It was started by Noel and Sandra Quinlan and obtained official Charity status in the UK in 1999Board of Directors:
Noel & Sandra Quinlan, Jim & Vina Higgins, Phyllis Nellins and Raymond & Ruth Griffiths.
EVANGELISM
On the night of Noel's conversion he saw the Lord Jesus and experienced for himself the tremendous love of God; because of this, evangelism has always been very dear to his heart. So when Noel and Sandra took early retirement in 1995 to work on behalf of the children, they were also free to answer calls for evangelistic meetings that he began to receive. They had served the Lord for twenty-five years in the pastorate; eighteen in Portugal and Brazil, and a further seven in Ireland and North Wales, but now God was moving them back to Noel's first love.
As a direct result of ministry in different areas of Brazil, the Lord placed a new challenge upon their hearts. They came across churches in need of new buildings, but with congregations with hardly anyone working and those that did with a minimum wage of around $60 a month. One of those was in the Amazon in Maués and LAM funded a good part of the new church building there which was inaugurated in January 2002 Jim and Vina Higgins (LAM trustees) were also at the inauguration and Jim ministered for the special services held. As well as a church, a school is now functioning for needy children.
MAUÉS
In the same year work started on a church building in Vila Alzira (Black Valley) Shanty Town near Rio de Janeiro, where LAM has already helped to build a school. Lives have been transformed as people have met with Jesus (including professional killers), and with the testimonies they were giving many came along to the meetings and found the love of Jesus for themselves; and the little school building, doubling as a church, just couldn't cope with the two functions. Through the generous help of one family in particular a separate church building is going up, which was inaugurated in December 2002 and meetings have been going strong since then.
CHILDREN
Latin American Ministries' first project was "Meu Lar Home" in Vitória, Brazil, run by Pastor Antonio Carlos and his wife Evanilda. They looked after the children of unmarried mothers, so allowing them to work and keep their family together. When we first met them the facilities were very basic and they were struggling to keep the home open. LAM raised money for a kitchen and showers, also a playground and perimeter walls.
Next in '98 came CEMEC Children's Home in Salvador, Brazil, run by Pastor Elio and Celeste. They had taken in 25 unwanted children from the streets. This had meant a move from their own little house to a bigger rented one for them all. Then the owners wanted to sell it to them, but Elio and Celeste couldn't afford to buy it. LAM joined several churches and provided the bulk of the money for the purchase. Later more money was raised for a new roof and other changes. Today CEMEC is being supported by a denomination in Canada.
(Click on the picture to see some of the children in the Children's Home)
"Gateway of Faith" is in Cuiabá, Brazil. We first saw it in 1997 when it was just a brick shell that was beginning to crumble. It had been the pastor's dream to help young people without any future, but the building had been on hold for a long time as the pastor didn't have any more money to finish it. Over the next four years LAM raised money to complete the building and it was dedicated in June 2000.
(Click on the picture for more photos and information)
LAM became involved with "Calvirio" Children's Home in Rio in 1999. The foundations of the original Home, with two little rooms were beginning to sink as there is an open sewer right behind it's back wall. LAM is providing the finance for a new building in a safe area and when it is finished, it will be big enough for 50 street children instead of the maximum of 12 that it now holds. The lower part of the building has already been made into a school for very poor children in the area.
(Click on the picture for more photos and information)
In 2001 LAM joined forces with Pastor Janio to help build a school in a shanty town near Rio. Revival broke out through the children's work necessitating the building of a church in the area too. The building is almost finished and March 2004 will see the school open its doors again.
(Click on picture for more photos and information)
Also in 2001 LAM began to work with Pastor Luiz Carlos and his wife Glória in Maués, a small town on the banks of a tributary of the Amazon River. in January of 2002 a church building big enough for 500 people was dedicated and in March of 2003 a school with 60 children from the poorest families in the town was started.
(Click on picture for more photos and information)
In 2003 LAM came in contact with a young couple called Adilson and Roberta Malaquias and "Project Salt for the Earth". Their aim is to keep young people off the streets, giving them access to various professions and at the same time teaching them the Word of God; and to that end they have started a Community Centre with various classes and courses free of charge and also Bible Clubs. "Salt for the Earth" needs its own HQ and LAM will help with this in every way possible.
TICUNA INDIAN BIBLE SEMINARY
In December 1999, while visiting a shanty town in Rio, we met an Indian from the Ticuna tribe in the Amazon, who told us of his people and the need amongst them. He invited us to go in January to the inauguration of the first All Indigenous Bible School in the Amazon. Noel had the privilege of being one of the guest speaker at the opening of the Ticuna Bible Seminary and God gave him a vision of a ferry boat full of Ticuna evangelists carrying the gospel message up and down the Amazon River. Wherever they landed a little church was formed and glorious colours of the rainbow spread out in all
directions.
We met the Indian leaders of the Bible Seminary, Pastors Aristides and Eli Leon, president and vice president respectively of OMITTAS, a Ticuna Christian organization and learnt of their vision for the evangelization of their people. There are approximately 62,000 Ticuna Indians in 125 villages in the Amazon. Only 25 of these have any evangelical presence. Eli believes it is time for Indians to evangelize Indians and the Bible School is preparing men for that mission, so that his whole tribe might know of the love of Jesus. Some of the Indian students have already gone out to surrounding villages, after just one session of studying and new churches have been started. Each year, in January they return to the school for another module until such time as the school has the conditions to operate on a full time basis.
With this visit the Lord opened up a whole new area of work to us. God joined our hearts to Pastor Eli e OMITTAS and funds have already been raised to build a HQ, replace some of the Bible school buildings and provide motorized canoes for some of the pastors. Our aim in the future is to help build churches and schools for the villages and fund training for teachers.
In the summer of 2002 LAM joined forces with two teams of young people from "OVERLAND MISSIONS" to minister in the 2nd Ticuna Pastor's Conference and in various Ticuna villages round about. There was great blessing and many lives were touched, both Indians and young people alike.
American and Indian youths together
In 2003 LAM joined forces with Clauber and Deonora (daughter of Ticuna chief Aristides) to start the first Christian school among the Indians and at the present moment there are 260 children attending.
SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER HEADQUARTERS
On their first trip to Brazil in 1996 after taking early retirement, God spoke to Noel and Sandra through a verse of scripture in Galatians 6: 10, which said , "Do good unto all, but especially to the Household of Faith". They had met pastors who were tired out and on the point of giving up, because they had no financial means of having a break and the Lord laid on their hearts the need for a pastor's retreat; a place where pastors and their families could come and relax and be refreshed spiritually, as well as naturally, at no cost to themselves. In July of 1999 God led Noel and Sandra to a house on the market that was ideal for such a retreat and it became their headquarters. The house is in the mountains surrounded by peace and tranquillity, whilst at the same time near to an interstate dual - carriageway and just one hour's drive from Rio de Janeiro airport. Because of its proximity to the international airport it has also been ideal for hosting foreign teams interested in short - term missions and many have received a new vision for the work of God.
www.latinamericanministries.com
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