|
Written by The Forgotten Africa
|
|
| Update on Keith's Knee Replacement |
|
Greetings!
Thanks to those of you who asked the Lord for health mercies during and after Keith's knee replacement surgery last week.
Read below for more details from Deborah:
|
| Exerpt from Latest Email
from Deborah
|
|
"Keith is doing fine. He is walking on a walker and on his crutches today. We are leaving the hospital here in just a little bit. We have had several visits from our missionary colleagues. The knee looks good with about 25 stiches. His more intensive physical therapy starts tomorrow, every day. He is in good spirits and has witnessed to everyone who has come in the room. So many have told us we were not here just for his knee but for him to share the words we have shared with them."
|
Please refer to the Jefferson's website for further updates on Keith's recovery, and other pieces of news. We will send another full newsletter in several months. http://theforgottenafrica.org/
|
|
|
| Keith & Deborah Celebrating Completion of 40-Day Love Challenge
Valentines Day, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Hebrews 10:23 |
| "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by The Forgotten Africa
|
|
| Immediate Prayer Request From The Forgotten Africa |
March 2009 |
Greetings!
 Deborah and I covet your prayers as I will be having a knee replacement Wednesday, March 11th, at 4:00 pm (2:00 pm US Central Time).
We are in Sao Paulo and have completed a series of tests that have confirmed my need for an immediate operation. My knee specialist, Dr. Moses Cohen, is considered one of the best in South America and I will be in one of the best hospitals in South America also. My hospital stay will be five to seven days and I'll have two weeks of intensive therapy here in Sao Paulo before returning to our city for more. We thank you so much for praying!
Wishing You His Best,
Keith and Deb Jefferson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by The Forgotten Africa
|
|
|
| News from The Forgotten Africa
February 2009
|
|
Greetings!
This newsletter is a new feature of Keith and Deborah's ongoing and fruitful ministry to Quilombolas in Brazil. I had the pleasure of spending 4 months working along-side the Jefferson's last Fall and now plan to continue assisting them by sending this celebrative newsletter to friends and family who wish to receive it.
Please join me in prayer and praise to God for His work through the Jefferson's.
With love because of Jesus,
|
|
|
|
|
 Quilombolas
Descendants of Former Fugitive African Slaves
African slavery was very prevalent in Brazil and lasted much longer than it did in the U.S. Some of the slaves escaped the cruel treatment and working conditions to journey deep into the country's interior and form small villages that still exist today.
Many of these villages have been untouched by the gospel and continue in very wicked spiritism that their ancestors brought over from Africa.
(Table in background of this pictures is covered in idols used in a form of witchcraft. This man rejected Christ on the day this was taken but asked us to pray for his wife's healing from cancer.)
|
 Ministry
Past, Present, and Future
Keith and Deborah Jefferson became missionaries through the International Mission Board 13 years ago when they and their 4 daughters moved to Brazil.
The couple travels throughout their state and others to locate and survey new Quilombos. Part of this mission is to also find an evangelical church in the closest town that will commit to ongoing ministry within the villages.
They just completed a 17 day, 2800 mile trip through which they visited 39 new Quilombos and found at least 3 pastors who've commited to church planting.
|
|
|
| Review of Major "Fall 2008 Events" |
|
Returned to Brazil after 11 months in US. Setup homestead.
Hosted 5 American mission teams in Fall of 08.
Shared gospel and supplies with villages along Amazon River and in Quilombos we have established long-term relationships with.
Constructed a church building and first bathroom in a Quilombo.
Began "English Service" at home church in Salvador as outreach tool that attracts educated unbelievers.
Mentored/trained
missionary assistant through transition to new culture, language, and job.
Took seperate teams of Brazilian college students, and members from our Brazilian home church to minister in "interior".
Shared gospel every time the Lord opened the door during "normal" living.
|
|
2009 Happenings
...so far. Glory to God!
- Took full bus of our church members to minister within Quilombo 1.
- First wedding in Quilombo 1 following construction of church.
- 5 new male believers in Quilombo 1, for total of 10.
- 26 of 30 homes have at least one believer. 54 total believers in Quilombo 1!
- Found 2 new Quilombos 35 minutes from the Jefferson's front door. Showed Jesus film and were recieved well.
- Given use of city's Mobile Bus Clinic to do health care in Quilombo!
- Discovered another full-time missionary to Quilombos...Janainda Lopez do Santos. Please pray for every aspect of her life and ministry.
- Located and surveyed 39 new villages during 17-day, 2800 mile trip. 34 had no evangelical presence and some had never heard the gospel.
- 3 pastors and wives have commited to church plant in these villages.
- One city-worker and one hotel clerk gave their lives to Christ after speaking with Deborah and Keith during this trip.
- Quilombo 3 had first church meeting Feb. 11. 3 ladies received Christ.
- Keith & Deborah completed 40-day "Dare to Love" challenge on Feb. 13 and celebrated on Valentines Day!
|
Prayer Requests:
- Mature churches in local towns to adopt hidden Quilombos and share physical and spiritual resources with them.
- The Jefferson's
- More Brazilians burdened to reach "their own" with the gospel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by The Forgotten Africa
|
|
|
 |
Previous Mission Projects |
|
July 12-19: Team from South Carolina to Quilombo near Cachoeira. August 1-10: Mission Team from Houston, TX to 3 Quilombos along Amazon River August 20-26: Volunteer Missionaries from Virginia to 2 Quilombos September: Moved into New Apartment, Prepared for Church Building Trip
October 19-29: Church Construction Team (Georgia) and Evangelism Team (South Carolina) joined Brazilians to work in Quilombo. Began an English church service as an outreach tool to the unsaved. November: Second English Church Service Developing Strategy and Calendar for 2009 |
|
|
|
|
Dear Friends, We have a "Praise The Lord" report!
After the building of a small church in a quilombo called Engenho Da Pointe, which was largely financed by our Brazilian home church, five men have prayed to receive Christ. For the past two years we've only had 2 men who had committed their lives to the Lord, but now 4 of the men that were helping to build the church and 2 others have publicly received the Lord and are attending church meetings and Bible study regularly.
Beyond this, there have been 15 women and young people who have committed their lives to the Lord in the last two weeks. |
|
Foundation on the First Day
 Oh! Before our 5 days of construction and 7 days of door to door evangelism, in Engenho Da Pointe, there were 15 church members and 15 others that attended the services. Now there are over 60 attending the three services per week in this village. GLORY!!!
The attendance in this village's house of Voo Doo is beginning to dwindle, and the commitment and ferver in the house of God is growing! |
| Prayer Needed The other church that we have helped to start in a quilombo village is called Cazinhas. It presenty has 14 members and approximately 12 attendees. This November 25 - 30 there will be a group of eight Brazilian volunteers that will do door to door evangelism, Bible storying, music, drama, and other methods of sharing Christ. Please pray for us as we orientate these 6 ladies and 2 men that will be ministering in Cazinhas. Beyond this, on November 29th, 47 members of our Brazilian home church will be working with us to do follow-up evangelism in Engenho Da Pointe. Please pray that this church will continue to rapidly grow through salvations and discipleship. |
| Sincere thanks for your prayers and friendship! Keith & Deborah Jefferson Salvador, Bahia BRAZIL |
|
| "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts." Zach. 4:6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Anne Kogan
|
|
Quilombo Country documentary reveals the modern-day challenges faced by Brazil's runaway slave communities
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Versão Portugues
|
|
 The development of slavery in Brazil is fundamental to understanding the Quilombos concept. It was the slaves' struggle for freedom that conferred a character of resistance to these communities.
The African descent population in the Americas today numbers over 140 million, one third of the continent's 450 million people. Slavery in the Americas saw 15 million slaves violently uprooted from their lands in Africa. Approximately 40% of all African slaves went to Brazil, to serve as a labour force in the colonial period.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
| Results 11 - 17 of 17 |
Blog
Full church with about 20 looking in through the back windows! *2 Days ago we received a request for 40 more chairs because the church is full.* Several of the New Believers 
