Railson & Heidi Gil
developing Brazilian community, building the body of Christ
Christian missionaries in Pará, northern Brazil.
Railson, native to Pará, is called to developing projects which exemplify the Kingdom in practical ways, specifically through communications development and digital integration (that is, making computer technology available to disadvantaged classes). Heidi is a pediatric nutritionist and English teacher from Oregon, USA. She enjoys putting the Gospel into practice as she counsels nutritionally needy families. Our gifts bring us into contact with people of all levels, which often leads to house visits and impromptu gatherings around the Bible. We love it when God surprises our unsuspecting visitors with the tangible sense of His presence! Here you will find our current and past newsletters as well as photos of our family and region. Have fun exploring our site!
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Apr 21
Hello from Amazônia, where living is an adventure every day. Thank you, as always, for your prayers and support.
We would like to request special prayer for our family and church throughout the month. Our primary need is financial. We are in a major transition with our fundraising projects, which has left our budget dangling for the last three months. While I am temporarily out of paid nutrition work, Railson has been busting through barriers to get a communications company up and running with practically no initial funds to invest. It has been an amazing journey. Now what is really needed at the moment is about $18,000 to seal a second deal on satellite links for Porto de Moz. That would get the local business community (about 70 confirmed businesses) connected to the rest of the world, which would necessarily generate a generous return for missions. It’s the logical next step. We have no idea where that amount of money can come from, but what’s impossible for us is possible for God! See our Donation Page for more info on giving.
A second need is for our home computers. We are in desperate need of at least two laptops. The refurbished ones we bought in the States a few years ago have burned out, and our office computer is a slow dinosaur, without so much as Word. Without good computing, our nutrition work and church work take a heavy toll. (We wanted to include photos with this message, but we can’t open or edit photos on our computer anymore. We would really like to get this situation rectified!) Any donations toward this need would be greatly appreciated.
We are still awaiting the opportunity to do a nutrition/evangelistic outreach to the interior of Vitória do Jarí, via river. The date has been tentatively set for May 1st. Please pray for financial provision for the church and all involved, as well as for open hearts and an Kingdom explosion among the people.
Blessings to you.
Have a joyous Resurrection Day!!
the Gils -
Mar 17
It is March 17. Did you know that St. Patrick is said to have used the 3-leafed shamrock as an aid to teaching the polytheistic Irish about the trinity?
We would like to share an update with you all, particularly to ask for prayer for a few key areas.
1. Nutrition Outreaches
More doors are opening for ministry in this area. Two churches have approached me with respect to health-evangelism. The first has invited me on a boat trip to some needy areas in the interior of the Almeirim area. If all goes as planned, we will distribute emergency food, conduct nutrition evaluations, pray for a lot of people and probably have a message/service. The other is with the Paz church we are involved in, and will be an on-going health evangelism ministry in areas generally near church home fellowships. As we begin to work in this dimension, we ask for your prayers, for guidance and for financial providence.2. Milk Program
When I was laid off from my Porto de Moz job in January, I truly felt the Lord’s hand in it even though it created a significant financial hardship for us. On the 3-hour van trip back home the Lord filled my head with dreams of conducting nutritional interventions in Almeirim, as I did in Porto, without having to rely on the local government for funding. After all, shouldn’t the Body of Christ be able to do it better than the government? One of the most effective nutrition interventions is known as the Programa do Leite (Milk Program). Conceptualized by the World Health Organization, it is targeted towards nutritionally needy children 0-5 years and undernourished pregnant women. By our figures, initially, we could significantly improve the nutritional status of 350 debilitated individuals while sharing Christ with them for about $3600/month. Get the word out! If we start hearing back from individuals and organizations interested in sponsorship, we can begin to put our plans into action. We have the contacts, the space, the practical experience and the desire. We just need guaranteed financial coverage.3. Igreja da Paz
The local church of which we are a part is a blessing. We are renting an old building much like an school house right beside a repair yard for heavy duty tractors and trucks. (It’s cool to see the sparks and flashes from the welders’ work as we are worshipping!) Each Sunday sees new visitors. We are constantly doing fund-raisers for buying stackable chairs, as they get filled up as fast as we buy them. Pray for pastors Manoel and Roseth, a visionary young couple from Macapá who are giving their all to see the church fit and well fed. They are living at the church, which as we know from experience, can be exhausting. The building is hot and dusty (from the constant traffic on the dirt road outside), so pray for their health & stamina, as well as possibly for a different place to live.Thanks to all who have given sacrificially to Brazil through financial support of our efforts. We are grateful to God for you and trust Him to return the blessing!
We want to remind you that if you would like to donate, you can now give electronically through Paypal.
More, Lord!
Heidi Gil (for Railson, Tim & Sarah, too) -
Nov 4
We have a new newsletter online! Take a look here:
Please email us if you’d like to be added to our email update list and receive newsletters and updates several times a year.
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Mar 3
Where would we be without the Lord? And where would we be without you all? It’s good to be part of this fantastic Body with a very smart Head.
We mentioned in our first update of the year that we are expecting NEW things for 2010. Well, several new things are already happening. Let’s praise the Lord together.
Have you ever heard of “suddenlies”? Like when the Lord intervenes in a surprising way? Graham Cooke describes it this way,
“In a ‘suddenly,’ God invades our lives in such a way that it excites us on one level and frightens us on another. We become a walking paradox: everything has changed, yet everything is the same.”
Well, it’s barely March and we have already experienced four “suddenlies.”
- Coming out of 2009 we were distraught at our financial situation. It was very obvious that we had to continue to look for work here since our donor support was extremely low. I was frustrated with having to give English classes at night, when all I really want to do (and am prepared academically to do) is work in nutrition. So, I outright asked the Lord to get me out of English classes. Then, suddenly, the secretary of health of Porto de Moz (a day’s travel away) offered me my old position. The blessing is that they will pay me almost twice what they did before, and I’ll only have to work 1 week per month! And get this: one thing that impressed the health department is the voluntary involvement of an American doctor (who is with the Xingu Mission in Porto). The secretary told me that he prays over his patients in the exam room (she stuck out her hand emphatically to imply the laying on of hands) in such a way that people feel loved on and cared for. Obviously, the health system in Porto is desperate for qualified professionals and open to an invasion from heaven, so I’m on it! Plus, I’ll be able to help out at our old church while I’m there (YAY!), so it’ll be like going on a missions trip once a month. Both Railson and I really sense the Lord’s anointing over this opportunity. I’ll begin (again) on the 21st-27th of this month, so pray for me.
- Combining perfectly with my commitment in Porto, Railson, too has been called on to provide Internet technology there for the city offices. It was no small miracle that he won the bid, considering that we have been flat broke since the beginning of the year. His business has very little financial movement on record, but the mayor believes in him and his team. Please pray, however, that we will not lose this contract due to delays in getting the official paperwork delivered. The work is important because the proceeds will feed plans for the Foundation, as well as help pay off some of our debts. The implantation should begin this month, once the paperwork has been approved by the city of Porto de Moz.
- A third “suddenly” was when the local mining company called on Railson for much the same reason as Porto de Moz. They need a wireless network implanted ASAP in two communities. Again, Railson’s business won the bid by a sheer miracle. So, if both projects go as planned (and we need your prayers for this!) there will be enough resource to feed importation, which will, in turn, feed the Foundation eventually (or at least that’s what we think!).
- The fourth “suddenly” was when the same mining business invited me to supervise the foodservice kitchen for a few hours each morning. I thought they wouldn’t accept the fact that I’ll be absent for a week each month (in Porto), but it was not a problem for them. The salary will be a full month’s salary, plus family benefits & transportation. It’s not a lot of money, but at least it’s stable, and will help even out the fluctuations we experience with donor support. I’ll probably begin next week. (Pray that my lack of official registration as a Brazilian nutritionist will not be a hinderance!)
We thought you might like to know about these happenings since you have long heard our bemoanings about finances and the need for provision. We believe this is the Lord’s way of providing, so we are happy for it. Railson’s projects are usually completed in 30-60 days, and my work is part-time because we always want to be available for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Plus, I won’t have to work nights after June (when the semester ends), so will be able to be more involved with the local Paz church plant. (Churches here generally have more activities at night when it’s cooler.)
Speaking of the church plant, we are expecting to have a team of bikers come down from Macapa (7 hours away over a dirt/mud “highway”) to help with building renovations. Yes, the church has finally found a new location!! No old stigmas remain. But for now we are meeting in one of the member’s homes, which has been a total blessing. On Sunday, the presence of the Lord was so sweet and powerful…
Wish you were here,
the Gils -
Feb 5
Hello from wet, landslidey Brazil. Would you accept a muddy hug?
A few praises to share with you…1. The Igreja da Paz hasn’t given up on it’s mission to plant a church in Monte Dourado. (Not that we tout the Igreja da Paz banner, but the individuals involved have a genuine love for the community and a desire to bring people to Christ.) The alternative base in Macapá (7 hours away by bus) has picked up the vision. A team of 6 were at our house last month for breakfast. We are encouraged that they seem to have a realistic, as well as prophetic, notion of what church planting takes in our unique community. With the Lord’s guidance they will avoid the pitfalls of the past. For now we are meeting in the home of one of the church families. I will be ministering the Word on Sunday. The base is in the process of negotiating the renovation of a rental building, but we are not in a hurry to move to the building. Things are great at the house for now!
2. Thanks to a missionary friend in Thailand, we will soon have a digital camera again. We are blessed at the Lord’s kindness in meeting simple, yet important, needs such as this one. Thank you, Deborah, for being sensitive!
3. Railson’s constant “volunteer” work in communications is beginning to have financial implications. The several ISPs he has assisted over the past two years have written him excellent certificates of recomendation, which have been instrumental in gaining credibility in the field. He is now negotiating two projects for the implantation of Internet service, one here in Monte Dourado, the other in Porto de Moz. This testifies to the fact that God doesn’t let ANY act of faith & kindness go without results. Railson has constantly worked himself into the dough (the technical community) through faith. We want to see communications implanted by the Kingdom around here! (See Matt. 13:33, Luke 19:12-13)
4. One of the legal battles we were facing has been won. A client who owed us around US$4500 was sentenced to pay by judicial order. The case was seen by the judge and quickly resoved (thank you, Jesus, for making it swift!), although guy tried every way to get out of it. The down side is that the payment will be received in 18 installments and we will have to pay the lawyer still, but at least the judge benefitted us with a hefty margin for interest.
Thank you for standing with us and giving of yourself through attention, prayers, kindness and finances to Kingdom work in Brazil. We want to reach more and more Brazilians for Christ.
Blessings,
Heidi & troop