Beyond Our Borders Team to Visit Brazil in August

     Did you know that the members of Christ Church support thousands of poor children in Brazil through the Beyond Our Borders ministry?  Your Beyond Our Borders missions team will be in Brazil from August 13—20, visiting the children and the Christian leaders who care for them.  This year, the team will review projects in three cities in southern Brazil:  Londrina, Campinas, and Curitiba.  The trip objectives are to encourage and strengthen relationships with Brazilian Christian leaders, to visit the children being served in our projects, to review how project objectives have been met, and to look for new opportunities to help more children.

     There is nothing more heartwarming than seeing the smiles of these beautiful children as they learn and grow through Christian activities.  Our hope is for everyone at Christ Church to experience the joy of helping the children, and we will be providing you with frequent updates during our trip.  Stay tuned to Christ Church announcements for information about the new Beyond Our Borders blog.

     In Londrina, we will visit five day care centers, several foster homes, a safe house for at risk teens, and a community garden.  In Campinas, we will be working with Hope Unlimited which provides Christian residence and education for homeless teens.  In Curitiba, we will meet with the Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Brazil, in addition to working with Christian schools for the children in slum areas.  All of these projects receive direct support from members of Christ Church through the projects of Beyond Our Borders.

     This year the Beyond Our Borders team will have five travelers:  Bob Wilkins, Buck Branson, and Rick McGee from Christ Church, Myron Miller from All Saints UMC, and a new volunteer, Gail Brown, a local investment manager.  On August 1 at the 9:45am worship service, Christ Church will hold a commissioning ceremony for the team to bless their travel and the work they will be doing in God's service for the children.  Please plan to attend that service to learn more about the trip and provide your support for this important missions activity.