About the Work (4th Letter)

Mark & Ali Kaiser
Preparing to Serve in Brazil

July, 2007

Dear Friends,

First of all, we want to thank you for taking this journey with us through our letters and home gatherings around the country. It has been a privilege to share with you where our calling has taken us in the past three years together, and what we envision for our future as we live out this passion.

This letter will serve to briefly describe our four initial ministries with the church in Itu.


1. Youth Ministry – The youth group has a record attendance of 60 teenagers and young adults, with no dedicated leadership. Our goal is to establish a group that will have clear adult leaders who will offer themselves as Christian mentors and relevant teachers of the Word of God.

2. Young Couples Ministry – Ali and I will also be leading a weekly Bible Study and Fellowship with the young married members of our church. This will be a place for couples to share common life experiences while encouraging one another in the Faith. To provide them opportunities for ministry, we will be linking this group with the youth program. Married couples will be encouraged to teach spiritual lessons they have learned, and to mentor members of the youth group.

3. Internship/Campaign Program - More than twenty mission trip campaigns have come through Itu in the past ten years. Each of these campaigns has served to close the gap between the Itu church and its surrounding community.

We will help in the long preparation for our yearly campaigners. This includes extensive amounts of marketing and public relations, preparing the church members to host the event, and caring for the technicalities (food, transport, lodging, etc). The other side of our role will be to screen, supervise and disciple the college and high school grads who desire to come as interns for the church. We will be helping our interns seek and serve God, so that they may taste the joy of serving in His kingdom. This aspect of our ministry is designed to create opportunities for you! We will eagerly look forward to hosting and utilizing young men, women and families from the US who would like to experience serving God on the mission field.

4. Maos a Obra (Hand’s to Work) - As a means of reaching underprivileged individuals of the community, the Itu church has had the vision to launch a new ministry called “Maos a Obra,” or ‘Hands to Work’. This pioneering program for Brazil is largely inspired by and based on the successful Faith Works program in Abilene, TX, a faith based personal and career development program that prepares students to choose, find and keep a job that matches their goals, talents and desires.
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These are a few of the ministries we were specifically requested to come for, but given the growing nature of the Itu church, this will surely not be all. Ali and I feel blessed to be invited into the mission field under the mentorship of Antenor and Phyllis and we are excited to grow in His service in such an environment.

To those of you who have already let us know that you would like to support us in this mission, thank you! Receiving your pledges has been a humbling and faith inspiring experience. Currently, we have about 18% of our monthly goal met. We also appreciate your patience as we have been putting together our method for receiving support that will be tax deductible for you. The Highland Church of Christ Missions Committee (a long time supporter of the ministry in Brazil) has joined with us and will help administrate this process.

We would love to know that we have your support in this ministry. Would you join with us as we go? Be it by paying for one meal at 5 bucks a month, or by covering all the groceries at 250 monthly, we would be honored to see your name on the list of those who are standing with us in His service.

Three methods are available for financial support, bulleted below. Any checks may be made out to Highland Church of Christ. Please list "Mark and Ali" on the memo line. Their mailing address is 425 Highland Avenue, Abilene, Texas 79605.
*One time contributions – to help us with the initial start up cost of moving to Brazil such as plane tickets, visa expenses, shipping, home furnishings, etc.
*Monthly support by check – our “bread and butter,” this will be sent in monthly and will keep us in action.
*Monthly by automatic debit – to make things easy, we can also provide for electronic payment on a fixed day of the month, a form will be provided for this

With or without the finances we know that “unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor in vain” (Pslm 127). So would you please remember us often in prayer? We need His wisdom, and guidance to know how to best serve the Kingdom. If you are willing to make a commitment to regularly intercede for us, please indicate this on the attached card.

If we have not had a chance to visit with you personally, we would love to do so! Please contact us through this blogspot, – http://www.markandali.blogspot.com/ – or via an e-mail at mk.kaiser@gmail.com . We love receiving feedback and life news from your end also.
Thanks and God Bless!








Mark and Ali Kaiser