Brother Gilberto's surgery went well, he was discharged from the hospital today and the biopsy will be ready in 20 days. Please continue to pray for his recovery. Thanks for praying!

Prayer Request:

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BRoLM (Brazil River of Life Ministries)

ANNUAL MISSIONARY REPORT

September 2013

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21NIV

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

Greetings from your coworkers to the Portuguese-Speaking World!

We would like to share with you the annual report that we just fill out to one of BRoLM supporters.

Mission Field and People Group:

Portuguese-Speaking World (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, São Tome and Principe, Portugal and USA)

How Long Have You Served On This Field?

Brazil River of Life Ministries is celebrating 13 years this year.

Jeff and Monica were born and raised working in the ministry with our parents in the Portuguese-Speaking world, and we celebrated 25 years of ministry together in February 2013. Before we were married, we worked at the Evangelistic Association in Sao Paulo.

The BRoLM churches in Sao Paulo did a surprise 25^th Ministry Anniversary celebration for us on June 8 at the Prituba Church.

They invited Gerson Vicente, my (Jeff) youth minister at the Goiania Church when I was growing up to speak. Gerson is one of the many Timothy’s of my dad (Tom Fife) and now he is the minister at Taguatinga Church in Brasilia. Since Monica and I will celebrate our 25^th Wedding Anniversary in January 7, 2014, they decided to celebrate the wedding anniversary too, so we redid our vows. It was a blessing!

What Was Your Original Time Commitment To This Ministry? What Is Your Current Time Commitment To This Ministry?

Our original time commitment to this ministry was for life. We may not be at the same location for the rest of our lives, but we continue committed to this ministry for life.

TYPE (S) OF MINISTRY: 

Evangelism, Equipping/Discipling, Church Planting, Benevolence, Missionary Preparation, Translation Services, Counseling, Short Term Missions

Ministry Mission Statement:

Mission: Reach the Portuguese-Speaking world for Jesus Christ so they can reach the rest of the world.

Vision: Reach the lost through Evangelism, mentoring and equipping through Discipleship, to Plant New Churches, provide Assistance and Justice where needed.

Typical Day and Primary Ministry Activities: Typical Day:

Get up at 7:00 a.m.

Take Isaac to school at 7:30 a.m.

2 hours per day are devoted to prayer, devotion and reading.

2 hours per day are devoted to preparation of discipleship, preaching, and teaching materials.

Jeff – Takes online classes at Johnson University (that demands 40 hours of studies per week)

Monica – Attend classes at Milligan College (9 hours per week that demands 18 hours of studies out of the classroom per week)

Check e-mail and correspondence as needed, and as time permits.

Pick up Isaac at school from practice at 5:00 p.m.

Our family dinner is served at 6:00 p.m.

Monday through Saturday we exercise in the evening for 1 hour each day.

Isaac goes to bed at 10:00 p.m. I (Jeff) personally read the Bible and pray with him before he goes to bed every night.

Send a daily devotion to Roger so he can read before he goes to bed at College.

Monica goes to bed around midnight.

Jeff goes to bet around 2:00 a.m.

Ministry Activities:

Coordinate the work in Brazil.

Preaching live online every Sunday at the Pirituba Church in Sao Paulo where Jeff is the minister.

Meet online after the Pirituba service with the elders to see about the activities of the week before, and the activities for the next week.

Keep in touch with our co-workers and partners in reaching the Portuguese-Speaking World for Christ (Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and USA).

Prepare discipleship material that is used weekly in Brazil, Angola, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique.

Write a monthly journal that is distributed on the first week of each month at over 600 churches in the Portuguese-Speaking World.

Meet online once a month with the leaders from the churches in Brazil.

Answer many questions and advise in many occasions during the month, almost daily by e-mails and some phone calls from the leaders in Brazil and the Brazilian missionaries Kleber and Juracema in Mozambique.

Help coordinate the “Hands On” Bible College in Brazil and

Mozambique.

Visit all of our supporters and potential new supporters.

Speak and teach at various churches when invited.

Complete the activities for the online classes at Johnson (Jeff) and Milligan (Monica) so we can be better prepared for the ministry.

How Is God Working Through Your Ministry and What Were Your Professional Highlights Of The Past Year?

We are blessed with what God is doing through Brazil River of Life Ministries.

“Hands On” Bible College:

The sole purpose for Jeff’s studies at Johnson is to be able to offer higher education in the Portuguese-Speaking world, so we can prepare more workers for the harvest. Our goal is to offer “Hands On” Bible College education, not only in Brazil, but also in all the Portuguese-Speaking countries. For this reason, Jeff needs at minimum, a Master's degree, so these countries' governments will recognize what we are doing.

The “Hands ON” Bible College in Campo Limpo Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil is doing very well; in June Jeff taught Church Development and in August he taught Leadership Principles. In 2014 we will have our first graduating class.

In July Jeff and Monica went to Mozambique and God provided the opportunity for Jeff to start the “Hands On” Bible College in Mozambique. For 3 days Jeff taught from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with lunch and afternoon breaks the first class, God’s Doctrine, for 33 students that came from the village’s churches. These students will come back to the Hope Ministries School of Missions in Namicopo, Nampula, Mozambique every month for 3 days' class. Jeff will send the material to be taught to Kleber (Brazilian Missionary) every month and will be mentoring him as he teaches the next classes.

BRoLM Churches in Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Bom Retiro Church was planted in August 2011; it is a Korean/ Portuguese speaking church. Bother Choi came from Korean to be the minister. BRoLM has helped them organize their documentation so Brother Choi can stay in Brazil, has helped with the youth ministry, because most of the youth speak Portuguese. This church is growing among the youth; just in the last year they have baptized 13 of them into Christ.

Campo Limpo Paulista Church was planted in 2005, brother Simonette is their new minister and is doing a super job, the church is growing and getting stronger.

Jundiai Church was planted in 2010 as a daughter congregation of the Campo Limpo Paulista Church, Brother Ruben Daniel is the minister, and the church has grown to the point that this year they had to move to a bigger building.

Pirituba Church was planted in 1991; it was our first church plant. We left the Pirituba Church in 1994 to move to Peabody, MA, to plant a Portuguese Speaking Church there. We helped the Pirituba Church from 2002 to 2004 before we planted the Campo Limpo Church. However in 2012 they asked Jeff to become their minister because the church had many problems with their leadership. This church was averaging 220 on Sundays in 2004 and when they asked for help in 2012 they were averaging 22. It has been a long ride for recovery and healing; however God has given this church strength to continue. We believe this church is getting to the point that it will start growing again; it is averaging now 60 on Sundays, for His honor and glory.

Sao Mateus Church was planted in 2006, Brother Gilberto is the minister. This church is located in the east side of the City of Sao Paulo, and the people in this area are poor, however this church been able to reach the young generation that would be lost to drugs, and without school or a future were it not for this church work among them.

Jeff had planned to be in Brazil in November 2012 for the Pirituba Church Anniversary and for some needed follow-up after the summer visit to Brazil; however because of Monica’s health that was not possible. Thus Jeff went to Brazil in January 2013 for 20 days. During those days he participated in the 12 Days of Purpose that the BRoLM churches do every year in January, preaching every day for 12 days straight; in this way he was able to visit all the churches in Sao Paulo area.

A highlight of this trip was to participate of the Campo Limpo Paulista's 8th Anniversary and with the Elders at this opportunity they ordained Jose Simonette as the minister of the Campo Limpo Paulista Church. When BRoLM planted this church in January 2005, Jeff was the minister; in 2010 Edson was ordained and became the minister; however in 2011 Edson had some moral problems, and left his family and the church. Thus Ruben Daniel, the minister at Jundiai, did double duty and helped prepare Simonette to become the new minister in Campo Limpo Paulista. Simonette has been a member of the Campo Limpo Paulista church since March 2005, was separated to be an elder in training in 2007, and was voted by the congregation as an elder in 2009. Simonette is a student at the “Hands ON” Bible College, as are all the ministers and elders from the BRoLM Churches.

From May 14th to August 13th, 2013, we worked with BRoLM churches in Sao Paulo, Jeff preached 48 times at these churches. Jeff worked the entire summer as the minister at Pirituba Church, and had leadership meetings with all churches' leaders. 

Monica led the music and had many meetings with the ladies and children's ministry leaders of the churches. 

Together Jeff and Monica led family and couples' outreaches at all five churches in the Sao Paulo area. 

Jeff helped organized the Christian Churches/ Churches of Christ Southeast Brazil Convention held in August at the Jundiai Church, and was invited to be one of the speakers. 

Mozambique

Jeff and Monica had the great opportunity to visit the work in Mozambique from June 24th to July 6th. During this visit, Jeff instituted the “Hands On” Bible College in Mozambique as was mentioned above.

Monica taught at the Hope School using the primary colors to teach about Jesus and used the Book Without Words; also, she taught kids from 1st to 7th grade. 

Another highlight of this trip was to travel and visit some village churches. At Mecuburi we participated in the dedication of their building; by the way BRoLM was  responsible for raising funds necessary to purchase the lot and to build this building. What a blessing! It was great to visit two new church plants at Matanusca and Macololo,  Matanusca is getting ready to build and Macololo only needs paint, doors and windows to finish their building, BRoLM has raised the funds to purchase the lots for these two new congregations, and the building materials. 

The work in Mozambique is led by Brazilian missionaries Kleber and Juracema; they've been there for 17 years. They work among the Makua people, one of the unreached  people in the world; 98% are Muslims. God has blessed their  work, and during this 17 years, they've been able to plant 72 churches, build a grade school (1st to 7th grade) that has 1.080 students enrolled this year, a home for children in extreme poverty, which has 30 girls and 27 boys; they have baptized over 1.000 Muslims into Christ, and now they have 33 Evangelists studying at the “Hands On” Bible College. 

Angola

Our dream is to take the “Hands ON” Bible College to all the Portuguese speaking world; we have not been able to go to Angola yet, however last year during the World Convention in Goiania, Brazil, we had brothers from Angola who came. We talked and they are very interested in having us come to Angola; in the meantime last year we received a student, Gabriel, from the churches in Angola who is doing his internship at the Pirituba Church. This August we received two more students from the churches in Angola, Mamed and Paulo; they will be doing their internships at the Campo Limpo Paulista and Jundiai churches. 

It is great to see God moving among the Portuguese-Speaking world and it is amazing that He has allowed BRoLM to be part of what He doing. The opportunities, possibilities and needs are many and we are very happy to be part of it. We have a great team in Brazil, and great coworkers among the Portuguese-Speaking World.

We could share many other highlights and give many testimonies of how God has blessed Brazil River of Life Ministries in the last year. He is doing mighty things! To Him be all honor and glory forever and ever!

Personal Highlights of the Past Year:

 After a terrible intestinal infection, an operation last fall, and an extensive treatment during the winter and spring, Monica was released by the doctor to travel this summer to Brazil and Mozambique. She had some bleeding in May in Brazil, however she recovered and went to Mozambique, too. Monica's health continues to improve; she still has to deal with horrible headaches and some limitations, however most people do not notice that she has these limitations. We are thankful that she is getting better and was able to travel and now go back to school. We are also very thankful for everyone who helped us through prayer, financial gifts and meals during Monica’s operation and treatment. Being part of God’s family is super! 

Our older son Roger is a junior at Milligan College, and he is doing very well; he also plays soccer for the Tri Cities Soccer League. Our younger son Isaac is a junior at Elizabethton High School; he is very active in sports at the High School and also plays soccer for the FC Dallas at Tri Cities. Both of our sons continue to be strong in the Lord, and this is a huge highlight for us! 

Overall, the biggest highlight in our personal lives is to be found by God to be worthy, and it is He that makes us worthy, to work for Him in His Kingdom! In spite of us, He is merciful and He uses us for his honor and glory!

How Successful Has Your Ministry Been Over The Past Year? What Markers Are You Using To Measure Your Effectiveness?

God has been very gracious to us! We see many ways in which we might be more effective in the ministry, and are striving toward this growth as we learn more each day with our Lord. However, at the same time, we see the hand of the Lord working through us as we see people coming to the Lord, and others being restored in their faith. Although for us, our first ministry is our family, and we have been blessed with very good children who are committed to the Lord. We could say that the Lord has done a marvelous work through our lives.

Everything we plan in ministry is based on prayer and fasting. Therefore, the markers we use to measure our effectiveness is to see God's approval. First, He has given us peace, courage, strength, and a spirit that does not give up in doing His work. We are seeing lives being saved and restored. We feel we have been doing what the Lord has called us to do, and this work is yielding fruit beyond our expectations.

WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT FURLOUGH PLANS?

During the school year, we are available to visit any of our supporter or potential new supporters at any time. We are available to come and report on the ministry to the Missions Committee, for mission moments during the services, Communion meditations, share in Sunday School classes, teach, preach etc. In any area in which you may need or want us to serve, we are available.

What Is Your Current Financial Situation?  Please Attach Your Current Budget Along With Annual Expenses As Well As The Amounts Being Received From Other Sources. Please Include Information On Your Retirement Planning.

When you think of Brazil River of Life Ministries, you cannot just think Jeff, Monica and the boys. This is a ministry to reach the Portuguese-Speaking world. Over 270 million people speak Portuguese in the world. We work directly and in partnership with various ministries in the Portuguese-Speaking World. In Brazil we are committed to promote 1 evangelistic event per month, prepare and print discipleship material on both weekly and monthly bases, and plant new churches; each church we plant receives financial help from BRoLM for 3 years. In addition, we are committed to training new workers for the harvest through the “Hands On” Bible College so we can continue to have strong leadership at the local churches and plant new churches using our Bible College students. In Brazil alone, we have planted 11 churches and helped restore 8 churches in 6 different states. The ministry in Brazil is a team ministry, with a coordinator in each state.

Brazil River of Life Ministries works in partnership with missionaries in Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and the USA. In the near future, we plan to start a “Hands On” Bible College in each of these locations. However, we are already very involved with the work in Mozambique, not only in sending discipleship material but in also raising financial support for the work there.

We will send you a copy of the BRoLM 2014 detailed budget, by request! You will note that on our 2014 budget we need an extra $5,650.04 per year to reach our yearly budget.

We will send you a copy of the BRoLM 2012 Financial Audit Report, by request.

Have You Experienced Any Health Concerns about which we Needs to Be Made Aware?

We ask you to continue to pray for Monica's total health recovery. As we already mentioned, she has terrible headaches every month; she also has other limitations. For example, when she gets tired she loses control of some parts of her body; her legs will not stop shaking until she gets some rest.

Since Monica had the brain tumor in 2008, for this reason we have not been able to get her health insurance here in the USA. Doctors from Johnson City First Christian Church have taken care of Monica without any cost. What a blessing!

What Are Your Goals And Vision For The Next Year?

Give continuation to what we are doing right now:

Coordinate the work from a distance, not only in Brazil but also in all of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries, continuing to work in partnership with all of our co-workers in those countries.

Help them promote evangelism and discipleship and help newly-planted churches to grow.

Preach live online every Sunday at the Pirtuba Church.

Meet online weekly with the elders at Pirituba Church.

Plant a new church in Varzea Paulista. We already been working with the children and small groups at this location and we are now working on the possibility of planting this new church; this is a Jundiai "daughter" church. Campo Limpo Paulista planted the Jundiai church and now Jundiai church is working on planting a church in Varzea Paulista. 

Visit the work in Mozambique in June 2014 to encourage the work there and teach at the “Hands On” Bible College. Monica would like to come again and teach at the grade school.

If possible visit Angola and Guinea Bissau to examine the possibility of starting a “Hands ON” Bible College in each of these countries.

Work in Brazil during the summer of 2014.

Finish our studies in the USA. Monica was held back because of her health on her studies and she should be done by December 2014. Jeff should be done with his studies in May 2014.

Last year we mentioned that the churches in Sao Paulo area have asked for a retreat location so we can promote retreats and camps for children, youth, couples, leaders etc.; for this purpose we need to raise $100 thousand, $40 thousand to purchase the land and $60 thousand to build two bed rooms for 30 beds (15 bunk beds) each, a meeting and dining hall, bathrooms and kitchen. This retreat would be use also to accommodate the teams that will come from the churches in the USA to visit/work with us in Brazil. We would like to build with handicap accessibility, and use the retreat during the week as an elderly daycare. This is a big need in Campo Limpo Paulista!

Receive a team from your church to visit/work with us in Sao Paulo.

We are open to receive individuals, groups, teams that would like to come and help us in Brazil during the summer (May through August). We can take a group of up to 10 persons for up to 10 days at a time.

Please, plan to come to Brazil this summer; if not this summer plan to come in 2015, 2016 or 2017. 

If you would like to come with us to Mozambique, please get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will be happy to have you come with us in June.

What Are Your Current Prayer Needs, Family Needs, and Financial Needs With Which we Could Assist?  What Needs Should We Consider As We Develop Our Annual Missions Budget?

Please pray for the Lord to keep our family safe and healthy.

That the Lord will give us good health and finish His healing as Monica recuperates from all the health issues she has encountered.

That He will free us from all things that do not come from Him that may take us off course.

That we all will be able to go through school and do our best for the Lord.

That the Lord will use us for His honor and glory, in spite of us!

That we will be able to raise the support needed to keep up with the ministry to the Portuguese-Speaking World. The areas that BRoLM needs more support for 2014 are New Church Plant $720.00.

That we will be able to raise resources needed for the Mission Trip to Mozambique; Jeff and Monica plan to go on this trip. The Mission Trip for Jeff and Monica estimated cost is $4,360.00.

That we will be able to raise the resources for the Mission Trip to Angola and Guinea Bissau; the estimated cost for this Mission Trip is $2,500.00.

For the resources to keep the “Hands On” Bible College operating, the need is $700 per month; the Bible College operates for 10 months - from February to June and from August to December.

That God will touch the hearts of the churches and individuals so we can raise the resources necessary to purchase the lot and build the retreat center.

That God will continue to bless the work in Brazil and Mozambique.

That He will give us grace so we can learn all He wants us to learn as we study, so we can be more effective in His Kingdom.

We were blessed to have both of our sons, Roger and Isaac, come to Brazil this summer. Roger stayed for 30 days and he brought his girlfriend Kristen Jackson of Johnson City, TN, that stayed for 15 days. Isaac stayed the whole summer in Brazil. What a team, we did many things together at the churches, at the cities of Sao Paulo, Campo LImpo Paulista and Jundiai. We are very blessed for the family God has given us!

Please, continue to pray for us and for the ministry God has called us to serve Him

Thanks for your prayer and financial support - they are vital to our lives and ministry!

God is good, all the time; and He is acting among us!

In HIS Love and Service,

Jeff & Monica Fife

GIFTS TO REMEMBER

Gifts received from May 1 to August 31, 2013

IN MEMORY OF                                                   DONATED FROM

Dorothy Young                                                    Harry Young

IN HONOR OF                                                      DONATED FROM

Jeff & Monica 25^th Ministry Anniversary      Richard & Peggy Ziglar

 “Experience Brazil” 2012 Team                   Richard & Peggy Ziglar

If we miss listing your gift to remember or to honor a loved one, please, tell us and we will list your gift on our next newsletter. If you would like to give a gift to remember or to honor a loved one, please, send a note with your gift! Thank you very much!