Happy Thanksgiving 2016
“Whoever believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38)
8/31/2016
6/20/2016
4/20/2016
April 2016
April 2016
I will not violate my covenant, or alter the
word that went forth from my lips. Psalm 89:34 (NRSV)
Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,
Greetings from your coworkers
to the Portuguese-speaking world!
It is great to serve a God that
keeps His covenant and does not alter the word that He has spoken. Our task is
to be faithful to Him as He is to us; thus in 2016 we continue to try our best
to fulfill His call on our lives, being faithful to Him and His Kingdom, believing
in all His promises--because He is faithful to fulfill them!
Here are some ministry highlights since our last report:
Pirituba’s Youth Gathering
The Pirituba Church Youth Group
gathered at our home at the end of the year for a day of lots of fellowship and
worship. When we bought the home back in 2008, when Monica had the brain tumor
surgery and she needed to stay away from the big city noise, one of our dreams
was to use the place to gather God’s people. Through the years the youth,
adolescents, children, ladies, men, and worship ministries from the churches
have all come and spent a day at our home. However, our
dream is to have a place that is bigger,
that belongs to the ministry, where people can stay overnight and even for a
few days--a retreat or camp facility.
God has started to provide the funds for this purpose and we believe soon we
will be able to purchase the land. To purchase the land and start building we
need at least $120,000. God has provided $63,500 for this purpose, thus the cup
is past half full! God is good! Pray with us for the funds for the retreat!
Thanks!
Birthday Celebration
The Pirituba church did a
surprise birthday party for my (Jeff) 50th birthday. Since Monica
and I took 10 days vacation, Dec 21 to 31, the party was on Sunday Dec 20, my
birthday is Dec 23.
12 Days of Purpose
Since 2006, in January of each
year, the churches in alliance with River of Life, have 12 services focusing on
the year’s theme. The 2016 theme is #MultiplyingTalents (Mathew 25:21). The
HOBC (Hands On Bible College) students were the speakers for this year. I
(Jeff) spoke for the first and the last day in Pirituba, and I spoke once at
Jundiai, once at Campo Limpo Paulista and once at Sao Mateus churches and I
spoke the 12 days at Bom Retiro (Bom Retiro is the only church that we do not
have the HOBC.) At the churches in the Centro-West and Northeast of Brazil, the
local minister with their elders and HOBC students spoke. During the 12 days in
Pirituba, Monica drew a picture of Jesus!
Visit from Cornerstone
Brother Ron Key, senior
minister at Cornerstone Christian Church visited us from Jan 23 to Feb 1. On
Sunday Jan 24, Ron preached in the morning service at Campo Limpo Paulista
Church, in the afternoon at Bom Retiro Church, and in the evening at Sao Mateus
Church. Monday Jan 25 was a holiday--the city of Sao Paulo’s 462 birthday--and
we took the day to see several sites in the city. On Tuesday Jan 26, we left
early in the morning to Rio de Janeiro and visited several tour sites. On
Wednesday Jan 27, Ron preached at Pirituba's mid-week service; on Thursday Jan
28, at Jundiai; and Friday and Saturday Jan 29-30, Ron spoke at the Annual
Brazil River of Life Leadership Summit. On Saturday evening Ron preached at
Campo Limpo Paulista's 11th Anniversary. On Sunday Jan 31, he
preached in the morning service at Jundiai Church, in the afternoon at Bom
Retiro Church and in the evening at Pirituba Church. On Monday Feb 1st,
he went back to Dallas, TX. We guess he was ready to go home, after speaking 15
times in 10 days! We were tremendously blessed and encouraged with Ron’s
visit--his messages spoke deeply to all that heard him.
Baptism
After the service at Bom Retiro
Church, Sunday Jan 24, we all went to Pirituba’s Church to use their
baptistery. Three were baptized. Daniela
was raised Presbyterian and is engaged to Samuel Park, the son of the head
elder, Pedro Park, of Bom Retiro Church. She has been coming to church since last
August and when she heard that we were going to have a baptism, she said she
wanted to be baptized. Brother Park baptized her. I’ll be celebrating Samuel
and Daniela’s wedding on June 25.
Leadership Summit
Every
year BROLM (Brazil River of Life Ministries) promotes the Leadership Summit to
provide an opportunity for all the leaders from the churches to get together to
refresh, to share with each other, and fellowship. This year it was on Jan 29
and 30. Brothers Bruno from Recife, PE, Luiz from Santos Dumont, DF, and Edgar
from Valparaiso, GO, came from other states. There were several leaders from
the Bom Retiro, Campo Limpo Paulista, Jundiai, Pirituba and Sao Mateus
Churches. Brother Ron Key spoke 6 times and the leaders were very encouraged.
Each local church was responsible for a meal or a snack; it was a great time.
The summit was at Campo Limpo Paulista Church. Our dream is to have the
retreat/camp for next summit, so we can have everyone stay at one location the
whole time and have more time to know each other and share experiences.
Campo Limpo Paulista 11th Anniversary
It is
great to see a church that God used you to plant continue to grow for His honor
and glory. Jose Simonette, one of the first graduates of Hands On Bible
College, is the senior minister. He and the elders Edgar, Michel and Domingos
are doing a great job. Michel and Domingos are also graduates of the HOBC and
Michel is the professor at the HOBC in Campo Limpo Paulista. We have seen 2 Timothy
2:2 become a reality at Campo Limpo Paulista Church. Two were baptized during
the anniversary celebration; this was also a great highlight.
Brazil Ministry Transportation
A big highlight was to reach
the goal to purchase the much- needed van for the ministry in Brazil. Once
again God was faithful and we had the van paid off in January! The van is a
great blessing for the ministry.
Hands On Bible College in
Portugal and Mozambique
Monica, Isaac and I will leave
Brazil to fly to Portugal on April 26. We will be participating in the regular
services at the churches in Carcavelos, and Lisbon, and I will be teaching at
the Hands On Bible College. We will leave Portugal on May 3 to fly to
Mozambique. During the time we will be in Mozambique, I will be teaching the
leaders from the 72 churches and see how the HOBC is doing in Nampula. We are
trying to get permission from the Mozambican government to bring the HOBC
material from Brazil (40 books). Monica will be working at the grade school and
with the women's ministry. Isaac will work with the youth and will conduct a
soccer workshop at the school. We should be back in Brazil on May 14.
God is good, all the time; and He is
acting among us!
In HIS Love and Service, Thanks for praying
for us!
Jeff & Monica Fife
4/01/2016
1/28/2016
ANNUAL
MISSIONARY REPORT
MAILING
ADDRESS/EMAIL/WEBSITE/TELEPHONE:
P.O. Box 8262 – Gray – TN – 37615
Skype: Jeff.fife
Facebook: Jeff E Monica Fife
In Brazil:
55-11-9-9511-2436
FORWARDING AGENT/SENDING
AGENCY/CONTACT INFORMATION:
MISSION FIELD AND PEOPLE GROUP:
Portuguese-Speaking World (Angola,
Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, São Tome and
Principe, Portugal and USA)
YOUR 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, Mentor and Equip through Discipleship, Plant New Churches, Provide
Assistance and Justice where needed.
HOW
MANY NON-CHRISTIANS HAVE BECOME CHRISTIANS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AS A RESULT OF
GOD WORKING THROUGH YOUR MINISTRY? Over 300
WHAT
WAS YOUR ORIGINAL TIME COMMITMENT TO THIS MINISTRY? WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT TIME COMMITMENT TO THIS
MINISTRY? HOW IS GOD CURRENTLY WORKING
THROUGH YOUR MINISTRY AND WHAT WERE YOUR PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST
YEAR?
Our original time commitment to this
ministry was for life and our current time committed to this ministry is for
life.
Here are a few highlights of ways God
is working through BROLM in the past year:
1. New Church Plant in Recife,
Brazil. Through our supporters, BROLM was able to plant this new church
that is doing very well. There have been several baptisms and the church is
growing. The church in Recife is averaging over 50 every Sunday and they are
looking for a larger building to rent that will accommodate 120, since the
place they are renting accommodates 60 people.
2. “Hands On” Bible College to the
Portuguese-World.
During 2015 we were able to launch and maintain the “Hands On” Bible College at 5 BROLM Churches, 4
other Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in Brazil, and at Mozambique,
Guinea Bissau and Portugal.
3. Jeff and Monica moved back to
Brazil full-time in May 2015. Currently, since their work includes
encouraging the local churches, Jeff preaches for the Bom Retiro and Pirituba Churches
and Monica leads the worship team and children's ministry at Pirituba Church.
It is great to be back in Brazil, and this was very needed to keep the ministry
moving forward. 2015 has been a year of establishing alliances and keeping the
BROLM vision alive so many will be reached by the power of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ throughout the Portuguese-Speaking world.
4. We were blessed to receive a
team from Colonial Heights Christian Church, Kingsport, TN in Oct 2015.
DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY AND PRIMARY
MINISTRY ACTIVITIES:
Typical Day:
Get up at 7:00 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.
Check e-mail and correspondence as needed,
and as time permits.
Monday through Saturday try to
exercise at least for 1 hour per day.
Send a daily devotion to Roger and
Isaac.
Go to bed between midnight and 2 a.m..
Primary Ministry Activities:
1.
Coordinate the work in Brazil
Weekly:
Sundays Preach at the morning service
(9:30am) at Campo Limpo Paulista or Jundiai churches, preach at the Bom Retiro
church on the afternoon service (1:30pm) and preach at Pirituba church at
evening service (6pm).
Mondays - Teach at the “Hands On Bible” College
in Pirituba
Tuesdays - Teach at the weekly service at the
Pirituba.
Wednesdays - Day off.
Thursdays - Teach at the weekly service at the
Sao Mateus Church.
Fridays - Teach at the weekly service at the
Campo Limpo Paulista Church.
Saturdays - First Saturday of the month meeting
at 6:00 p.m. at Pirituba. Second and fourth Saturdays of the month meeting at
Bom Retiro at 4:00 p.m.. Third Saturdays of the month Teach “Hands On” Bible College from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00
p.m..
Monthly:
Meet
monthly with the elders of Pirituba and Bom Retiro Churches.
Meet
monthly with the preachers from Bom Retiro, Campo Limpo Paulista, Jundiai,
Pirituba and Sao Mateus.
Quarterly:
Meet
every 3 months with the leaders (preachers, elders, deacons, and leaders from
other ministries) from Bom Retiro, Campo Limpo Paulista, Jundiai, Pirituba and
Sao Mateus.
Annually:
Promote
an early Leadership Summit in the last weekend of January for all the leaders
from all BROLM churches throughout Brazil. In 2016 Ron Key, preacher at
Cornerstone Christian Church, Dallas, TX, will be our speaker!
2.
Coordinate the work to the Portuguese-speaking world
•
Keep
in touch with our co-workers and partners in reaching the Portuguese-Speaking
World for Christ (Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and USA).
•
Write 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.
•
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, missionaries Luciano and Andrea
in Guinea Bissau.
•
Help
coordinate the “Hands On”
Bible College in Angola, Brazil, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Portugal and
visit them once a year.
•
Speak
and teach at various churches when invited.
WHAT
MARKERS HAVE YOU USED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO MEASURE YOUR MINISTRY’S EFFECTIVENESS? HOW WELL HAS YOUR MINISTRY MET THESE
MARKERS?
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 GOALS AND VISION FOR
NEXT YEAR?
1. Fortify the churches that are
under BROLM umbrella in Brazil. By visiting all churches in all 4 states
that BROLM has planted, Jeff and Monica will be meeting with the local
leadership, teaching and preaching. Through these visits--spending time with
the preachers, their families, the elders, other leaders and the church--Jeff
and Monica will be looking for ways that BROLM can help them to grow
spiritually and numerically for God’s honor and glory!
2. Continue to promote monthly
evangelism events at the churches that are under BROLM umbrella and at the
locations that BROLM intends to plant new churches. BROLM has developed some
specific evangelism tools to be used for different ages and places, from
children, adolescent, youth, women, men outreaches to street evangelism. Thus
BROLM invests with the churches in these outreaches through material and
financial resources.
3. Continue to offer discipleship
to the churches that are under BROLM umbrella. This discipleship is offered
to several people at different stages. BROLM has created discipleship material
for new converts, new comers from other churches, people that are coming back
to the Lord, for deacons, elders, and other leaders. BROLM works trying to
involve everyone in discipleship. This is done through all kinds of small
groups with weekly meetings at the local churches and through leadership
meetings throughout the year promoted at the local churches.
Every year BROLM offers a Leadership
Summit the last week of January. In 2016 the guest speaker will be Ron Key,
preacher at Cornerstone Christian Church, Dallas, TX.
4. Plant a new church in Varzea
Paulista. Varzea Paulista is a city between Campo Limpo Paulista and
Jundiai, where BROLM has previously planted churches (Campo Limpo Paulista in
2005 and Jundiai in 2010 as daughter church from Campo Limpo Paulista) and now
Jundiai is getting ready to plant a daughter church in Varzea Paulista. BROLM
is already promoting monthly outreaches and smalls groups in Varzea Paulista,
at the same time BROLM is training a team of leaders from Jundiai church to
lead this new church plant.
5. Offer the “Hands On” Bible College at each local church
that is under the BROLM umbrella.
Presently, BROLM already has the “Hands On”
Bible College being offered at Campo Limpo Paulisa, Jundiai, Pirituba, Sao
Mateus and Santos Dumont with over 50 students. Through the visit that Jeff and
Monica will be doing to the churches 2016, they intend to teach those that are
capable to teach to use the “Hands On”
material, thus hopefully all the local churches will be training their leaders
and future preachers at the local church.
6. Offer the “Hands On” Bible College at other Christian
Churches/Churches of Christ in Brazil.
Presently, BROLM is not only offering the “Hands On” Bible College at the churches that
are under BROLM umbrella in Brazil, but other churches have requested to use
the material and the method “Hands On”
Bible College uses. Thus there are other Christian Churches/Churches of Christ
in Brazil that are using the method and material. The hope is that many others
will come aboard and many will be trained for God’s Kingdom. Jeff Fife has promoted the
“Hands On” Bible
College at the national gathering of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ
in Brazil and through all his contacts.
7. Offer the “Hands On” Bible College to the
Portuguese-Speaking World.
Presently, the “Hands On”
Bible College is being offer in Mozambique, Portugal, and Guinea Bissau. In
2016 Jeff Fife plans to travel to these countries to take material, teach, and
oversee how the “Hands On”
is doing at those locations. In 2016 Jeff also plans to travel to Angola to
launch the “Hands On”
Bible College over there. In the future, in partnership with Jeff’s brother Robert, missionary in
Portugal and responsible for the “Hands On”
in Portugal, they plan to take the “Hands On” to Sao Tome e Principe where Robert
is helping plant a new church.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST YEAR:
•
Monica
and I are very happy to see our sons growing and maturing, however more
important, it has been to see their commitment with the Lord!
•
We
were looking forward to coming back full-time to Brazil and God allowed
that to happen in May 2015. It is great
to be back in the field doing what God has called us to do!
•
Monica
became an American citizen
July 17, 2015. It is a blessing to have this process completed.
•
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!
WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT FURLOUGH PLANS?
We are not sure, yet. It may be in May/June or November/December
2016, we will let you know as soon as we know for sure. However, we do not
intend to spend a full year furlough--only a few weeks in the USA.
WHAT
IS YOUR CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION?
Attached
is BROLM 2016 Budget.
For
retirement Jeff has an IRA Roth account and Jeff and Monica pay Social
Security.
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY HEALTH
CONCERNS?
We ask you to continue to pray for
Monica's total health recovery. 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 Oct Monica, Isaac and I (Jeff)
been fighting a virus that it is similar to a flu, it has all the symptoms of a
flu just no fever. We get better for a few days and then it comes all back,
thus we have not felt 100% for the last couple months. Please, pray that we
will get better soon, it is hard to feel like you are dragging most of the
time.
WHAT
ARE YOUR CURRENT PRAYER NEEDS, FAMILY NEEDS, AND FINANCIAL NEEDS?
Family:
To keep our family safe and healthy.
That our sons will be guided by His
Holy Spirit as they continue to mature and make choices for their future.
Ministry:
That He will free us from all things
that do not come from Him that may take us off course.
That He will give us grace so we will
do what He wants us to do in His Kingdom, so we can give Him all honor and
glory in all we do.
That the Lord will use us for His
honor and glory, in spite of us!
Financial:
We need an increase of 9.20%
($7,770.00) in our regular support to meet our yearly budget.
That we will be able to raise the
support needed to keep up with the ministry to the Portuguese-Speaking World.
Retreat
Center:
That God will touch the hearts of the
churches and individuals so we can raise the resources necessary to purchase a
land and build a retreat center. BROLM has received significant gifts for this
purpose, thus we need also His guidance in deciding where to purchase the land
and also in building the retreat center.
Hands-On
Bible College:
That God will continue to bless the
work that it is being done among the Portuguese-Speaking World through BROLM,
bless the “Hands On”
Bible College where it is established and that He will open the doors for us to
launch the “Hands On”
Bible College at more churches in Brazil, in Angola and online in 2016.
BRAZIL RIVER OF LIFE MINISTRIES
2016 YEARLY BUDGET:
BRAZIL MINISTRY
Evangelism $ 3,600.00
Discipleship $ 3,000.00
New
Church Planting $12,000.00
Church
Plant - Varzea Paulista $ 6,000.00
Ministry/Missions/Benevolence $
3,600.00
Government
Taxes and Bank Fees $ 600.00
Total Brazil Ministry $28,800.00
(A)
“HANDS-ON” BIBLE
COLLEGE $ 15,000.00
(B)
(Angola, Brazil, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique
and Portugal)
MOZAMBIQUE MINISTRY $ 4,800.00 (C)
OPERATIONS EXPENSES
OFFICE USA
Phone/Mobile/Internet $ 1,820.00
Operations $ 1,000.00
CPA $ 1,000.00
Newsletters
and others $ 1,800.00
Traveling
Expenses $ 2,000.00
Total Operations Expenses $ 7,620.00 (D)
LIVING EXPENSES
Salary
$18,600.00
Home
Allowance $
11,400.00
Medical
& Life Insurance $ 3,300.00
Retirement
and Social Security $ 2,700.00
Total Living Expenses $36,000.00
(E)
TOTAL
YEARLY EXPENSES (A+B+C+D+E) $92,220.00
(F)
BRAZIL RIVER OF LIFE MINISTRIES
2015 YEARLY SUPPORT:
CHURCHES – REGULAR
SUPPORT:
Bethany
Christian Church $ 2,850.00
Braceville
Christian Church $ 1,500.00
Coffee
Creek Christian Church $ 480.00
Colonial
Heights Christian Church $ 6,000.00
Cornerstone
Christian Church $ 6,000.00
Howard
Christian Church $ 1,800.00
Seymour
Heights Christian Church $ 9,480.00
TOTAL $28,110.00
(G)
INDIVIDUALS – SUPPORT
(Friends and Family):
$ 120.00
$ 360.00
$ 600.00
$ 600.00
$ 800.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 3,000.00
$ 3,600.00
$ 3,600.00
$12,000.00
TOTAL $30,680.00
(H)
DESIGNATED SUPPORT:
NEW CHURCH PLANT:
First
Christian Church $ 7,980.00
Seymour
Heights Christian Church $ 3,840.00
TOTAL $11,820.00
(I)
“HANDS-ON” BIBLE
COLLEGE:
Individual
$10,000.00
TOTAL $10,000.00
(J)
MOZAMBIQUE SUPPORT:
Individual $ 600.00
Seymour
Heights Christian Church $ 3,240.00
TOTAL $ 3,840.00 (K)
TOTAL SUPPORT: $84,450.00
BROLM 2016 Yearly Budget for the ministry in Brazil, “Hands On” Bible College, Mozambique, Operations, Living and Mission Trips is $92,220.00. If the supporters that have supported BROLM in 2015 continue with their regular support in 2016, between churches and individuals that support the ministry in Brazil and Mozambique, we have committed $84,450.00.
Thanks for your prayers and financial support!
Blessings,
God is good, all the time; and He is acting among us! In HIS Love and Service, Jeff & Monica Fife
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