An Open Door

Hello All of my Friends and Generous Supporters!

I hope you are all doing well, even with the craziness that is happening in Boston right now. My heart goes out to the families who are suffering.

I loved being able to see you all at church this past Sunday! What a blessing. It felt like being home, even if only for a moment. I truly do love and miss all of you!

So, I want to tell you story to let you know what's been going on here over the past few months. Some amazing things are happening. But, first, I need to give you some back story.

I don't know if you remember or not, but not too long after I got here, we started a cell group for the single young adult women in our church. The first few months of the group went fairly well, but it wasn't exactly taking off. Then, I went traveling for a month, and the group pretty much stopped for that time period. Not only because I was traveling, but also because the month of January is sort of like our month of December where everyone is traveling or visiting their families and so forth. When I got back, I tried to bring the group back together without much success. Unfortunately, one of the other leaders (who was pretty much my translator) was very busy with school and work, and no longer had time to help lead the group.

I was disappointed. I felt like I was trying to do something, but I just couldn't make it work. Anytime that happens, I think its natural to question yourself about your purpose and abilities. In my heart, I had been praying, "God, I want to do something! I want to be apart of your Kingdom! How do I get my foot in the door?"

During this time, I had also been struck by the verse where Jesus talks about sharing your food with those who can't afford to pay you back. I decided I would have a "churrasco" (barbeque) and invite some people from my friend's neighborhood who I knew would not be able to afford such a party like that. I thought it would be good to try and develop relationships with them and just try to love them. So, I made the plans, bought the food, invited the people, and got everything prepared. When the day arrived, no one showed up. I had to call other people that I knew to come over and eat the food. I can't say that it was terrible. The other people were happy to come. But again, I was disappointed.

It's in my personality to get fired up about things. I want to do something. I need to do something. I can't just sit around waiting for things to happen. I need to be chasing after something, and I want my life to count for causes that matter. So, when I put my effort into a project, and get zero results, I get discouraged and feel a little like a failure.

After this happened, I went and talked to Steve, who is often the gracious receiver of all my frustrations and misunderstandings about my new home. He patiently listened, and then gave me some really good advice. He said, "Why don't you do something with the students at CDR? You already have a growing relationship with them. How can you develop that?" That made perfect sense to me, so I started toiling the idea around in my head about what would be the best way to engage them.

After a week past, I still did not have a clear idea, but I was talking about it with the Lord and asking him to reveal it to me. One day, I was sitting in one of the classrooms at CDR, preparing my lessons when another teacher, Marcelino, asked me a question.
 "Allison, have you ever heard of Alpha Circles?"
"No, Marcelino, what is that?"
"Well, we used to have them here on Friday nights with some of the other missionaries. The students could practice their English and we would have talks about God and I really loved it. Do you think we could do that again?...."

Well, that was all it took. I knew God was opening a door. I got Marcelino to tell me all of his ideas for the group and everything he knew about the previous group. We started talking to the other teachers at CDR, as well as Elba and Steve, and everyone seemed to be on board to start making plans in that direction. I was getting excited.

About a week after that, I was at church one evening and the youth pastor, Cleiton, said he wanted to speak to me after church. He asked me how my single's girl's group was going. I told him, sort of laughing, that it was not great, but that we had another had idea in the works to do something with the students at CDR. Then I asked him what his idea was. He began to explain to me that God had also put on his heart the idea of starting something with the students at CDR! Now, I was even more excited and even more confident that this was God's idea and not mine.

Last week, we had our first Alpha Circles meeting. We had more than 45 students show up for that first meeting. We have had a great response from everybody, and anticipate having even more students the next time. It was a great success.

This has taught me a wonderful lesson. Mainly that, its not about me. I don't make things happen or not happen. It is in God's hands. I just need to be willing and available. He does intend to use me, in his way and in his time. What a amazing privilege it is to co-labor with the living God!

Bless you all and please keep with new group in your prayers as we grow and continue to think of ways to make the group better. Thank you so much for what you have already done, and for partnering with what God is doing here in Brazil. You are amazing!

Love always,
Allison Rupert

I have some pictures in the link below of the recent Baptism at our church, as well as pictures from Easter and our group, Alpha Circles.

Baptism/Easter/Alpha Circles

Being a New Missionary

Hello Everyone!
This month, I was asked by our leadership team at the Xingu Mission to write a short article about my experience of being a new missionary for our Field Report. I am posting it here for you as well. God Bless! 

I don't think any two people have the same experience of being a new missionary. Each perspective is so unique with its own expectations and past. So, I will do my best to speak of what this experience has been like for me.

Being a missionary has been a life long dream and calling. Its been my heart's desire to encounter new people and new ways at living life. I've always wanted my life to be an adventure. So, the real question is, now that I'm here, is it everything I thought it would be? Yes and no.

When I first got here, I expected to have some big explosion of delight. I expected it to be like stepping into an imaginary land where everything you touched was enchanted. But instead, I felt lost and disoriented. There were many changes to be sure, but they exhausted me rather than excited me. Instead of enchantment, everything looked mundane and ordinary and real. It was then that I realized that I had been holding on to this dream for so long, that I had started to put my trust in it. I had started to believe that it would be my salvation. This, of course, was not at all true.

But God used this disappointment to confront me. He painfully reminded me that my salvation and delight and enchantment can only come from him. I was thankful for this challenge because I knew God was using it to, once again, transform my heart. He reminded me that my true home will never be on this Earth. This is a temporary assignment. Heaven is the only real resting place, and I need to start making my home there now.

Along those same lines, God also began to confront my selfishness. Here in Brazil, the people share almost everything. The high boundaries that we have in the States against things and time and space operate here at a much lower level. I realized how much my daily life had always been about me.

Being single makes it even easier to fall into this category. Here, I have been given many opportunities to see outside of myself to the needs that surround me. When I cook, I'm not just cooking for myself. When someone isn't getting the water that comes from the city (which happens often), they come over to your house to take a shower or fill up their jugs. When someone has a personal disaster that is too big for them to handle alone (which happens often), we all pitch in to try and help financially or otherwise. Your role within the group is just as important as your own individuality.

I've been here for almost 7 months now, and I could certainly go on and on about the many changes I've experienced. I am in the long process of trying to learn a new language. Everyday, I learn a little bit more about where to find things in my city. I've learned how to drive a motorcycle. I've learned what to expect from the weather. I've learned that your clothes get stretched out when you don't use a dryer. I've eaten more different kinds of fruit than I ever knew existed. Seriously, the list is eternal.

And after 7 months of trying to get accustomed to my new land, I have found that the delight that seemed so void in the beginning is starting to appear. Not because of the place itself, but because this is where God wants me to be. My heart has expanded into allowing him to be my reason, everyday, for being alive. God is using me in this place to bring about his Kingdom. That is the goal and that is the joy. As this place has challenged and stretched me, my capacity has grown for allowing God to work through me.

What I think is common about the “being a new missionary” experience is confrontation. Whatever parts of your character are weak will certainly be revealed. What's really in your heart will be exposed. It is not fun, but it is absolutely worth it. If you allow yourself to be transformed by it, true delight will follow. 

Allison Rupert

Traveling

Hello my Faithful and Loving Friends and Supporters!

I miss you guys! I see on Facebook all the time about your problems with the weather. I don't envy you. Here in Brazil, its the rainy season, which is a lot like the very beginning of fall. I absolutely love it, and I have no problem boasting to all of you about how great it is!

So, if you remember from my last blog, I spent the month of January traveling around to the different missionary bases here in Brazil to get a better understanding of what everyone else is doing. It was a great experience, and it really helped me become more familiar with the missionary lifestyle.

After I visited Maribel (last blog), I came home to Altamira for a few days, and then headed back out to visit Pacaja and Maraba. The first thing I can tell is about the buses. Traveling is quite the adventure here, as much of the roads are not paved and are very hilly. I always have my Dramamine handy for the motion sickness.

Pacaja is about 4 hours away from Altamira, and the missionary family, Marsh and Keith Wilson along with their 2 sons, have been there for 6 months now. They were recently joined by a Brazilian couple, Fernanda and Ferrada Sousa, along with their 2 daughters. Building relationships in Pacaja has been a slow process for Keith and Marsh, but things are beginning to move forward. They are also greatly encouraged by their new teammates! They are starting a CDR(English school) there as well, which provides a great opportunity to make new connections. I have faith that God is going to use them in amazing ways in Pacaja, as they are true examples of a serving heart.

Maraba is another 6-7 hours away from Pacaja, and home to several missionaries families including one Brazilian family. There is Rick and Deana Bergen and their girls, who have actually lived in Brazil for 20 years now. There is Art and Cyndi Rae and their sons, who have been here for about a year and a half. And finally, there is Jenn and Phil Snell and their young children, who have been here about a month less than I have. Monica and Ivanildo Leao are the Brazilian couple, and they have 2 children as well. In fact, Monica is the sister of Fernanda, who is located in Pacaja.

So, these families are all working together in this very poor and very rough neighborhood in Maraba. The majority of their church congregation is kids. And these kids come from very broken homes. Many of the parents are drinking or using drugs in the home. It is not uncommon for one parent to have several children from different relationships, and it is also not uncommon for girls to get pregnant as early as the age 13. What the missionaries there are doing is hard work, but they are committed to loving these childrens in the midst of their brokenness and showing them a different way to live.

 I was totally blessed to spend time with all of them and to become more familiar with the work they are doing there. I also got the chance to give my testimony to the congregation, and I did it all in Portuguese!! I had written it all down before, of course, but it was still a big milestone for me!

I am back home in Altamira now, and I've starting teaching English again at CDR. I must say that I really enjoy teaching, and I was glad to get back to work! I am truly blessed to be here to serve the people of Brazil. I am learning new things everyday, and feeling more and more comfortable in my new home.

As always, I want to bless all of you for your prayers and financial support. You are my teammates! Even though we have so much distance between us, we are together in purpose and in heart. I want you to know that everything you have done is truly making a difference here. God does not waste our faithfulness, but uses it to further his kingdom. Bless you all for your willingness to step out in faith. I pray that the blessing that you give is given back to you. I pray for your health to be restored and for your hearts to be at peace and filled with joy. Take care!

Allison

Visiting a family in the Interior with the Pacaja Missionaries

The kids playing games at the Maraba base

Me giving my testimony in Portuguese!

My bus broke down on the way back to Altamira..not fun.

Please, click on the link below to see more of the pictures from my trip.


January Travels

Into the Jungle

Hello All!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I had my first Christmas and New Year in Brazil, and it was great! I spent Christmas Eve with the Dolans, and Christmas Day with another missionary family named the Bergquists. For New Years Eve, I went to the Central Vineyard church where they had a dinner with worship and dancing after.
After the holidays were over, I left with the Bergquists, that is Kelsie, Clyde, Makenna, Maddy, Hannah, and Nate, to spend a week visiting their missionary base. They live in a small river village called Maribel. Maribel is very remote, being a 3 hour drive from the nearest city by way of a rough and tumble dirt road. There are no stores, no gas stations--nothing in the way of commerce there. People rely on a line truck that goes into the closest town (Uruara) twice a day if they need supplies or a doctor. Most of the families in this area use fishing and hunting, as well as growing some of their own foods to manage their needs. There are also many farmers in the village who raise livestock and grow cacau trees (chocolate). These people are very simple and very generous. When they have something extra, either from hunting or from farming, they usually give it to their neighbors. It was a great pleasure to be among them.
I want to start off by saying how much respect I have for the Bergquists, and the work they are doing in this village. They have made many sacrifices both large and small to serve the people who live along the river.  Each day, many of the things that we take for granted are an intense labor there. Kelsie takes all the clothes for a family of 6 to the river to wash them. The washing can take hours, and even after that, depending on the weather, the clothes sometimes takes days to dry. They have a generator that they use usually about three hours each night for all they electrical needs. Therefore, most of their food is dry food as they don't have the benefit of refrigeration. Clyde is always working around the house making improvements, but of course, there is no local hardware store, so it can require a lot of creativity and patience to get something done. Before I left, he and another man were working on building a fence to keep the cows and pigs out of their yard. Digging all the holes is done only with hand tools, and it is extremely labor intensive. Kelsie also has the responsibility of homeschooling the kids, cleaning, and cooking. The kids do help, but still the days are long.
All the while they are doing these things, they are working to build the community of believers around them. As of now, their church plant is the only church for the region. They lead a church service, small groups, and a children's ministry. They also spend a lot of time traveling by boat along the river to visit the many families who live there. And God is richly using their commitment and hardwork. They have seen many people come to Christ, and those who were already Christians are growing and being trained for leadership. Their hope is to grow the church over the next few years enough so that it can be taken over by the locals.
Even in the short time I spent with them, I learned so much about sacrificial love and what it really means to do the work of Christ. Their willingness to give up their comfort, their time, and their hearts to serve these people was a real challenge to me. I feel like since I have been in Brazil, God has really taken my spiritual walk to a whole new level. God is stripping away my flesh, encouraging me to step out into deeper waters, encouraging me to live a life of service and sacrifice.
Please, keep the Bergquist family in your prayers. Pray for their stamina and endurance. Pray that they are given favor as they bring more people to Christ and as they train up leaders. Pray for me as well that God continues to move me in the direction of service to him, that I would be able to fulfill the calling he has on my life with vigor and obedience.
I want to bless all of you as well. I ask God now to pour out his Spirit over your families, that he would richly bless them with his grace and mercy. I lift up your finances and ask for God's favor on them. I lift up your bodies and your health and ask that God would touch you with healing and protection. I ask that he would fight on your behalf against any and all attacks from the enemy. And lastly, I ask that he would continue to restore your souls, that you would know in the deepest part of you his everlasting love, and that all your hope would be in him.

Below are some pictures from Maribel, as well as a link that you can click on to see all the pictures.

God Bless you! I love you all!

Allison

Snacks before our Christmas Dinner

Church Service with Clyde teaching

The Bergquist Home

Me and their son, Nate

Clyde on the riverboat

Maribel Pictures

Feliz Natal!

Hello My Faithful Supporters and Friends!

Feliz Natal e Proximo Ano Novo!

That means Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Portuguese. Well, as you know, this will be my first Christmas in Brazil. You may be wondering how different it is here compared to the States. I must say that Christmas is greatly understated here. They still get together and celebrate with their families, and they still get and give presents. But in this month of December, I don't think I have heard one Christmas song, and I haven't seen one advertisement telling me about the best toys to buy for this Christmas season. I know some of you really love Christmas, but I have to say that for me, they lack of hype is refreshing. Of course, I will miss getting to spend Christmas with my family and having dinner together.

I am glad to tell you that the Single Women's group I am leading is starting to do really well! We have some new girls coming, and we recently introduced childcare for the group. We have a lot of young mothers, and we are hoping that this encourages more of them to come. Thank you for your prayers for these girls, and please continue to pray for them to grow in the knowledge of Christ's love for them.

Last week, I got to teach my first message to our Youth Group here. My friend, Cleide, translated for me. I taught them about the importance of experiencing Christ's unconditional love for them, and what a profound impact it has on their walk with God. I think the message had a powerful effect on some of them as we talked afterwards. A few of my students from CDR also came to listen. I feel like even in my short time here, God is already really using me to spread the Gospel. I feel really blessed to be able to speak his word into the lives of others.

Every year, CDR does a project for the community. This year, they chose a school of elementary students to serve. So 2 weeks ago, we spent the day at this school, and taught the children how to recognize abuse. The CDR team did skits, sang songs, and gave workshops to the children that gave them the tools and understanding they need to see the difference between discipline and abuse. We also explained to them how much Jesus loved them. We explained that even though others may treat you badly, Jesus will never treat you badly and will always see you as precious. It was an awesome time of being able to minister to these children, and show them how much they are worth. I posted some pictures below.

Next month, I will be on vacation from teaching at CDR, and so I plan to go traveling. There are many other missionary bases in the region I am located, and I want to visit the other places to see if I would be interested in possibly joining their team. As I told you before, I will probably spend a year in Altamira, and then ideally, I will join another church plant in the region to help it grow.

On a personal note, I have been having a lot of problems with my back in the last month. I have been experiencing a lot of pain, and it makes it hard for me to get around as much. Please, pray for me that God either heals me or gives me some provision to make the pain go away.

As always, I love you guys and I bless you and thank you for your support. None of this would be possible without you. I bless your families. I speak God's healing and restoration over every area of your lives. May you grow more and more in the knowledge of God's love and sacrifice for you!

Love, Allison

Crazy Cleide, always entertaining!

Images of Love

Images of Abuse

If you would like to see all the pictures from the project, please follow the link below.

CDR Project 2012

Reunited

Can you believe it, I've been in Brazil for almost 3 months now! I am settling into my new life, getting a routine, and continuing to become more and more familiar with how things are done here. I feel good here, and I think I am adjusting well. But I must say, I miss you guys!!! Its hard to be away from all of you. Sometimes, I wish I could just go over to your house or call you up to go see a movie or eat pizza.
In some ways, I am a little lonely. I certainly do not lack for friendships here. I have met so many people that I really enjoy and am happy to know, but there is something to be said for having a history with people. You guys know me well, and my relationships here are only just beginning. I am confident that my new relationships will build, but of course, that takes time. I want you all to know that I'm thankful for the history we have built together over the years.
Last time, I told you that I was starting a small group for the single women in our church, and now we have been meeting for a month. The group is starting off well, but as with anything in the beginning, there are a few challenges. One is that I still am learning Portuguese, so that of course, is a barrier to helping me lead the group. The other challenges have to do with building momentum and consistent structure into the group. My hope is that the presence of God really shows up in these women's lives. Please, keep our group in your prayers.
A few weeks ago, I went on the another Fiel Retreat (they have them once a month). We went to another city about 4 hours away called Uruara. A Brazilian couple and their 3 children moved there about 2 years ago to start a new church plant. We were there to encourage them and also have services for their church community. This couple, Poli and Nega, are very special to me as I met them 4 years ago when I came here for the first time. I really connected with them then, and I was glad to learn that they still remembered me, and even had a picture of me that they kept in their home. Being able to see each other again was encouraging for both of us, and was a great conformation to me of God's faithfulness. He really does bring us full circle if we will trust and follow him.
Please also keep their family in your prayers as they work to build their church in Uruara. And thank you, all of you, for your friendship, your support, your prayers, your love, and your faithfulness to Christ. Bless you and your families! And have a good Thanksgiving! (Eat some turkey for me!)

Poli, Nega, Poliana, and Samuel 4 years ago

Samuel

Their youngest son, Gabriel

Nega

Poliana

Poli

 More Pictures from Fiel Retreat in Uruara

Transformation

So, for those of you who know me well, you know that I am out-spoken, direct, and to the point in my communication style. Though this has its benefits, it can also have a major downside of coming off as rude and harsh. It is never my intention to hurt people. I just assume that they think like I do, and therefore my explanations and observations will be obvious. Well, of course, my assumptions are diluted.
In coming to Brazil, I hoped for many things, one of them being growth. I hoped that God had called me here to change me in new ways. I wanted to grow in Christ-like character. Asking for something like this is essentially like asking for pain and discomfort. I knew this, but I wanted it anyway. So, here I am, and God is always faithful to deliver on his promise to transform us.
The Brazilian people have a different approach to communication than I do. They are polite, and they often keep most of their criticism (even productive) to themselves. In a place where relationships are highly regarded, showing respect and courtesy is of the utmost importance. In American culture, this attitude is a bit harder to find, given our strong values for individualism and speaking our minds. It was much harder (though not impossible) to recognize how I appeared to others before, but being in Brazil has made this character defect much more noticeable and easy to pen point. Transformation is never easy, but with God's help and intercession, it is entirely possible. I am grateful that God is using this place to help me grow in love--even if its painful.
   
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18


That's what is happening with me spiritually on this journey, but I also want to let you know what is happening on other fronts.

I am taking a lot of Portuguese classes, and I am definitely growing in my ability to understand others, but I still have a looooooonnngggg way to go!!! Please, pray that I continue to stay motivated and focused, and that my speaking abilities increase.

Something I am very excited about is that I will be starting a new home group for young adult and single women in a few weeks! I will be co-leading it with my roommate and another woman in our church. I believe it will be a great opportunity for me to grow in more relationships with the women here, and also help them to grow in a deeper knowledge of the love Jesus has for them.

Two weeks ago, I went on a weekend retreat called Fiel (Faith). We spent time studying the Word of God (all in Portuguese, of course), worshiping, and having lots of fun! I want you to know that the Brazilian people are passionate about worship, and they are hungry for God. In many ways, it has challenged me to reevaluate my own heart and commitment to my relationship with God. Below are a few pictures from our trip.

Lastly, but not least, I want to again thank you for your support both financially and in prayer. I want to remind you that you are sowing into the Kingdom of Heaven and into the lives of so many. God bless you and your family. God bless you in your hardships and struggles. And God bless you as you patiently wait for his salvation and provision in every area of your life. Amen!

 

Serious about Worship!

This is some crazy ninja game they came up with.

 

Always a good time to play soccer.

If you want to check out more of the pictures I've been taking, please follow the 2 links below.

Fiel Weekend Retreat

Vineyard Church in Altamira