Iris Updates
Nova Friburgo Update
As I sit here, the temperature is around 40 degrees Celsius, 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It is HOT! VERY HOT!! With the heat, comes the heavy tropical rains, which bring relief from the humidity but also increases the danger of serious landslides in our area. Roads are falling in in many places and the usual road sign warning of danger is appearing: ""Tree in Road."" There are many young trees stuck in the middle of cobbled streets and busy roads at the moment!
We have much to thank God for at the start of this year! We have had a wonderful start to 2009! Paul's brother from New Zealand is visiting us and having Juliana and Priscilla with us has meant that we have been able to do many more activities with more kids. A young lady, Ali, from the USA came with them. In spite of her lack of language, she was a big hit with our kids since she could touch her nose with her tongue! Ali helped hugely in playing football with a couple of the more challenging children one to one! Juliana is coming to spend another month with us in May. We are already looking forward to her visit! She has really encouraged our worship group in the short time that she has been with us. Priscilla is hoping to come back in April also, so I shall take advantage of her huge skills with the younger children and the girls.
We are based in one of the more notorious slum areas in the city of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. Our community has a population of around 15,000. Over the years, we have seen many of the young people that we have worked with and evangelised, murdered, executed and imprisoned. The state of Rio de Janeiro itself is known for organized crime and drug trafficking. Poverty, lack of essential services, the precarious condition of many of the houses and violence are all problems encountered in our community on a daily basis
We have a small church plant here on our hillside. As part of our outreach ministry, we run a youth drop in centre which opens 4 - 5 times a week. We do not have a base compound and our missionaries live in rented accommodation in the community that we serve. We do, however, own a small church building bought with money raised from a number of sources. The drop in centre is rented on a monthly basis.
We are passionate about youth and our heart is to reach the at risk youth and teens in our community and see them raised up and take their place in the Kingdom of God. We work with their families wherever possible and our church is a reflexion of this; a mixture of adults, young and children. We long to see those young people on our hillside who are trapped in the bondage of drugs, gang affiliation and violence, set free by the power of Jesus.
We love and value the move of the Holy Spirit and have seen many of our young people having wonderful experiences with Him. We also value practical expressions of Christ's love and minister to the physical needs of people in our community which include food, medical aid, clothing and school materials.
It is hard, at times, not to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the need around us, both spiritual and material, but we do the best we can with the resources that we have available and continually see the love, kindness and faidthfulness of God in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Trina Simpson
CP 96868
Nova Friburgo
CEP: 28601-970
Brazil
+55 (22) 9233-5611 (mobile)
Link to 24 Hour Prayer Story by Trina
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