March 2003

Dear Friends,

Greetings. We've been in Louisville now for a year working as missionaries-in-residence. I (Michael) returned to Brazil last month to the missionary training center (CTM) in Cuiabá where we had worked for the last nine years. The purpose of CTM is to train church workers to plant new churches in the western portion of Brazil, especially in the states of Acre and Amazonas. A major goal is to train foreign (that is, non-Brazilian) students. In that, we've had a lot of success.

In February 1999, Cesar Ramirez, a Peruvian, was the first to come. Despite some differences in language and cultural background, he adapted well to the new environment. After his graduation in 2002, Cesar married Elaine, a Brazilian and a second-year student at the CTM. They are now working as missionaries of the Board of National Mission of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) in the city of Passo Fundo in the south of Brazil. After Elaine graduates in 2004, they plan to go to Peru to do evangelism and new church development.

Anatolia Canteno (Peruvian) came in 2000. Anatolia had already graduated from a seminary in Peru, but hadn't studied mission and evangelism. In 2001, she was invited by the IPIB to do her practical work in mission and evangelism.

She also took graduate courses in missiology through an extension of the South American Seminary in Londrina, Parana, then graduated from the CTM and South American Seminary in November 2002. It was quite an accomplishment to get a diploma from CTM and a master's degree from South American Seminary at the same time. Anatolia returned to Lima, Peru and is serving in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru.

Jorge Tomas is from Christ Presbyterian Church in Argentina. After graduating in November 2003, he will return to serve in Rosario, Argentina. But he won't be going home alone since on December 1, 2002, I performed his wedding ceremony at CTM Centro-Oeste. Presently, Rosilene (a graduate of the CTM in 2002) and Jorge are serving a church in the Presbytery of Mato Grosso and Rondonia.

In 2001, another Peruvian arrived in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso. Emanoel Gasgoit did his internship for one year in the city of Pimenta Bueno, Rondonia, where he helped revitalize a congregation that is now growing again. The session of Pimenta Church extended an invitation for him to continue in 2003, but Emanoel decided to do his internship in his own country. He is also working with Anatolia to coordinate the first mission conference of the Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana del Peru. He is traveling to churches and talking to leaders convincing them that for a church to grow it must believe and practice the holistic mission. "Holistic evangelism," he wrote, "must be in the heart of the church. The Church must do the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to grow." Since he had already graduated from a seminary in Peru, the CTM gave him permission to graduate at the end of this year.

The school also received a student from Argentina in February 2003. The CTM's new director, the Rev. Elvio de Almeida wrote, "I trust in the Lord Jesus that he will call more women and men from other Latin American countries to study at CTM Centro-Oeste, it is our goal to reach out to Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay!)."

The Board of National Mission of the IPIB and the Presbytery of Mato Grosso-Rondonia are now able to open a new mission field in the state of Acre. It will be the first time the denomination has gone into Acre, the westernmost state in Brazil. Praise the Lord for the accomplishment of these dreams, which were placed in the hearts and minds of the leaders of the IPIB and the PC(USA).

The work at of the CTM reflects a partnership between the Worldwide Ministries Division of the PC(USA), the IPIB and the Outreach Foundation. Presbyterian congregations can be proud of their joint effort to help educate and train lay mission co-workers for the advancement of Christ's kingdom in Brazil and beyond it. So far, thirty-two students have graduated. They are working in 12 of the 26 states of Brazil. Several new churches are being planted thanks to the effort of these students and the Board of National Mission of the IPIB. Nine of the graduates are now studying in the seminary of the IPIB because they want to be ordained as pastors. They are all preparing themselves to help fulfill the dreams of their denomination, as it is the hope of the IPIB to plant churches in every state of Brazil before its 100 birthday's celebration on July 31, 2003. Please continue to pray for and support the CTM financially as the PC(USA) and the IPIB are working in partnership for the sake of the gospel of Christ in Brazil and around the world.

In Christ's Service,

Michael and Irene Sivalee

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page 149.