You might remember that our exciting plans to open a guesthouse in Rio first began as the dream of our friend and coworker, Stephen Arnold. We are excited to share his newsletter with you this month about the work he has been doing to open up the field of Brazil for Chosen People Ministries.

“We want to reach the entire South Zone of Rio with the Gospel.”

During my last trip to Rio de Janeiro, I had the opportunity to introduce Mitch Glaser, the president of Chosen People Ministries, to pastors and ministry leaders who I had connected with on my previous trips. The hope was to find people in Rio who have a heart for the Jewish people and want to partner with us in ministry. The churches that I have connected with in Brazil have different strengths and needs that will allow us to partner with them to advance the Gospel message.

It was during one of our meetings that a pastor expressed their mission strategy for ministry in Brazil. He explained, “We want to reach the entire South Zone of Rio with the Gospel. We realize that whatever happens in Rio influences the entire country of Brazil. We also know that whatever happens in the South Zone of Rio influences the rest of the city. If we can reach the South Zone of Rio, we will have an impact on the entire country of Brazil.”

We then went on to discuss the fact that the largest Jewish communities in Rio are in Botafogo, Ipanema, Copacabana, and Leblon. All of these neighborhoods are in the South Zone, and these are all places where Israeli backpackers are traveling as well. Our visions for ministry share the need for reaching the 30,000 Jewish people of Rio and the 10,000 Israeli backpackers who visit every year. If they are going to reach the South Zone, they will need to reach the Jewish people who are there as well. They may not have the resources to reach out to this specific group, but we do! I’m seeing a beautiful partnership forming!

Please pray that God would continue to guide our steps as we move forward in connecting with the local Body of Messiah in Rio de Janeiro. As we are connecting with these churches, we are also looking for Christian leaders and businessmen who want to serve on the board for Chosen People Ministries in Brazil. Pray that God will show us who he wants to be on this ministry board. Thank you so much for praying for my team and I as we prepare for the great adventure that God has placed before us. There is a lot of work to be done, and your prayer and support helps keep us going!

Your Servants in Messiah,

The BRAZIL Team: Stephen, BJ & Carissa