Hello again prayer partners/friends…..
Not a day goes by that we do not thank the Lord for your prayers and encouragement. Ours days get so incredibly busy and the desire to update everyone becomes a heavy burden on our hearts. Please don’t think that we’ve been ignoring you! At the moment we are working on our latest newsletter with updates on the Favela Moinho situation (after the fire) and will include the outcome of our Carnaval Time Sleep-over Camp (which starts TODAY) among many other things.
For those of you who do not know about Carnaval here in Brazil it is celebrated at this time every year, in every city, and is so impregnated into their culture that they even celebrate and encourage it in the public schools. Dancing and nudity are prominent at the parades, parties and on television. We offer Camp for the teenagers during this time to get them off the streets offering an alternative to the worldly desires. We offer games, activities, bon fires, bible studies, worship, arts/crafts, etc to keep them busy in a fun, recreational atmosphere.
So, with that said, we ask for your prayers for:
• Camp (starts tonight and goes until next Tuesday)- pray for great fellowship, lots of fun, encounters with the Holy Spirit (conviction), and salvation for those who are not saved yet.
• Our team- with an already busy schedule this adds to our “busy-ness” and is very tiring. Pray for renewed strength, healing for those who are fighting colds, and patience in trying times. Also pray that they too will be encouraged and strengthened by the bible studies and quiet times in groups.
Wishing you could be here to participate with us!
Blessings, Pete and Jodi

Well, just as we predicted the help that these people were receiving so abundantly at the beginning has dwindled almost completely away. The “leader” of the group seeking refuge under the bridge said that the only one still helping was “Pastor Pedro (Pete) and his team” and, occasionally, a red headed woman comes by.

We spent a good part of the day Tuesday with the people who lost everything. Despite encountering a mob of police and people at the entrance of the favela (residents had rolled over two cars to block the entrance so the police could not go in for fear of eviction) we were able to easily walk through with our backpacks loaded with donations and supplies.

We cleaned out the water filters which were VERY dirty (goes to show you how “clean” the city tap water is!); Young girls from our team went from one little makeshift tent to another doing activities and crafts with the little kids; Another woman from our church had made two large blankets out of scraps of fabric and delivered them to those in need; Pete and I visited, listened, and made note of needs; Others from our team gathered small groups of kids and told bible stories and played games and, of course, people were evangelized.

We were slightly amused to find out that “someone” (most likely the sanitation department) was suspicious of the water filters ability to clean the water so they took samples, at least on two separate days, for analysis (funny how they never bothered to do that when the people were drinking filthy water before….!). But, guess what? The results came back as “very clean” water!! [Thank you Texas Baptist Men!]

Thank you for your prayers and your support which allows us to be here on the mission field.

Pete & Jodi

Dear prayer partners,
We want to thank everyone for the great responses we have received about the fire in Favela Moinho in Sao Paulo. Many of the favela people have lost everything and have been displaced. Fortunately the city and some individuals have stepped in and are helping in whatever ways they can. We have been filling in where the others cannot with water filters, donations, clothing, food, diapers, blankets, shampoo, laundry detergent etc.
We are grateful for your prayers and for your financial help for these people. This letter is to let everyone know that, as of right now, we have sufficient funds to help where needed in this situation. If the Lord is still placing on your hearts to give to the ministry please feel free to do so and we will use the funds where they are most needed in the work. **Note: we now have an option on our website for PayPal donations.

We covet your prayers and are so blessed to be a part of the family of God with you!

Pete & Jodi Brennan
www.feedmysheepbrazil.com

Update:
a
New Year’s Day the city imploded the abandoned building at the center of the favela- partially. The idea was to completely tear it down as it was a huge safety hazard for everyone. Calculations must’ve been off as only part of the building collapsed.

Where the fire was stopped the huts were half way burnt. Some residents continue to make repairs to their huts. Those who lost their homes are struggling on the streets waiting to see what the city’s plans are for their future. Rain has been a BIG obstacle in keeping their things dry. As far as food and basic clothing goes they are okay at the present time. When we were there two days ago one of the leaders was telling me that, of the things most needed, pans for cooking, undergarments, feminine hygiene items, eating utensils, and very basic school supplies (for classes starting very soon) were most needed. We are attempting to go after some of these items. With every visit back to the favela we are encouraged to see or hear about families with whom we had relationships with knowing that they are okay, at least for the moment, in the sense that they are grateful for their lives.

Thank You so much for your prayers!
Pete & Jodi

According to some of the people we know in the favela, the fire started on the right side of this abandoned building (above). A mentally disturbed woman who uses drugs had repeatedly threatened to put her wooden shack on fire. Around 10 am Thursday she actually did. The fire quickly spread to the building and up all four floors and then began to come toward the front. The fire department got the flames under control by 12:30 in the afternoon and, in that short amount of time, it managed to destroy all the huts that were built within the four floors as well as all the wooden huts in the whole area in front of and around the building (as shown in these pictures). The “boys” of the favela went after the woman to kill her but she managed to escape.

Before the fire, this area was all wooden huts cram packed together. The photo above is a close up of the right side of the building. One woman, Elisangela, lived on the third floor with her four very small children and said she tried fleeing using the staircase in the front of the building but the fire was too strong so she was able to escape out the back staircase.
According to the residents of the favela (slum) 23 to 29 people died in the fire but the news media claims that only three people perished! A little girl about 11 years old told me that they [the police] made them line up against a wall and told them to look in the other direction but she saw them “taking out an arm and a leg”. One of the men from our group discussion said that they had waited until nighttime to remove the bodies. [Favelas are an embarrasment to the city’s image]

Over half of the population of this favela lost their homes and everything they had. The picture above, taken before the fire, shows the top of the huts as seen from the fourth floor of the building that was destroyed.

We were able to get to the favela the second day after the fire (on Christmas Eve). It was so good to see many of our loved ones that we had helped throughout the year still alive! This is Joao Lucas (left), the youngest of Elisangela’s four children who lived on the third floor of the building.

Initially, after such a disaster various people offer help in the way of donations. After realizing that some of the supplies were not reaching the people who actually had their huts destroyed, we worked it out with some of the leaders to allow us to drop off bags of clothes, shoes, kid’s clothes, some diapers, etc.to those who were really needing them. Maria who lives under the bridge, asked for an electric shower head so that the babies and children could take warm showers. One of our volunteers, Robson, went to a local store and picked one up. Someone rigged up a way to get water/electricity under the bridge to set up a makeshift shower.

(Above): some of our volunteers delivering donated items to those in need.
Many of these people were encouraged to know that people around the world are praying for them! Many of the mission teams that we have hosted here have walked and ministered in this favela, made lasting impacts on children’s lives, and created permanent memories to cherish.

People have emailed us asking how they can help………if the Lord places it on your heart to help out with funding for some basic items such as milk, baby food, diapers, hygiene items (shampoo, soap, toothbrushes/paste, etc) or even a gas tank for cooking, you can help by sending your offering to:
Central Missionary Clearinghouse
PO Box 219228 Houston
Houston, TX 77218-9228
Please make your check payable to them and make a note that it is for the ministry of Pete & Jodi Brennan/ Brazil and that it is designated for “Fire Disaster Relief”
C.M.C. receives donations on our behalf but we only receive our monthly report of income at the end of the month. If you could also do us the favor of dropping us a quick email at amofavelasbrazil@gmail.com just letting us know that you sent the funds (and the amount) then we can go ahead and purchase/deliver to those in need. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt for your donation.

To our prayer partners,
(This was to be sent out early yesterday but our internet connection dropped so I’m sending it now)….
Please lift up in prayer right now, if you will, the people that we work with in the favela Moinho (we just wrote about this favela in our newsletter). The favela caught on fire this morning and it is burning to the ground. It is very bad and they are rescuing some people via helicopter. Please pray for safety for the residents there and that, somehow, we can be instruments of HIS to help in this situation. Christmas was already bleak for these impoverished people but now it must seem hopeless to them.Thanks for your prayers! We will update you as we know more.
Pete & Jodi- Brazil
As I finished typing the above our contacts at Word of Life Institute called us to offer their help!
Foto: Reprodução/TV Globo

Last night our team got together at the Word of Life Institute in Atibaia, Sao Paulo for a night of fellowship, communion and fun. The same Married Couples small group that spent a week ministering in the favelas with us invited our team to a traditional Jewish Passover celebration. It was a learning time for all as the traditions and customs of a proper Passover celebration were explained in detail step-by-step. Leading the ceremony was a local missionary, Steve, who was born in Brazil to American parents but spent much time in Israel learning the customs and traditions of various different sects of the jewish religion. It made for a very interesting evening and the food was awesome!!
We are most thankful that, through the initial contact with this group working with us in the favelas, we have made strong, wonderful friendships with some very precious couples. We look forward to continuing these relationships and hopefully involving them more in the ministry work as time passes.
Blessings,
Pete & Jodi

We have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Season as the Lord is always faithful to provide, supply, protect, encourage, strengthen, discipline, and, most of all, LOVE us. HE is the reason we are here and for that we give HIM all thanks. We pray that you and yours will have a sweet and blessed Thanksgiving Day! Pray for us and all missionaries around the world as these “family” holidays are somewhat incomplete as we are so far from our loved ones……..Much love, Pete & Jodi

Well, time has passed by so fast and I still haven’t updated on the last post. The team from Palavra da Vida (Word of Life) that spent a week with us was awesome! Three married seminary couples plus a Greek professor and his entire family came to spend a week ministering in the favelas with us. (Two other families could not make it as a virus was spreading like wildfire and some of them wound up in the hospital.) Several on the team wound up getting sick but, thankfully, we were able to continue ministering!

For Pete and I, and our whole team, it was interesting to see their reactions to the poverty, despair and helplessness of the favela people. NONE of them had ever been in a favela before (we’re talking about adult Brazilians who were born and raised here)! Needless to say, it was an incredible eye opener as they experienced, up-close, the control the enemy has over their people. Tears were shed, prayers were prayed, and then sleeves were rolled up as they began to minister to the children and the adults. Each team member had unique gifts so some worked with the kids, others made visits and evangelized, and some taught bible classes.

Everyone helped out with the distribution of donated clothing…..LOTS of clothing! Bag after bag of sorted clothes, shoes, baby kits, and other items were carried into the favela, set up and organized for a day of evangelism and community outreach. During these events we set up a place where the clothing can be set out in an organized manner and then, various groups of people receive the Gospel message and then get to pick out clothing for their family members. MANY people came through our doors that day and ALL heard of the free gift of salvation. Please pray for those that heard but did not make a decision….that the seed planted will be watered and grow!

Many new friendships were made that week and our organization is now better known among the Seminary circles as a VERY mission-minded one. This is an answer to prayer as we have been praying for more doors to open here in Brazil for interaction with other churches and Christian organizations. This contact is one of those “God” things as we had nothing to do with initiating it- out of the clear blue they contacted us and asked to join our ministry, Praise the Lord!

We are thankful for many things…….
• 1st- that God planned and arranged this whole encounter and gave us a blessed week!
• 2nd- for all the help we had throughout the week ministering (people from Word of Life, our Brazilian team, and various church members that frequently help in the favelas)
• 3rd- for all the clothing that was donated….we were able to practically clear out our stock of clothing which makes way for all the newer, incoming clothes
• 4th- for the new friendships made
• 5th- for those who heard the Word and accepted HIM as their savior!
• 6th- for YOUR prayers!! Thank you!

We truly are blessed to be on the mission field. Even when trials get us down or finances get tight we still believe that we are in HIS will. We covet your continued prayers!
Pete and Jodi

Blessings…….the day before yesterday we had a group from Palavra da Vida (Word of Life Institute in Atibaia, Sao Paulo) come and spend the day getting to know us and involved them in evangelism in a nearby neighborhood. Their leaders had contacted us a few weeks ago looking for missions opportunities for their group. This meeting was a get together for them to get acquainted with our type and style of work and we had a great day of fellowship, food and ministry.

Palavra da Vida is located in an adjacent city and one of the objectives for these mission opportunities is to reconnect their seminary students with practical, hands-on missions in conjunction with their classroom studies…something which apparently, in recent years, has been minimal.

This same group, made up of six young couples- some with kids, are now scheduled to come back for a week-long missions experience. All of them will stay here at the A.M.O. Campus for a full week in October (3rd-9th) and join us in our weekly mission’s ministry here locally and in the favelas of Sao Paulo and Campinas.

We are always amazed at how the Lord works to put people in our paths! Thank you for your prayers!
Pete and Jodi

We are so pleased that the Missions Celebration evening at UBC went so well. It’s such a blessing knowing that our home church has a passion for global missions! For our part we’d like to thank Greg, Kay, the recent visiting team, and everyone else behind-the-scenes for their representation of the ministry work here in Brazil.

We will strive to be faithful to share updates on this Blog as we can. I’ll start right now asking for you to be with us in prayer for the following:

•A couple from Palavra da Vida (Word of Life in Atibaia, Sao Paulo) contacted us recently asking if several couples/families of students there might be able to do a week of missions with us here at A.M.O. (Feed My Sheep). These are five younger couples, some with children, and their seminary leaders who wish to accompany us in our ministry work. They all will be visiting us here at the A.M.O. campus next Wednesday to work out the details. In a sense this will be almost like hosting visiting international mission teams as most likely none, or just a few, of them have ever been in a favelas before. At least we won’t have to translate 
•A young woman from Tennessee will arrive on October 11th to spend 6-months ministering with us. She has been here several times before and is a wonderful asset to the ministry especially in the area of working with teenage girls.
•A recent high school graduate from Georgia will also be joining us for a three month period starting in November. He comes from a family of Christian Ministry Entertainers and he too has been here several times before. He helps in the area of worship, children’s programs and wherever else he is needed!

Pray that we will get the rest and relaxation that we all need in, around, and between these happenings amidst all the other ministry responsibilities that we’ve had and still have to do in 2011.

Also, just an interesting fact……..yesterday was our youngest son, Luke’s, birthday and he turned 18 for which we are grateful to the Lord for guiding and blessing him always. Did-you-know…? He was only 3 years old when we moved to Brazil???? How time flies!!

Thank you so much for your prayers!!
Pete and Jodi