Mussurepe Christmas

For Christmas, Grandma Isabel and her family put together a wonderful time for the Mussurepe community. They enjoyed church (church meets once a month on Grandma Isabel's farm), and then made sure all the families had food for the holidays.

We thank God for their faithful giving!

2013 in Review

Living Stones Mussurepe is celebrating 2 years!

Living Stones is planning a special Christmas celebration. Please join in with http://www.wribrazil.com/10forthem

Literacy Celebration with the International School

Fourteen children from the International school went to Mussurepe on October 17, 2013 to share time, reading, books, and fun to Living Stones. Around 100 children from the community came, each receiving books and being involved in our literacy program. Thank you for giving!

Being Flexible

Since the school in Mussurepe is offering extra tutoring and sports classes, Living Stones has become flexible to offer services on the weekends and working with the school.

Saturday fun days have been going well, as well as church services the last week of the month. On Mondays, Rachel and Carina have been doing home visitations, taking pictures, and conducting literacy evaluations.

Sometimes it is easier than other times:

But we are excited to see what God is doing in this rural community

Vovo Bel's Birthday

Living Stones loves celebrating birthdays, and in August, we had a surprise party for Grandma (Vovo) Bel.

The women of the community put together an amazing spread

And the children had presentations:

The whole time was so full of God's love and gratefulness for what He has done through Vovo Bel.

The school in Mussurepe is offering extra classes and tutoring for the children during the week, so Living Stones is going to be concentrating on being with the children on Saturdays, and working with the mothers and home visitations on Mondays. Please pray for these transitions to go well. 

Infographic about Mussurepe

Living Stones Cajueiro Claro: VBS

Living Stones Cajueiro Claro: VBS: In June we had a group of American's from Morning Star Friends church come and put on vacation Bible school for the children in Cajueiro...

Mother's Day

Since we have church in Mussurepe once a month, the last Sunday of the month, May26 was when we celebrated Mother's day. It was a wonderful time, with over 100 people, and almost half were mothers.

After a couple of songs, Pastor Flavio asked if anyone would like to share something they were grateful for. This is part of the service that always happens, and most of the time, the people are rather shy. But not today. One little girl, Ingrid, around 6 years old, lifted her hand up high. In a clear, strong voice, she said she was so thankful for Living Stones, that her family was here at church, and for Jesus. Everyone was quiet for a moment, because it was such a pure, powerful word spoken.

(Ingrid is the last girl on the right front)

A couple of seconds later, Ingrid's mother raised her hand and shared that she was so thankful to be here, and for the amazing daughter God had given her. Everyone in the room was smiling. In the small community, everyone knew the background to this story. Not only is Ingrid's mother not saved, but her two grandmothers are the Spiritist leaders, famous and sought after by many neighboring communities as well. God works wherever He chooses.

 

 

Meet Viviane from Mussurepe

Meet Viviane, the first in her family to receive a good education. Listen as she shares her Mother's day card:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwtcNufUHmU if the above link doesn't work)

Building Living Stones: Word of Life 2013

Building Living Stones: Word of Life 2013: Word of Life invited Living Stones (and Athletes in Action and Massa Humana) to bring around 200 children to a day camp: transportation, foo...

Easter Church Service

The last Sunday of every month we have church in Mussurepe--and in March, that was also on Easter. We had a wonderful service, where the children had prepared a special presentation:

With over 100 children from Living Stones and the community, and around 150 people total, it was a blessed time to celebrate His resurrection.

Gustavo in Mussurepe

Here is the miraculous story of what God has done in Gustavo's life, and how he has given his life to Jesus:

Building Living Stones: Mussurepe January

Building Living Stones: Mussurepe January: In December, Vovo Bel (Grandma Isabel) had a wonderful Christmas party for all of the Living Stones children. She also invited and had fo...

Building Living Stones: Thank you by Numbers

Building Living Stones: Thank you by Numbers: Living Stones is going into 2012 with a small surplus--thanks to God working through people like you. Please take a couple of minutes to see...

Building Living Stones: Community Church Reunion

Building Living Stones: Community Church Reunion: Living Stones Mussurepe had a wonderful time at the Community Church reunion on November 15, 2012. 25 children joined in the fun at Word of ...

Building Living Stones: Reaching out of Mussurepe

Building Living Stones: Reaching out of Mussurepe: Vovo Bel was praying about a way to reach out to the whole community of Mussurepe (not just Living Stones children), as well as a way to inc...

Building Living Stones: Literacy Celebration

Building Living Stones: Literacy Celebration: This Children's day, instead of buying toys for the children in Mussurepe, we decided to invest in their future: 67 children received bo...

Building Living Stones: August in Brazil

Building Living Stones: August in Brazil: Father's day is the second Sunday in August in Brazil. At Mussurepe, they had a special church service, in honor of the fathers. Vovo Be...

Building Living Stones: Mid-year Updates on our Three Living Stones Progra...

Building Living Stones: Mid-year Updates on our Three Living Stones Progra...: Cajueiro Claro Cajueiro Claro now has an official cook! While Pastor Flavio and I did a decent job cooking last year, EVERYONE involved...

Building Living Stones: Happy Mother's Day

Building Living Stones: Happy Mother's Day: Happy Mother’s Day! While it is hard to find specific statistics on rural Brazil to try to give you a picture of how things are for the m...

Building Living Stones: He is Risen Indeed!

Building Living Stones: He is Risen Indeed!: Our Easter party was a blessing to all, including over 20 children from the International school, 26 children from Mussurepe, 25 children fr...

Building Living Stones: Good bye Vovo Bel

Building Living Stones: Good bye Vovo Bel: Things are going very well at Living Stones Mussurepe, and are going to continue, but Vovo Bel (who opened her farm for us to use, and suppl...

Building Living Stones: Living Stones Mussurepe

Building Living Stones: Living Stones Mussurepe: Living Stones' second program! Eight more to go in Nine years for our 10 in 10 years goal! Cajueiro Claro is in the middle of nowhere, ...

Introducing Living Stones

This blog is to keep you updated with what is going on with the Living Stones program in Mussurepe, Northeast Brazil.  If this is your first time hearing about Living Stones, or you would like a quick refresh, here is a quick look at the program:

Living Stones serves impoverished children.

We work with many street children (a term used for both market children--who work in the streets and live with their families--and homeless street children--who work, live and sleep in the streets, often lacking contact with their families: Casa Alianza, Worldwide Statistics, Sept. 2000) and at-risk children who apply for help and welfare assistance in the urban context, and generally impoverished children in rural context.

Each child is individual, as well as their story and needs, whether they are temporarily or permanently in need. For most of these children, the meal they receive at Living Stones is the only hot meal they will have all day. We help them scholastically and nutritionally, enabling them to go to school instead of spending that time begging/working for food.

 

Living Stones is located in Northeast Brazil with World Renewal Brazil.

Working under the ministry of World Renewal Brazil (http://www.wribrazil.com/), Living Stones is a program individually connected with and under its respective church to serve the children in their community.

 

Living Stones is a community outreach and church planting ministry.

We work with churches who desire to either 1. Begin a new church plant, or 2. Expand their church ministry within their community. We come alongside our brothers and sisters in Brazil to help train them and give them the resources to make a lasting difference in their community.

Through the week = Living Stones

On Sundays = A new church plant, or community outreach

 

Living Stones LENDs: enabling churches to provide Love, Education, Nutrition, and Direction

Each Living Stone program is set up to help their community in the best way possible. Some are full-time programs, serving two groups per day, in conjunction with the school system. One group goes to school in the morning, 1:00-4:00pm Living Stones (lunch and classes), and the other group comes 8-11am Living Stones (classes and then lunch), and goes to school in the afternoon. Some Living Stones are half-day programs,  some are in conjunctions with Glory Sports ministries, and some are on the weekends.

 

You can help Living Stones LEND by giving a HAND

Have a HEART for the ministry, investing a part of yourself. ASSISTANCE by coming to Brazil yourself is always welcome and needed (opportunities at http://www.wribrazil.com) . Please take the NEEDS of the ministry before the Lord (find out more at www.buildinglivingstones.blogspot.com) , who supplies abundantly, and lastly, DONATIONS are always a blessing (at www.wribrazil.com/livingstones.html).  

The cost of the Living Stones program is approximately $1 a day per child. Please pray about supporting a child with a monthly donation of $30 (www.wribrazil.com/foundationbuilder) Once 60 people are committed, we can begin to plant a new Living Stones program and church in a community.