December 2008

November 2008

THE MEETING WITH OUR LOVE ONES , HERE AND BEYOND IN  SALVADOR, BAHIA-BRAZIL 

       
To give a formal frame to the resolutions from the Annual Assembly Brazil 2008, conducted at the city of Guarulhos in Sao Paulo, the last October 18th, the District Apostle Guillermo Vilor travelled to the city of  Salvador, State of Bahia, in the North of Brazil. The Apostle Carlos Caleri, who had been present in the Assembly, was waiting for him at the airport.  Together, they both fulfilled the adopted resolutions and the consequent legal obligations.
In the evening it was held a Divine Service for the Servants and Rectors in Sao Paulo, and following the steps given by the Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber, the Spiritual Introduction that he conducts in the  Meeting with the District Apostles  and the District Apostle Helpers twice a year,  was spread among the Servants, Apostles as well as Rectors.
The District Apostle Vilor took advantage of this trip to share these essential thoughts for the fulfillment of the Work, with a meeting for the Servants of the Communities of Great Sao Paulo and the Apostles and Bishops of Brazil.
After the joy of sharing this celestial bread, on Saturday 1st November, the District Apostle travelled to the city of Salvador. If we stop for a moment in the rich history of this huge and blessed country, we cannot avoid mention the importance of this city. Before the abolition of slavery in 1888, this was the port of arrival for the European ships loaded with slaves from Africa, where they were traded as simple goods, without giving any value to the human life. Needless to say, many of them lost their life in many painful ways, daring or obeying those who has rights over them.
In the evening, it was held the Divine Service with all the Servants of this big district, with the presence of the Rectors and the Bishop Reinaldo Milczuk.

District Apostle alongside Leaders and Servants

As in the previous day, the base Word was the one underlined by the Chief Apostle, from the Epistle of Paul to Titus 2: 11-12.
On Sunday, the Central Service for the Departed of the Regional Church Brazil-Bolivia was held in the Amaralina Church, Salvador. There were present the four congregations of Salvador and Feira de  Santana, with the presence of 142 people.

                                Divine Office                                                                    Receiving the holy dinner

  Moved by the memory, the people at the Divine Service were attended and the Sacraments administrated to all the souls eager for eternity and who accepted the benefits for “… the message of the cross…”(1° Corinthians 1:18).

Hymn of the final act for the deceased

At the end of the Service for his area of responsibility, the District Apostle returned happily and thankfully to his home, after enjoying these meeting with the love ones of Brazil and the Departed who shared the Table of God.

November 2008

Visit of the District Apostle to Sao Pablo

On October 18th and 19th, the brothers of Sao Paulo, Brazil, enjoyed the visit of the District Apostle Guillermo José Vilor.
The meeting started on Saturday 18th with the Annual Assembly in the Caesar Park Hotel, in the city of Guarulhos, at 7 p.m., and it was presided by the District Apostle. The Apostles Carlos Caleri and Geraldino Aires, the Bishops of the Capital area, North and South and the District Elders were also present in the meeting.

District Apostle G. Vilor next to the Bishops of area and District Elderly

On Sunday 19th, at 10 am the Divine Service was held together, at the “Igreja de Bosque da Saúde”, which is the Central church of Sao Paulo.  There, all the congregations of the city, the Apostles and Bishops of Brazil as well as some other District Elders took part in the Divine Service.

Church of Bosque da Saúde

The weather was damp and rainy, but God provided a beautiful day with His word scattered from the altar.
The District Apostle started with a warm regard from the Chief Apostle for the Servants and brothers.  In his words he emphasized the importance of being the first ones in giving love, making sacrifice, spreading hope, cultivating patience and collaborating with the work of God.  And he read the words from the Holly Bible, Matthew 19: 29-30:
“…and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first, will be last, and the last first.”

District Apostle Guillermo José Vilor

The Apostle Geraldino Aires, was called upon to serve, and he outlined the importance of water for the survival of the material life, and the abundance in the spiritual field, considering the value of the water of life that is received from the altar.  It can change from person to person, it can smell or taste differently, but it is the same spirit who activates, and we should not make any difference. It was a deep message to make it clear the source of blessing in Altar.
That day, together with the Apostle Caleri and the Bishop Genival, we lived the blessing of sharing with our departed brothers the forgiveness of sins and the communion with Christ.  At the end of the Service, the hymn N° 379 was played on the organ, and a deep feeling of peace which comforted the hearts and souls of the people.

District Apostle next to Apostol C. Caleri and Bishop Genival

To complete this joyful day, new servants were ordained in the area of Sao Pablo: a Shepherd and a Deacon more for Santa Clara, a Deacon for Bosque da Saúde and one for Santo André. This reveals that the Lord is blessing this country.

District Apostle and Apostle G. Aires leaving the people present

At the end , the brothers were eager to greet the District Apostle and his Apostles, and so they did with great joy.  The District Apostle was worried for his return trip and the timetable, but he enjoyed the occasion hoping to be able to come back and share the Word of God again with all the brothers. The timetable and he could come back home on time. The honesty and thankful must be done to the Lord.

October 2008

DIVINE SERVICE OF CONSOLATION AND COMMISION

Last Wednesday, October 15th, after the intense activity performed in the United States, the Chief Apostle Whilhelm Leber arrived in Argentina, to conduct in Buenos Aires the Divine Service of Consolation regarding the recently departure to eternity of the beloved District Apostle Norberto Batista.

Together with the Chief Apostle, accompanying him in his endless activity were the representative Apostles for every continent:  D.A. Guillermo Vilor, from America, D.A. A. Andersen for Australia, D.A. Barnes from Africa, D.A. M. Ehrich from Europe and the D.A. W. Klinger from Asia.

Apostles of Argentina and District Apostles invited

During his stay in the USA the Chief Apostle held the District Apostle and District Apostle helpers Meeting in New York.  There, the D.A.  R. Freund retired from ministry after fifty years of active service as a Servant of God, and the new District Apostle I. Kolb was ordained, who served as District Apostle Helper up to now.
Once in Buenos Aires, the Chief Apostle kindly remembered District Apostle N. Batista, who passed away too early, as a valuable person who had conducted his district wisely.
The Divine Service was based in the text Jeremiah 31:13:
“…for I will turn their mourning in joy, will comfort them…”

Chief Apostle

Among other concepts, he said that many times, when we face a loss many questions arise, for example: why God has permitted the departure of our District Apostle? But he remarked that God never makes mistakes, and when God comes back for his children, then we will ask nothing because the beloved God will turn our mourning in joy.  This transformation will be in two steps: in the first, through the Divine consolation we will be comforted, and in the second one He will rejoice over us.
Now, how does he comfort us?  First of all, He shows us the facts globally.  We shouldn’t be stopped in front of his tomb.  We should look on his work in life, instead. What he did while he was among us.  In the second place, He shows us the things from Eternity, considering that he will have there a kind of peace impossible to imagine on the Earth.  Third and last, if we look upon God and leave the entire material things aside, we will get consolation.
Once you get the consolation, it goes beyond and tends into joy.  Jeremiah says: “…for I will turn their mourning in joy, will comfort them…”. The joy comes first with the conviction that the Lord is coming soon and we will see our loved ones again.
The Chief Apostle’s words were so rich that all the people present in the Service were comforted.  He also decided to celebrate Holy Communion for the Departed in a Divine Service in the middle of the week.
He leaded all the meetings regarding the selection of the new District Apostle, and finally the Apostle Norberto Passuni was as ordained District Apostle for the region.

District Apostle Norberto Passuni and Chief Apostle

The following day, the Chief Apostle and his company returned to their home countries to follow with their indefatigable activity, their everyday work that makes so well to our Church.

JULY 2008

Chief Apostle visit
With warm hearts we welcome our Chief Apostle W. Leber
and his company in his visit to Brazil and Bolivia.
Brazil and Bolivia, july 2008

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REPORT ON THE VISIT OF THE DISTRICT VILOR TO  SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA BETWEEN 11TH AND 14TH APRIL 2008

WHAT KINDNESS DO YOU HOPE TO GET? MAN’S KINDNESS OR GOD’S KINDNESS?

There is a clear answer among the Bolivian Brothers expecting the visit the Chief Apostle is going to pay soon: God’s Kindness!
This is their position giving their hearts, doing all their best and wishfully preparing all the necessary things for the first visit of a Chief Apostle to Bolivia.
When the same painting is observed by different people, they can come to different conclusions. An expert will be delighted with every detail and the painting as a whole; they may also distinguish what school it belongs to, among other things. The ordinary person might not even look at it or only express if they liked it or not.
God’s children who are in front of the Chief Apostle cannot feel indifferent but they can recognize the virtues of his presence there and the school he belongs to: it is the Divine School!
Also in this new trip related to the preparation for those memorable days to come, the District Apostle held conversations with the  Brothers and  Sisters, about the organization.

When he arrived at the airport, accompanied by Bishop F. Mercado and the  Evangelist J. Antelo, they had an interview with the Viru Viru airport manager, Mr Aniceto Laso for the Chief Apostle’s official reception.
In the evening there was a meeting of the Celebrating Brothers who on account of the current frequency of these meetings now act as fuel for spiritual activities and communion.

On Saturday morning there was an administrative meeting and then a visit to a shopping centre to get rugs to decorate Alto San Pedro church where the Divine Celebration on the date of the visit will take place.

The main point of the District Apostle’s visit was marked by the Divine Celebration on Sunday at Sirari church located between the 3rd and the 4th ring of the city. The San Carlos and Villa Norte communities were invited and there were 114 souls and 5 guests.

The text chosen was Joshua´s 1:9 : “Look what I have commanded you…”On the basis of the initial hymn: “A little bit of time”, the District Apostle began his Divine Service. He was really touched by the singing and asked the people to sing it again when he summoned the Bishop to help him. No less touched were the District Apostle and the community when the Holy Communion for the Departed was celebrated.

That day of celebration was closed with the personal greeting of the District Apostle and the Bishop to the goers and it could be said that they were pleased to call it a day. Nevertheless there was still a seminar to be held in the afternoon for the Servantas  in which all the participants took part with joy and feeling grateful because in these meetings authorized by the Chief Apostle they can get plenty of knowledge and with this, strength and wisdom to do their job in The Work of God.

At 11.40 on Monday, he left the hotel towards the Viru Viru airport and arrived in Buenos Aires at 20.06, four minutes ahead of schedule. He was surprised to see that the District Apostle, M Fiore (on leave) was there to take him home.

THE APOSTLE CALERI IN SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA- BOLIVIA

Between November 27th and 29th, the Apostle Caleri paid a new visit to Bolivia, this time activating in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
With a temperature over the 32ºC, coming from Sao Pablo, Brazil, the Bishop Mercado was welcomed on his arrival.
The Divine Service was scheduled for the following day, but due to a general strike, it was advisable to do it on that day. So, immediately after his trip, the Apostle celebrated the Divine Service with the great joy of all the participants who were gathered with very short time.

The Divine Service took place in the community of Km 6, which is 6 kilometers apart from the old city center. Santa Cruz is divided into zones that radiate out in a circular pattern from the old center and are designated by numbers. The communities of Santa Ana and Carmen del Bajío, that used to be missionary communities, were integrated to this church.
The Bishop helped in the sermon of this Divine Service where two souls were sealed.  The text used was John 4:41-42.

Natural Disaster
At the beginning of 2007, there was a devastating flood in Bolivia, in the Capital City of Beni and other neighboring cities, which was the worst ever disaster in 25 years due to the height of the waters. .	Natural Disaster
Not only was our church of Ballivian affected, but also many houses of our members were damaged. The immediate visit of the District Apostle Vilor together with the beloved Bishop Mercado and the District Evangelist J.C. Perez tried to offer consolation and strength and also give the necessary help. The District Apostle immediately presented the problem to the Chief Apostle, who decided to give humanitarian help through a church body devoted to this work called NAK Karitativ, and in this way a new church building and several new houses were given to our members and some other people affected.	District Apostle Vilor next to Sister Francisca Keiter
New house of Brother Rene Quiroz	Brother Gumercindo Sanchez House ‘s renovation
The District Apostle, who supervised the work with the Bishop, was especially happy at the consecration ceremony of the new church. Another record was registered, but this time it was not related to the devastating flood but to the presence of souls, better than ever before, with 250 assistants.

We sadly inform that on Friday July 27th, 2007, the beloved district evangelist Lazaro Quispe was called to Eternity. Our hearts are full of sadness, especially among his relatives and all the people who worked with him in the work of God.  The district Evangelist, competent in the area of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, lost his life in a car accident at the age of 62. After the meeting with the Servants, held in Alto San Pedro Chapel, during his trip back to home, he was ran over by a car and passed away. He was a faithful Servant, obedient and active, loved by the souls and the Servants.
He had a deep relationship with the Apostle Caleri and with the District Apostle, and he was always ready to help in any circumstance he was needed. We feel the comfort that, with that feeling, he will be able to collaborate indefatigably among the God’s messengers of peace in the other world.We praise God for the comfort to his loved ones.	District Evangelist Quispe with Apostle Caleri, Bishop Mercado and other ministers.
The District evangelist Lazaro Quipe was sealed on 12/03/1992 and received the sub deacon’s ministries on 17/11/92.  He became a Pastor on 10/2/1994 and District Evangelist on 7/03/2004.The burial service was held by the beloved Bishop Freddy Mercado in the central church of Alto San Pedro.	Holy Sealing on March 3, 2004: District Evangelist Quispe receives the ministry from District Apostle Vilor.

OUR SACRIFICES

Dear Brothers and sisters,
 Today I want to clarify some aspects about the sacrifice. It is not my aim to introduce new thoughts. My intention is directed towards considering the concept of sacrifice from the point of view of the present times and according to the present interpretation, and stimulate a uniform definition and description for this subject.OUR SACRIFICES
Let me start by defining what do we understand for “sacrifies”: The definition of sacrifice in the narrow sense constitude the gifts that we voluntarily bring to God and the sacrifices we willingly perform for God.
I consider it very important to place God in the center. Surely, the good deeds can also be considered a sort of sacrifice because they were born from the disposition to help and with the aim of doing well to the others. The Holy Scripture also considers this point of view.  However, when we speak of sacrifices we are talking about what we give to God. This is what I call sacrifices in the narrow sense.  The Tithe also takes part of this.  I do not find necessary to distinguish between the concepts monetary offerings and the “Tithe”.
Why do we sacrifice? To appoint that we sacrifice in order to be blessed is not enough.  The motives for sacrificing are many.  The following are, for me, the most important:

What types of sacrifices are there?  Basically, it is possible to distinguish between material (financial) and spiritual sacrifices.
Financial Sacrifices (including gifts in kind):  God’s Work cannot be built or improved without financial resources. Regular offerings  are necessary to maintain the communities and in this way we participate in God’s work.
Spiritual sacrifices: this term is used in 1 Peter 2:5 “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices…”  In the Holy Scripture there is not any other special detail about the spiritual sacrifices.  In my view it is a matter of devoting oneself to God and lead a life according to the teachings of the gopel.
In this context we usually hear concepts like Offerings of Time, Offerings of renunciation, offerings of the heart, without having a real knowledge of what these terms meanLet me make some comments about them.
Offering of Time: Time is nowadays a scarce asset. For this reason the offerings of time are highly valuable. God’s work could not be fulfilled without the very important offering of time from many people that honor the cause of God.
Offering of Renunciation:  This is not an offering in the form of a gift.  Rather it implies desisting from a thing, a right or a benefit, renouncing to them.  Generally speaking, it includes forgoing personal benefits,, interests or rights  in favor of God’s work. In the wide range, it can imply to renounce to some financial benefit or  to desist spiritually from some things.  The term “offering of renunciation” is inappropiate when we are talking about to execute orders or instructions.  For example, that person that illegitimately could get some advantage and does not seize the opportunity, is not renouncing or omitting something but simply behaving in the proper way.
Offering of the heart:  This refers to a wide range of sacrifices that have to be with the way we lead our lives. The example of the Son of God that prayed in the Gethsemane is a good example of this: “Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from me, nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will”. Subordinate one’s will to God’s will can imply a big sacrifice.  Nevertheless, I recommend you all, to be careful about the statement “The offerings of the heart are the best sacrifices”.  It is necessary to take into account that here, in first place there are other motivations that may not be in the sacrifices of a financial nature or when we give our time.
It is advisable to use these concepts carefully and in case of doubt, explain them in detail.  I wish I had contributed to clarify the subject and hope to have been able to transmit the varied and significant that the sacrifices areKind regards,Yours,Wilhelm Leber 
This article has been taken of the magazine  “UNSERE FAMILIE” of Nº 9 2007

The “UNSERE FAMILIE” was made to order of New Apostolic Church International, published by
“ Verlag F. Bischoff  GmbH” de Frankfurt, Germany.

EDITORIAL

Dear brothers and sisters,
In the ensuing text I would like to offer you an approach to some thoughts about the Apostle Ministry.  There are always situations where, talking about some issues of the New Apostolic Church, it is necessary to give some explanations.  May these clarifications be of help to you. THE APOSTLE MINISTRY
The Apostle Ministry is the central Ministry within the Church of Jesus Christ.  We, New Apostolic Christians, believe that this is a necessary and lasting institution.  In the New Testament, the importance of the Apostles is underscored by accounts of the healing of sick and even raising the death through the power of God. On the one hand, the question is why God performed such miracles in those days and, on the other hand, how the Apostles of the end time compare to those of the early church.

The questions of healing the sick and the raising the death can only be answered in its historical context. Jesus Christ brought dead people back to life and in that way, he showed that as the Son of God, he had power over death.  Jesus Christ is the victor over death.  In order to spread this promising message full of hope and keep it alive in faith, the first Apostles brought people back to life in some cases.  However, these miracles were not an end in themselves, but rather a sign of the salvation in a time when people were defenselessly exposed to all kind of illnesses.

Nowadays, the Apostles are active in a deeply different situation from that of the first Apostles. The Gospel is worldwide known and it do not need of any miracle to be confirmed.  In this era controlled by mass media, the raising of the dead and the healing of the sick would not be considered a real confirmation of God’s Son over death. Rather such miracles would only be considered a forgettable piece of news for sensationalist journalism.

The Apostles of the end time have the task of gathering the community of the Lord awaiting His return. This is the mission that legitimizes the Apostles of today, they not only proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also prepare the believers intensively for His imminent return. Nowadays, there are some miraculous events that occur as signs and come along with activity of the Apostle Ministry, but they are not advertised and usually remain hidden.

Therefore, we see that the Apostles of the early church and those of the end time have different jobs assigned.  But all of them are sent by Jesus Christ, all of them have the power to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, to baptize with the Holy Spirit and spread the Gospels around the World.  In this respect there is no difference between the Apostle of the first Christian church and the Apostles of today.Yours,Wilhelm LeberThe Chief Apostle with the Apostle Nov. Sarin (second left) and Kaom Meas(right) from Cambodia and the Bishop Voeun.This article has been taken of the magazine  “UNSERE FAMILIE” of Nº 5 2007

The “UNSERE FAMILIE” was made to order of New Apostolic Church International, published by
“ Verlag F. Bischoff  GmbH” de Frankfurt, Germany.

PENTECOST 2007

The blessing words used as a memoir were these:

“Dear confirmed children 2007, we wish you remain faithful to your promise forever, and raise it as a symbol, be successful and blessed when staying faithful to your promise”.

Santa Cruz April, 10th 2007.

Finally, all the children together with their tutors and teachers shared a snack after the service.
The memorable Service for the Children, so much expected came to a close.

Difficult weather conditions in Bolivia

In this moment, the worst damage was placed in Beni Department, where around a hundred of our brothers and sisters have been affected by the floods.  The government is providing protection and the people are living in tents, hospitals and schools.

The District Elder Perez, from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, traveled to the area to be near the brothers and sister in this critic period and to give comfort in the faith and help where needed.We keep praying to our Lord, in his love, that He may watch over all those who suffer

Pictures : Newspapers : El Deber and El Mundo de Santa Cruz de la Sierra.