Shine Desenvolvimento Comunitaria Oitão Preto Fortaleza

There is always something going on at SHINE, and this week we are taking the boys in our discipleship group for a day out! These days out are such a good opportunity for the children to be children and have fun in a safe environment.

We are also so blessed to have two of the young people in the local Assemblies of God church, Nedson and Moacir, join us weekly to teach drums and guitar to the boys in our group. It is so cool to see people from the local community get involved. And we have even seen some of them do our YWAM nightschool which is a great encouragment.

Christmas is coming up soon and we are already busy preparing for a big Christmas party where all the children from our groups will come together. We’re also hoping to do a Christmas meal for the community to bless and honour them and communicate the love of Christ- the reason why we have Christmas in the first place.

So keep us in your prayers. Pray that the Truth of God’s word and the love of Christ would enter into the hearts of the children and adults we minister to every day, and pray that Jesus be glorified!!

Having a passion for God and a passion for surfing, Wagner, one of the guys from Oitão Preto decided to start a surfing school in the community. Fortaleza is a costal city, and Oitão Preto lies almost as close as you can get to the beach without being on the beach, and so surfing is naturally a very popular sport amongst young and old.

Not being one to wait around Wagner has managed to get sponsorship for the school, the school registered and it’s documentation in order, and is well on his way. It is so amazing to see how God is working in his life now he’s become a Christian, and also see how eager he is that the other kids get to learn about God also.

Every Friday we join with him to do Bible classes for around 40 young people. It’s amazing how God just keeps opening doors in the community, and more importantly is bringing opportunities for all kinds of different people to hear about Jesus.

Pray for:
--Wagner as he heads up the school- that he would have wisdom and integrity.
--Protection for the school and provision.
--Pray that as we reach young people with the Good News through this school, we can guide them away from a life of drugs and into Life in Christ, and get them linked with the local church.

The work in Oitão Preto has really had a great boost since Andrew and Claudia started up a full-time work there in April. "SHINE" is the very appropriate name of the project, as that is what our heart is to do there: Shine the love, truth, and life of Jesus into every single life in the community, and see it transformed for the glory of God.

Even if it is still early days, we are seeing the community respond to us in an amazing way. The main focus as we start is to form discipleship groups with the young people in the community. We already have several groups for children and teenagers, and one women's group. It's great to see God move in these young people's lives and see them receive the truth and life of God which strengthens them to stand up against the strong influence of drugs and violence which they have to face every single day.

During Carneval this year we took 10 of the children in the community to a camp for 5 days at a Christian children's home which is about an hour's drive outside the city. It was amazing to see them respond to the positive environment and really be changed. One boy told us the last day that he'd felt joy for the first time in his life. Powerful words from a 12 year old. As we drove back to the community most of them were crying because they wanted to stay longer. On arrival some of the parents were very welcoming, whereas others were too busy doing drugs or too drunk to really welcome their excited sons home. This month we are taking another group, and we are praying that God would really impact them in a great way again, and that the temporary change from their home environment, can cause permanent, positive change in their lives. Please pray for them!

One of the areas God has put on our hearts is to reach out to the children and adults who live in the community of Oitão Preto. It is one of the slums where there is a lot of drug dealing, drug abuse, violence, and misery.

Every Saturday morning we head out to bring the love and hope of Jesus Christ to the people who live in the midst of discouragement and dispair. We visit specific families, bringing discipleship to those who have accepted Christ, and a listening ear to those who are going through tough times. And as we wander through the roads of the community we minister to the drug addicts and the street teenagers.

Last month through the arrival of a team from Hawaii we were able to also offer medical and dental assistance, and we saw hundreds of children and adults be treated with dignity as they not only received healthcare, but also heard the word of God. We still meet people who were blessed by the care they received and we are seeing a change for the better in the community.

Every wednesday we have a group of children from the community come for discipleship at the project, and these times of investing into the lives of these 12/13 year olds is so valuable. They see people using and selling drugs every day, and through working closely with them we hope to be a part of preventing them from becoming the future drug dealers and users.

Pray for us as we invest into this community. The needs are great, but we serve a great God! Pray especially for the starting of a full-time work there next year.