IMB Missionaries Steve and Michelle Riddle write: There are some forty million Gaúchos in South America; People with rich traditions and strong ties to family and to the land. But they are peoples who, for the most part, have never had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Eleven million of these peoples live in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and we have the challenge and the privilege to share Jesus with these wonderful people. Every year we ask our friends and supporters to join us in daily prayer for the people of Rio Grande do Sul for thirty days. We provide this list of prayer requests so that you can pray and be informed about the Lord’s work here.
Thank you for praying and thank you for the victories your prayers will lead to in the reaching of the Gaúchos.
Pray for obedient servants who will accept the challenge in Rio Grande do Sul and strive to reach the many different peoples that form this beautiful tapestry of cultures and heritage.
With almost 400 municipal districts with no Baptist work, the challenge is great. The opportunities are greater still. There are doors open but it requires the Lord’s wisdom to know the places and the timing. Pray for that all will be done according to the Lord’s plan and that He will receive the honor and glory for the victories.
Pray for the North Region. This area lies between the Missions and the Mountains and has the problems of both regions. The large numbers of Italians and Germans have strongly held traditions. The Gaúcho influence of independence is also strongly felt. This makes the task to plant churches more difficult. But the work has been growing in places like Erechim and Passo Fundo. The work in Carazinho, after a very difficult time, is advancing. Pray that the Lord will provide even greater victories in the days ahead.
Pray for the Riddles in Ijuí. We have seen good times and tough times but the Lord has blessed through all this. We love the people and the work and are excited about what the Lord has in store for the years ahead. Pray that we will be able to see the Gaúcho people as the Lord sees them and that we will follow His leadership in the most effective way to win the lost, disciple the believers, and multiply the churches.
Pray for the efforts in ICASAP (Ijuí, Cruz Alta, Santo Ângelo, and Panambi.) This region has a strong group of churches which could serve to start new works. When we arrived in the region, these four communities and surrounding area had seven churches and one mission point. Today there are eleven churches and eight missions plus a number of group studies that could become churches. Pray that more churches will grasp the vision for growth.
Pray for the Pioneer Baptist Convention. This fellowship of Baptist churches has work in six states of Brazil including more than twenty-five churches in Rio Grande do Sul. They also sponsor work for orphans, senior citizens homes, missionaries, church planting, and the Faculdade Batista Pioneira in Ijuí. This convention was founded by German Baptist almost 100 years ago but has work with various ethnic and cultural groups and continues to plant works among the traditional Brazilian communities.
