a cross-cultural setting. There are so many things that I do wrong and because it is being done in a cross-cultural setting. Most of the time I don’t even know the things I’m doing wrong. Some things I have learned a little, like, not using American illustrations in my sermons that don’t make any sense to my Kenyan listeners. Also, talking slower and enunciating my words clearly for those who are not used to my American accent. Other things I have gotten used to—like children walking around during my message, even up to the lectern where I am standing, and talking to me while I am preaching (Chloe did this the other day too. She came right up to me while I was preaching, tugged on my pant leg, and asked me if she could preach.). I try and keep things informal and people will comment or ask questions in the middle of my sermon. I actually like that. What haven’t I learned? Well, again, that’s hard to say. I haven’t learned all the cultural norms. I haven’t learned to speak Swahili well enough. I haven’t learned how to play the guitar well. I haven’t learned yet when I have done something to offend someone. Pastoring a church as an American in Kenya is not easy. But it IS rewarding.
The last couple of weeks we have had a new family attending the Chapel. It is always nice to have visitors that come more than once. One-and-done’s are discouraging. It makes one think he is doing something wrong. But we are doing exactly what I think God wants us to be doing: simple Bible teaching, sensible and heartfelt worship, focus on Jesus. So, even if the one-and-done’s don’t like what we are doing, we will continue to follow God’s leading anyway. The new family, however, has returned. The mother came first, along with her three children. The father works in Nairobi, an eight-hour drive from his family. But he also was in Kitale this past weekend and attended the Chapel with his family. He told me that he also enjoyed our Chapel service very much. We are praying that this family continues to attend.
I am encouraged to see the Chapel folks entering a new phase together. Being in our new location is much more conducive to “fellowship”. The people are beginning to linger a lot longer after the services, talking and getting to know each other better. I see them starting to become friends instead of just “people who attend the same Chapel service”. I enjoy watching them mingle and listening to their conversations. We are all definitely growing and being united in the love of Jesus. It has also been suggested to me by some of the people that we should have more times of fellowship outside of our normal Sunday services. First, this shows me that they truly are growing and being bonded in the love of Christ. Second, it shows that they are taking initiative and interest in the growth of the Chapel instead of just allowing me to take all the initiative. Others have seen needs in the Chapel (like childcare) and are taking the initiative to find solutions to those needs. These developments are encouraging to me and I praise God for what he is doing in our ministry.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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