A letter from Marta Carriker serving in Brazil
June 2015 - Supporting Women in Ministry
… urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2.12).
When the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) asked me to help support their missionary families by encouraging the women and walking alongside them, I was thrilled. Some of these women are pastors, most without their own salary as they share the support of a pastoral team with their husbands, some are educators, some are professionals in other areas, and some make the home their focus as they are raising their children. All of them are in the church and serve our partner in Brazil (IPIB) in their new church planting efforts all over the country.
My job is to spend time with these women and to listen to their concerns, to pray for them regularly, and to help them in their Christian journey any way I can. That is a tremendous privilege as I get to visit them, to see firsthand the development of their projects and to participate in the outreach of the IPIB. When I come back from my trips we keep in touch through Facebook. Yes, it can be a wonderful tool for ministry!
Last weekend I took one such trip to Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the state just south of us. Some of you will remember that Tim and I spent about 19 months in that state in the 1980s, in the city of Santa Maria, where we too had the responsibility of starting a new church. Well, since that time the state of Rio Grande do Sul has had a special place in our hearts. Also, in 2008 some of you came to visit on a short-term mission trip to that area and we all went to Gravataí and Porto Alegre. I have good news for you.
If you remember, the church in Porto Alegre was grieving in 2008 because cancer had taken one of their strongest and most beloved leaders, Renato. Some of the new Christians were disappointed that God did not heal him and eventually left the church. But the good news is that the church is back on its feet again and they have started over in a new location, where they are more visible in the downtown area of Porto Alegre. After spending some time with the pastor’s wife, Janaína, last Saturday we went to the home of the parents of the pastor (Vinícius), where there was an evangelistic tea and I was invited to speak to about 15 women, most of whom are members of one of these two congregations. My message was on 1 Corinthians 13 and they told me afterward that it only confirmed God’s call to them to love one another and serve those around them. After they left, Leda, Vinícius’ mother, prepared for us rice and dry beef, a typical dish in that region, continuing to show her hospitality. The wonderful smell and warm conversation felt like the lesson put into practice by this family of our church. I ask you to pray for Rev. Vinícius Lima and his wife, Janaína, and their lovely toddler Rafael, who is now 18 months old.
The church in Gravataí was where one of our former students, Itamar, led a music school that was full of young people in 2008. They are now in transition from being a congregation supported by the national church to becoming an organized self-supporting church. Itamar and Meire, our IPIB missionaries, were afraid that the congregation would be discouraged by the challenge as they only have one year to complete the cycle. But the good news is that the opposite happened and they are energized by this deadline. I saw commitment and love in this group of about 40 people. Together with two other women from her congregation, Meire has started an after-school program that is helping to build bridges with the children and families in the neighborhood. The young girls we met in 2008 teaching drums and guitar lessons are still there (I am posting pictures of then and now). One of them is leading a campaign to collect warm clothes for the needy this winter. The other is getting married to Jonathan, Itamar’s son, and they are both praise leaders in the church. The church has created many departments and most members are actively engaged.
My heart is full of joy and gratitude to God, who is in action in Rio Grande do Sul. I am grateful for Janaína and Meire, who come from other states but have accepted the challenge of ministering in this state where we still have not reached the minimum of four churches to start a presbytery. I am also thankful to all of you who have prayed for this project and have visited and kept up our support so that we can participate even if in a small way in the ministry in Rio Grande do Sul. Together we go farther.
May God challenge us as well to be involved and to press forward energized by deadlines and goals, even if the result of our planting and watering always comes ultimately from him. Again, let me invite you to continue to pray for us, to write to us, and to support our ministry.
Your missionaries,
Marta and Tim
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 48. 49
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