Fall Update 2023Furman Bible Study
The past few months have been filled with some of God's greatest blessings in our ministry. We started the fall semester canvassing the campus, meeting students and inviting them to our weekly Bible study. In that first week I spent time in a recreational area where students gather to play ping pong. Liam and I played a few games of ping pong when I noticed his friends leaving the area. I mentioned that I didn’t want to keep him if they were planning to leave together. He said “No, I'm good, I want to talk with you”. This initial conversation allowed me to share our purpose on campus and invite Liam to join our Bible study. Since that day Liam has been to our Bible study every week this semester. The first study we began is called Simple Christianity. Over the next 6 weeks the study emphasized the Holiness of God, the sinfulness of man and Christ's willingness to suffer to forgive man’s sin to satisfy God’s Holiness. Liam participated, asked questions and heard our testimonies. Liam began to see some differences between what he was taught and what the Bible actually says. About four weeks ago Liam and I had dinner together and I asked him what he felt about our weekly Bible studies. He answered saying that everything had a verse to back up what we were studying. He also mentioned that he has enjoyed having new friends. His last statement revealed that he is examining and comparing Bible teaching with his past. He said “I am struggling with salvation by Christ alone and salvation by Christ and good works”. He also said that verses we studied support salvation without works. During last week's study Liam openly said “I believe I know about God but I don’t think I know God personally”. Pray for Liam's salvation. Throughout the semester we held some activities with our Furman group. The guys enjoyed Frisbee golfing a few times, we hiked through a State Park and finished our semester with a Christmas party. Jing Bo and Jing Chun
This semester I also met twin brothers from China. Both are in their freshman year and very involved in sports and their studies. They gave us their American names that they prefer for us to use - Allen and JC. Pray for an open door to begin studying God's Word with these brothers. Church College Class Sings At Furman
Recently our college men’s class sang the National Anthem at a Furman basketball game. This is just one more opportunity for our church college students to be connected with the students at Furman University. Short Visit To Brazil
In August our family spent 12 days visiting five churches and their pastors. I preached in each of these services as well as the new church plant Maranatha Baptist. We had opportunities to encourage national leadership, see the new location for a church plant, give testimonies to the youth and visit the homes of friends. Our son Andrew spent time with his long-time friend from across the street. Andrew did a Bible study with Eduardo before we left Brazil and he accepted Christ. During this visit he brought Eduardo to church to get him again connected to the youth group. Since then he has been attending church faithfully. Alex Graduated from Bible College in Brazil In 2014 I spent 6 weeks studying through salvation with Alex. He gave his life to Christ and began regularly attending Victory Baptist Church. Soon he was leading our youth, singing in the choir and helping in our church services. In 2016 he sensed God calling him to ministry and began studies at our seminary. Last week Alex completed his training and graduated with academic honors. He will be training through an internship with my brother Ed Alexander for the next 2 years. Rolando’s Salvation
In May we shared that Alain, Jane and Nicole were growing in the new walk with Christ and desirous of sharing their faith with family. About two months ago Alain’s parents were in town and I had the opportunity to share with Rolando and Rosalba God’s desire to save them. The Hispanic pastor at First Baptist of Westwood Lake was able to follow up at their home and Rolando gave his life to Christ. We praise the Lord for his decision to ask Christ to save him. August 2023 UpdateAnd he said to all
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”. Luke 9:23-24 There are many areas of ministry I enjoy but the most fulfilling of all is the discipleship of new believers. The Lord has given our family many opportunities over the past few months to invest in people that have recently come to Christ as well as some who are still seeking. Let me share with you some of our new friends with whom we have been able to study the Word of God. Alex Alex came to Christ in January of this year as the result of meeting a missionary kid from Ireland. While hiking together Sarah asked Alex if he knew he would spend eternity in Heaven. During their hike Alex heard how he could have assurance of eternal life. Upon returning to the parking lot Alex was a broken young man and he gave his life to Christ. He is a fireman in the area and has been attending our church. Andrew and I have enjoyed discipling him over the past 2 months. Dorian
We shared Dorian’s story in our last update about how he came to Christ in January of this year. I continue to study and encourage him in his walk with the Lord. Pray for Dorian. He has come off and on to church because of his job. I believe he has a sincere desire to follow Christ but there are obstacles that the enemy continues to place in his path. Paul
This past year we met with Paul at Furman University. He came to Christ while studying at a secular college. Two months ago my son Andrew and I took Paul out for dinner and asked if he would enjoy studying the Word together. Paul enthusiastically said yes! So we have had four opportunities to look into a study for new believers. Carolina
Carolina is the cousin of Jane and she is from Bogata, Columbia. She has been in our home a few times and been a part of the studies done with her family. Recently she asked Alain and Jane what does it mean to be saved. She expressed the desire to look into the Word together so next week we are planning to meet with Carolina. Stella
This past Sunday, June 4th, Stella came to church with our family. Many college students and members expressed their appreciation for her visit and made her feel welcomed. Stella is Dorian’s sister, and is also from Cameroon, Africa. We are praying that she will attend church with us again. Pray for Stella. Christhian
Christhian and I met over a year ago and we began studying salvation each time he would be in Taylors, SC. He is from Honduras and just graduated from University of the Ozarks. We plan to pick up in our study where we left off in January. Pray that he would understand his need for Christ and soon give his life to Christ. God has been faithful to lead us to needy souls and we have tried to be faithful to reach out to them as they come our way. Would you pray for a harvest of redemption? Would you pray that these new believers would deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus? Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae March 2023 UpdatePraying for NamesWhen I was a teenager and headed out the door of our home to spend time with friends or visit someone's house, my father would normally say “remember that you represent the Alexander name”. This used to bother me until I had teenagers of my own and then I gladly repeated my father's statement to my kids. There truly is something important about a name. Reputation is the first thing that comes to my mind. Character is another solemn thought about what is behind a name. Philippians 2:9 says “there is a name that is above every name”. And because of the character and reputation of that name every person from history past and present will bow the knee to that name. The angel told Joseph that he should call him by the name of Jesus. Why? Because he would save people from their sins. In our last update I mentioned a few names of people that needed your prayers. Juan and Camilo are two young men that I was meeting with on a regular basis. Neither of these men know Christ as Savior. Juan has returned to his home country of Colombia. Camilo is also from Colombia and we continue to meet and talk about the Lord. Would you pray for this name, Camilo? Dorian. Do you recall his name? Dorian and I met at God Bless America Used Tires in October. I visit this used tire shop because of my Nigerian friend, Sunday. Yes, you heard that right. His name is Sunday. I have been sharing Christ with Sunday over the past year. Dorian works for Sunday and while there, he overheard our conversation about church. Dorian said he was looking for a church to attend, so that next weekend Dorian visited Faith Baptist with our family. For three months Dorian and I have been doing a study in the book of John. He has been attentive and has an understanding of the gospel, but confused about how that good news is applied to his own life. In Cameroon, Africa he did not want to hear about Jesus. He claimed to be an atheist until a prolonged sickness caused him to call on God for help. He and his sister spent many months walking from Ecuador to California and he often said that God saved him from dying during that treacherous journey. So during one of our Bible studies in January, I shared with Dorian that he along with the rest of the world receives the blessing of God’s common grace - opening our eyes showing us that He does exist and keeping us from death in treacherous times. But this is not saving grace. My friend began to cry when he understood that God was wanting to do more than just save him from physical death, but God wanted to save his soul. So on the 24th of January, Dorian came to Christ through saving grace. That evening after trusting Christ he came to my home to share that good news with my family. Above is the picture he requested. He said “I want to remember this day, so let's take a picture”. On Wednesday evening of this past week Dorian stood before 60 teenagers at our church and shared how he became a believer. Dorian's name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Alain, Jane and Nicole have finished their New Converts Bible study and have decided to be baptized and join our church. Thank you for praying for them by name. They need the prayers of others as they navigate through this new walk with Christ. Also mentioned in our last update were Jose e Rosalba, Alain’s parents. Recently, Alain asked for the name of a good church in Miami where his mom and dad could visit and hear the gospel message. Pray for Jose and Rosalba. Carolina, Jane's cousin, has come once again to our Bible study. We were able to share how Christ loves her and wants to save her. Pray for the salvation of Carolina.
Here are some new names. Names that need prayer as well. Paul works at Furman University and we met about two months ago. Paul met with our outreach group at Furman and shared his desire to be a part of reaching students with the gospel. Pray that Paul’s on-campus presence will be influential in touching the lives of students. Alexa is a first year student that has been asking questions and needing counsel. Pray that our group would have an ongoing opportunity to work with Alexa. My brother-in-law Steve Schroeder is the Pastor of International Baptist Church in Jakarta, Indonesia. My brother Ed is the director of the Bible college and a church planter in Brazil. This means that we don't get to see each other very often. Both my brother and sister came to the States in January and we had a wonderful time talking about what God is doing in the lives of those they are serving. I am thankful that God called each one of us into the ministry.
Thank you for taking our names and their names before God through the name of Jesus. Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae January 2023 UpdateDear Friends,“And she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
We are thankful our Savior came in such a humble manner. From the very beginning he demonstrated his love and selflessness to all. What a difficult but worthy aspiration for each of us to be - humble and selfless. Furman Ministry Our ministry at Furman University this semester has focused on meeting and recruiting students for our Bible study. Attending university soccer and basketball games has been one of the ways to be around students. Our group has spent time in the cafeteria reaching out to the student body and developing friendships. Pray as we enter this semester that our paths would cross with students that desire to study the Word together. New Friends
Two months ago I met Dorian Talla, a Cameroonian that migrated to the US just last year to live with his mother. Dorian is 26 and spent five months walking from Ecuador to California. During those months he faced many challenges and life threatening situations. Dorian has been coming to church with us for two months and has been well received by our college class. He has shown real interest in studying the book of John with me on a weekly basis. Pray that he would understand the way of salvation and be saved soon. Continue to pray for the two Colombian young men, Camilo and Juan, that I have been meeting with since July. Both of them need the Lord. Juan will soon be returning to his home country. Family Discipleship
Alain, Jane and Nicole have continued their new converts Bible study with our family. Recently Alain brought his parents, Jose and Maria who mainly speak Spanish, to visit our home. They truly have a desire to see their family understand the gospel. Also pray for the salvation of Jane’s cousin Carolina. On this date, January 3rd, 1956, five missionaries to Ecuador - Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully and pilot Nate Saint - said good-bye to their wives and families before setting out in an effort to take the gospel to the savage Waorani people. Five days later, on January 8, they would all be speared to death.
This event shocked the Christian community in 1956 and has been an inspiration to Christ followers ever since. As the New Year has already begun may we also be challenged by the lives and deaths of these men to dedicate ourselves to share the gospel. “He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 115:13-15 For the Gospel, Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander Update August 2022Lamentations 3:22-23“It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” We have experienced the faithfulness of the Lord over the past few months through answered prayer. For some time we have been asking the Lord for discipleship opportunities. FAMILY COMES TO CHRIST Alain and Jane had been searching for answers to Biblical questions for a few years. After speaking with their priest they were not satisfied that the answers were truly from the Bible and they continued their search. While surfing the internet they “happened” upon our church's evening service and listened to the message. Answers to their questions came from the preaching that night. The next morning they called and set up an appointment with our pastor. That day in May was a glorious day when Alain and Jane gave their lives to Christ. Shortly after their decision I made sure to encourage them in their new found faith in Christ. Alain then asked if we would be willing to help them understand the basics of walking with the Lord. Since then we have done 7 studies from the series MILK by Frank Hamrick. They love to ask questions and seem to be excited about all that God is teaching them from scripture. At the same time our son and daughter, Andrew and Anna Shae, began an evangelistic study with their teen daughter Nicole. After 4 weeks of studying the book of John Nicole acknowledged that she needed Christ as her Savior. Andrew and Anna Shae were thrilled they had the opportunity to lead Nicole in searching God’s Word for true salvation. NEW FRIENDS FROM COLUMBIA SOUTH AMERICA Another answer to prayer is meeting and having conversations with Camilo and Juan. Both of these young men are from Columbia, South America and here studying the English language. I meet separately with them once a week and we are praying that I will have opportunities to share the gospel.FAMILY SERVING IN LOCAL CHURCHES God answered our prayer for our son Shawn and his wife Susanna as they recently moved from the Wilds Camp to South Bend, IN. to minister as the assistant pastor of outreach and missions. We are grateful that God has led our three oldest sons into church ministries. Another prayer has been answered with a new opportunity to present our campus ministry to a new church in Georgia. We always count it a privilege to attend a new church and share our burden. FAMILY HISTORY A few months ago 22 members of the Alexander family met in Fayetteville, West Virginia with my 89 year old father for him to share his life story and how he and my mother came to Christ. We met family members we had never known before and were able to share with them how they too could know the Lord. God used a loving man by the name of Preacher Manning to visit the coal mines in Snake Town in the 1940's so that my mother could hear the gospel for the first time at 11 years of age. I am thankful for a man who walked the coal mines of that region sharing the good news of Jesus. FURMAN OUTREACH This week we were on Furman campus watching a soccer game and meeting students. Duval McCoy was a young man I had breakfast with last year and we met again at the game. Pray that Duval would accept a Bible study soon. “God's faithfulness is the one constant in the equation. He is the Rock on which we stand.” Serving a faithful God,Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander June 2022 UpdateDear Praying Friends,
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. II Thessalonians 3:1 Furman Semester Ends By the time our Campus Bible Fellowship group finished out the semester we also had completed 21 chapters of studying the scriptures. “The Walk - Everyday Spiritual Growth” is the book we have used to examine God’s Word and allow it to speak into our lives. Our weekly gatherings were filled with fellowship and fun but also transparency from the students as we shared victories and defeats in our spiritual walk. I believe the Lord greatly used the 9 months of meeting to strengthen the desire for God’s Word and enjoy our walk with God. The Starbucks for the winter months wasn’t too bad either even though I am not a coffee fanatic. In the beginning of May we had a meal at our home where we were able to share how the Lord worked throughout the semester and assuring them of our prayers during the summer break. As the summer started our group met for training to work with foreign students for the next few months. These students are from all over the world and remain on the Furman campus when the school year ends. There is another group that comes to study English for 9 to 18 weeks and the objective is to meet weekly, allowing them to have conversational English with those from our group. We are hoping soon that each of us will be assigned a foreign student to get started. Pray that our time together will turn into redemptive relationships. Graduation
It is hard to believe but on the 21st of May our son Andrew graduated from Homeschool high school. Our church has a yearly graduation for those families that choose to teach their kids at home and 7 seniors graduated this year. Andrew spent 13 years being taught for the most part by his mom and by teachers on DVD. Over the last year and a half he has also completed 18 college credits. He plans to continue classes online for a period of time and work toward a degree in sports management. Andrew has been a true joy to have at home and I am thankful for the many opportunities we had to work, talk and grow together. Thank you for taking our children before the Lord during their formative years. God has blessed us with children who love the Lord and desire to please him. Ordination
On the 14th of May our oldest son Shawn presented and defended his doctrinal statement for ordination into the ministry. How can someone describe the joy that it brings to us as his parents to see him take this step! His presentation was clear and deliberate and it was a joy to hear him talk about his love of serving our Savior. Family Time
On a rare occasion our family is able to get all of the married sons, their wives and children together for family getaway. For a week at the end of May we were able to travel near to where our second son is a youth pastor. On Sunday I preached at Still Waters Baptist Church and all of the “boys” sang “It was down at the feet of Jesus”. Nothing in the world like singing about the the Savior with my four sons! So as we enter this summer of ministry we ask that you pray that God’s Word would truly have free course among those that we minister to over the next few months. For God’s Glory, Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander March Update Furman Outreach
Our Bible study at Furman continues to be an encouragement to our group. Every Friday evening we meet to study “The Walk - Everyday Spiritual Growth”. The college students dive into this study discussing the issues that each of them face in their walk with Christ. On Sundays we continue to drive to campus to bring a student to church with us. The weather is turning warm again so we plan to have our study outside at Furman to invite others to join our group. Pray with us that our college group will reach out and bring others to our study. As mid-term exams were taking place we decided to encourage one of the students with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Her room was filled with friends at the time and she was excited to share with everyone. We want to thank each of you for praying for the college campus outreach and for your continued support of our ministry. Brazil Trip
In January our family traveled to Brazil with the purpose of visiting our church plants in Sorocaba and taking care of some things at our home. We were able to visit 4 of the 5 churches and were encouraged how these ministries are faithfully proclaiming the gospel. I preached three different times, Donna played the piano for services, Andrew lead signing and Anna Shae played for the offertory. It was nice to be “plugged in” and serve while there. We had so many invitations for meals that we could not fit them all in during our three-week stay. It was encouraging to observe each family and their desire to serve the Lord in their local church. Pastor Sidnei began an outreach in the community passing our literature and tracts door to door. The church has regular visitation of those that visit the church and need to hear the gospel message. Felipe, the pastor's son, began his first semester of Bible College in February. He is a dedicated young man and already involved in a local church near the seminary. Thiago and Gisele continue to raise support as church planters and plan to move to a city near Sorocaba to plant a church at the end of this year. If you wish in any way to help financially either of these men in preparing for ministry or as a church planter you can send a gift to Baptist Mid-Missions. Also send an email to [email protected] letting me know of your gift. Please take the opportunity to watch the video of our trip to Brazil in January. Update December 2021MERRY CHRISTMAS "For unto us a Child is born... and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Surgery Just a few days ago I had gallbladder and hernia surgery and according to the doctor everything went as planned. About a year ago I had been advised to have my gallbladder removed but I waited till now to have the surgery done. Thankful for God's provision and protection during these days. Soon I hope to be back to a normal schedule. Victory Baptist Sorocaba, Brazil In November I was able to visit Victory Baptist in Sorocaba for 9 days. I had the opportunity to speak with 5 pastors in our area and counsel a few teens about their future in ministry. I was invited to preach in two services and was able to encourage the believers to be faithful pursuing Christ. The church has grown since our departure in 2020 and one family from the ministry will soon be planting another church in a city about 40 minutes from Victory Baptist. God is faithful! Watch the video below of that Brazil Trip Our Children
Andrew and Anna Shae are very involved in the youth ministry at our church. Both have been given opportunities for servant-leadership in their age group. We are thankful for how they reach out to their peers and encourage them in the Lord. Andrew will complete 12 credit hours of college classes this semester while completing his senior year. Anna Shae is continuing her piano lessons as well as all her sophomore classes. Both are working a job at Not Consumed, a resource center for homeschoolers to grow in their faith. Shawn, Susanna and their three children continue with their ministry at the Wilds Christian Camp. God has greatly used them in reaching and encouraging youth to follow the Lord. Their son Strad has come through two open-heart surgeries and has made progress as he prepares for the next surgery sometime in the spring. Thank you for praying for his health. Micah, Jessica and their three kids are living in NC where they have volunteered many hours of their week in ministry at Swan Creek Baptist. Micah has taught the teen and young adult classes, worked in children's programs, led the choir and a host of other ministries in the church. They really love being involved in ministry. Jordan, Kim and their two girls are super involved in the youth ministry at Faith Baptist Church. Jordan, as youth pastor, spends time mentoring young men in the youth group by taking them hunting, frisbee golfing and on other outings. I have enjoyed watching him work with teens as he helps them prepare their lives to serve the Lord. Furman University Campus Ministry
In September we began Bible studies on the Furman campus with just a small group of us meeting each week. Since then our group has grown and we are now meeting at an off campus location since the cooler weather has arrived. Every Sunday we go by the campus to bring a student to church with us which has been a blessing to her spiritual growth. We are enjoying developing relationships with those that come and to see the Lord working in their lives. We are working towards a more aggressive outreach in this next semester. Here are a few prayer requests for this ministry. 1. Pray that we will have success in meeting new students interested in studying the Word. 2. I hope soon to be meeting with a board member and some alumni of the college to discuss our ministry. 3. Pray for a possible connection with ROTC students at Furman. We appreciate the many prayer warriors who have sent messages of encouragement to us in this new ministry. We are expecting great things from God during the next semester. Join us in prayer for the souls of these college students. Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Christmas Cantata Night with Furman Group Christmas Cantata with Furman GroupUpdate September 2021Encouraged Over the past few months we have visited 17 supporting churches. We were encouraged by our friends who have faithfully prayed for our ministry. A number of pastors designate time for questions and many were interested in what the Lord has done through Victory Baptist Church in Sorocaba. We rejoice that God’s people are fervently seeking to reach the lost around the world and that there is an invested interest in their missions program. Pressing On Pastor Sidney and the members at Victory Baptist are reaching out to the community around the church. In spite of the setbacks over the past year families have joined Victory and the church continues to grow. A children's outreach was started four months ago and 25 to 30 children are attending. The youth class has grown from 5 to 15 and new teens are coming to youth activities. Our time spent training faithful members over the past few years is bringing a harvest of souls for the glory of God. Thankful they are pressing on! Goals Reached When we first arrived in Sorocaba (1988) we decided to set ministry goals as we began our church planting adventure. What were those goals? - 5 indigenous church plants, preaching points in smaller cities, trained national pastors and missionaries. After 33 years in the same city there are 6 church plants in the city of Sorocaba. Presently there are 4 Brazilian church planters in cities near Sorocaba establishing new churches. From the beginning we were training nationals to do the work of the ministry and seeing churches become indigenous. During each church we had opportunities to disciple and train men and women to “take our place” in leadership roles as well as the pastorate. God has shown himself faithful in helping us reach our goals in each of these churches. New Ministry A few years ago the Lord made it clear that it was time for our family to allow the Brazilian national leaders to carry on the ministry in Sorocaba. The question then was “where does the Lord want us to serve?” Last October during a missions conference God used a missionaries challenge to direct our steps toward secular college campus ministry. Since that time, we began praying weekly with college students about reaching out to the students at Furman University. Here are three requests we have prayed for.
You have prayed faithfully for us for many years and now we ask again that you pray for our family as we reach out to college students that need Christ and encourage believers to walk with the Lord. It is our desire to be used by the Lord to reach and guide college students. We are grateful for God’s leading in our ministry and for your continued support of our family. I would like to encourage you to share our Furman Project video with your church family. Here is the link. Furman Project Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae Alexander May 2021 UpdateEnjoyable Task
Visiting churches is an enjoyable task! We love the fellowship with believers and the encouragement received by those who humbly assure us they have been praying for our family and ministry. I am especially amazed when someone brings up a specific name of someone in Brazil and asks how that situation worked out. Knowing that friends are taking our burdens to the Lord is a special blessing. Over the past few months we have visited 13 supporting churches. Lockdown - Again! Once again the city of Sorocaba went into full lockdown during the last four weeks. Our church has done well and weathered the diversified church services and online studies. When God’s people desire God’s Word they can do God’s will. This past Sunday (March 25th) they were able to have in-church services again. Prayer - Brazilians in Ministry In our last letter we mentioned that Thiago is soon to complete his masters in Theology and his wife Gisele will complete her first year of Biblical studies. In February their family was approved by our church for full-time ministry. Thiago was ordained and joined a mission agency to begin raising support as a church planter. Wow, it was just 6 years ago I began a Bible study with this family and they gave their lives to Christ! The Lord has allowed our ministry to see many couples called to full-time service that are being used of the Lord today. Pray for Thiago and Gisele as they begin the process of inviting churches to partner with them for full-time ministry. Missions Trip Our daughter Anna Shae will be participating in a missions trip to California from June 20 - 29. The team will be helping Ironwood Camp during the week of Leadership Live. She was excited that all of funds needed were provided by friends, family and selling hand-made earrings. I am sure she would appreciate you praying that God would use her during the 10 days she will help at the camp. Andrew will be attending Camper In Training at the Wilds this summer. He has already begun reading and studying for the two week training time. He would be happy to know that you prayed for him as well. Praying With Your Son We are excited about the future and how the Lord is directing our family. Presently we are researching where our next ministry will be and what that will look like. Thank you for praying as we seek the Lord for his guidance. Andrew and I have been getting up together to read scripture and pray for the last week. One morning I was reading where Jesus told Simon to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. Simon responds by saying that they have toiled all night and caught nothing. But one word in his response is noteworthy. He responds with “Nevertheless” and then he obeys the Lord Jesus. Christ was about to change the entire course of Simon’s life. He would also change his name! He would set him on a path of following, then learning, then serving, then preaching. His life would never be the same! So this life change for Peter begs us to ask the question - Does God change the course of men that are seeking him? Or in other words is it right to doubt what God is doing when He decides to rewrite the destiny of a person's life? I am grateful for God’s leading our lives 35 years ago to the land of Brazil. It has been a course-altering and life-changing experience that has brought great blessing and joy to our lives. Thank you for your continued kindness to our family. Shawn, Donna, Andrew and Anna Shae January 2021 UpdateVisiting Churches
Some time ago our family visited a supporting church and a man approached me with his Bible open. I looked down and saw every prayer card of our family since 1986. I said “Wow, I looked like that”? Each card added a few more family members and I saw how much our family had changed. But then it struck me. This man had faithfully followed our family and ministry for more than 30 years. I was humbled by his consistency in prayer and concern for missions. I didn’t feel like a hero or someone to be admired. I actually thought that this man was my hero. How often do we feel a burden for God’s servants, begin praying for them and soon with time and other treasures those servants are soon forgotten? So I would like to say that I am very grateful for each of you that pray regularly for our family as well as the many other servants your church supports. Over the past months we have had wonderful fellowship with 20 of our supporting ministries. Thank you to each pastor and member for your interest in what the Lord is doing in Sorocaba, Brazil. Pastors and Friends Recently VisitedCertain But Uncertain
Recently I heard a message about the certainty of the next occurrence on God’s time table. God's promise that Jesus would return for his bride. This assurance is comforting. The last 10 months have been interesting times for God’s people. I am certain that many are uncertain of what this year is going to hold. In December our family began to have flu-like symptoms. All of us tested positive for Coronavirus. So we spent the next three weeks resting and quarantining from family and friends. We are thankful that our struggle was not as difficult as others have faced. Growing Church
It is always exciting to hear good news from Victory Baptist in Sorocaba. Recently our co-worker shared that 10 adults are in the new members class. Our church has added people to its membership during these unique times. Thiago will complete his masters in Theology soon and his wife Gisele has finished her 1st semester of Bible classes at our seminary. The people are encouraged by what God has done to grow his church during uncertain times. Donna's Mom - Sue Howell
From the very beginning of our departure to Brazil Donna's mom prayed for and supported our ministry. She loved on our kids and challenged them to serve the Savior. She visited the ministry in Brazil and became friends with some of our members. On December 20th she left her earthly feeble body behind. Today she is with her Lord rejoicing in the salvation she received as a young adult. We will miss her jovial spirit and the wonderful times we spent together. Ministry Opportunities
Since arriving in the States our children have been able to get involved in our local church in Taylors, SC. Recently they sang with the youth choir for an after church presentation. Andrew was elected to the student council with the co-op homeschool where they attend. We are grateful for their desire to serve during our time in the States. The video below is the church teen choir. [object Object]
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 2019Thank 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 UpdateHusband 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 20193 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 UpdateFrom 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 |
Brazil MinistryIn 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, our former neighbors that accepted Christ!
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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 who are 18 and 16 respectively.
In September of 2021 the Lord changed our path to a new ministry of encouraging believers and reaching those that need Christ on secular college campuses.
Presently we are having Bible studies with students from Furman University in Travelers Rest, SC.