Quick message from the "dark side of the moon"

Right now, Ali and I feel a little like the astronaut rounding the moon who loses all contact with home base till emerging on the other side. The internet provider of our city is not doing much providing right now, so we have been unable to post blogs or even send e-mails. I am sitting in a LAN house in Votaporanga now. I can´t post pics from here, but at least we can let you know that we are still alive!




Christmas and New Years were wonderful. On New Years Eve Ali, Phyllis and Antenor took part in a 15k rase in Sao Paulo called the Sao Silvestre that had more than 20,000 runners. (I sat out as I am trying to recoup a bum knee) We then spent the New Years with Aunts, Uncles and cousins who live in Sao Paulo, and on the 1st of the year traveled to Votaporanga where we have spent the last days with more family on a small farm that is home to one of our uncles here. It has been a good opportunity to do some planing and scheduleing of ministries for the coming year.


On Sunday we will be attending a Missionary conference in the south where we will meet other workers from cities throughout Brazil. It will be a good time to build our network and learn from the experience of others. After this confrence comes the first of two camps that Ali and I are directing. The theme of this camp will be, "He would love me." Classes will be taught by various people whose lives have parraleled the lives of individuals who Christ met and interacted with. These will include Peter (who turned his back on Christ and then came back to Him), the Pharisies (whose religious pride did nothing for their relationship with Christ), the woman who descretely touched Jesus's cloak as He passed and received healing (who while being too ashamed to seek out Christ publicly, was saught out by Him), and the children (who Jesus welcomed to come to Him in their inocence and used as an example to His adult followers).



Thank you for your prayers for our work, and please keep this upcoming camp, AMO, in your prayers. Pray that both the counselors (who will be teaching the classes) and the campers will be prepared, used, and changed by the Lord through this effort. And while your at it, pray for our internet connection too!



Thanks for reading, and Happy New Years!

-the Kaisers

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!

Blessed to be a Blessing

Inspired by a church in San Angelo, Texas, 5 years ago my parents began an event here in Itu called Blessed to be a Blessing (for those of you who'd like to practice your Portuguese, "Abencoados para Abencoar").

People bring non-perishable food items to church one Sunday, and we spend the following week putting together food packages and distributing them throughout the poor communities in Itu.

Last year our goal was 100, and we made 109 food baskets!
This year our goal is... 200! This is a lofty goal for our congregation. But not for our God.
Sunday, the 9th is when the food will be collected.

Please pray as we encourage the church members to be generous, and as we go into the community and hand out not only food, but the love of Christ.

(**If you are interested in participating, please leave a comment or write us at mk.kaiser@gmail.com**)

to God be the glory.

kaisers

our Thanksgiving meal

No, we don't have Thanksgiving in Brazil.
And yes, we miss it - all of it - desperately!
So we put together our buy from the produce store for nostalgia's sake (this tableful plus some ran us about $30), then enjoyed our rice and beans dinner.

We are thinking of you, praying for you, and wishing we could be at your turkey-packed table!

Our Bible studies here in Itu have been terrific. Tuesday we had a great discussion with the young professionals group about how God uses us and the sufferings we endure to pass along the comfort that we receive from Him. Yesterday we led a home group Bible study with a more meditative focus on John 19, with special attention being paid to Jesus' final recorded interaction with his mother and "the disciple that he loved," John. Tonight, we have the youth group over at our house, and tomorrow we have the Bible study at Yeskey, the English school. It is such a blessing to be able to be used here!

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

Mark and Ali

the church has left the building

the title of this post is one of our favorite quotes printed on a T-shirt
modeled by none other than the one and only Kimn Nierman (we love you guys!)

why do we love the quote so much?

Because until the church learns to leave its building, it's useless. we're useless.

To quote the most over-played Christian band -- but for the first 100 times these lyrics are extremely impactful -- "If we are the body, why aren't his hands reaching?"
____

more on the youth retreat last weekend: it was wonderful. (pics above)
it took place at an orphanage in a small town nearby.
there were over 80 people that participated, including a very dynamic leadership team of adults.

one of my favorite aspects of the retreat: it was the churh outside of its building.

there were people from 8 different cities, all together praising, playing, and spending time with beautiful orphan children who don't experience much love in their lives. It was Christianity being lived instead of being heard or spoken.

____

So this week it 'all begins'. With my parents being in the US for the next month, we have triple responsibilities.
our schedule will look something like this:

Tuesday - Young Professionals home group
Wednesday - Portal home group
Thursday - Youth group home group
Friday - Yesky home group
Saturday - Young marrieds home group
Sunday - Church (on an average Sunday we're together until 10pm)
Mondays are off. kinda. as off as we can possibly stand it.

As Mark and I prepare for this new ministry schedule (**note: ministry does not require a schedule**), in my mind the defining question of our ministry philosophy is "are we helping the church leave the building?"

have you experienced a church that has left the building?
do you have any tips as we prepare for this revolutionary push?

____

In loving memory,

Yesterday evening I returned to Itu from having helped lead a weekend camp that was held in an orphanage about 30 minutes away from here. It was a very rewarding time, and I intend to write more about it in the future.

After arriving home I found out that shortly before I left my grandmother, Doris Kaiser, had passed on to be with the Lord. The last year has been very hard on her. During a hospital stay in August she told me, 'Don't worry about me, I am ready to go home'. For the first time since then, she is comfortable. Without question she is better off, but is never easy to bid someone you love her final farewell.

I love my Gramma, and am thankful to have been a part of the life she lived. Below is a note I wrote for her funeral, which will be held today.



Life is all about people and relationships, so it is hard to say goodbye to such a great person as gramma, even though the hard loss is mixed with joy. My gramma has spent a full lifetime serving those around her, and serving her Savior. It is hard on my heart to realize that my time on earth with gramma is over, but it's a joy to know that she is living in the reward that she has been looking forward to for so long!

Paying final respects to someone you love is tuff. There are many things I would love to thank her for. She was one of the most servant-hearted people I have ever known, and she shared her faith with genuine concern and regularity where ever she was.

My gramma was a wonderful caretaker. Over the last decade she cared for and blessed grampa until the end of his time with total disregard for her own interests. She exemplified 'dying to self' and 'loving others as Christ loved us' with a beautiful spirit of kindness. Her departure is very impacting because of this love that she shared so freely.

Gramma's nursing home was the last stop I made before the airport when I moved to Brazil in September. I feel lucky to have had that time to say 'Goodbye'. I will miss her. No doubt she is in a better place now and I am happy for her. I also have confidence that she has received her welcome, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant', and to that I pray that Jesus would pass on my "Amen".