Join with us in PRAISE and PRAYER to the Father:

We are immensely grateful for your prayers, support and interest in our ministry and for God's grace in moving all of you to be involved in some way as our support team.  We are dependant upon Him and on His moving hearts to pray for us, to host us in your homes, to co-operate with us in the ministry He has called us to.  A huge thank you to all of you that have given in some way to meet our needs during this four month furlough time.  There is so much to report on from these last weeks.  Thank you for reading and praying through these things with us.  Our prayer is that you will be blessed to see how God is working and how you can co-operate in this ministry.

1.  Furlough Ministries:

•  Many miles traveled safely in a very comfortable and yet economical car loaned to us by friends.
•  Three opportunities for reporting and fellowshipping with those interested in our ministry in the Stayton/Salem area.
•  Encouraging time of debriefing and fellowship with Jim & Shirlie Moore in Salem.
•  Opportunities to report to:  Smith River Baptist, Campton Heights-Fortuna, Coffee Creek and Trinity Center Community Churches, Crossroads Baptist near Redding, the First Baptist-Weaverville missions committee, and the pastor of Calvary Baptist-Paradise, Pleasant Hill Baptist - Martinez, Copper Hills Baptist - Yerington, NV, and various individual supporters and friends.
• Spiritual encouragement and refreshment at the ABWE conference July 19-23 in Harrisburg, PA.  We along with a number of our colleagues from the Candidate class of 1980 received pins for 30 years of service with ABWE. To God be the glory!  We were also able to connect with friends we haven't seen for a number of years as well as some of the more recently appointed missionaries.
• July 23 we spent time with Mike and Renee Skibinski, ABWE appointees to work with our MMM missionaries in Cape Verde, talking through various things for the time they will spend in Brazil for language and cultural adaptation. 
  Coming opportunities for Prayer --  
•  Reporting at Pine Grove Baptist - Santa Maria 8/8; 
•  Finalizing the packing of things that will be stored in our son, Nate's, garage;
•  Packing suitcases for our trip back to Fortaleza on Aug. 12.  Due to God's abundant blessings we are taking back more than our limits in equipment and books for the ministry. Pray that we will not have to pay exhorbitant amounts in excess baggage or customs as we enter Brazil.

2.  Support Report:

• From January to June, 10 increases in support + Lydia paying own education costs makes up for $260 in support lost due to economic difficulties in one of our churches.
• In July, two new additions to our support team: the Glen Carlson family of Sumas, WA and Darrell & Delores Ilstrup of Eltopia, WA  Rejoice with us in God's provision!!
• We have financial clearance to return to Fortaleza Aug. 12 as planned. We made reductions in our rent and ministry allotments, and tabled the raising of funds to cover MMM trips. Pray for God's provision in these areas as He sees fit.

3.  SIBIMA Report:

• First semester ended with a month-long bus strike that made it near impossible to have classes.
• Jerry continues to work on the corrections to his thesis. It has been difficult to carve out time for this more recently due to all the other responsibilities that furlough involves.  Pray for the soon completion of this process.
• Second semester starts in August 9.  Pray for new students, for financial diligence to pay their bills, dedication to studies. 
• Jerry will need to be ready to jump into teaching Theology of Missions and Pneumatology when we arrive.  Pray especially for the time he needs to prepare for the second which he is teaching for the first time.
• The suit continues against the company that received over $5,000 to build an outside auditorium at the back of the school property but has not done anything for over a year and is not willing to make the contract good despite numerous appeals.  Pray that this might be resolved and the money returned to the school so they can contract someone else to do the job.

4.  Maranatha Multi-cultural Ministries News:

• Missionary retreat was held July 12-13. What a blessing for us to be able to participate through Skype and to hear testimonies of the missionary wives to the faithfulness of God in their lives on Tuesday of the retreat!
• Health needs:  Cininha (Portugal) was on bedrest due to her pregnancy being at risk. Elda (Cape Verde) had a health issue that she is being able to resolve through treatment while on furlough in Brazil rather than the surgery thought necessary.  Pray for God's provision for the needs of these ladies.
• The American missionary with whom the Nascimentos hope to work in Guyana is facing persecution that could mean the closure of the ministry there.  Pray for God's protection for the missionary and provision for the Nascimentos to go minister alongside him.
• The dentist, Carlos Heron, and family have a goal of having their support so that they can move to the US for language study in January.  Pray for God to burden hearts of Brazilian brethren to complete their support.

5. De Volta aos Princípios Publishing:

• The annual conference for pastors, church leaders and their families was July 5-8 ministering to local church leaders.  Praise God for this time of refreshment and spiritual challenge for these leaders.
•  The following weekend was a youth retreat where our Lydia and her boyfriend, André, were involved.  The young people were challenged to say, as did Isaiah, "Here am I, send me".  Pray that the impact of this challenge will continue to motivate these young people to be open and available to God's purposes for their lives.

6.  IBBP (Planalto Bible Church):

• Pr. João led a group of young people to an interior village on a mission trip where they minstered in a VBS and evangelism.   Pray that God will use the Word sown to bring many of these folks to salvation.
• Kaline, a young lady whom Lynda evangelized and discipled, is facing great difficulty as her mother is deteriorating with Lou Gehrig's disease.  She rejoices that doctors are now coming to the home to treat her mother.  Kaline needs wisdom in dealing with a tempermental unsaved husband as well as strength to care for her mother, husband and daughter, and keep up with her teaching job.

7.  Family update:

• We were grateful to spend 9 days in early July with Jerry's mom helping her with projects on her property.  Jerry's stepdad, Dana, has become very ill and will receive results of a biopsy of the tumor in his lung Aug.2.  We are making the 6 hr trip from Yerington over to Weaverville to see them. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and that Mom and Dana will rest in God's goodness and promises of care for them Pray that we can be a comfort to them and for traveling mercies as we drive 12 hrs back down to our son's house. 
• Lynda's folks seem to be better.  Lynda will be helping her mom with some health issues this next week.  Please pray that God would fill the gaps in their care and help them to rely on Him more.
• God has helped Lydia to complete her third semester at the Brazilian university. She has been visiting Rachael and Pedrinho for 10 days and then was privileged to be in a fellow MK's wedding this past weekend before going back to start next semester. Please pray for her as she finishes up her online course in teaching english as a second language and goes back to teaching her English classes and University studies.
• Pedrinho and Rachael moved a half hour out from Natal to the new ministry God has called them to.  He will be associate pastor while she will teach English in the church's Chrisitian school.  Pray that they will quickly settle in and be a blessing to this congregation.
• Nathan's family has been in Brazil and will return one day before we leave.  We are grateful for Nate's willingness to come get us in Sacramento last weekend as we gave the car back, loaned us his car for these last two trips, store our things in his garage, and put us up in their spare room!
• Luke and Danielle celebrated one year of marriage July 25!  They are doing well in their jobs and ministering to their small group at church.

Rejoicing in God's grace,

Jerry and Lynda Neuman