1.
What, specifically, have you been working on this past year?
Rachel: I had been in Brazil since 2004, but when we got married, we were not sure of what God had for us together. Over 2014, God made it clear to both of us that we were called to return to Brazil to serve, which we did in March, 2015. Ana Sofia Carol Ferguson was born June 25, 2015, and because she is Brazilian, we were able to receive permanent residency (ending lots of visa issues for us).
Caid: While Rachel was focusing on preparing our apartment and having a baby, I jumped into intensive Portuguese learning and ministry. I am the choir director at the International school, give voice lessons, and have been able to help/share music/choir training in some of the churches. We are coordinators for Living Stones, working weekly in the communities and local churches of Cajueiro Claro, Lagoa de Itaenga, Guadalajara, and Mussurepe. We have been equipping, assisting, and encouraging the leaders, and loving the kids through teaching English, music, and sports. I have also taken an active role in Glory Sports, something that will continue to grow as the Glory Sports complex is completed at the International school.
Rachel: This fall, Caid has taken the lead in meetings and training, while I work on writing for the blogs, updates, resources, and general paperwork at home. We love going as a family to Living Stones programs whenever we can. In September, the director for child sponsorships with World Help visited, and we have started a partnership with them and Lagoa Living Stones. We hope to have 32 children sponsored through World Help by 2016. We also work with Jeff and Lindsay Turner, creating videos/material/training for short-term missions trips, and working with trips when they come. Caid also helps translate and teach a martial arts outreach at local public school in a high crime rate area, and is concluding a ministry of helping coach a (American) football team in Recife.
2.
What are your goals for the next year? If applicable, please include a timeline for your plans.
Rachel: We will be on furlough in the USA from December-March. Our objectives are to spend time with family (they all need to meet Ana Sofia!), raise $15,000 for a car and plane tickets, and $300 more monthly personal support. We will also share about Living Stones, and hope to raise $400 monthly support for the children. We will be getting re-entry/marriage/parenting counseling to encourage and facilitate personal growth. When we return in March, we hope to jump back into things with Easter celebrations with Living Stones. We will be leading a mission’s trip in April with Shelbyville, and also in October (as well as being available to help out with any other trips that come).
Caid: I will continue leading the choir at the International school, and help out the churches with musical training. I will be working with Glory Sports, as well as our work with Living Stones. Our goal at Cajueiro Claro is to have more of an education focus, and teachers able to come regularly. At Lagoa, we hope to double to 60 children (32 supported by World Help), and perhaps expand our partnership with World Help. Next year, we hope to assist Guadalajara in becoming an official Living Stones program. We hope to continue to minister, in some way, to the Mussurepe and Trash dump communities. Rachel will continue to run the blogs and monthly updates of all the Living Stones ministries, and as a Fergie family we hope to continue to make vlogs and videos to help connect people in the USA with daily life in Brazil.
3.
What financial needs do you currently have?
Rachel: Our budget hadn’t changed much since last year, but we started off a bit underfunded and some of the promised assistance hasn’t arrived. To make up for this, we need $300 more a month. We are also trying to figure out a good way to handle health insurance, and how to fund that. Our big, one time need is $11,000 for a car, and $3,000 for plane tickets (to return to Brazil in March). As coordinators for Living Stones, we are also working on raising funds for them. We need to raise $400 a month to start a new Living Stones program for the future.
4.
What guidance, accountability, or mentorship do you currently receive? How often? Please include an example of how this mentorship was effective in your ministry in the past year.
Caid: We are sent through our church, Horizon central. I received guidance and mentorship through one of the leaders there, Jake Medlong. Our sending ministry is World Renewal International, where we have received guidance from Gary Wright and Steve Turner. In Brazil, we are blessed to have the leadership and guidance of Tele Moraes, whom we meet with periodically to “check in.” Most of our personal guidance, accountability, and mentorship has come through Jeff and Lindsay Turner, who also serve with World Renewal Brazil. They open their home to us (and many others) for Taco Tuesdays, something that has encouraged us greatly. I have been grateful for personal conversations/mentorship from Jeff Turner, as well as Ricardo Silva, the pastor at Lagoa.
Rachel: One example of how our mentorship with the Turners was effective was with Lindsay’s help in the whole baby/becoming parents process. She set us up with our baby doctor(s) and doula, and was an incredible strength to me through pregnancy and becoming a mother. We always have so many questions for them about parenting, especially a TCK (third culture kid), and are so excited that the Turners are Ana Sofia’s godparents. I also share accountability/encouragement with my long-time friend, Karianne Charbonnel, through e-mail.
5.
Are you planning on making any major changes to the function of your ministry in the next few years? If so, please explain these changes.
Rachel: We strongly feel that we are here to serve and assist as God has called us. But we also know that God’s plans can change and look very different than we originally planned. We are dedicated to following Him wherever He leads. We are, in a sense, working ourselves out of a job—training the leaders at local churches, and enabling them to reach out to the poorest children in their community.
Caid: My ministry has expanded to include music and sports outside of Living Stones as well, and we are excited to see what God has for us in these areas. We are careful to evaluate every six months how the ministry is going, and what changes we feel that God is leading in (each semester the ways/times we serve in the churches changes, according to their needs). We also hope to have more children in the future, and this might change some ministry aspects.
6.
Do you have unmet needs? If so, what are they? How can we pray for you?
Rachel: It has been a monumental year for us: moving to Brazil and having a baby! We have been well supported by our USA team and Brazil team. I feel well-supported in my role in Brazil, after being here single for so long. Having those years in ministry has taught me how to ask for help when I need it. I would like prayer for wisdom as our family grows, and my role becomes more home-centered (and also the fund-raising that it would require).
Caid: I have loved being able to dive into life in Portuguese. It hasn’t been easy, but we have a strong support system. An unmet need I feel is close, deep, give-and-take relationships with Brazilians. Please pray for God’s leading in expanding my discipling/being discipled small group here in Brazil, and what that will practically look like. Please pray for both of us, and our consistent intimacy with the Lord, and in seeking more and more opportunities to share and be bold about God and having a growing personal relationship with Jesus.
Budget for 2016:
1.
Personal: $750 monthly (Food/non-food: $385, Gifts: $65, Car insurance/car savings: $100, Health insurance/savings: $200, Car buying: $11,000-one time)
2.
Housing: $400 monthly (Rent: $230, Water: $50, Internet:$35, Utilities: $40, Upkeep/house items: $45)
3.
Ministry: $350 monthly (Mileage ($225 ish), Living Stones supplies/printing/postage: $70, Phone: $35, Ministry food: $20, Plane ticket: $3000-one time)
4.
Total: 1500 monthly, plus 10% admin. Fee: 1650 monthly, and 14,000 (1,500 admin. Fee) 15,500 one time cost: total: 35,200 for the year
Ministry expenses from 2015 (not including December): $16,391
Donations for Fergusons 2015 (not including December): $16,355
