January 2008 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year from Rio de Janeiro! Looking back over the last year, I am so thankful for everything that God accomplished in our family and in our church in 2007, and commemorating this holiday season was a perfect way to celebrate.

Christmas and New Year's in Rio

This year Rodrigo and I spent the holiday season with his family here in Rio de Janeiro. It was wonderful to be able to have time to talk, visit many of our relatives, and celebrate our life here in this great city. We spent New Year's Eve together with the rest of the mission team here in Rio along with approximately 2,000,000 (yes, you read that right - two MILLION) other people on Copacabana beach! Check out Dan's video of the fireworks display at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtxm-DKz-sQ.

A special holiday season in the Rio church...

This year, we presented our third annual Christmas Musical! It was a huge success, with over 250 people attending the day of the show and many visitors. I rehearsed with our chorus for three months while soloists, actors, scenery workers, and lighting volunteers worked to pull the show together. This year, we had more volunteers and church members involved than ever before! I thank God for this powerful ministry and the fun that I have working with these people.

We also had inspiring worship services on the Sundays before Christmas and New Year's Eve. We used these special days to encourage people to prioritize in 2008 and put God first in their lives. The year ended strongly as our church members joined hands to sing and grouped together to pray for one another.

Recent baptisms...

We rejoice with four special people who were added to God's kingdom in the past couple of months! Jaçiara (below, left) has been studying with me for several weeks, and recently decided to give her life to Christ. Please keep her in your prayers as she faces some tough changes in her life as the only Christian in her immediate family. Also baptized recently were Carlos (76 years old! Praise God!), Andrea, and Marilene, who will begin a study with me this Sunday. She's "hungry" to learn more about the Bible, and also needs prayers as she learns more and more.

Website updates...

I have added lots of new pictures to the website, including preparations for our Christmas musical, more baptism photos, our recent Ladies' Bazaar, and much more: www.adriennenunnally.com. You can also read updates from other Rio mission team members at our team blog: www.spaces.msn.com/reachingrio/. Rodrigo and I thank you all for your continued prayer and support. We would love to hear from you, so drop us a line when you have time!

With much love,

Rodrigo and Adrienne (Nunnally) Almeida