How God Brought Lives Together to Accomplish a MISSION
 

2006 – In 2006 Pete and Elice Esveld became involved with Reaching Hearts International (RHI) Ministries as a result of hearing a local broadcast of “Reaching Your Heart.” Soon after that, they introduced Maiza Ribeiro to Pastor Michael Oxentenko, President of Reaching Hearts International (RHI). Maiza Ribeiro had been an evangelist and Bible worker for the Brazilian community for 28 years. Since 2000 Maiza Ribeiro had been serving God’s people in Florida.

2007 – Maiza graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida Christian University and after special training sessions with Pastor Michael Oxentenko, Maiza Ribeiro was welcomed as an evangelist for Reaching Hearts International. Plans were then developed to send her, along with her husband, Leandro Ribeiro, as missionaries to preach the Three Angels’ Messages in their own country of Brazil. The missionaries would depart their Florida home as soon as God determined it was time to go. Where in Brazil should they go? God would determine the exact place.

January, 2008 – Maiza and Leandro were ready to leave for Brazil. The exact date would be determined by the sale of their house and Leandro’s business in Palm Coast, FL. Much to their disappointment, God closed all doors and their house simply did not sell. However, instead they kept receiving invitations from various Brazilian SDA Churches in the Eastern United States for weekend revivals. The revivals always covered three themes: 1) “The Three Angels Message and You! 2) Repent and Get Ready! 3) Why did God Place You Here in this Specific Time of Earth’s History?

God always knows best! Sometimes He closes doors! Praise the Lord!

May, 2008 - Elice Esveld was a top producer in granite, selling over $3,000,000 per year. Much to her surprise, God decided it was time for Elice to stop working for money and start working for God instead! Practically overnight, her excellent paying job was gone! Doors were slammed shut for no apparent reason. Yet, Elice trusted God. She had a confident sense of God’s leading even through this unexpected loss. The doors were shut to the world and Elice started a new life, totally committed to God and to His Ministry through Reaching Hearts as a full-time volunteer.

God is in charge! We must recognize His voice and know that He is God!

May, 2008 – Reaching Hearts Brazil missionaries finally understood the reason God had closed the doors and not allowed them to move to Brazil in early January… From the revivals at the Fort Lauderdale SDA Brazilian Temple, a special group of young people emerged with a strong desire to get involved in missionary outreach.

Out of the blue… God arranged and opened the doors so that TV time was purchased by a donor from the SDA Brazilian Temple. A contract was drawn up stating that, as of Sabbath, July 5, at 12:30 pm, Maiza Ribeiro, from Reaching Hearts Ministries was to air a televised program on Florida RIT TV. This program immediately followed the “It is Written” program.

When God calls, He also enables

June, 2008 - The TV programs had to be prepared, by faith. The daily cost for the use of a studio would be US$8,000. The donor promised to cover production cost. Mr. Oliveira (from the missionary group) was an employee at Midtown Video, a recording studio in Miami, FL. Arrangements were made for Reaching Hearts evangelist, Maiza Ribeiro, to start recording a series on Revelation. After the first recording, the owner of the studio who was not a Seventh-Day Adventist decided he wanted to participate in this missionary effort. He offered use of the studio at no cost, as long as the group would use the studio on weekends. From June through August, every Sunday was used to record. A total of 22 segments of a series entitled: “Revelation: Hope or Fear?” were produced. The series, made available via internet, was also aired on RIT TV (Florida) at 12:30 pm on Saturdays from July 5 through December, 2008. You can view the DVDs on Reaching Hearts Brazil’s website: alcancandocoracoes.com. Copies of the DVDs can be supplied free of charge by calling 240-720-1025.

God’s providence! What an Awesome God we Serve!

August, 2008 – ASI Convention time! Problems with their assigned booth moved Reaching Hearts Ministries next to David Gates from Gospel Ministries. When David Gates saw the TV materials being shown, he immediately wanted to know our plans!

We informed him that the missionaries Maiza and Leandro Ribeiro would move to Brazil at the end of August to start holding evangelistic tent meetings throughout Brazil.

David Gates inquired, “What is the capacity of these tents?”

We responded that the tent would seat an audience of 400 or 500 guests.

David Gates quickly replied, “You are thinking way too small... Time is too short! Maiza should be preaching to 40 or 50,000 people at one time… If you are willing to reach that many people for God, I will invite you to go to Bolivia, where we have recording facilities which we’ll make available to you. We need programming for the Portuguese speaking people. Our goal is to reach 80% of the Brazilian population in 2009”!

God may say Go! God may say Wait! But God is Faithful ALL the time!

September, 2008 – Our Faithful God showed it was now time for the missionaries to move to Brazil! Everything was set in place. The one container with furniture and personal belongings was shipped to Brazil. Maiza and Leandro finalized the documentation for the non-profit counterpart of Reaching Hearts Ministries in Brazil. ABRACO-BR was officially opened in Sao Paulo, on Sepember 8, 2008.

October, 2008 – While Maiza and Leandro patiently waited for the container to arrive and clear customs, the missionary couple held weekend revivals in various Seventh-Day Adventist Churches in the southern part of Brazil. Maiza Ribeiro enthusiastically preached the Three Angels’ message with power and the Holy Spirit reached many hearts.

God answers prayer!

October, 2008 - Lindete Reis, Women’s Ministry director for Pernambuco SDA Conference, had been pleading with the God of the universe for a substitute speaker for the women’s ministry congress to be held in Petrolina and Caruaru 3 weeks hence. Mrs. Reis had received word that the selected speaker was unable to come due to illness.

After a season of prayer, the next morning, the phone rang and Maiza Ribeiro was on the line. Lindete Reis understood Maiza’s call to be God’s answer to her urgent plea for a replacement speaker. Gratefully, Mrs. Reis made arrangements for Maiza to be the key-note speaker at the Women’s Congress, on November 8 and November 15, 2008.

God opens doors, miracles do happen! Our Lord is faithful. Praise His Holy name!

November, 2008 – Pete and Elice Esveld, coordinators of Reaching Hearts Brazil Project were invited to attend the Women’s Ministries Congress in Brazil and to meet with the local conference leaders. The meeting was very important. The Reaching Hearts Brazil missionary team planned to seek God’s guidance on a location for the ministry center in Brazil.

Since Elice was now a volunteer worker their household income was cut in half. Pete and Elice could not afford the expensive travel. Reaching Hearts Brazil had no travel budget, so the trip would only happen by God’s direct intervention.

God’s promise is “Ask and it shall be given to you.” The missionary team prayed and waited. In His providence, God provided the funds in time for their desired date of departure. Three days before the flight, God not only provided the funds, but space became available on United as well as TAM Airlines using mileage credit!


God’s plans are always perfect. We must learn to listen to His Voice!

November 13–18, 2008 – What an exciting time! In five short days, God orchestrated:

1. Meetings with the Pernambuco Conference President, Pastor Jurandir Reis, who officially welcomed Reaching Hearts Ministries into his territory.
2. The search for and purchase by faith of a 50-acre property suitable for a ministry center.
3. Approval of plans for a school of evangelism to be built on the “newly-purchased” property, where Reaching Hearts Brazil will offer an intensive course on evangelism for lay people, completely free of charge;
4. The generous offer and gracious commitment from the conference president to select prospective evangelism students.

God’s continued blessings

December, 2008 – Maiza Ribeiro and the Reaching Hearts Brazil team traveled to Bolivia to start producing the TV programs for airing in the Brazilian Network. The programming is scheduled to air in early 2009.

The series being recorded are:
• Understanding the Book of Daniel in the Context of the Time we Live In
• The Story of SDA Church Hymns
• Christian Counseling
• Counsels on Diet and Healthy Living

January, 2009 - The recordings have been completed. Leandro and Maisa Ribeiro are on the property site in Pernambuco. Work is underway to prepare the first Reaching Hearts School of Evangelism in Brazil opening in the Spring of 2009.