Alexander Update September 2020 Steering Wheel or Spare Tire?
“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” Jeremiah 29:12 In the past few months while visiting supporting churches we have been reminded of our faithful prayer warriors. Before and after services friends have told us of specific requests we have made in the past and assured us they were praying for our needs. Corrie Ten Boom once asked, "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" It seems at times that we go to God only when we need Him rather than a time of fellowship with Him. I am grateful that God continues to steer our lives in the right direction through prayer. Can I ask you to pray for our family, ministry and God’s continual direction? God has recently pointed us in the direction of improving our facilities. Over the past few months some work has continued on the church building. The pastor's office was dry walled, painted and a window placed in the room. Our Sunday School classrooms were updated with new paint, new chairs and one classroom added for the junior age children. The work on the front facade of the building has begun. We are praying for additional funds to complete these projects as well as a handicap ramp on the outside of the church and the area behind the platform that will be made into a small apartment. Great to have a building that can be used for God’s people to gather!
Corey Comes To Christ About six weeks ago our family traveled for a few days to spend time together. While there our children had the opportunity to share Christ with young people around their age. Anna met Haley at her work station, introduced herself and had a friendly conversation about school and work. During their talk Anna shared how she came to know Christ and then shared with Haley how she too could have eternal life. Afterwards she brought Haley a gospel tract and encouraged her to read it. Later that day I saw the tract at her station and asked if she had read it. She said she would later that day with her boyfriend Corey. I spoke with her for a while and she asked if I would be willing to help her boyfriend because he had some fears. Later that evening I received a text from Haley requesting that I call Corey. So I did. Corey explained that through religion class in a public school he heard that there would be a coming rapture. He said that he feared the thought of that as well as dying. Clearly the Lord was guiding him in his thoughts about eternity. Over the phone I was able to share the hope of eternal security. After an hour of conversation Corey replied to my question of what was missing in his life. He said he needed to make the decision the Word of God talks about. So there on the phone at 9:30pm Corey asked Christ to forgive him to become a child of God. Wow! First time to have someone come to Christ over the phone. Since then I have sent books to each of them about the first steps in the Christian walk. Pray that Haley would understand the gospel and come to Christ as well! So thankful that the Lord steered our children in their direction and that they were willing to openly talk about their Savior. Thank you for praying, giving and being a part of our ministry in Sorocaba, Brazil! Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander Update June 2020
“For I am the Lord, I change not” Malachi 3:6
It seems that everything changes! Our kids change - they always seem to need the next size up. Our hair color changes - that is, if you still have hair. Our minds change - as we age there is an ever present awareness of this problem. Our place of ministry changes - this is a sad change for us, but a good change for the church as they assume many responsibilities that we were doing. Our church lifestyle changed - no church services, no Sunday school and no close fellowship with other believers. There was one bright spot in the three months since the social distancing started. For 32 years, once we returned to the States for furlough, our ministry with the church plant pretty much ceased until our return to Brazil. Since March, we have been a part of the teen SS class and the preaching and teaching on Sunday and Thursday evenings through Zoom. We have been encouraged to see believers gathered around their TV or phones participating in what believers do - honoring the Lord with our time through study of the Word. Some things should never change! After arriving on March 14th most everything we had planned changed. Scheduled meetings in Michigan had to be cancelled. I then put together a video with a missionary challenge and information about our ministry in Sorocaba and emailed that off to each of those supporting churches. That was a unique change! Donna and the kids were to remain in Brazil until my return in May for our church’s 8th anniversary. That plan changed because we were concerned they might not be able to fly out of Brazil. So they quickly packed and arrived 10 days after my arrival. This change was difficult for Andrew and Anna Shae as they had to leave abruptly without seeing some of their friends. And now we are three months into furlough and we haven’t visited any supporting churches. That’s a change! At present we are beginning to put a schedule together. Meeting with 47 supporters can be difficult to accomplish during our typical one year in the States. Pray with us as we try to manage and organize all of this over the next few months. Our children for the first time will be attending a co-op school. This is a change they are looking forward to. There will be changes for us as well in their schooling as we are required to serve in the school each week as volunteers. Pray for Andrew and Anna Shae to be humble testimonies but firm in their resolve to honor Christ in the school. On the 13th of June our son Jordan went before a council of pastors for his doctrinal questioning. He did a tremendous defense of his positions and on Sunday the 14th he was ordained before the members at Faith Baptist in Taylors. Donna and I are grateful for his desire to be prepared to serve the Lord. It was a privilege for me to give the charge to our son on that evening.
Our grandson Strad recently had a heart catheterization and a stint placed in his aorta. He did well through this procedure and continues to grow stronger physically. Thank you for praying for him.
Paisley Jenna Judson Strad Kian Piper
With all that is happening in the world today we never imagined that our family would be able to be together for family time. In May we were able to spend a few days rejoicing in God’s goodness to our children and grandchildren. It was encouraging to hear each of our sons give a devotional and then hear what the Lord is doing in all of their lives. God is good! Thank you for not changing. Your prayers for us are valued. Thank you for faithfully giving so that all of your missionaries can continue to serve our Lord on the foreign field. I am thankful that we have a Savior that never changes during these days, for He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander Update April 2020 Our family has had an interesting few weeks as I would imagine most of you have had as well. Five months ago I had scheduled to be with 10 of our supporting churches throughout April for the beginning of our furlough. The timing worked out perfectly as all of the churches fit us into their weekly schedule. After I arrived in the States March 14th things changed fairly quickly. The plan was for me to return to Brazil in May for our anniversary service, get the house ready for someone to care for it in our absence and return with all the family in time for our son Jordan’s ordination on May 9th. Just seven days after arriving we needed to change our plans and have the rest of the family join me in North Carolina. We are grateful for God’s leading in uncertain times and for the assurance that we serve a God that never changes. Our national pastor and his family are such a blessing. His steady but humble leadership unites him with members and visitors. The services from December through March had a constant flow of visitors - 18 showed up for one service in February. Two families are considering membership at this time. In January Mario, a retired fireman, began attending services. After a message on one Sunday he came forward and accepted Christ. It has been encouraging to hear him give testimony during our mid-week services how he is growing in his new faith in Christ. In February we had a wonderful Teen Camp with 11 churches involved and 75 teens participating. The week was filled with fun activities and competition. I had the opportunity to share a message on depression and how to have victory in discouraging times. What a wonderful spirit the youth displayed as well as responding to the messages from God’s word. Two teens made decisions to accept Christ and many others dedicated their lives to the Lord. We would like to thank you for praying for our grandson Strad. He is 6 months old and has had two open-heart surgeries for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. He did very well after the second surgery. Would you pray with us that he would begin the process of desiring to eat by mouth. Until now he has been fed through a G-Tube. God has a marvelous plan for Strad and we are trusting in our Lord to care for him as only He can do. Dec 2019 Update
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Cantata Over the past two months the church has been practicing for our cantata. We have about 20 voices in the choir and 8 others are preparing for the play. Our hope is that many visitors will accept the invitation to come and hear the gospel on the 22nd. Multi-church Youth Activity In October and December the youth from our regional churches gathered to be challenged from God’s Word. Just last Saturday our youth along with 3 other churches held a youth activity at a grass plantation. It was a nice, warm day for playing volleyball, bats (a type of kids cricket game), jarts and swimming in the pool. Our teens greatly benefit from the fellowship of other youth that are dedicated to serving God. 4th Church Plant Anniversary Each year we are reminded of God’s grace and power when we attend an anniversary service of churches we were involved in. Hope Baptist Church had their 18th anniversary this past week and it was a blessing to see how the Lord continues to use this ministry to grow believers and reach the community around them. Health Some have asked about my ongoing health issues. First, I would like to thank you for praying during these past few months. At this point I am still adjusting to the loss of eye sight in the right eye. I have bumped into a few people when they are coming from my right side due to not seeing them right away. The level of pain has decreased and again I am learning by God’s grace to adapt to this new normal. Medications seem to be helping the trigeminal nerve to begin responding normally. Grandson Stratford Our number 6 grandchild, Strad is home and in the care of his wonderful parents. His progress is slow but steady and not out of the norm for his circumstance. We ask that you pray that he gain strength as he will undergo another heart surgery next year. During Strad’s time in the hospital Donna was able to travel to the States to help care for the other two grandkids while Shawn and Susanna were in Charlotte with their son. Thankful that we could help them in this way. Kids Our sweet Anna Shae is now 14. She loves being a part of the youth group, playing the piano for church and doing new braids in her hair. Andrew has just finished up a year and a half of playing weekly basketball at an organized gym. He was a great testimony on the court for the Lord. He has just two years to finish high school. They both are a blessing to their Mom and Dad. Thank you for praying! May our Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace make your Christmas merry! Victory Baptist Activities - October 2019
Our church has had a lot of interaction with other churches in the area over the past few months. It has been encouraging to see the involvement of our members and the friendships that have developed between these churches. Recently we had a men's fellowship, a ladies retreat, a youth rally and a volleyball tournament. We were able to help our pastor to get a vehicle for his family as well as for the ministry. He told us that it is the first time he has owned a car without any payments. He is such a faithful pastor and loves to visit his members so we know it will be put to good use. Pray for Tiffany. She accepted Christ last December but she is having difficulty facing some of the challenges of a new Christian - a family that doesn't know Christ, old friendships and her first job that conflicts with church commitment. Some of our teens have reached out to encourage her and let her know that she is not alone as she navigates through all of these struggles. Our family is grateful that we have a supporting group of people that lift us before God's throne in prayer. Thank you to each supporter that carries the burden of sustaining our work here in Sorocaba, Brazil. To God be the Glory! Stratford's Recovery - September 2019
Thank you for praying for our grandson Stratford Emmanuel. The surgeon said that all went as planned, with just a few complications after surgery that were resolved. We are now praying that his little body will begin the process of healing. We ask that you pray now as these first days are critical in stabilizing his condition. Shawn and Susanna will be close by each day of his recuperation. As our son Shawn said "May we make much of Jesus as we journey through this trial".
Stradford Emmauel's Progress Our grandson Strad is improving each day. He was recently transferred to a step down room at the hospital. Our prayer is that the treatment he is receiving will help rid his body of infections. He is needing to "graduate" from his nava flo which is assisting his breathing. We are grateful to all who have sent messages letting us know that they are praying and we ask that you continue to pray for Strad. 
Special Prayer Request for our Grandson Stratford Emmanuel - August 2019Today our grandson Stratford Emmanuel, who was born last Tuesday, is undergoing heart surgery. The procedure will take approximately six hours. Please pray with us today for a successful operation and a complete recovery. Our son Shawn and his wife Susanna will give us updates throughout the day. Thank you for taking his name before the throne of grace.
Shawn and Donna 
Evangelist Ken Lynch - August 2019
This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in our absence, Victory Baptist was tremendously blessed with Evangelist Ken Lynch. God used his messages to encourage believers in their walk with God and challenge the lost to accept God's gracious gift of salvation. One young lady accepted Christ and her parents were thrilled with her decision. Pray as we reach out to those who participated in these services. Medical Update
At the beginning of July we asked that you pray for Shawn's health as we arrived in the States for medical treatment due to severe head pain and partial loss of vision in the right eye. The concern initially was due to the continued pain, dizziness and disorientation as well as would there be more loss of vision. After a series of CT scans, eye exams, MRI and meeting with a Neuro Ophthalmologist and Neurologist they determined that there were no tumors, lesions, strokes or brain bleeds. We rejoiced at this good news. Last week we met with both doctors and they felt that hypersensitivity in the eye nerves was causing the cranial and orbital pain. A medication was prescribed to help prevent these symptoms and normalize my eye condition. The doctors at Duke have assured us that they will work together with our doctors in Brazil on continued treatment. So we are making our plans to return to Brazil later this week. July 2019 UpdateTeam from Lake Orion, MI
Also be in prayer for our church in Sorocaba. Two weeks ago our national pastor arrived to begin his ministry. This week we have a team from Lake Orion, MI at the church doing VBS, Volleyball and Basketball tournaments and preaching on Sunday with a musical concert. Yesterday there were 65 children present for VBS and about 35 for the volleyball tournament. Pray as our church and the team reaches out to our community with the gospel. 
Medical Update
Dear Friends, Just a few weeks ago our family had to make a difficult decision to purchase on-the-day flights to return to the States for medical treatment. After having cataract surgery (Shawn) at the end of May I began to have pain in both of my eyes and in the cranial area. On the 13th of June I woke with half of the vision in my right completely blurred. After going to 4 different doctors in Sorocaba it was discovered that I had (NAION) a stroke on the optic nerve. This field of vision loss is permanent. During the forth week after surgery the pain increased to the level that I was not able to see clearly, I had a lot of dizziness and trouble with some cognitive abilities. On the day we arrived in the States we went directly to Duke University Hospital. A battery of scans, ultrasounds, blood work and eye exams were done. On Thursday (June 17) I will have an MRI of the cranial and orbital areas. This week my pain level has decreased and I have felt somewhat better. At this time we do not have answers to the cause of pain. We ask that you pray that God would allow the specialist at Duke to discover the reason for the pain and a treatment that we could follow. We are thankful for all who have expressed concern and have committed to pray with us. We are also grateful for those who have helped financially with our situation. We know that our God is aware of all that is taking place in our lives at this time and we trust in Him as the Great Physician to care for his own. God is good all the time! May 2019 Update
Husband and Wife Come To Christ In our March Update we asked that you pray for Adilson, Adriana and Mateus. Two men from our church began an evangelistic Bible study with this family. Our church had been praying for their salvation as well as many of you prayed for them. On Easter Sunday in the evening service Adriana came forward and accepted Christ. After the service she said that the week before she had wanted to talk with someone about her salvation. Two weeks passed and her husband Adilson came forward during the invitation to make a decision for Christ as well. Continue to pray for their son Mateus. Believer Restored
At the very beginning of this church plant a young man came to Christ. Douglas did not attend our church for about four years. Last year he and his wife Deborah started coming to many services. On the first Sunday in May Douglas came forward and said he knew had already accepted Christ but wanted to rededicate his life to the Lord. We are so grateful for how the Lord is working through our discipleship training. Pray as we challenge members to begin evangelistic Bible studies with unbelievers. May 1st - Picnic Day
In May we held our annual picnic and we had more this year than any other year. Since the beginning of this ministry our church has been very unified in purpose and in fellowship. We are thankful for this but also know that the enemy would like to destroy that unity. Pray for God’s sheep to continue to love others. 
7th Anniversary and Pastoral Candidate
Our 7th anniversary was a wonderful blessing with more than 180 present for the service. On that same weekend we had a pastor with us as a pastoral candidate for Victory Baptist. The church family is praying at 12 noon everyday for God’s will to be clear to our candidate and our members. Would you pray with us? Shawn and Donna Alexander April 2019 UpdateDiscipleship
In the last six months there has been steady growth in our SS attendance and our mid-week service. For a over a year our Thursday prayer meeting has been dedicated to disciplieship from the Milk, Meat, Bread and Fish series. In the last four months we have done one on one discipleships with the goal of helping our members feel comfortable with doing evangelistic Bible studies from the book of John. Last week more than 15 names of unsaved friends were mentioned to start these Bible studies with them. If you would pray as teams of people from our church will challenge unbelievers with the gospel over the next few months. 
Area-Wide Youth Activity
On Saturday our youth traveled about an hour away for a time of challenge from God’s word and fellowship with other teens. Over 70 were there to sing and hear the preaching. Pray that our teens would be fully dedicated to God and that many of them will be called to serve Him full-time. 
The Drywall is Going Up
The drywall is partially up and this week all of it will be completed. The Lord provided the funds through a faithful servant who has given to our ministry for many years. This servant has been with the Lord for a while but his desire to further the gospel message continues in the regions of Brazil. Take a look at our video that shows how the Lord has been working at Victory Baptist Church. 
Alexander Update - March 2019
3 Quarters
Yes, you read that right! Three quarters of our church family were part of our annual retreat. The time was spent preparing meals, playing games, competing in sports, making crafts and hearing the challenges from God’s Word. Our theme was “One to Another”. The following Sunday during testimony time we were blessed to hear how the Lord encouraged our church family. Click on this link to watch the video of our retreat! Best Week Ever Last Tuesday I took Paulo, our former neighbor who accepted Christ, on an evangelistic visit to a man named Jefferson. Paulo remained quiet throughout the time I was sharing the plan of salvation. When I mentioned to Jefferson that Paulo accepted Christ last year and that it had changed his entire life, Paulo with a jubilant voice declared “Oh, and how Jesus changed my life, completely!” During our Thursday night testimony time Paulo declared that this was the best week of his life when he was able to share Christ with Jefferson. New Families As mentioned in a recent update we have had a steady flow of visitors in our church for the past few months. This week a Bible study will begin with Adilson, Adriana and Mateus - a family of three. Mateus is 14 and came to our youth activity on Saturday. Pray that this family will understand the gospel and soon come to Christ. Image Bearers This past Sunday I walked into the fellowship hall to an uplifting scene with some of our church children. A temporary pulpit was set up, a song leader was directing and a number of children were singing. They were “playing” church. Our Brazilian missionary was visiting that day and his precious daughter Ana, that has Down Syndrome, had taken the lead role and was having everyone pray for the service. Kids follow our lead - and it was nice to see them want to be like their church leaders. February 2019 Update
From the 11th - 15th of February our family was together with all of the South Region missionaries for our annual conference. It was a time for hearing encouraging testimonies, preaching from the Word and fellowshipping with other co-laborers in our region. Our children especially love this week of the year when they can reconnect with other MK's (missionary kids) and renew friendships. Berean Baptist from Lilburn, Ga. sent a team to work with our teenagers during the week. Andrew and Anna Shae were challenged by the time spent with this group and came home encouraged in the Lord.
December/January 2018/19 UpdateFamily Reunion
During the month of December 40 of the 58 members of the Alexander family were able to reunite at the Wilds Christian Camp for three days. This is quite the difficult task seeing that nearly everyone in our family is in full-time ministry. We are spread over a number of countries and American states - Brazil, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, California, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Our time was spent discussing ministry, reminiscing about childhood times and rejoicing in God's goodness to our family. My father, Ed Alexander, was especially honored to have 28 of 40 grand and great grandchildren present. (Picture below is with great grand kids) I believe each of us returned to our ministries encouraged about how the Lord is using our family for His glory. Teen Comes To Christ Since July we requested that you pray for Thiffany's (3rd from left) salvation. During September and October Anna and I did a six week Bible study with her from the gospel of John. She continued to come to youth activities and most services. When our Thursday evening platform changed to 1 on 1 discipleships one of our adult disciplers recently walked her through the Bridge tract. When they reached the final page Thiffany pointed to the page and said I am on the side separated from God, I need to be on this side with God and I want to be saved right now. We are thankful for the sincere decision she made that day. On Sunday she gave testimony that she has been reading her Bible to her grandfather who needs Christ. Thankful for the fruit that comes from planting the seed of the gospel! Construction Team Need Our church auditorium has been a tremendous blessing since we began using this area a few months ago. There are a few projects to complete and one of those is the drywall near the pulpit and in the rear of the auditorium. Would you consider bringing a group of experienced workers to help with this project? What benefits come from going on a team? Seeing the work personally, meeting our church family and making life-time friendships and returning with a greater knowledge and burden for the mission field. Come on down!
November 2018 UpdateFriends,
Maranatha Baptist University Last month Andrew and I had the opportunity to spend 5 days on the Maranatha Baptist University campus. We spent our meal times ministering to the students, shared our philosophy of team work in a missions class, met guys during devotions in the dormitory and challenged the students with messages on missions during the chapel hour. It was our privilege to interact with many mature students ready to serve the Lord. Our prayer is that God would use these interactions to challenge the students to consider a people group that they could minister to in some corner of the world. First Sunday In Our Auditorium This past Sunday was our first time using our new sanctuary. Our members seemed to be delighted that we are finally able to worship together and use this building for God's gory. We are very grateful to each of you that have given so graciously to this church plant. Click HERE to take a look at the video to see pictures of our auditorium. Need For A Team We still need a team to come soon to help put up drywall in the auditorium. Would your church be willing to set aside the time and funds to come our way and help us complete this project? Men's Fellowship On the 10th of November our churches held and area-wide men's meeting. Our men were challenged to stand firm in the faith and encourage others to do the same. We Have A New Granddaughter On November the 13th Jenna Rae Alexander was born in Greer, SC to Jordan and Kimberly Alexander. We are grateful for a healthy granddaughter that Kim is doing well after giving birth. Of course a picture will be included in this update. 
October 2018 UpdateDear Friends,
Missions Conference at the Seminary Just this past week a Brazilian missionary and I had the opportunity to challenge the students at seminary in the area of missions. During the three day conference a number of students indicated that the preaching God's Word brought to their heart decisions that needed to be made with the Lord. These students are the future leaders of our churches and missionaries that will be sent out around the world. Pray for them! Our Children Doing Bible Studies For the past 9 weeks Andrew has been accompanying my new convert Bible study with Rian. Recently I had to miss a study and Andrew agreed to do the study on his own with Rian. Sounds like he did a good job. About three weeks ago Anna Shae began helping with an evangelistic Bible study. A teenage girl named Tiffany came to our July youth outreach and has been attending church ever since. She needs Christ and Anna is right there explaining different passages to her during our study. 
September 2018 UpdateFriends,
Recently I began a series on discipleship where we plan to train our members to work one on one with younger believers in our church. Our ultimate goal is to see individuals being discipled in the church as well as members using this training to then begin long term Bible studies with unbelievers. It seems to be going well and we are praying that we get about 90% participation from our church family. The tile is being laid as I write. Probably will be done in about two weeks. We are also welding our surrounding platform structure and hopefully soon completing our baptistery as well. Our need at the present time is for a construction group to come and frame up our platform area with steel framing and drywall. We are praying that the Lord will provide a team and funds to do this project in the month of October or November. During the month of August our co-worker Ben Jacobs presented for three weeks a series on eschatology. Of course this was well received and our folks were very talkative about all that was presented. Our seminary student, Alex, is in his third year of Bible training and during the months of December through February he will be doing his internship. We are excited to see how God is going to use him in the ministry. We recently had a area-wide picnic with our churches and 170 people were present. My wife and I were thrilled as we were able to see many young families that at one time were youth in our former churches that we started. It was especially exciting to see those that are serving full-time in the ministry. God bless, Shawn 
August 2018 UpdateTile Project
I wanted to share with you the progress on the amount that has come in since last month when we challenged our friends to give toward our TILE PROJECT. A total of $2710,00 has been donated! This is two-thirds of the total. We are amazed at God's people and grateful that this project can begin soon. Our auditorium is progressing very quickly. Our windows have been installed. The next project is the laying of tile. Take a look at our video to see the progress! July - A Month for Music On July 3rd Mac and Beth Lynch arrived (their suitcases were left in Canada) in Sorocaba and on the following day after purchasing some clothes they presented a sacred concert for the area churches. What an encouragement our families received from this time of adoration to our Lord. Two weeks later David and Kristin Chapman visited Sorocaba and presented an evening of sacred music at Victory Baptist. Once again our members were blessed by hymns that reminded them of God's goodness. Medieval Time Youth Outreach On the 12-16th our youth held a Medieval themed outreach. Nineteen first-time visitors attended. Pray as we have been into many of their homes. Two teens accepted Christ and one has already begun a Bible study with our seminary student. Monday Updates - A Weekly ReminderMonday Update April 2018 from Shawn Alexander on Vimeo. Construction Progress
With just a few projects remaining on the parsonage we look forward to focusing on our church auditorium over the next few months. Our members have commented that there is not much room in the fellowship hall for services so we hope to soon begin the work on the sanctuary. Youth Fellowship On the 7th the area youth groups came together to be challenged by God's Word. Teens were encouraged to consider what "giants" were their lives from I Samuel 17 and how to conquer those areas of spiritual defeat. Seminary Students Alex has begun his third year of Bible training and is very busy. He is a Resident Assistant in the dorm, responsible for a weekly missions emphasis with students, works in two local churches and of course he is studying Greek! We are so grateful for his sweet spirit and teachable heart. Thiago (James) is completing his first semester of online theological graduate classes. Most every Sunday he comments on how much he is learning and that the classes have helped him with preparing for teaching his class. He has been preaching in our monthly rotation since January and bringing some very challenging messages. Pray for Alex and Thiago as they prepare for ministry! Church Family Recently we have had to work through some areas of sin in our members lives. We are thankful for the good response and repentance of one member. Please pray for one of our youth that needs to return to the Lord. Amazon Visit After 30 years in Brazil (we arrived on April 24th 1988) we finally visited the Amazon river and had the opportunity stay in the Rain Forrest. Take a look at our video to see the Amazon! For Brazil, Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Amazon from Shawn Alexander on Vimeo. Monday Update Jan 2018 3 from Shawn Alexander on Vimeo. Church Anniversaries, Christmas Cantatas and Visitors
In November and December we attended the anniversary of two churches that our family was involved in planting. In December the church choirs in Sorocaba performed Ten Thousand Hallelujahs in four churches and many visitors were present at each church. In the past month Victory Baptist has had a number of new people attend services. Please pray as we meet them in their homes and share the good news of salvation. Parsonage Project During the months of September and October our family visited 13 of our supporting churches presenting the need for construction teams and funds to build a parsonage. So many of our supporters responded by graciously giving to this project. While in the States a few churches expressed interest in coming to our ministry in Sorocaba and helping with construction on the parsonage. Friendship Baptist in Raleigh, NC will be arriving in late February to give us a hand. Looking forward to their arrival! Thank you again to everyone that graciously gave to make this project a reality. Our original plan was to build a house on the existing property to cut cost and have the project done quicker. After returning to Brazil we began discussing with our deacons about how to wisely use the funds that were donated. The shorter version is that the Lord placed before us a house already built with three bedrooms and two baths for a reasonable price. The projects to be completed are the laying of tile, hanging doors and windows, completing the wiring and installing kitchen and bathroom fixtures. We are thankful for the Lord's provision from our supporting churches as well as providing a house. Pray for the final part of the funds to come in so that all can be completed in the next few months. May the Lord bless as you serve Him in 2018. Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Monday Update November/December 2017
VISITING OUR BIBLE COLLEGE On November the 2nd 5 from Victory Baptist Church traveled to visit our Bible College about 5 hours away. We were able to visit classes, interact with students, meet seminary professors and get a glimpse of everyday life at the seminary. I am asking that you pray for some from our church that are considering full-time ministry - Rebecca, Thiago and Gisele. Our video shares our visit to the Seminary. AREA WIDE YOUTH CONFERENCE From November 9 - 11 the area churches held a Youth Conference and each evening the service was in a different church in our city. We averaged around 80 each night. Warren Vergiels, a short term missionary and missionary kid (MK) was our speaker. Earlier in the year the pastors requested a few topics of concern to be addressed during the three days and Warren did wonderful in addressing these youth oriented subjects. A number of teens each evening made decisions and after the final message on "The Type of Person God Can Use" 7 youth/adults stood indicating that God was calling them into full-time ministry. Praise the Lord for hearts that are sensitive to God's leading in the lives of these who surrendered. Monday Update May 22 2017
Ladies Retreat For the past few months Donna has been organizing a ladies retreat for our area churches. The original goal was to have 30 women participating. In the end 60 women came to the retreat. God blessed with good weather on Saturday and many of the ladies gave testimony on Sunday that the Lord used the theme of purity to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Youth Activity Every few months the youth in the city have what they call "Rescue". Any youth group can come and join another churches youth activity on that chosen day. Saturday Victory Baptist joined with our forth church and had a fun time of games and fellowship. New Families Joining our Church Last month our church added a new family to our membership and this Sunday two more families will join our fellowship. Another family that has been visiting for two months asked for a visit this week to talk about joining our church. We are grateful to the Lord for those added to the family. Because of this recent growth our adult SS class has had to add another table to accommodate everyone. We would appreciate your prayers for a few in our church that have not been faithful in their attendance. In His service, Shawn Monday Update March 8th 2017
Friends, Teen Camp Every year our churches plan a teen retreat/camp similar to summer camp in the States. Shortly after arriving last October I realized that a schedule for this years camp had not been organized. The Lord blessed and in about 6 weeks the plans came together along with a place to rent for our 4 day retreat. The week was filled with competition between the teens. Everything counted for points for your team. Even cleaning the bathrooms! The Lord blessed with two preachers that brought powerful messages on allowing God to transform your life into His image. Many teens gave testimony of the power of God's Word in their life that week. Thank you for praying! Seminary Students Alex along with 3 new students from Sorocaba have begun classes this week at seminary. Our family has taken on some of their financial and prayer support. Would you consider praying for these students that are training for the ministry? Here are their names: Alex, Herbert, Mirella and Michelle. For Brazil, Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae 
Culto dos Jovens 2017 from Shawn Alexander on Vimeo. Monday Update February 24th 2017
Dear Friends, Teen Service The teens were responsible for planning the Sunday evening service the 12th of February. Giovanna had recently come to Christ and immediately volunteered to give her testimony of salvation. Following her testimony our son Andrew shared how a convert is a new creature in Christ. The teens sang specials, gave announcements, took up the offering, did a presentation on running from sin and our seminary student gave the message. It is thrilling to see God working in their hearts. Pray this next week as we will have our annual camp with four other churches. Our theme is "Transformed into His Image". A Special Gift for Alex In response to our last "Update" a family from one of our supporting churches has offered to pay for one month of Alex's tuition at seminary. We are thankful for their part in Alex's preparation for ministry. If you are considering helping Alex please feel free to send me an email with any questions you may have about his training. Grateful, Shawn Alexander Monday Update December 7th 2016
Dear Friends, TEAM FROM USA For the past 8 days our church received Bible Baptist from Hampton, GA. The Lord used this team in every ministry that we planned for them this week. On Saturday, the day they arrived, we held an area-wide Youth Rally emphasizing that teens bring friends without Christ. About 120 youth played games and then heard a powerful message from Pastor Loren Regier. Five youth came to Christ that evening! The team had the opportunity to visit Brazilian homes and share their testimony of salvation. On Thursday we had Thanksgiving at Fisk English School and 40 people heard the gospel. Thank you for praying for this past week. The Lord answered your prayers! Shawn and Donna Alexander Recent Video - Missions Team |
Victory Baptist Church - Church Plant #5In June of 2012 our family along with the Ben Jacobs family began a new church in the garage of a Brazilian Christian. As they made new friends, passed out pamphlets and invited people in the community they also began the construction of a permanent location. God blessed those humble beginnings and in 7 months a group of 25 people moved to a rough skeleton of a church to hold their first service. Along the way God touched the heart of churches in the States to make the overseas trip to help the ministry. Now five years later many adults and children have come to Christ and they are ready to organize their believers into a body called the church.
In May of 2019 Pastor Sidnei became our first pastoral candidate and the members voted unanimously to call him. Since his arrival our church has loved on his family in a special way. They now live in the parsonage of the church that is 5 blocks from the church. Our church has grown under his leadership spiritually and numerically. We are grateful that this church is now an indigenous ministry reaching their community for Christ. Paulo e Lucia recently accepted Christ!
New Members of Victory Baptist
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The Alexander Family
In April of 1988 Donna and I along with our 7 month old baby Shawn Jr. arrived in São Paulo, Brazil to begin our study of the Portuguese language. Thirty years later our three oldest sons are graduated from college and pursuing their own ministries in the States. The Lord blessed us with two more children, Andrew and Anna Shae. For the past two years our family has been aggressively involved in the planting of Victory Baptist Church. It is our desire that this site assist friends and churches in understanding our ministry and praying knowledgeably for the work in Sorocaba.
