May 3, 2006

Dear Friends,

Grace and Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen!

It has been a very busy first quarter so far. We were able to go to the United States for a short home assignment from January to mid-March. We praised God for the traveling mercy because we did not have any problems with snow or ice. We were able to visit almost 20 churches in various states. It was a good experience for us as it was, we trust, for our audiences, as we shared and reflected on the mission of Christ as it is discerned and carried out by our beloved Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and our brothers and sisters of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB). Again, thanks for inviting us and for your hospitality and kindness. We hope we can see many other churches when we are on home assignment next time.

Friends, it was a tough four years for the students, their families, and the professors. But we were happy because we were able to accomplish a task that the Lord through His church had trusted us to do. The IPIB is proud of these new graduates because they were trained to be pastors with a vision of new church development. The PC(USA) can be proud, too, for all its prayer and financial support to the IPIB, our partner in this endeavor. All of our students are now doing internships at different local churches in central-west Brazil. By the end of this year, five more students will graduate. Please lift them up in your daily prayers.

We would like to introduce you to one of the graduates, Solange Mello. She had been our student in the Lay Missionary Center (CTM) in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso. She is now working with a

new church development project called “Aguas Lindas” or “Beautiful Waters” of the Central Independent Presbyterian Church of Brasil in Brasilia. She will be ordained next year and will be the first pastor in residence of this new congregation.

Last year, a large group of Presbyterian Women (from the PCUSA) came through Brasilia under the leadership of Sherry Flyr, PW’s current moderator. We took the group to Aguas Lindas, and they were impressed by the work and dedication of Solange and her colleague, Estael, a second-year student at the seminary and another former student of CTM in Cuiaba). Solange works with several women in Aguas Lindas who produce hand-painted dishtowels and other crafts. This is one of the ways she is teaching these women to earn a living.

PW invited Solange to participate at its Gathering this July 3-11 in Louisville. She’ll leave Brazil with Irene on June 19. While Irene itinerates in Sacramento and San Jose, California, Solange will itinerate in the Synod of the Rocky Mountains and be based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Another former student from CTM, Adriana de Souza, was also invited. She graduated from the IPIB seminary in Londrina, Parana, and recently finished her master’s of religious science from the Methodist University in Sao Paulo. Solange and Irene are bringing the hand-painted dishtowels to the gathering. They hope to sell them to help Aguas Lindas raise enough money to buy building materials for an IPIB church.

We ask that you continue to pray for our beloved PC(USA). On May 1, there was a big downsizing of the staff in the denominational headquarters. Our hope is that the Lord will lead us and guide us all through the tribulations that our beloved church is going through and that there may be peace and hope in all our hearts. Amen.”

Michael and Irene Sivalee

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 45