So this is Christmas

The holidays have a very different feel from the Southern Hemisphere, so I have found myself humming this Christmas tune a lot - at least what I can remember of it ("So this is Christmas, somthin somthin, da da da").

Thanks for praying for our Blessed to be a Blessing program, it was fantastic! We provided "cestas basicas" (baskets containing the essential food items for a family of four for one month) for over 180 families. To distribute the cestas we went to local favelas (impoverished neighborhoods where many families reside in small poorly put together shacks) and handed out invitations. We then had a little reception where those who had invites came to the church, had some refreshments, received a short welcoming message and picked up their cestas.

Last night we had our last Bible Study at Yesky (the English school) before a holiday brake, and now it Christmas with our Brazilian side of the family from various cities here. We are going to a small farm about twenty minutes outside of Itu to spend Christmas together and it should be a ton of fun.

We sent out Christmas letters, so if you have not received one please email me your address (mk.kaiser@gmail.com) and I will add you to our very occasional address list, and I will e-mail you this letter. Thanks again to all of you you are praying for us and who care to know what is going on with our lives and service here. It is a blessing to have your support!

Merry Christmas to all of you, we love you and hope that you will take this time to let those you love know it.
-the Kaisers

He is at work!

If you have been praying for the work that Ali and I are doing here in Brazil, thank you! Nothing is more crucial than the Lord's intimate involvement in our ministry. During our last Friday night Bible study at Yeskey (the English school here owned by a couple of church members) we read the first 22 verses in Acts 19 and discussed questions such as, 'what has brought you to where you stand with the faith,' and 'are you interacting with the God you have entered into a relationship with, or asking for help from the God who so-and-so preaches?' At the end of the study a request for prayer was shared that I would like to pass on to you.

The request came from George, father on one of the owners of the school. He is the man behind me in the photo posted here. He said to us, 'Please pray for me... I have been coming to these studies for a while now, but often even while I am physically present I am completely removed from what is going on here. I want to open my heart, but it is difficult to believe in God.' It was wonderful to hear such an honest heart cry for a spiritual awakening! Please honor this request and pray that the Lord would draw George to Himself and help him believe.

Our opportunity to serve has been in abundance lately as, in addition to leading our nightly small group Bible studies, Ali and I have helped lead the church in the Christmas "Blessed to be a Blessing," program. The church is compiling 200 packs containing one month's supply of rice, beans, oil, and other food items for needy families. This has been a great cause to get our members into action!

For example, in our last youth group we had a short study on what "loving your neighbor," means. It is not a mater of finding what segment of people we need to be nice to, instead it is ours to take the initiative of caring for those who we might or might not naturally interact with. After this talk, the kids took to the streets and we went door to door in the neighborhood to tell families about the "Blessed to be a Blessing" program and to ask them if they would like to contribute.

We have also been taking this opportunity to businesses in our area. Having a cause to share with our surrounding community has been wonderful for us. Companies that have joined us include a veterinary clinic, grocery stores, the gym I attend, a juice place and the town meat market.

Again, thank you for praying for Ali and I. It has been a blessing for us to serve the Lord here and in this fashion. Please continue to pray that He would guide us and keep us focused on what He has for us. Glory be to God, He is doing great things!