25 Years Later, Fruit of Labor Produced to the Second Generation
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
April 7, 2017
In my last letter I shared that Charlene, our daughter Jessie, and I would be going to Brazil to work with Projeto Vida in the public schools. I want to tell you about how amazingly the Lord blessed that trip and the efforts of all those who were involved. On the first day of outreach we were able to go into three very diverse locations. One group went to a public park in downtown Curitiba to serve a hot meal to nearly 200 homeless people. Not only did we give them physical food, but we also shared the gospel in different ways. Our youth performed gospel skits using pantomime. One of them also shared their testimony of salvation through a translator and then their leader preached an evangelistic message from God’s Word. There were several individuals who professed Christ as their Savior. All this was done to assist a missionary who follows up on these conversions to get these homeless people into a discipleship program and, often, rehab to overcome drug and alcohol addiction. The missionary operates a halfway house that helps these converts get into productive lives and leads many of them to begin assisting others who are still struggling with their vices.
The same group who ministered to the homeless in the morning went to a different neighborhood in the afternoon to assist a local church in sharing the gospel to the folks who were out and about in the streets. The teams again performed skits and shared their testimony, but here they were working in a middle-class neighborhood. Even here there were several who surrendered to Christ through the Word shared.
Ministering with Projeto Vida in Brazil
Over the next few days of outreach the teams were working in some public schools. The opportunities there were just thrilling! I want to share one wonderful blessing that God gave Charlene and me the privilege of experiencing. About 25 years ago, we began offering classes of English as a Second Language in order to get opportunities to meet lost people and share the gospel with them. One of our first students was teenaged boy who wanted to learn English in order to understand the words to Heavy Metal rock music bands. That wasn’t my intention, of course, but when he asked me to translate the lyrics to one of his albums I realized that it was a Christian Heavy Metal group and the lyrics gave me the chance to share the gospel through a medium that he himself was interested in. He came to know Christ and almost immediately began bringing many of his “metal-head” friends to our church. One of those friends trusted in Christ, surrendered to preach, got married to another converted rocker and became a Baptist Pastor to another state in North Brazil. Though I have not seen them for over 25 years, they have become the parents of 4 wonderfully dedicated Christian children now ranging from 15-22 years of age. When our group was ministering in one of the local high schools, I translated the message of the main speaker. At the end of the meeting, a 17-year-old girl came up to me and asked if I knew a Nilson Bispo de Jesus. Immediately I remembered my old disciple and I told her that I did. She told me that she was his daughter and that their family had recently moved back to Curitiba. That night we got to meet the entire family and we rejoiced to know that they all serve Christ and have been used by Him to spread the gospel through their talents and gifts. The Lord truly blessed us to see some of the fruit of our labor in Brazil, even to the second generation.
The Lord blessed in so many other ways during this mission journey, but I will save some for my next report. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Stateside Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
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Team from Florida Heading to Work with Projeto Vida
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
March 4, 2017
Dear Friends,
Charlene and Jessie are super excited! They will be leaving in just a few minutes to spend a couple of weeks in Curitiba, Brazil. During the first week, they will be catching up with friends and taking care of some business details. I will be joining them after that to begin a week of evangelism in public schools and parks together with Projeto Vida and the youth team from Bell Shoals Baptist Church from Brandon, Florida. We are expecting to have the opportunity to share the gospel to over 3000 youth and teachers during the time we will be there.
This will be the first full year that they will be using the newly purchased travel van that replaced one of our old buses. We are grateful that this mode of transportation will make Projeto Vida’s mission trips more efficient, quicker and will allow them to get to more secluded areas. We are thankful to all who contributed to make the purchase of this van possible. We want to continue trying to obtain other vans to replace the old hard to maintain buses, but we’ll keep these old buses rolling as long as we can because we still get the gospel to tens of thousands of lost folks yearly.
We are so thrilled to see how the Lord has used this ministry to transform people’s lives. Every week we see many making a public profession of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We know that God is pleased with this because it is what Christ commanded His disciples to do. We also know that there is rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents and comes to Christ. We are also thrilled to know that there are literally hundreds of young men and women scattered across the globe sharing Christ as a direct result of how the Lord used them and blessed them when they participated with Projeto Vida as a short-term missionary or volunteer. God has greatly used and blessed this ministry and we expect even greater usefulness in the future. Thank you for your prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Stateside Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Different Avenues for Outreach: Rehabs, Beaches, and Daycares
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
February 8, 2017
Dear Friends,
Since December, January and February are the summer months in Brazil, the public schools are closed most of that time. The main avenue that Projeto Vida has of taking the gospel to the unreached population in the country is in the public schools, so during these months, our teams try to come up with other creative ways to share the gospel with lost folks. Our Missions Training Center did that this summer by taking the 2 teams of volunteers to some physical rehabilitation centers, daycare centers and recreational events on the beaches. They were a huge blessing to several rehab centers and were able to bring both immediate and eternal hope to many of the patients. During the 3 month period, there were over 1500 individuals who heard the Gospel presented through testimonies, skits, preaching and one-on-one evangelism. Of these 1500, there were 73 adults and 115 youth who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!
The evangelistic outreach on the beaches was especially challenging, yet at the same time, fruitful. While many of the patrons of the beachside bars and dance clubs ridiculed the young evangelists, there were also a good number of them who God touched through the testimonies and conversations of the bold witnesses of Christ. Several of our workers are former drug and alcohol abusers and God used them to make a connection that opened hearts to hear the Word. One young lady was at the beach on vacation, but upon seeing the open-air skits portraying the gospel, she was deeply touched by the message that Christ loves her. She had been exposed to the gospel as a child, but had not embraced it. Now, as an adult, she recognized her need for a Savior and surrendered her life to Jesus.
This is the first of 4 Missions Seminars that Projeto Vida will host this year, the Lord willing. There were 13 volunteer participants from other states participating and we hope that they will either return as long-term participants or stay connected as supportive prayer partners. We know they will be changed by their time as volunteers for the good of Christ’s kingdom.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Humanly Unsurmountable Challenges in 2016; Victories Given by the Lord
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
January 5, 2017
Dear Friends,
When I look back at what the Lord did during the last year, 2016, it almost overwhelms me! Although some of our challenges were humanly unsurmountable, the Lord blessed in such a way as to leave us with our mouths hanging open in wonder and amazement. We have been strengthened in our faith and trust in the Lord through the victories and accomplishments He gave.
Projeto Vida was blessed by obtaining our first passenger van and utility trailer that has replaced one of our old “tired out” motor homes. We are excited about how much more efficiently we will be able to get to the more remote areas to share the Gospel. They will be able to save time and expenses and increase the number of locations that can be reached during the new year.
We want to start the year out with a clear focus on missions and evangelism—and what better way than to hold a Missions Workshop in the first month of 2017? Our experienced pastors and missionaries will be teaching for two weeks in formal theological studies followed by two weeks of practical evangelism and outreach in public arenas. Some of the students who come from several different states of Brazil and the USA will become long-term members of Projeto Vida after this training. Some of our volunteers will be returning to work in their local churches, so there will be a type of “volunteer exchange”. This works well for both personal growth and kingdom growth.
Charlene, my daughter, Jessie, and I will be going to Brazil in March to assist the youth group from Bell Shoals Baptist Church. We always have the privilege of seeing many individuals come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ during these events and we expect that again this year. We trust that God will bless these youth and their leaders and translators.
I am grateful to you who have prayed and faithfully contributed so that we can continue to make God’s Word available to those who would not hear otherwise.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Personal Evangelism in Campinas Leads to Changed Lives
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
December 7, 2016
Hello Friends,
One of our outreach teams traveled to take the gospel to the city of Campinas in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Beyond their usual efforts to get into the public schools and city squares with evangelistic skits, testimonies and preaching, one group concentrated on personal evangelism in homes and common everyday encounters with the local residents. They purposefully initiated pleasant conversations with people in grocery lines, bank lines, and in shopping locations while asking the Lord to open a door of opportunity to share the gospel when the individuals showed interest. There were many who, after hearing the gospel, accepted Christ as their personal Savior.
During one such conversation with two teenage boys, one boy whispered something into the ear of the other and then they both laughed a derisive laugh. When the missionary volunteer asked what they were talking about, the first boy responded that the team had arrived too late in their town. They said that it was hopeless there. The older brother of one of the teens had recently committed suicide and they said that many young people in their town had done the same and others were planning to. The missionary proceeded to show them from the Scriptures and from his own past that while we have breath, it is never too late. The gospel was clearly and passionately shared and the two young men surrendered their lives to Christ.
Another of our teams traveled also, but stayed in the home state of Parana. They learned from their visit that the city, Paysandú, is under heavy demonic oppression. There is a large percentage of youth who are addicted to drugs and illicit sex. There are also those who are no longer interested in religion because of all the false religions that have entered there only to take financial advantage of an already poor people. This group had only a handful of residents come to a personal relationship with Christ. We rejoice that God’s grace did reach these, but we also know that, because of their unbelief, many are still living in a state of confusion and hopelessness. Much like our own outreach efforts among family and personal friends, not everyone who hears their message of hope surrenders to the Lord. Please continue to remember Projeto Vida and its volunteers in your prayers.
Thank you,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Evidence of Transformed Lives in Schools
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 2, 2016
Dear Friends,
Last month I shared that our outreach partner, Projeto Vida, was able to obtain its first travel van. Overcoming that hurdle was a great victory by itself. Now that they have the van, it is being customized for the type of community service that we use to open doors to sharing the gospel. Among the services that are offered when we pull into a target community are free haircuts, family counseling, blood pressure checks and intercessory prayer. The van itself has built-in awnings and frames to accommodate these services. The van also transports up to 17 passengers and pulls a trailer that contains all the sound equipment that is used in the public presentations of the Gospel.
Two teams were out in cities near operational headquarters with the old buses as the van’s preparation is being completed. These teams were in 5 public schools where they had great liberty to share the gospel with students, teachers and administration. We are so amazed at how many principals come to us after our events to share how much of a difference they see in their schools after our team’s interaction with their schools. We know that this is evidence that God is transforming lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit who has come into those who have surrendered to Christ.
This week they also their bi-monthly Missions Training Seminar. There are over 20 students coming from all over Brazil to attend this specialized training. They will spend two weeks giving theological studies of missions and then two more weeks of “on the job” mission trips for the volunteers to go with our teams into the public schools and parks. We have seen hundreds of students come through this training process, many who have become full-time missionaries upon completion of our training and many others return to their respective churches to challenge their congregations to be more missions-minded and focused on a practical level.
Charlene, my daughter, Jessie, and I are getting ready to return to Brazil early next year to assist a group of youth from our church here in Brandon, Florida. It looks like we will be having around 30 youth involved, along with some adult sponsors. We are looking forward to returning to visit the churches we established there while in Curitiba to encourage them, however the Lord sees fit to use us.
We greatly appreciate your prayers for us and your support of Projeto Vida’s evangelistic endeavors.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Projeto Vida Travels 6,000 Miles to Share the Gospel with Different People Groups
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
October 11, 2016
Dear Friends,
We had hoped that Projeto Vida would be able to purchase an 18 passenger travel van before our scheduled mission trip to the Lower Amazon River basin, but the Lord had other plans. Instead, 25 of our dedicated followers of Christ set out in an old travel bus on a 6000 mile trip to take the gospel to many different people groups. The first stop was in the slums of Rio de Janeiro shortly after the Olympic Games. The teams shared God’s word in public schools and parks.
Leaving Rio, the bus then set out for Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, over 1000 miles away. Again, the teams were allowed to go into the schools with Gospel skits and testimonies. Many students heard the gospel for the first time in their lives. After a few days in Brasilia, the bus began the next leg of their journey to northeastern Brazil, in the desert region. Along the way the old bus began to have a few problems. First, two of the large tires blew out at the same time. After repairing them, which was not cheap, the differential gear box tore up and the bus had to be towed to a repair garage and be repaired. The original price would have been above our ability to pay, but the garage owner felt led of the Lord to give a deep discount and with the offerings of some of you, we were able to pay for the new price and get the bus back on the road.
The journey continued northward toward Maranhão where our teams had the privilege of taking the gospel to some Indian tribes. There were quite a few who surrendered to Christ during that stop. All of the team members had to learn how to adapt to the culture somewhat to gain and entrance into the people group. The different foods and unfiltered water left several of the workers ill for a few days.
Next, the group went on to the mouth of the Amazon River where it spills out into the Atlantic. They left the old bus in the last town and got on board an old river boat to travel up river for 4 days. There were over 50 people aboard that boat and everyone had to sleep in hammocks crisscrossed in every available space. The teams stopped at many small villages along the river banks to share the gospel with folks, many who had never heard the Gospel of Christ clearly presented. There were dozens saved in these visits. Our team was traveling with some missionaries who lived in the region and who would be taking note of the villages with multiple conversions to return to begin routine Bible studies and new church plants when possible.
On this journey there was a young American man named Christian Wertz from my church here in Florida. He engaged in a game of “football/soccer” with some villagers on an improvised court that was made of roughly planed boards covered with dirt and sawdust. He got a large splinter in his bare foot which got badly infected and he had to be taken to the nearest health outpost to treat him. He recovered quickly and returned to help the team evangelize in more villages on the return trip to where they left the travel bus.
On the return trip to their headquarters in southern Brazil, Projeto Vida didn’t experience any mishaps. The team arrived after a 34-day trip and having seen hundreds of people profess Christ as Savior and Lord. One of the side benefits of the trip was that while they were helping a local church in northern Brazil, two of the members felt led of the Lord to contribute enough funds for Projeto Vida to purchase their first 18 passenger travel van. Now they will be able to make more trips similar to this one at a much reduced cost and much quicker. Praise the Lord with us!
In Christ’s love,
Bobby Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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Bro. Bill Wacaser Meets His Savior Face-to-Face
The Lord called His servant Bill Wacaser home on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 3:17 pm. He was the father of our faithful missionary to Brazil, Bobby Wacaser, who has recently been Stateside with his wife Charlene to assist with his father’s care. Please join us in asking the Lord to give the Wacaser Family all His grace, peace, comfort, and strength during this time.
We thank God for the Gospel seeds Bro. Wacaser sowed in the lives of his children, who in turn have gone to scatter seeds on foreign soil.
Obituary for Bill Wacaser from Hopewell Funeral Home
William R. “Bill” Wacaser, Jr., 84, lifelong resident of Plant City, Florida, born on September 1, 1931, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce; and sons, Rossie and Ronnie. He is survived by his children, Joy, Terry (Allison), Bobby (Charlene), Gary (Helen), Denise (Keith), and Jeffrey (Christie); daughter-in-law, Dee Dee (wife of Rossie); siblings, Margaret Watson and Marvin; 28 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren; and many other family and friends. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 27 at 3:00 P.M. at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 S County Road 39, where the family will receive friends beginning at 2:00 P.M. Committal to follow at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to LifePath Hospice at http://chaptershealth.org. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. William R. Wacaser Jr. please visit our Sympathy Store.
Contact Information for Bobby Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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