March 2006

Dear Brethren,

For over a year now I have been making an effort to try to get the other churches in our region more involved in missions. Some of the churches make sporadic mission trips close to home, but most have not really caught the vision for world missions. My goal is to get as many of the churches working on common mission projects that will then spill over into an overall mission effort, that will include foreign missions.

My first step was to get our pastors meeting on a more regular basis. We have regional preachers meetings every two or three months. These meetings have been good and have served to get churches fellowshipping and to motivate the workers. We have been doing this since 1987. Over the past year we have been getting the pastors together during the off months and sometimes every month.

The next step was to crack down on a few of the pastors who were just into missions for the competition and consequently using unethical practices. One of these had even gone as far as starting new missions in villages that already had works up and running. Those of you who know me know how much I hate that kind of thing. Needless to say this step has been very painful. Hopefully, most of these problems have been solved for now. It has taken a lot of grace.

About seven or eight months ago, I got some of our more cooperative pastors working with me to get maps and statistics together to be able to present what has been done, show where all the churches have works and map out all that still needs to be done here close to home.

In December I presented a proposal (a little suggestion) for a joint mission project at our last preachers meeting of 2005. The idea is to take the gospel to every home on every tributary of the Juruá River between Cruzeiro do Sul and the Peruvian border. I left it up to them to decide which churches would pick which rivers. It was also suggested that they pool resources (human and material) for as many of these trips as possible. They prayed about and have gotten really excited about it. We have banded together to reach every household on over 20 rivers and streams by the end of 2006. All the churches have finished their planning and some have already made the first trips. Results are already starting to roll in.

Our church has already made two trips on two unworked sections of the Juruá River. We invited a pastor from a sister church to go on the last trip. On the lower section between São Geraldo and Paraná dos Mouras over 150 homes were visited and there were over fifty professions of faith. On the middle section of the river between Triunfo and Campo de Santana there were over 200 homes visited and 94 professions of faith.

At least three other churches have also made trips, but I don’t know what they have to report yet. I will keep you posted.

Our trips were made in an aluminum canoe that Andrew made in his boat factory. He has still not turned a profit yet, because he is still investing everything in the business. He hopes to be able to support himself and his family this way soon. He has built and sold over 40 boats in the past two years and has orders for another 49 already. Three young men from our church now work for Andrew. He will be employing more people soon. The churches and local missionaries here are finally starting to see the advantages of the aluminum canoes over the old dugouts. The churches are pooling funds and have ordered two canoes for two of our full time missionaries. These will be furnished at cost and is part of Andrew’s ministry, too. In time we hope to have all of our missionaries in these boats. Wanna help? We will let ya! Just ask how.

Next year's major mission project is already in the oven. I can’t wait to spring it on them!

God bless you and thanks for all the faithful prayer and support.

In Christ,

Mike Creiglow

Crowd watching baptism at Thaunctuso Juruc River, Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil