TeamBurris March Update

What are we doing with what God gave us?

One way we are answering this question...

The question above had surfaced recently in more ways I can count. A few weeks ago I took this picture as a took some personal time to prepare for the worship set I was leading at the YMCA retreat center in Estes Park, Colorado. The UTCBAND was there to encourage 130+ athletes from the area, that we as believers experience a bless life when we make life not about us but about God. ( John3:30)

These mountains say just that, I looked at them in awe of who God is as a creator, and how great they were in size, height and all the other things I could not wrap my head around compared to how small I am. My only response that morning and the last few weeks has been, God help me to know what you've given me and help me to use it for your glory.

It's an every day battle but I'm grateful God has positioned me to work on a campus to help college athletes know and walk with God. He has allowed me to step into an NBA arena to lead a short chapel so the guys can know and follow Jesus. God has given me rhythm, enough to play drums and lead and encourage others to worship God through song and dance. He's given me a wife and two kids to love and lead to know and follow Jesus.

But I am not perfect, and I need much prayer and boldness to help others I know follow Jesus. Would you pray for TeamBurris to max out our potential and do well with what God has given us? Thanks.

Did you see the movie Courageous? Do you remember Javier, the latin guy? Courageous was a great movie about men learning to take responsibility and lead in the roles they've been given.

 We had the privilege of having Robert Amaya who played Javier, share his testimony with our athletes during our weekly bible study series this month. 

This map reflects the many opportunities this year, we have had to share with athletes the gospel and God's truths through worship concerts, camps, retreats and campus ministry.

What's next? We will be making the trek from Florida to Colorado  to Texas and back to Florida this summer. We will run three one week camps, take seminary classes, attend a National Cru Conference go to a wedding, visit family and try to rest some.

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A little over two years ago we needed to move and God put some friends in our path that would join TeamBurris by renting a home to us that was perfect for our family and life in ministry!

That time has come to an end and we will be moving out by April 1st. Pray that we would clearly know where God wants us next and for his provision for a new place come August.

We are so thankful you took the time to read our letter. Not a day goes by without us being thankful for you because God has used you, as part of TeamBurris, to provide for us to do the work we do. We continue to see God change lives and people choose to live for more, live for Gods plan and purposes.

Your prayers and financial gift fuel the opportunities to join God in redeeming the culture of sports. To give a monthly or one-time tax deductible gift click here.

Thanks again and may God be with you. Until next time,
Jason, Jenise, Zoe and Eli

Jodi Brennan is forwarding an email to you

Newsletter Update Hi Amofavelas Blog, Jodi Brennan thought you'd be interested in this: http://us4.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/show?u=c9cab7d14ac5f558eda11a17e&id=9ee8c781d5 Jodi Brennan also included this personal message to you: Brazil Post Did you find the link interesting? You can forward it on to your friends, too: http://us4.forward-to-friend1.com/forward?u=c9cab7d14ac5f558eda11a17e&id=9ee8c781d5 You can subscribe for more emails at: http://feedmysheepbrazil.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c9cab7d14ac5f558eda11a17e&id=56b8e6d460 * Note: if any of the URLs above are not clickable, you can copy/paste them into your web browser.

April Newsletter Update

Just to let everyone know we sent out our April Newsletter this week. If you did not get one and would like to receive a pdf version please click on this link: newsletter and a copy will be emailed to you. If you do not have email please click on the link and, in the body of the email, please give us your name and complete address.

Excerpt from page 2: "Living in despair, helplessness, suffering (physically, emotionally, and spiritually), hopelessness, and loneliness not being able to look into the future for relief….It ALL reminds me of a hell without the flames" [describing Favela Moinho where we minister]

"There may even be a preacher available to preach the gospel, but where is the shepherd who will shepherd them into the next generation? Jesus had to repeat himself to one of His closest followers… If you love me take care of my sheep."

Blessings, Pete & Jodi............Feed My Sheep Brazil

Praise Report

We would like to thank everyone for their prayers regarding Clarita. We discovered this morning that she was found on the streets Friday night and the authorities took her to a city shelter. She is a "runaway" and will stay there indefinitely. Please continue to pray for her and her family as they have many difficulties to overcome. Thank you again! Pete & Jodi

Urgent Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for Clarita, a 12 year old girl from the favelas where we minister. She has been missing since the 3^rd of April. The last time she was seen was on that day in a park near her home. We have known her and her family since she was about 2 years old. Thank you for your prayers! Pete and Jodi Brennan missionaries to the poor in Brazil

Quick Brazil Update

God has been blessing our weekly Sunday morning outreach class! We have sometimes 40 to 90 young teenagers. They are tough teens that, among other things, are drug users, traffickers, some thieves, major class disturbers, cut ups, into immorality at the age of 10 and 11 and many other kids with serious problems and/or who have no home life. They are completely lost and hell bound. One boy, Lucas, walks eight kilometers weekly to come to church or just hang out with us at AMO. The last three months or so the spirit of God has been moving among them in such a way that, last Sunday, many of the Sunday morning bible class stood up and made confessions of sin and received Christ. This movement of God has happened frequently…… more or less once every month. I have never spoken so directly (eyeball to eyeball) to kids about repentance, hell, heaven and the need of believing in the Good News. Decisions at the end of the class are made with everyone’s eyes open looking at who is raising their hands and there is no embarrassment among them. The whole class started clapping spontaneously after they were led to Christ through prayer! It has been hard work to get these young kids to make a stand to live for Christ, let alone to get baptized. We received the sad news Sunday morning that Bruno, one of the “tough” teens we were reaching died. He drowned in a local lake….he dove in and never surfaced again. Just the week before, at our place, he was bragging to one of our guys at how good he was getting at swimming as he was practicing in our pool.

This last month the AMO team has been very busy as we had over 72 people for sleeping over on campus for Camp 2011 (our living room was wall-to-wall girls!)and, then a week later, we received a team of 25 (youth group from TN) taking them into the favelas. It was a wonderful time of visiting, sharing, evangelizing (using the water filters provided by the Texas Baptist Men)and loving on the kids. It was such a blessing to see all the teenagers giving their testimonies and evangelizing for the very first time!

We have made so many tough and good adjustments to our lives because of the ministry as we press forward with what God wants out of us. Jodi has made a living sacrifice out of her life even more so lately as difficult adjustments have been made in our lives by receiving Beatriz (7), Marcela (14) and Karoline (17) into our home. She has been saving up special individual offerings designated for her personally over the last couple of years. She will be flying home at the end of this month to see our daughter, Jessica, graduate from UF, spend several days with her non-saved mother and, when she can, be at church perhaps in your area. Jodi and I cannot travel to the States together as we have only temporary guardianship of the AMO kids and it’s not permanent yet.

Please pray your blessings upon Jodi, our AMO team, and these precious kids God wants to use for His Glory.

Pete

We will be sending out our newsletter very soon……God bless you!

Brazil Camp Update- Pete & Jodi

Hello again everyone,

Just wanted to fill you in on how Camp is going and to thank you for your prayers!

It has been a fun filled, energy depleting time! Waking up early, playing hard, eating (of course J), bible studies and getting to bed VERY late has been the order of our days. Everyone is having a good time and three teens, in particular, have had deep, convicting encounters with God- Praise the Lord!

The rain let up on Sunday allowing us to enjoy even more water type games without freezing in the cool rain. So, we thank you for praying!

The biggest obstacle in Camp is the sleeping and eating arrangements. Our own living room is a girls “Cabin” holding 15 girls! It’s been wall-to-wall mattresses. What makes that even more incredible is that they ALL have to share the same bathroom J The living room in the other house “cabin” is holding around 18 and a very small guest room is holding another 8 girls/women. As for the boys…..between three small rooms we’ve got about 20 cozily crammed in. Since we could not fit all the boys in the rooms available there are about 10 of them sleeping in the open-air church area. Our space is very, very limited, even for sufficient eating areas where everyone can sit down at the same time. We look forward with faith for a new building (warehouse) where all these events, activities, and church can be held.

Continue to pray for conviction, repentance, and salvation! Pray that the Holy Spirit will penetrate into hardened hearts where darkness reigns!

No one has been seriously hurt, for which we are thankful, but many have slipped, slid and kerplopped on the ground in the slick mud J

Blessings to you all,

Pete, Jodi and team