40 Anniversary of the AFLC in Brazil Starts

The 40 Anniversary of the AFLC in Brazil started today, Friday January 20, 2006. The tour from the United States visited the Bible School and Seminary. The Miriam Infant home is located on the same site and we notice the work that is beind done among the children.





You can not travel to Brazil without eating at a Brazilian buffet. They bring the meat to your table and don't stop until you refuse to eat any more.






Some people questioned if Jonathan Unverzagt crossed the line into gluttony. Needless to say we all enjoied lunch.




In the afternoon we visited AMECAM a home for teens. Teens who are in trouble with the law are given the choice to go to the teen farm and clean up their life, or go to jail. At the teen farm they hear about Jesus and He as a real impact on their lives.

The evening service started the Anniversary which will continue until Sunday.

Now Under the Southern Cross

Our group arrived safely in Brazil yesterday. Today we visited a number of ministries supported by the AFLC in the United States.

The first was the new work at Campo Largo. Campo Largo is the current Primavera Project church. Funds from the AFLC have helped with the construction of the chruch. It is very near the work at the ARCA which we visited at noon.

After lunch we headed towared Campo Mauro. On the way we stopped at the new church being started by Pastor Jonathan Abel. We had dinner and Bible study with the people of the church and then headed for Campo Mauro.

Check back for future trip updates.

Prayer Request from Hinrichs'

"in his time, in his time He makes all things beautiful in his time…"

Maybe you know this old Christian chorus which encourages us to wait upon the Lord in submission until His Time. Usually it is easy to give that advice to somebody but to stand still when we feel pressed on every side to make a quick decision is not that easy. We can relate to that feeling concerning the Bible school. Of course by now you have heard from our newsletter that we have asked for prayer concerning the need for Bible school accommodations. The situation is becoming more serious since our students have now actually moved.

Right now all nine of our daily Bible school students live in three rooms squeezed between our office, the classroom and storage rooms. The building is used periodically for other purposes like VBS classes during winter break so the students will have to move out from their rooms. Downstairs we used to have a lounge which now we will be sharing with the after-school club for the kids from the community. Just yesterday we had to give up one of our two classrooms for the sake of having a guest room available. We simply see that it is impossible to have Bible School in a place where there is constantly something else (not related to the school) going on.

The Lord has been speaking to us lately a lot through the Book of Isaiah giving his promises about his faithfulness, his provision. He encouraged us especially during our recent retreat to the “Bible House” Betania (retreat center in Bielsko-Biala). Also, as we gathered at the New Year banquet at CME precious promises were read from Is. 43:10-13, 19 – “’You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?… See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

In hearing these promises from the Lord, we have no doubt that He will find a solution to our problem with accommodations and the future of the ministry here in the Bible school. Please stand with us in prayer as we seek God’s direction and provision. “He will make a way, when there seems to be no way!”

Thank you!

Tim and Renata Hinrichs

40 Years Under the Southern Cross

This morning a group left for Brazil to celebrate forty years of ministry by the AFLC. There are several groups traveling to Brazil for this occasion. There are 18 people traveling from Minneapolis, 6 from the West Coast and several families traveling on their own.

Please be in prayer for the trip and the future ministry in Brazil. Check back often for update of the trip.

Wife of National Pastor Dies Unexpectedly

We received word that Magdelena ("Febe"), from Irapuato, Gto, Mexico, wife of Pastor Raul Hernandez and daughter of Pastor Samuel Flores, died suddenly this week. This is the second daughter of Pastor Flores to die in the past few months; she was the mother of two children, both still at home. Please keep the family in your prayers.

Full Time Missions Director

The AFLC World Mission Committee is pleased to announce that Pastor Del Palmer has accepted the call to serve as full time director of the world mission department. Pastor Palmer has served as the part time director for the past 3 years and will begin his full time responsibilities February 1, 2006. He will be leaving Faith Lutheran Church in Shakopee after serving them for almost 10 years.

Because of to the opportunities to expand AFLC mission work around the world, it was determined that a full time director was necessary due. We anticipate starting a new work with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Uganda in 2006 with missionary candidates Nate and Rhoda Jore. The World Mission Committee is also looking at expanding the work of missions in our current fields of Brazil, India, and Mexico.

Pastor Palmer begins his full time service by participating with the tour group to Brazil celebrating 40 years of AFLC mission work there. On that same trip, he will also participate in an exploratory trip up the Amazon River to evaluate the possibility of starting a new work. Any expansion of mission work in Brazil would be in partnership with the AFLC Brazil national church.

Pastor Palmer has already traveled to India, Africa, Brazil, and Mexico in support of our mission efforts. His full time status will accommodate this travel in the future as well as allow him to better promote missions within the United States and Canada including teaching a missions class at the Bible School and Seminary.

Within the past couple of years a number of people have expressed interest in serving the Lord through AFLC World Missions. Some such as Nate and Rhoda Jore, and Tomaz and Miriam Chimel are in the final stages of the process. Others have just begun discussions of the process. Please contact Pastor Palmer if you sense that inner call and would like to find out more about the work of AFLC World Missions.

The purpose of AFLC World Missions is, by the grace of God, to make disciples of all nations through teaching and evangelism.

Matthew 9:37,38 “Then he said to his disciples. ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’.”