December 2003

Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

We would like to share with you some recent, personal reflections about our ministry.

Linda writes

I agree with the new Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) document called "Gathering for God’s Future," which states that we are “dealing with shifts in patterns of support and connectionalism.” Paul and I are witnessing donors with particular interests bringing new resources to bear in international missions. The document adds that “churches are challenged to improve coordination of efforts in response to the creative energy being unleashed.” As a mission co-worker in Brazil, this statement personally challenges me. Many local churches of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) and presbyteries and churches of the PC(USA) are eager to be involved in the explosive church growth in the semi-arid region in northeast Brazil, called the sertão.

One of the special events this year was the celebration worship service of the Sertão Project in August. The Sertão Project team, composed of members of the five new-church communities of the project and a team representing various PC(USA) churches, celebrated the culmination of five years of ministry in the sertão. The event took place in the hub city of the Sertão Project, Patos, in the state of Paraíba.

Paul writes

This year has been particularly gratifying because it has been a year of evaluation of the Sertão Project, which is in its fifth year. The project has been very exciting because it has involved so many diverse elements of missions. It is an evangelism and new church development project with an emphasis on holistic ministry. It is a partnership between the PC(USA) and the IPIB involving a team of Brazilian missionaries from the IPIB, a missionary training center (CTM) of the IPIB, and the hosting of short-term travel/study teams from PC(USA) congregations, who have been accepted as partners in the project by the IPIB leadership and missionaries.

Another exciting and dynamic aspect of the ministry is working together with Linda, planning and accompanying PC(USA) short-term travel/study teams. Although this is Linda’s primary responsibility, I am also involved in pre-planning, ongoing communication, and in-country involvement with the teams. The major focus of the travel/study teams has been the Sertão Project. When teams are in Brazil, I serve as translator, help interpret the vision and ministry of the IPIB, and help the teams evaluate their experience. This year I designed a Bible study based on the Gospel of Mark, which I believe helped the teams put their experience into a biblical framework.

On November 29, Claudia, Clayton, Jackson, José Antônio, and Navagantes graduated from the CTM-Northeast, the fourth graduating class. They will be recognized as missionaries of the church, a non-ordained position. Also, ten new students completed their first year of studies at the CTM. These students will now enter into a two-year period of supervised field training and continuing studies at the CTM.

These past three years have been a time of understanding and entering more deeply into the Brazilian culture, especially the culture of northeast Brazil. As a result, I believe I have been accepted more as a colleague by the Brazilian pastors and missionaries with whom I work, and, also, I believe I’m more effective in relating as a teacher and pastor to students at the CTM and to the people in the congregations where I have opportunity to teach, preach, and do ministry.

We thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We pray that in this Christmas season you will experience the peace of God, which surpasses our human understanding.

A graça e a paz do Senhor Jesus Cristo,

Paul and Linda Fahnestock
Natal, Brazil

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 146