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Biography
Appointed
as missionaries in 1998, the Weber family answered the call to reach
the lost souls in Brazil. After a two- year deputation, they arrived in
São Paulo in 2001 and began evangelizing the state. Seminars were held
for families, Sunday school teachers, pastors, pastors’ wives, children
and young people. The whole family was active in home Bible studies,
children’s crusades, street evangelism, and translation projects -
including the translation of UPC Sunday school material. They organized
regional youth choirs and were active in church music development.
Sister Weber is the national prayer director for the country and has
held prayer seminars in Southern Brazil. Also during this time the
family traveled to nine other states preaching and teaching.
Six
months before their term was to end, the state of Paraná requested the
Webers start a Bible school in that state as well as pastor the
headquarters church. With the time remaining they began to work in the
headquarters church and in 6 weeks the church attendance doubled after
much evangelism. In regards to the Bible school, over sixty people have
filled out applications and are hoping to begin their studies in
September, 2005, pending the return of the Weber family.
The Country
Brazil is the largest nation in South America,
bordering all other South American nations except Chile and Ecuador.
Slightly smaller than the USA
in size, it covers 8.5 million square kilometers. This nation, which is
a federal republic, is made up of twenty-six states and a Federal
District, Brasília. Brazil is known for some of its major industries,
such as shoes, lumber, and coffee.
Discovered in 1500 by the Portuguese explorer
Pedro Cabral and settled by Portugal, Brazil is the only Portuguese
speaking nation in South America.
By far the most populous nation in South America, Brazil has a
population of 184,101,109 people, 80% of which are Roman Catholics.
Millions of these people live in poverty. The gigantic metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil is the fourth largest in
the entire world, with twenty million people living inside its limits.
The city of Campinas, where the Webers lived and worked for two and a
half years, lies about one hour to the northwest of São Paulo city.
This city and the surrounding area have a population of about three
million people.
Directly on the southern border of São Paulo is the state of Paraná,
the cultural center of Brazil. About 9.5 million people live in this
state, and currently it has only seventeen churches.
The Need
From the state of São Paulo
with its 40 million unevangelized souls, to the state of Curitíba, with
its 9.5 million unevangelized souls, there is a tremendous need for
more churches, Bible schools, pastors and workers.
The Webers plan to locate in the city of Curitíba,
and assume the pastorate of Paraná’s headquarters church there. To
date, only five United Pentecostal churches are operating in Curitíba.
It is the vision of these missionaries to have 200 churches planted in
that city and in the surrounding areas.
It is also the Webers’
vision to begin a Bible school in Paraná in order to equip national
workers to evangelize not only the state of Paraná, but of São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Mato Grosso. Paraná has many interior cities that have no UPC works established. The bordering state of São Paulo has many cities without a UPC church. There is a great need within the city of São Paulo, which to date, has no stable works within its city limits.
Another
bordering state, Mato Grosso do Sul, has yet to hear the gospel
message. After having visited the state on several occasions, the
urgency of establishing works there has become apparent. The state of Mato Grosso is a work in its infancy and has a great need for more trained workers.
Birthdays
Chris: 16 September, Michelle: 16 July, Elisabeth: 31 January 1987, Alana: 16 August 1990
Anniversary
18 December
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