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Christ for Sao Luis:

NEWSLETTER
A TEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZIL MARCH 1991 Volume no. IV, Issue no. i

GARY & ROSIE FINLEY

We would like to begin this newsletter by thanking all of you who have either written or sent

^ifts over the past couple of months. We have written a reply or sent a thank you letter in each
instance. But, we understand that some of these have not arrived at their intended destinations.

Apparently the mall service from the U.S. to Brazil is functioning well, but several letters which we have sent to the U.S. have been lost In recent weeks. We regret this, and have no way of knowing which letters made it and which did not. Ifyou have been expecting a reply and have not received It please accept our apologies, possibly the lost mail will eventually be found. Please continue to write, our past experience indicates that interruptions in the mail service are temporary. We fully expect that this newsletter and any other items we mail at the present time will make it safely to their destinations. We are always glad to hear from our friends and supporters, and when the postman cooperates, we enjoy letting you know what is happening with us too! FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:

Christ for Sao Luis

Calumet Street Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533-4421
FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY: (PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley

Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

O' LITTLE TOWN OF BELEM...?

The biblical city of Bethlehem translates into Portuguese as Belem. And,
where as the Christmas carol we know so well portrays the biblical city as a little

town, the city of Belem in Northern Brazil is not all that small (Approximately 2 million live in the metropolitan area). Those of you who have followed our work through the preparation stages to the present time know that we have been assisted in our preparations for this work by current and former missionaries working in the city of
Belem.

We continue to maintain a close working relationship with these dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, seeking their advice on a regular basis. On January 13-19 of this year our team spent a week in Belem for the annual Missions Conference. This years conference was attended by 11 families (22 adults and 12 children) who are working in the Northern part of Brazil.

Our guest speaker for the week was Roy Weece, campus minister at the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO). Those of you who have heard Roy speak can imagine what an uplifting time this years conference was for all of us. In addi
tion to the scheduled sessions, the week afforded us the opportunity to become

better acquainted with our co-workers in this region of the country. We were able to build upon existing friendships as well as meet two missionary families whom we
had not met before.

This year's conference allowed us time for enjoyable fellowship, fun and a change of scenery: but most importantly, we were further challenged and encour aged for the work which lies ahead in 1991 and beyond.

AMOVING EXPERIENCE
Our last move (June of 1990 from Irvington, IL to Sao Luis, Brazil) was the
longest of our lifetimes. At the end of January we made what is probably the short est move we have ever undertaken. We have relocated in another apartment in the same building where we have lived since our arrival in Sao Luis. Our new apartment provides us with considerably more living area, faces the ocean (the breeze is much better), and costs less money! The cost is less because we are able to rent directly from the owner and avoid a middle man (a rarity for newcomers in this city). We are grateful that the Lord continues to provide for our needs, sometimes in ways that we
are not expecting.

NEWSLETTER SUPPLEMENT
Progress Report
This section is being included for those who would like to know more about the specifics of
our first year's work in Sao Luis. If you have any specific questions which are not answered below,

please write to us at our on-field address (you will find it on the front ofthe newsletter).
Those who have had the opportunity to read our strategy for church establishment know

that our goals for the first year of our work here in Sao Luis revolve around three primary objectives: 1) Settling in (apartment hunting, legal documentation, locating various goods and services, etc.); 2)
Language and culture learning; 3) Establishment of a team office/outreach center.

Settling In
Most of the goals under this heading were accomplished during our first two months on the field. Two goals still remain at this time: 1) Extending our first year temporary visas, and ascertain ing our income tax status under the very confusing (and frequently changing) Brazilian tax code.
We are currently pursuing both matters. Since our son Ian, and Caleb Navis were both born

in Brazil it appears that we and John Navis can apply now for our permanent visas. The Jacksons will have to renew their temporary visas for one more year before they can apply for permanent
visas.

Language Study
Those of you who have ever studied a foreign language will know the joy that comes when one masters the subjunctive mode. Well, we have not mastered it yet, but you probably remember as well the frustration you experience while you are trying to master it! That is where we are right now. We know the forms of the subjunctive and can easily identify it or even use it in speech. But, each language attaches its own subtle shades of meaning to a verb or phrase when the subjunctive

is used. Those subtle changes differ just enough from Portuguese to English to keep us a little
uncertain as to whether we have just said what we intended or not.

For those who have never studied a foreign language and are wondering "What In the world are they talking about", we will give an example. In English I can easily say "If it does not rain we will leave at 9:00". In Portuguese this requires the use of the verb for rain (chouver) in the subjunctive.
This sentence is pretty simple in both English and Portuguese. But, if you change the sentence just a little bit "If it would not have rained, we could have left

at 9:00", it becomes more complicated. Of course it was not hard for me to write that in English, and it was not hard for you to understand it. But for someone who is learning all the subtleties of a new
language it can be quite confusing at times.

Overall, we are making good progress in learning our new language. We look forward with great anticipation toward the months of July and August when our Portuguese skills will be tested in new ways as the work of church establishment begins!

Team Office

During the course of our survey trips to Sao Luis (Finleys and Jacksons in 1988, Mavises in 1989) we had tentatively identified the area of the city where we wished to locate our team office, and eventually, the first congregation. After our arrival on the field in June of 1990 we confirmed the appropriateness of this location (an area called Sao Francisco). Since October of last year we have
been searching for a suitable location in this area of the city. We discovered that no office space was available on the street level. Street level access is not overly important as long as the facility serves only as the team office, but as an outreach center and first meeting place for the church it is
an Important consideration.

In November we located an office building under construction which would have six office spaces for rent on street level. The realtor assured us that one would be ready for occupancy
around the first of December. When that deadline came and went, he assured us it would be

completed by the first of January, then February, now March. Apparently the contractor has run out of money to complete the project, and it is delayed indefinitely. This leaves us with the necessity of reconsidering our goal for the team office in light of the current possibilities. We have at least three options; 1) We could postpone our search for a team office until the ideal location becomes available; 2) We could abandon this area of the city and locate in another area where more office space is available: 3) We could locate temporarily in an office above street level in our target neighborhood with the Intention of relocating when our lease expires. We feel that the third option allows the greatest flexibility in continuing with our stated strategy for church establishment. It will put us immediately in our target neighborhood and allow us to begin making acquaintances and sharing our purpose for being here. If we can enter into a short term lease (6 - 8 months), then we will be free to relocate at the time when greater visibility and accessibility become most important to our task.

We hope to make a decision and be located in our new office/outreach center within the next couple of weeks. Please pray that the Lord will use this ministry tool to achieve His purposes
over the next several months.

Hodshire's Depart
The following information is being shared with the consent of the Hodshires. Shortly after our arrival in Sao Luis in June 1990, Chris began to suffer from depression. When the situation worsened in late October, Rick called Dr. Clyde Austin and was given some coping strategies to help. After one month, when no improvement was seen and the situation became more serious, Dr. Austin recom mended they return to the U.S. to seek immediate help. Upon return to the States, Chris was given complete physical and psychological examinations and began counseling and medication for depression. Shortly after the new year the Hodshires informed us that because the prob lem has been diagnosed as an on-going physical problem, and the needed medica tion is not available in Brazil, they had decided to remain in the U.S. Rick was in Sao Luis from January 14th through February dtn selling household Items and closing out all the necessary accounts.

Since beginning treatment, Chris condition is much improved. We are en couraged by Chris' progress and we continue praying for their strength and God's direction of their lives and ministry. We will miss the fellowship with their family and
the strengths they brought to the TEAM.

RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
In light of the Hodshire's departure we are once again faced with an important decision. Should we seek to recruit additional workers to replace those we have lost, or should we continue

with a smaller work force than was originally intended?

Christ For Sao Luis was formed on the basis of 3-5 couples covenanting to work together to

establish a strong congregation among the middle-class of Sao Luis, and proceeding from that beginning point to impact the entire city. With ourselves, the Mavises, and the Jacksons we still meet that goal but we all see the necessity of adding a couple or couples to the TEAM in order to
function at an optimal level.

We have already sent out letters to several faculty members and leaders on 2 Christian college campuses and have contacted 2 couples who have expressed interest in serving in Brazil. As we wait for responses to these letters we are praying for a committed Christian couple to consid
er preparing for service as members of the TEAM.

There is no question God can work through the three couples who are now members of C.F.S.L, but there is also no doubt a godly couple {or couples) joining the TEAM could not only
enhance our service here, but also expand our impact and witness in this city.

 IAN UPDATE
Many of you have had our new son, Ian Patrick, in your prayers so I v^^ould like to give you an update. Ian is now five months old and is more fun than we ever imagined a baby could be. He has been fairly healthy, with the exception of a virus that was probably German Measles {a light case). He is long and thin with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. Our pediatrician thinks that he doesn't weigh enough, but nearly all Brazilian babies are big built and/or chubby; lan's not. Ian can play with his toys now, as well as chew on them. In fact he chews on everything, yes, you guessed right, "Eie esta nascendo dentes!". The literal translation of this in tnglish is "He's giving birth to teeth!".
Ian has visited the beach (he thinks that saltwater makes his feet taste much better), can sit up with help,and would rather stand (while holding on to something), than learn how to crawl. He always attracts attention when we take him out. Brazil
ians love children, but that is another article in itself. All in all, the Lord has blessed

us with a sweet, well behaved (most of the time), little boy!

PLEASE JOIN WITH US IN PRAYER FOR THESE NEEDS:

-Rosie's mother, Sandra VanCieve, will undergo surgery sometime in March. Please pray specifically for her recovery, and for Rosie as our distance from home be
comes very apparent.

-The Hodshire's as they begin their involvement with a new ministry, and for the Sao Luis team as we seek the Lord's direction regarding the addition of new workers to
this effort.

-Missionaries around the world at a time when anti-American sentiments are easily
stirred.

-Opportunities for building friendships and being effective witnesses as our lan guage skills improve and evangelism becomes possible.

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
(HEBREWS 4:16)

Christ for Sao Luis:

A TEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZIL

{o(eOl

TEAM NEWSLETTER
MAY 1991

Volume no. 4, Issue no. 2

0
GARY & ROSIE FINLEY
FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:
Christ for Sao Luis

Gary & Rosie Finley

Calumet Street Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533-4421
FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:

(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THISADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley
Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

To Call Us From the U.S. Dial: 011-55-98-226-1391

"The REASON For Recruitment

(THE JACKSONS)

tude ofthe God-feanng Greeks anda number oftheleading women' (verse 4).

/. . 17:6). In the city ^ of Z""'"''"' upside down (for Christ) have come here also!(Acts Thessalonica In lust three short weeks, Paul and Silas made such an impact presenting the Gospel they were hauled before the city authorities! Luke also tells us In Acts 17that some ofthe Jews "ivere persuaded and joined Paul and Silas along with a great multi

I of *their Creator has influence and ofJesus unsaved the love to and plan always been the His minds goal for thehearts Church. left mankind His Greatwith Commission a handful of men whom he d trained. Because ofJesus' authority andthe promise of His constant presence to aid believers In their task, Hecan command us to go to ALL the nations proclaimlna His
ove and forgiveness.

Those of us who have pledged ourselves to the task of contributing to the establishment of a strong, spiritual congregation here in Sao Luis want to make an IMPACT on the city. We want to be sterling examples to as many Inhabitants ofSao Luis as we can. Each week God Is Drovidino
r/iree farmhes living here to accomplish His purpose, but the overall affect of the TEAM on the city could be greatly enhancedbythe addition ofa family(ies) to work with us here.
new opportunities to share the message of Christ with people here. God can and will use the

grateful for their on-going ministry as they help us reach Sao Luis with theGospel of Christ. God will certainly continue to help us develop thefriendships here which will lead to further opportunities for evangelism, but we also desire the broader IMPACT another family or families

tian College in Florissant, Missouri who have graciously agreed to serve as liaisons for TEAM recrmtment. We appreciated their love and encouragement while studying on campus and we are

has l^en in contact with two couples who have shown Interest In the pastfor mission work (one specifically for Brazil). We have written letters to several members of the faculty at St. Louis Chris

Since we first learned of the Hodshlres leaving the work here In Sao Luis, we have been pursuing the recruitment ofa committed Christian family orfamilies to join the TEAM. TheTEAM

eldSin^orP^eT^M^^^^^ talents and abilities of others which God could blend with those already
through the peopleand eventswhich arise In adding workers to theTEAM.

benefit ofthe greaterwitness a family(ies) would have, we

Please join us in praying for the recruiting process. God has blessed our Initial efforts bv the ^sist^ce of our friends at SLCC and we look forward to watching Him work out His purpose

The goal of our great God Is the redemption of as many members of mankind as possible
S with the love to claim His bride, Church. As the It ismaking our primary task to IMPACT the world and plan of the the Lord as we goto all Church, the nations, disciples (preaching toward the goal ofconversion), baptizing (theculmination ofthe conversion process) (toward maturity In Christ andtraining believers to make other disciples). Pray for the
TbAM s receptivity to God's direction as we move closer to in-home Bible studies and the

to the Truth of Christ byyourtestimony to others and byyour actions.

beglnr^ng of our evangelistic efforts here in Sao Luis. Pray for yourself to be a living witness
gracious tousandbless us,and causeHis face toshine upon us. That thy way may be known on the
-PSALM 67-

earth, ttys^bon arnong all nations. Let me peoples praise Thee, OGod; Let all the peoples praise Thee. Let the nations Sfef nra&L Thee, OGod, Let all^e peoples praise peo^es and guide the nations earth. Let the ples praise Thee. wgfj Theuprightness, earth has yielded its produce; God, on ourthe God, blesses us peo God
blesses us, that allthe endsoftheearth may fear Him'.

Evangelistic Motives and Methods

(THEFINLEYS)

than by the larger group (tribe, village, or clan). Missionaries and Brazilian church

Evangelism in Brazil takes place in much the same way it does in the United States or any other culture where major decisions are made by individuals rather

leaders have tried most of the same approaches that have been attempted in the
U.S. to reach the people oftheir community for the Lord. We have spoken with believers here who have used neighborhood canvass

occurs in the States, these methods meet with varying degrees of success. But, the results they bring are usually not equal to the amount oftime, energy and resources
which are put into them.

ence courses all in the interest of creating opportunities for evangelism. Just as it

ing efforts, evangelistic rallies, direct mailings, media adds, and Bible correspond

authentic than one person telling another person (usually a friend or acquaintance)
about the joy which they find in their personal fellowship with Jesus Christ.

In Brazil, just as in the U.S. there is no evangelistic method more effective, nor

Testament. It is the kind of evangelism that produces consistent growth in new and existing churches in the area where you live. And, it is the style of evangelism that we believe will be most effective in establishing the Lord's church in the city of Sao
Luis.

was of course a strategic exception) and growth of most churches in the New

This is the type of evangelism that was responsible for the birth (Jerusalem

toward evangelism. We have each had half a year now to become acquainted with our neighbors, and with the people who work in the various businesses upon which we rely. We pray diligently that the Lord will place us in strategic friendships, where we can meet needs and impact the lives of individuals and families with the good
news of Jesus.

the next four months, we have already begun to build the base for our efforts

Although our study of the Portuguese language remains ourtop priority for

Now the Lord has laid a new opportunity before us. As the Navises report in their article, we are in our team office. Each day we are surrounded by a large
their Creator, even though many of them have never known what it means to have a
loves and sustains them.

number of people v/tiQ; also work in or near our building. Each one js precious to

living, abiding, and growing fellowship with the One who not only created, but also

We want them, and many others besides, to know their heavenly Father. We want to introduce them to the Lord Jesus who gave His life that they might receive life, and that abundantly. We want them to receive the gift of God's Spirit who will guide them and instruct them with regard to all righteousness.
follow where the Lord is leading each day.

Please pray along with us that the Lord can use ourpresence here to bring that about. Prayfor our strength, our vision for the task, and our willingness to

A DREAM COME TRUE (THE NAVISES) We finally have a team office! It has been a long time since we first thought of getting a team office. Price and size have been deterrents but we have found an
office that will accommodate all of us as we begin to prepare lessons and keep track of our contacts and build an identifiable presence in Sao Luis. We have desks, filing cabinets, book shelves and other items to help us accomplish the task
that we came to do.

Some may wonder why we need an office. The answer to such thoughts is: "We need an office to make the impact on Sao Luis that we have planned for our Lord." The office will facilitate accountability for each to do the work that they are supposed to do. It will also help us coordinate our efforts and use our abilities to their greatest potential because we will see each other more than just once or twice a week. It also allows us to have ready access to one another's tools (books) which otherwise we would need to spend hours just traveling to get the tools that we need
if we even knew that one of our fellow team members had the book that we needed.

Our office is not in an obscure corner of Sao Luis! It is on a corner, the corner

of Castelo Branco. It is the main artery that takes you to the downtown area. This makes us easily accessible. We are also in a building that will help us reach our

target group. We are surrounded by Dentists, Eye Doctors, Contractors and Realestate people. Not only do we have the opportunity to reach these people but their clients. As they look for the room number for their doctor or other person, they will also see our plaque as well as everyone-else's.

Finally, the office will help us reach Sao Luis because there will be a place for all the people who have questions about the Bible or other subjects of "real" signifi cance. There are some people already asking us questions of spiritual matters. The office allows them a place to find us instead of just happening to see us on the
street.

Our office is not a temple and it won't attract people because of its grandeur. Rather, it is an embassy with three of His Ambassadors. Thanks for all that you have
done to make this possible!

0f
A TEAM MINISTRYTO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZIL

(}(eOh

Christ for Sao Luis:

NEWSLETTER
JUNE/JULY 1991

Volume no. 4, Issue no. 3

. f

GARY, ROSIE & IAN FINLEY

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:
Christ for Sao Luis

Gary & Rosie Finley

Calumet Street Christian Church R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533-4421
FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:

(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TOTHIS ADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley
Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

To Call Us From the U.S. Dial: 011-55-98-226-1391

FOR MORE INFO. CALL

During the middle of the month of July, Rosie and Ian will be
traveling to the States for a three week visit. A member of her

family has been through a major illness this Spring and be cause of this her family has offered to pay for her expenses if
she would come home for a visit. This will be the first chance

(except for his grandmas) that family and friends will have to meet Ian. His greatgrandparents are particularly excited about the possibility! Because Rosie's stay will be brief and is being paid for by a family member, she will not be scheduling any presentations. But, she will be available by tele phone if you are interested in hearing about the progress of our work here in Sao Luis or anything else you would like to talk to her about. You can reach her at (618)
249-6915 between July 18th and August 4th.

Hot Off the Press

Those of you who were able to see our presentation before we left for Brazil know that the plans we have for our work during the first seven years are detailed in a document we refer to as the "Team Strategy". As we approach the end of our first year on the field we have reviewed the strategy to determine if there are any areas which need to be readjusted in light of the actual circumstances we have encoun tered in Sao Luis. With only a few minor changes we believe that our original strategy for the establishment of the first church is still appropriate for this city.

Because we believe that it is important for our supporters to know the specif ics of what we plan to accomplish in Sao Luis (so that you can pray along with us for the success of this work, and so that you can accurately evaluate our progress), we will be sending out the updated version of our strategy next month to al! of our
supporting churches.

Each of our supporting churches should receive their copy before the end of July. Any of our individual supporters or other interested persons who would like to receive an updated copy of the strategy should contact our forwarding agents at the U.S. address on the front of this newsletter, we will be happy to provide you with a
copy.

Pray that God will grant us success In the next 12 months as we translate our second year goals into daily activities directed toward the establishment of the Lord's church in this city.

Neighbors
One of the goals which we set long before our arrival in Sao Luis was to get to know our neighbors as well as possible during our first year on the field. The reasons for this goal are obvi ous: we needed someone with whom we could practice our lanQuage skills, we needed to learn how friendships are built in this culture, and most importantly, making someone's acquaintance is the
first step toward sharing Christ with them.

Apartment living has its unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is that you generally have a large number of neighbors. A disadvantage is that many apartment dwellers move In and out of the complex or building in a relatively short time. For this reason (among others) they
do not feel the need to become acquainted with their neighbors.

Each family on the team is currently living in an apartment building (not the same one).

After living in our building for nearly a year, we realized last month just how few of our neighbors we had truly befriended. Several of the neighbors with whom we became acquainted soon after our arrival have since moved away. Others seemed a little suspicious of 'os estrangeiros"
(the foreigners).

After recognizing that we were not achieving our full potential in this important area of our life and work, we began to pray that God would put us in situations where more acquaintances could be made, and deeper friendships could be formed.

or to deepen friendships which have already begun. One example occurred the next weekend we
decided to wash and wax our car. Instead of working on It in the parking space where we usually do

Several occurrences since have given us the chance to either meet people for the first time,

so (it is almost hidden), we decided to park it by the main sidewalk between the buildings where we could be in the sun. We also happened to be right in the path of any of our neighbors who were on their way to or from the beach (nearly everyone goes there on the weekends). The result was that we spent over 2 & 1/2 hours getting our car in shape while we were happily interrupted on a number of occasions by several neighbors that we already knew, and two whom we had not met before. Because of such opportunities, our circle of contacts continues to
grow larger.

Our immediate neighbors are only one of the groups In the city which we need to contact. But, they are one of the groups which will hold the most potential for the future of our work. Please pray that God will continue to create opportunities to build friendships, that we can live our lives in such a way that we gain a respected hearing for the gospel, and that He will give us wisdom to speak the appropriate message at the appropriate time. InSeptember we plan to begin our first Bible studies with individuals and families. Please pray along with us that in the meantime we will continue to develop our abilities to communicate His truth In their language, and that several of those we have met and are meeting will be ready to hear.
Luke 10:25-37 records the occasion when Jesus spoke The Parable of the
Good Samaritan. At the conclusion of the parable Jesus asks the Inquiring lawyer:

'Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?' The lawyer responds: 'The one who showed mercy toward him.' To which Jesus replies: "Go and do the same.' How will you "Go and do the same' this week among your neighbors?

Coming Attractions
As Rosie arrives in Saint Louis, MO next month she will be carry ing something that all of our supporters and friends will surely want to see! Oh. I suppose that some of you might like to see
our son Ian Patrick, but he isn't what I was referring to. She will

also have with her a video presentation which details what has happened this past year, and what is going to happen in the coming year with our life and work in Sao
Luis.

The video is twenty minutes in length. It introduces the viewer to the city of Sao Luis, to our mission team, and to the work which we plan to carry out over the next several years. Special emphasis is given to the activities which we have planned for the next 12 months (our second year on the field).
If you would like to borrow a copy of the video for your church, mission committee, or personal viewing please fill out the enclosed form and send it to our forwarding agents Floyd and Leia Johnson at the accompanying address.
Oh yes, for those of you who won't be able to meet Ian in person, he does make an appearance in the video along with his friends Caleb and Kaitlyn!

Causes for Praise

*Caleb Navis turns 1 year old on June 20th! (A child's first birthday or "Primeiro Aniversario" is a major event in Brazil) *After 11 months of waiting, John and Ruth's telephone has finally been installed!

Prayerful Concerns
*We ask you to remember John Navis and his family following the death of John's maternal grandfather last week *Please remember Rosie and Ian as they travel to the U.S. in mid-July
*Pray that God will continue to lead us as we seek to build bridges of friendship to those around us, that we may be able to impart the good news of Jesus to our newfound friends and acquaintances

Christ for Sao Luis;

A TEAM MINISTRYTO SAO LUIS. MARANHAO, BRAZIL

NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 1991

Volume no. 4, Issue no. 4

rnjfR
-

The Sao Luis Team

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:
Christ for Sao Luis

Gary & Rosie Finley

Calumet Street Christian Church R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533-4421
FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:

(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley
Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

To Call Us From the U.S. Dial: 011-55-98-226-1391

"Bat tbe Gtzeatest of These is...Editiag"l

(The JacKsons)
Several elements are necessary to make a movie. You need a camera, script, actors and actresses, a director, location (set), good weather, and most important of all, EDITING SKILLS! Until we began working on our TEAM Video, I never believed the movie mogul's reports that say 90% of the accumulated footage for a movie ends up in the trash can of the editors of fice. From now on, each time I see a movie, I will give a stand

ing ovation when the editor's names come rolling through the
credits! The bulk of the work for our video has not come in the

shooting or in the scripting but in the process of editing all the gathered footage in order to choose the best scenes to show you our city and the people who live here.
The purpose of the video is to let you see what Sao Luis looks like while we give our one-year TEAM report and share with you our goals for the second year. We chose a videotape format because we wanted you to be able to see the things we have been including in our TEAM and family newsletters over the course of the past year. After you have seen what we have put together, you will be better in formed prayer partners and will be able to call to mind some of the images as you ask God to help us in the task of establishing a strong church.
The video includes:

a - a look at the city and it's people, b - a presentation of our first-year goals and what we did to accom plish them, c - an explanation of what sector of society we will begin with as we evangelize, d - a description of the strategy we will employ in order to establish a strong church, e - a "Family Highlights" section, f - an overview of our 2nd year goals

The video is approximately 20 minutes in length and could be used in a number of different settings. We pray that congregations, Sunday School classes, youth groups, ladies groups, families and individuals will request the video and join us in praying for Christ to impact the city of Sao Luis. Each TEAM family's sponsor ing congregation or forwarding agent has information about how to schedule a
viewing date.

With our video, "any copying or reproduction (either in whole or in part) or the distribution of this video for pubiic or private viewing is not oniy O.K., we highly recommend if'!! Request your viewing date of this exciting and informative (all right, its also the onlv one!) Christ For Sao Luis Video today!

EvesentandoA Palavra DeDeusM

^he Finleys) n
The first Thursday in September is our target date for the completion of our first Bible study lessons. These are being prepared so that we may do as the title above suggests and begin "Presenting the Word of God". We have put a lot of thought and effort into the writing of this first series for several reasons. 1) This is our first attempt at developing a curriculum in the Portuguese language. 2) These are our Evangelism Lessons, and as such they will be the ones we teach most often. 3) Since this is the first series of lessons we present to any person, their willingness to study with us fur ther will depend upon their response to this first series.

To give you a glimpse of the full curriculum we are working to develop, here it
is in outline form.

SERIES 1 - This is our evangelism tool, it consists of three lessons which can be taught in 3-5 sessions. This series focuses upon the person of Jesus. The three lesson titles are Who Is Jesus^, What Does He Want to Do in My Lifei, and How Can I Re spond to Himh
SERIES 2 - This series focuses on the follow-up needs of a new believer, or gives additional encouragement to those who have not yet made a decision for Christ. It will consist of at least 10 lessons which cover such topics as Developing the Devo tional Life, Overcoming Temptation, Living Under Christ's Lordship, and Sharing Your
Faith with Others.

SERIES 3 - The third series is less structured than the first two. It is intended to

guide the new disciple into a life of discipIeship wherein he/she is capable of not only iving the Christian life victoriously, but of equipping others to do the same. We will ocus on the principle of life transference. We recognize that not every new believer will demonstrate the discipline necessary to study with us week after week toward this goal. But, for those who are willing, we will continue to study with them individually on a weekly basis as we observe their spiritual growth throughout the following year.
The three series of lessons described above are intended to be shared with

individuals (or in the case the first two with individuals or families). We are also

working to develop a study guide for the Gospel of John that will be used in group
Bible studies.

As we complete the preparation of these lessons and study guides, and as we begin to use them, we ask that you pray for the following needs:
1) Our boldness to invite individuals to study with us Please read Colosaans 4:2-4 and consider 2) The preparation of the hearers the request which the apostle Paul made for 3) The clarity of the message presented himself and his co-work^ as he wrote to the
4) Our continued vision for the task ahead believers in Colossae.

STAGE TWO (The Mavises)

We have closed "Stage One" of our work here in Sao Luis. Now it is time for "Stage Two". We would like to outline the goals for next year for you.
A major goal is the Bible Studies. There is an entire article on it, in this news letter, so I will not say any more about it except that it is a major goal.

Another goal is that of continuing our language study one day a week. In it, we will be concentrating on the specific religious and biblical terminology that we will need to do the work of evangelism and leadership training. We have made good progress in learning the basics of the language. However, we still need to concen trate on the specific terms and expressions we will be using In our work (at times we feel like we are trying to "beat ourselves out of a wet theological bag").
We also plan to have a video of the work ready for your viewing in the next
few weeks. There is also an article on that in this newsletter.

In our second year, we will be recmltlng more families for the work here. We hope to have definite commitments and a time-table set for their arrival. We have received a favorable reply already but nothing definite.
We will be looking for a suitable meeting place for the church. We have some ideas and wishes but we will need this next year to find the place for the physical site. This meeting place will be where we can gather all of our Bible studies for worship.

MATTEDS rOD PDAYED

Please pray along with us for Ruth Navis and her family. Ruth's father Otacilio Silva departed from this life on July 12th. His health had been declining for the past several years. Otacilio is survived by eight children and 12 grandchildren. He will be dearly missed.

Christ for Sao Luis: A TEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZIL
NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 1991

G (f 0(f

Volume no. 4, Issue no. 5

GARY, ROSIE & IAN FINLEY

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE: Christ for Sao Luis

Gary & Rosie Finley

Calumet Street Christian Church R.R. 2, Box 750

Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533-4421
FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:

(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley
Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

To Call Us From the U.S. Dial; Oil-55-98-226-1391

READJUSTING OUR EXPECTATIONS

By the time this newsletter arrives, most of our readers will probably have heard
about the Jackson's return to the U.S. Tony, Tammy and Kaitlyn left Sao Luis on October 2nd, and arrived in Saint Louis, MO on the 4th.

In the explanatory letter which the Jacksons sent to their supporters they list the following reasons for their return: 1) The influence of culture shock as they tried to adapt to life in Sao Luis, 2) The death of Tammy's father shortly after their arrival in Sao Luis last year, and difficulties created by their separation from family members during the grieving process, 3) A breakdown in their ability to communicate well with one another (this complicated their ability to resolve the first two problems). If you
would like to see a copy of the letter which the Jacksons sent to their supporters you may request one from our forwarding agents Floyd and Leia Johnson (see the U.S. address on page 1).
In the wake of the Jacksons' decision to leave Sao Luis we have been asked by several concerned friends and supporters "How will this affect your plans?". Admit tedly, it has been a discouragement for us to watch our work force shrink from four families to just two. The reduced amount of manpower will be felt in the months and years ahead. Most significantly, we are left with a reduced blend of gifts and abilities for service which the contributions of each lost worker would have provided. However, our determination to see the Lord's church established in Sao Luis remains unchanged. We have been realistic in setting our goals for the next year and the three years which follow (see the article about our team retreat). We are gauging the progress which we hope to make, taking into account the present number of
workers.

J. iUo ^rniWe enlist your prayers for the following needs:

'

jHfThe jacksons as they settle temporarHy in the St. Louis area, and seek help to^
solve the problen)S which have resulted in their return to the U.S.
*
* for the work ahead. Our efforts to find two or more families who would commit themselves to

Encouragement for the Navises and ourselves as we readjust our expectations

working alongside of us in this endeavor.

* The eventual success of this work in spite of any and all setbacks which may be
encountered along the way.

TEAM RETREAT
Our strategy calls for the team to have a week long retreat every year. This
year we went to the city of Fortaleza, a beautiful coastal city that is also in the North

east. We were able to stay in an apartment that the Conservative Baptists have for their missionaries. This was a real blessing because they only charge a small fee.
The retreat was to be a time of rest and relaxation, as well as a time to review

the past year's accomplishments, plan our next year's strategies and spend time in prayer. Time was allotted each day for working on our goals for this coming year and the next 2 - 5 years, relationship building exercises for the group and for cou
ples, and personal grov^h activities. This time together was made even more bene ficial by the presence of Ruth's cousin, Maria Felix. She spent tireless hours chas ing, changing and feeding our toddlers. It's doubtful that anything would have been accomplished without her help, what a blessing she was!
Overall, the week was a success and we were able to return refreshed and

ready to do the work that our Lord has called us to do here in Sao Luis.

OK, SO WHERE'S THE VIDEO?

I believe that we have learned our lesson about announcing the completion date for a major project before it is actually complete. For those of you who are interested in the details of what happened, here they are. We had planned to have the video completed before Roste, Tammy and the kids left for the U.S. in July. When we sent the first newsletter announcing the video, it was 90% complete. But, as we tried to combine our several different tapes into the finished product, we discovered that our equipment wasn't working properly. While the girls were in the U.S. we made arrangements to use the equipment at a local video studio to finish the project the week after they would arrive back in Sao Luis. However, soon after Tammy's arrival we learned that the Jacksons would

be leaving our work in Sao Luis.^ This rendered much of the video useless" because
their images and voices appear throughout. We didn't fee! it would be appropriate to circulate the video in its present form since they are no longer a part of the work.

That leaves us with the task of reworking the sections which included Tony, Tammy or Kaitlyn, combining our tapes into the finished product, making copies and sending them to the U.S. We have several major projects under way currently that cannot be postponed (beginning to present our evangelism lessons is #1). Therefore, completing the video is on hold until sometime in November. This time we will not announce its availability until it has arrived in the U.S. We thank you for your understanding in all of this, and we regret any inconvenience it may have caused for you.

ROSIE'S REFLECTIONS
lAN'S BIRTHDAY
It seems like only yesterday we were sending out birth announcements and now we have already celebrated lan's first birthday! A child's first birthday is quite an occasion in Brazil. Thus, I had been thinking, planning and praying about it for months. We wanted it to be bi-cultural; including both American and Brazilian tradi tions because we wanted to invite both groups of people. We especially wanted to use this lime to get to know our neighbors better.

We chose "Snoopy" as the theme for the decorations, the table centerpiece (Brazilian tradition) and the hand delivered invitations (Braz.)- Snoopy is very popular
here also. There was lots of food (Braz.) from both cultures. Our friends had never

seen a watermelon "boat" before! We played pin-the-nose on Snoopy (American tradi tion altered slightly), sang "Happy Birthday" in both languages, ate a decorated cake (both- and ice cream (Amer.) and opened the presents at the party (Amer.), Brazilians usually wait until later to open them.

Parents and kids stayed about three hours to talk and play. At one time we had 5 babies under 15 months here! A good time was had by everyone and I believe that God was able to use this time to build some relationships, strengthen others and open the door for the Gospel.

1992 BUDGET IS APPROVED

Our budget for the coming year has been reviewed and approved by our super vising elders. The new budget designates each month $1,225.00 for five categories of working expenses, $950.00 for salary (family with one child), $500.00 for housing expenses, and $475.00 for employee benefits (health insurance, 1/2 of Social Security, etc.). The budget for 1992 represents an increase of just under 6.8% over our budget
for 1991.

An itemized copy of the 1992 budget along with a line by line explanation of items increased over last year's levels has been sent to each of our regular supporting churches. If you are an individual supporter of this work or if your church is an occa sional supporter of this work and would like to receive a copy of the budget, please
contact our forwarding agents Floyd and Leia Johnson at the address on the front of

this newsletter. They will be happy to send you a copy.

We wish to thank you for the continued support which you extend to us in this work. Please pray that God will enable us to be good stewards of all His resources;
not only finances, but time and opportunity as well!

A TEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZIL

Christ for Sao Luis:

NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 1991

Volume no. 4, Issue no. 6

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FDOM

GARY, ROSIE & IAN FINLEY

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:
Christ for Sao Luis

Gary &Rosie Finley

Calumet Street Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801

(618) 533 -4421

FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:

(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ADDRESS)

Gary & Rosie Finley
Caixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

To Call Us From the U.S. Dial: 011-55-98-226-1391

DOESTHfSSOtrMOUKEYOO?
requests from missionaries needing support that I don't even have time to open all
the mail that comes."

"I am the chairman Of my church's mission committee. We get so many

Yet, most Americans admit that they have time enough in their daily schedule to read the local newspaper, and even to give the CLASSIFIEDS a
cursory glance.

tion (seriously, we really do need to gain additional supportat this time).

urgent need at this time, we provide the following request for your considera

Therefore, because we know that you are busy, and because we have an

C.F.S.L. CLASSIFIEDS

ll/ANTED:
Brazil. Family is fluent in local language, understands local culture. Due to recent loss of one supporting church addi

Supporting church/es for missionary family serving in NE Contact (618) 533-4421

tional supporters are urgently needed.

for more info.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS...

to Christ for Sao Luis/ R.R. 2, Box 750/ Centralia, IL 62801.

supporting Churches. Interested parties could begin'right away! No experience necessary! Position could last 5 years, 10 years, the sky is the limit! If interested, send inquiry

We currently have an opening for two or three additional

PERSONALS:

field would like to hear from potential supporting churches. Interests include: Going into all the world. Making disciples of all nations. Baptizing, Teaching, Serving with the Lord's promised presence. Current photo and mission strategy avail able upon request. Christ For Sao Luis*Gary & Rosie ?inley*R.R. 2, Box 750*Centralia, XL 62801*(618) 533-4421.

Missionary family with 1&1/2 years experience on the

PROGRESS REPORT
Those of you who have read our mission strategy know that our chief objeaive for the first year in Sao Luis was to spend 12 months studying the Portuguese language
on a daily basis with a qualified instructor. Only after the end of that 12 months of language study were we allowed to begin our work of church establishment.
We arrived in Sao Luis in the middle of June 1990. It took us about a month to

get settled into our new homes before our language study could begin. Due to a couple of other breaks in our language study schedule (holidays, the annual mission ary conference, etc.) we did not finish our required 12 months of study until the
middle of August 1991.

Until that time we had practiced leading the various parts of our worship serv ices in Portuguese on a rotating schedule. On Sunday, August 18 we began conduct ing the entire service completely in Portuguese. That was the first step in initiating
our goals for the second year of our work.

As you read in our October newsletter, the event that really finalized our first year's goals (language acquisition, acculturation, developing contacts for evangelism, etc.) and launched us into the work of church establishment (our goal for the second year and beyond) was our team planning retreat which was held in September.

In the month of November we began our "Bate Papos Biblicos" (group Bible
studies). These studies will serve as our primary evangelistic outreach for at least the
next year.

brethren working in the South of Brazil. For the last two years it has been employed by some of our missionaries in Belem, Brazil to begin the newest of the churches in
that city.

This approach has been successfully used by several of our Non-Instrumental

They began two years ago with two families (one missionary family and one Brazilian couple). Their progress was slow at first, but now (two years later) the church has an average attendance of about 30 in their worship hour and their weekly Bible studies. They have built their ministry around the necessity of every Christian being equipped to reproduce him/herself spiritually. Every member of the church is a
well trained evangelist, their future looks very promising.
We spent 10 days with them during the first part of November. We wanted to

learn first-hand how they were using the Bible study approach before beginning our Bible studies here in Sao Luis. The study itself is rather simple. It lasts only an hour.
No one prays or sings or does anything else that might make a non-Christian afraid to
attend.

(CONTINUED ON BACK)

fhe leader or che study doesn't do a lot of ralking. He announces che */erse of"

Scripture and gives the page number (identical Bibles are provided for ail to use so that the translation will be the same and texts can be easily found by locating the page number). Once someone reads the verse aloud, the talk leader poses several questions that arise directly from the text. Some of the questions are merely factual ("What did Jesus say He would do for them?"). Some questions ask for the participants opinions ("In just a few words. What do you think it means to make Jesus Lord?"). Some lead to application ("How can we follow her example today?"). All those present are encour aged to take part in the discussion (the name of the study in Portuguese actually means
"Bible talk").

The purpose of the Bible study is to find out who is interested in spiritual mat ters. The believers invite people throughout the week (friends, neighbors, store clerks, bank tellers, etc.). Once someone has attended at least two studies they are asked if they would like to study (one-on-one with one of the Christians) some lessons that will show them how to get closer to God. These lessons are the evangelism lessons. We began our Bible studies in Sao Luis four weeks ago. The first study we started is held in John and Ruth's apartment on Tuesday evenings. We have had five
people to attend that study to date. One of the men was so interested he asked if we

would hold a study in his home last week so that he could get his family to come. We didn't have great expectations, but when it was time to start there were eight people there that he had invited! He wants to make this an on-going study. We are now trying to start a third Bible study in our apartment on Saturday nights.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING:

*We will be successful in getting people to attend the studies *The studies will lead to opportunities to present the gospel one-on-one *Once the Word is presented, the hearers will respond to the Holy Spirit's efforts to
convict them of their need for Jesus
*Decisions for Christ will be made

*We will be faithful in following-up on those decisions, strengthening and equipping

the new disciples ("witnessing learners")

^^ou% (lutsncfuxL
One of the aspects of life on the mission field that is at the same time both

dreaded and thought of with excitement is furlough time. It is dreaded because it means taking time away from the work (our veteran colleagues elsewhere in Northern
Brazil tell us there never seems to be a good time to do so). It is an exciting time

because it provides the opportunity to visit with family, supporters and friends. Our first furlougmsince coming to the field will begin on July 26, and continue

With thariA mind, we are both dreading and looking forward to July 1992.

throughJtheJEha^sgiving holiday. We will be in the U.S. for just 4 months.

For the sake of the work that is going on here, it would be better if we could wait until December to begin our furlough. However, we recently lost about 20% of
our incoming support. After considering the balance in our mission account, and

calculating the shortfall in our monthly income, July appears to be the latest we can
wait.

One of our objectives during the four months we will be in the U.S. will be to replace the support which has been lost. If your church is not a current supporter of our mission, we would like to have an opportunity to present our work to you. If your church is a current supporter, we ask that you share news of our work with other churches in your area, encouraging them to allow us to present our work to them as
well.

We look forward to having the chance to renew friendships between July and November of '92. To schedule a presentation of our work, pl^se send three possible dates (between August 16 and November 15) to our forwarding agents Floyd and Leia
Johnson at the address on the front of this newsletter.

appy Holidays From the Navis'

(Trie following message Is from our co-workers In Sao Luis)

We are John, Ruth and Caleb Navis. As many of you know, we work with Gary and Rosie here in Sao Luis. We want to send our greetings to you during this holiday season.

success thus far. Our Tuesday night Bible Talks have increase in attendance. The first one had 1
person. The second had 3 and I hear that we can expect 5 or 6 for the next one. That brings us joy because we know that our Lord wants everyone to be saved.

We expect this season to be a joyful one. Our work is started and we have encountered

Caleb also gives us joy as we watch him grow. He is so interested in everything. The
Christmas tree fascinates him and he likes to touch tne ornaments and the lights. His eyes just light

up when he sees them and so do ours when we see his light up. It makes me think of the joy that
Love, John, Ruth and Caleb

there is when people see the Light of the World. Give a lasting girt this season. Share the Gospel]

Siiort on Time for Missionary Updates?

If you would like to recieve a brief (3 minute) videotaped holiday greeting from
the Finleys, suitable for use during announcement time, contact Lela Johnson at the
U.S. address below:

Lela Johnson Calumet Street Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750 Centralia, IL 62801 (618) 532-4476

In the month of January we will have the opportunity to meet with the other

of Brazil. The annual Northern Brazil Missionary Conference will be held in Belem, for a number of years as campus minister at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. This year he joined the faculty at Cincinnati Bible College and is teaching several

"Igreja de Cristo" (Church of Christ) missionaries who work in the North and Northeast

Brazil January 13-18. Ward Patterson v/ill be the conference speaker. Ward served

classes in the area of communication. V/e look forward to the fellowship that we will enjoy with our co-workers from other areas of Northern Brazil, and to the encourage ment that we will gain from the messages which our brother Ward has prepared.
*

As the conference in Belem is ending, another conference will begin in Rio de

Janeiro among missionaries serving with the Non-Instrumental Churches of Christ. I

with our first opportunity to personally meet the families who pioneered the church

our Bible studies mthe insert titled "Progress Report") were developed by Church of Christ missionaries serving in other Brazilian cities. This conference will provide us planting approach we are following in Sao Luis. We hope to come away from the

church planting principles which we are employing in Sao Luis (see the section about

had plarined to attend this conference last year, but a brief illness in the family pre venter! that. This year Rosie and I hope to attend. The team mission strategy, and the

conference with a number of new ideas which can further strengthen our work here.