Update #3 from Brazil

Well, somebody was praying - and I know it was you guys praying as well as us here. And the Lord heard us all!!

This is the most amazing thing. We think it was 13 people that accepted Christ tonight, but it was hard to get the count before they started moving away with the counselors. It was a short session at their home church. Most of them are regulars to this Monday night outreach group -- a class for teaching crafts of all things! They were expecting about 100 to be there, but there weren't that many. There were maybe 60-80 in total -- not including workers.

The counselors received all the new converts' information, and they have a team who will be following up on all of them. Their goal is to get them into Bible study groups. We thought only women were going to be there, but several men showed up and three of them plus a teenage boy accepted the Lord. The rest were women. Needless to say, I was blown away!

These people are so receptive. Robert and Pat say they are baptizing about 25 every month, and they felt certain these were genuine. The people in the neighborhoods around the church are mostly the ones who are coming to the craft classes. They have another one that meets on Wednesday night. The whole purpose of the classes is to reach the unchurched.

Our camera battery died today so we will have to wait and send pictures when we get back to Campinas on Saturday. There is a big event Saturday afternoon somewhere near here.

Keep praying friends! The Lord is hearing you!

Brenda Lancaster

Update #2 from Brazil

Hello, precious ones!

A good friend of mine (and no doubt a friend to many of my readers) is Tami Carr. She and I talked about her trip to Brazil a couple of years ago. And let me say to Tami, I can certainly understand the ladies here asking you for advice. I know you were a blessing to them just as you are to us.

We went to church last night, and they have a large wonderful church. It is very much like our church in style of worship, but much more free in expression. They were so very friendly.

Today was a rest day. We are getting ready to leave to meet with a group (at the home church) with many unbelievers - a group of about 100. This will be a very short session, and hopefully , it will interest them enough to come to several functions that we have planned for next week.

We are leaving in the morning to go to the poorer community I told you guys about. We are "selling" the books there for $1, and then we will donate that total to the church. What a blessing! Please let all the other ladies know about this, and tell all of them how excited the women are to get the little notes that were inscribed in the covers!

The acceptance of the teaching has been great. Women here struggle with the same things we do. Go figure! God had all this planned from the beginning. Praise Him!

Must go now... Love you all!

Brenda Lancaster

Update From Brazil

My First Update on my Trip to Brazil
4-25-08

I don't have enough internet time to write everyone individually from here in Brazil, but please know that we love and miss you each one already.

We are safely here! We had our first meetings today, and they went very well. Our Brazilian sisters here got their princess crowns today - and they loved them. We also broke our pots today. (Does that bring back memories for anyone?)

How awesome it was to see GOD speaking to hearts here in Brazil just like He does there in the States! For all of you who inscribed the cover of a Living In A Zoo? book, we had them translated for the ladies today, and I must say that they LOVED them. Thank you so much for helping to bless the ladies here using the books and your inscriptions.

The people here are very friendly, and they love the Lord. I am working with pastors' wives who are attending a leadership conference for pastors and their church leaders. I'm finding out that we all worship the same -- even in different languages! I knew the tune to a song that they were singing today, but I didn't know it in English. So what did I do? I just sang along in English! I'm sure God understood both languages!

Thank you so much for your prayers. I will keep in touch as much as possible. And thank you again for all you have done to help get the Word to Brazil!

Brenda Lancaster

p.s. I have taken some pictures, and I will send some when possible. Hug my kids and grandkids for me!

Retreat Recap

What an awesome ZooKeepers Retreat we had this year!!

Before I leave for Brazil, I want to let all of you know how thankful and appreciative I am for all your support, prayers, donations, and kindness during the preparations for both the retreat and the Brazil mission trip. I also want to PRAISE THE LORD for all the answered prayers! You all have been so diligent to pray and petition the Lord on behalf of the women who attended the Retreat, for the women I will have the opportunity to minister to in Brazil and for myself. Let me just say I FELT YOUR PRAYERS -- POWERFULLY!

God is so good. He heard your prayers and answered in an awesome way. Let me just list a few victories that we all prayed for:

1. Two of our women at the Retreat received Christ as Savior. PTL!!!

2. Approximately 40 other decisions were made as well. Some were re-dedications, some were for private decisions, and some were commitments for service in the Kingdom. WOOHOO! These first two answered prayers are what it's all about, ladies! I hope to be hearing in the near future how these decisions have been proven out in churches and ministries, and in the sphere of influence of the women making these decisions. We are going to be keeping up with each other through email on an ongoing basis. Pray these decisions will bring in more fruit for the kingdom as each woman grows in her commitment.


3. The women there really bonded well and made new friends. The time spent in fellowship in the Susan Todd lounge really paid off in bringing our women closer together and in one accord with a new desire to reach out to women outside the church walls! Women from every church there made decisions that I pray will help her own local Body prosper and grow. Praise the Lord for that as it was one of our major prayer requests. I long to see women's ministries catch the burden and get on fire for Christ in each church.

4. The filming went well. Micah Ray worked with the Lake Junaluska team, and they did their best to keep me on time, in sync and focused. (What a big job that was!) Micah will soon begin the process of editing the segments in preparation for the DVD set to be released. I will let you know what that date is when I find out. Please continue to pray for the women and churches who will view them in the future - for FRUIT, MORE FRUIT AND MUCH FRUIT!

5. The Lord showed up in untold numbers of details and really made His presence known! One particular victory for me (except for the 1st session) was that I was able to get out of His way, and let Him speak through me. At times, I heard statements coming from my lips that I had not planned on, and it was sure better that what I had written down!

6. The freedom of worship was wonderful. (Thanks to Joanne and the entire praise band!) There was a true atmosphere of worship there in every session. Our Sunday morning sessions were especially sweet and powerful. The unity was incredible and what a blessing it was to see pockets of women all over the room praying together, some weeping, some singing, but all praising the Lord for what He had done in their lives and expressing a new commitment for service.

7. And another incredible prayer was answered in a huge way: Sponsorships came in for all 400 books for Brazil PLUS 100 MORE! Women from every church represented there raised $2585 at the retreat to add to the $2500 already donated before the retreat. One woman donated $1500 from her own ministry and another donated $100, and another $500 in addition to all the other women who sacrificed to see these books go across the sea. PRAISE THE LORD!! I can tell you I was blown away by the excitement the women expressed in getting the Word out. I can't thank you all enough for the generosity and support shown.

I don't know how to thank you all enough. Blessings to all of you who participated in any way to help with this retreat and my mission trip to Brazil. I want to send out personal notes after my return, but I am so sorry to say there just isn't time to do so before I depart, but I couldn't leave without getting this out to as many as I could.

I will keep you updated while I am there. Please keep praying that our Lord will

• Win many
• Touch all and
  
• Bring Hearts and Homes to Himself.
  

Thank you for supporting ZooKeepers Ministries.

Catch the fire! Take Christ to Women and bring the Women into your church! To God be the Glory and All praise to Him!

Blessings to each of you,
Brenda Lancaster

Ladies Bible Study Overview on Video

If you want to get an overview of what Living In A Zoo? is all about, check out this promotional video. It will give you a good idea of what it's all about.



You can also see the video on the web site at www.zookeepersministries.com/videos.htm.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Getting the Word Out

A Praise Report!

Today 579 brochures went out in a mass mailing, and another 117 emails went out this morning for our upcoming ladies retreat at Lake Junaluska. James and Micah (from Center Cross Creative) are working on an emailing to 400 churches in their own database. Let's beseech the Lord to touch the hearts of those women He chooses to be there.

The registrations are coming in slowly, but since all the mailing have now gone out, I expect this week and the next 2 weeks to really pick up. We need 75 as a minimum, but 150 is our goal. I have been hearing so many women talk about how they are going that I'm kind of surprised they haven't registered, but I guess I shouldn't be since our ladies are usually a bit into procrastinating on such things!

Ladies, I thank my Lord at my EVERY remembrance of you! I want you to know that I have been praying for each one of you every single day by name. I pray that the Lord would draw you closer to Him than ever before, that He would hold you up as you go through each day and it's struggles, the He would empower you to reach your potential each day, that He would give you strength and creativity as you work on the retreat, and that He would bless you and your family mightily. I also pray for each one of your family members that I know by name and for personal specifics that you have shared with me. If there is anything I can pray with you about, please call me and let me know. I have committed to the Lord to never let a day go by that I don't lift you personally up before His throne.

I love you, appreciate you and am greatly blessed to call you friend and to work together with you on this Kingdom project with Zookeepers Ministries.

Brenda Lancaster

Ladies Retreat Update

I never cease to be amazed at how God works in our lives! Many of you already know about the Bible study the Lord led me to begin writing in 2001. At that time I thought it was only for our ladies of Hunter Hills Baptist Church: I had absolutely no idea that Living in a Zoo? would later become a book published by Winepress Publishers!

Since then, He has led me through a series of baby steps to teach and speak to ladies groups across the South East. Now, even more incredibly, He has opened the door for the production of a DVD teaching companion for the Zoo study, which will allow a much broader group of women to be reached. The DVD filming will take place at the first ZooKeepers Ministries retreat in Lake Junaluska, NC April 18 - 20th.

I would like to personally invite you to this exciting event. Your gracious support and reception of this ministry and Bible study material has been key in fueling the passion that God began in me so many years ago. What a fabulous opportunity to witness God using very ordinary people to accomplish his work in an extraordinary way!

Let me assure you that I am nothing out of the ordinary. Yet God, in His infinite grace, has allowed me to be a part of this great ministry to the women of this generation. Whether you’ve been with me from the beginning or have come on board somewhere along the way, I have no doubt that you are well aware that it is God who has done this thing, just as He promised and confirmed through His Word. As the work is being accomplished, may all of the glory be His!

Please join me and the Zoo team for this exciting weekend! In addition to having a time of fellowship and laughter with others who “live in a zoo” just like you do, I can guarantee that you will go home having heard His promise of hope and with the tools necessary to be that Titus 2 woman who is a blessing to her Lord and others as well. You will be an inspiration to all who see these videos in the future. They can know by your presence that you too stand for the Lord and His teaching to women on these critical issues.

Please feel free to contact me anytime. My home phone is 336-854-3457. For questions on registration you may call Debra Spaugh at 336-887-1833. For a brochure outlining all the details and online registration , please go to our website at www.zookeepersministries.com.

God bless you, and I sure hope to see you at the ladies retreat! Be sure to invite your friends -- whethey they go to a church or not -- to come with you! I can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for this incredible weekend!

-- Brenda Lancaster

New Web Site for Zookeepers Ministries

It's finally here -- the newly redesigned, better than before, easy to navigate Zookeepers Ministries web site!

Check it out -- www.zookeepersministries.com

Now you can read about the ministry, see Brenda's new ladies Bible study and read about her upcoming retreat. You can even order books and register online via credit card for her materials and retreats.

Look for updates over the next few weeks as we get ready for lots of new stuff with Zookeepers Ministries!

Living In A Zoo?

I don't know how it is for you, but for me, life is at times so totally chaotic that I feel like I am living in the middle of a zoo - a noisy, messy, smelly, commotion-filled zoo. Most days are filled with such a panic-paced race of hullabaloo that day's end finds me prostrate on the carpet with my tongue hanging out!

(Speaking of carpet, I can remember so many times through the years of my zoo-like existence that my little ones could graze through that carpet to find a snack!)

For years I anticipated the next season of life to be less compicated and chaotic than the last, but I've come to realize that every season of life has its own set of overwhelming challenges. Through it all, my brown hair has turned white (don't tell my husband -- he doesn't know yet!) and certain times, it has just come out altogether -- I guess from pulling it out.

If this sounds familiar, then you've come to the right place! I'd love to help you understand that God is equipped to handle my zoo and yours. I am a living testimony that God is real and that He intervenes in the lives of women just like you.

by Brenda Lancaster

(To learn more about her ladies Bible study that's just recently been published, visit her web site at www.zookeepersministries.com.)