International Newsletter November 2008

Dear Friends,

Sandro Baggio is the leader of Steiger Brazil and the pastor of a church located in a very dangerous area of São Paulo. The church is near a squatter area of old apartment blocks occupied by drug dealers and gangs. Download pdf

Among the squalor live many fatherless children just looking to survive. Sandro's church gave a party recently for these forgotten kids and about 120 children showed up. The volunteers from the church had their work cut out for them as most of these children have had little or no parenting. Violence is a normal part of their young lives and they have no understanding of personal discipline.

The "bouncing castle" the church had hired for the kids to play on was destroyed in about two minutes. When the food was brought out during the party it was like a stampede. Kids (and even some mothers) started cutting in line, pushing and shoving for food. But everyone agreed that despite the challenges it was a good night and a first step in bringing the love of Jesus to that desperate part of the city.

While we were there Jodi gave a seminar for the women in the church and Julia (not her real name), a beautiful 17 year old girl, gave her life to Jesus in the meeting. Julia lives in a family where everyone does crack cocaine except her mother who "just closes her eyes to it." She said that drugs are sold in the classroom of her school and the teachers don't do anything about it. Agata and Fernanda (who are Steiger missionaries and members of the church) are looking after her and helping her grow in her relationship with God.

During Jodi's seminar, I gave a seminar for the men in the church. I talked about how we need to submit all our plans to God and not be proud and think we can do things on our own. After the meeting we all knelt together and asked Jesus to forgive us for the times we have moved ahead of Him. After our men's meeting was finished I went up to where Jodi was meeting with the girls and I looked out the window and I saw the police take a guy away in handcuffs who was apparently trying to rob somebody in a car outside the church!

The next days we spent time with the team who are working in Garbage Mouth. Garbage Mouth is a part of the city where little children take drugs and "low class" prostitutes work. This ministry called "Touch" goes to the streets with bandages and medicine and brings the love of Jesus to this area of the city which is a kind of living hell. We also spent time with Sandro and other leaders of the church and prayed about future direction.

On Sunday I spoke at the church service and once again God moved powerfully and many renewed their commitments to Jesus.

Before we left Sao Paulo a riot broke between two different branches of the police. On TV screens in cafes they showed police with riot gear fighting against other police! Our Brazilian friends just shrugged their shoulders and told us when you live in a city like this nothing surprises you.

We are now in Karlsruhe, Germany preparing for a month long evangelistic speaking tour throughout the country. Please pray for both Jodi and I, as we will be speaking at churches, university groups and a television interview in Hamburg. We will also be meeting with our International Eldership and Vision Team.

Thank you for your part in bringing the love of Jesus to so many!!
For the Lost
David & Jodi Pierce

Prayer Needs

1. Pray for Sandro Baggio who leads the work in Brazil. He will be speaking in churches in Germany in November to raise personal support for him and his family. Pray that God touches people who will want to help support this ministry.
2. Pray for the Meditative retreat we are planning in Beirut, Lebanon in February. Many artists and influential people from the Arab world could be there. Pray that God protects the girl who is organizing this event and that people have an opportunity to see that Jesus is about love and not hate.
3. Pray that the Holy Spirit falls on all of us during the International Eldership and Vision meeting November 4-6 in Germany. That God gives us wisdom about how to plan next year.
4. Pray for the students that are preparing to attend the Radical Mission School from March-May next year in New Zealand. At the moment we have people coming from Croatia, Germany, Canada, Poland and USA. We are also expecting people from Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. Pray for the sponsorship we need for these potential young missionaries.
5. Pray for Jodi and I that we can be focused and filled with God’s power as we have a very intense schedule for the next 6 weeks. You can find out our speaking schedule HERE
6. Pray for our teams scattered around the world. That they will boldly proclaim the love of Jesus!