Hello, my name is Sergio Ponce, I and my beloved wife Silvia have the honor to be part of Christ First. We love Jesus and live for Him We have two wonderful children, Stephen and Rebecca, they love Jesus and are preparing to serve you with excellence. We are part of a ministry called Operation Rescue, planted churches in Brazil, today we have 9 churches planted and established and we are off to one of the greatest challenges of our lives.

We’re underneath a word and direction that God has planted in our spirit. We love the poor, symptoms completely attracted to preach the gospel to the poor and brokenhearted. In Isaiah 61 the prophet says that he was anointed and anointing that God was on purpose. We have been anointed by God to preach the Gospel of the Good News of salvation to the poor. There is one area in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where approximately 100 000 people live there, we have all sorts of violence and misery, called "Gaza Strip". A constant war between rival drug gangs and corrupt cops. amid all this, drug trafficking and violence prevail in an atmosphere of misery and exploração. Esse is the common framework in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Children living under constant abuse and many of them end up going away to live in the city streets, where they assemble and live in terrible conditions.

Apparently, the problem seems unsolvable. Seems that everything tends to worsen more … But we believe in change, we believe in transforming the new birth. We believe in the Power of the Word of God that transforms man and society all around him.
God gave us a vision, put in us a passion. Gave us a strategy, a way to get there, amid all this and explode from within the evil system that dominates thousands of people there in that place.
Let’s plant the church there. When you walk through the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro, we can find many churches, but something God showed me that these brothers are often there as soldiers fighting a war almost impossible to win if there is a change in strategy and especially the support of a reinforcement in battle.

God called me to prepare a building, train an army to enter this battle and helping those who are there fighting so long against the empire of darkness.
Will initially be a training center for pastors, workers, missionaries, preachers … Anonymous warriors of God who are now living in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro risking their own lives, preaching the gospel of Jesus. These need to be supplied, many of them have no recourse, they suffer the basic financial needs, many live in places without any requirement of security, they need financial help urgently. Moreover, lack of outreach material, they lack resources for Bibles, printed, the places where they congregate most often is poor, with no structure. In fact most of these warriors of God, are going through many difficulties which causes the message they preach is just a message that console, which carries the hope of changing the social and spiritual to heaven, away from this dying in which they live. God called me to help these warriors of God, come and take me for physical resources and also spiritual resources. Let’s create a training center, from there, men and women of God will minister in the lives of Warriors of God. They are totally committed to preaching the Gospel, someone who undertakes am being supported, supporting them to fulfill God’s purpose there. I need partners in this great venture. We will need lots of resources, we need people who are prepared to go and spend time there at the Training Center, training them and giving in their lives. We will need much coverage of prayer and intercession. However, believe that by getting involved in something so special, you’re getting involved with something that God loves.

So I want to thank my partners in Christ First and declare that "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us and gave Himself for us"Rom. 8:37

• Pray that they will find someone to help them start new churches, and come up with a strategy on how to do it.
• Pray that God leads them to the right people and they are able to come up with a plan, according to His will.
• Pray that Paul and Olivia will be encouraged and comforted knowing that God is in total control and that He is Sovereign.
• Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and will be yours. Mark 11:24

We will be leaving October 12th for Richmond, Virginia, where we will commence our Field Personnel Training. During this two month period, we will receive spiritual, cultural, and language training. We will return home for several weeks at Christmas and after that we are off to Guatemala for three months of language school. At the conclusion of our language training, we will finally travel to our mission destination – the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador to finish out our two-year missionary term.

Our job title in Quito is Church Planter. We will work with several other missionary couples in sharing Christ with the Quichua and Mestizo Indians. Several home churches have been established and we will not only share Christ, but disciple new believers. Our job description also includes working with an area Medical Center. This is especially providential because Paul has been volunteering with the Spiritual Care Ministry at Orange Park Medical Center.

God has guided us to the beginning of this journey with His still, small voice, His unfailing love, and His providential care. He truly meets all of our needs and with His word as "a light unto our path", we will walk the road that He opens before us.

The IMB will provide for our dwelling in Quito as well as a monthly salary to meet financial needs; therefore, we covet your prayer support more than anything else.

Prayer needs:
Peace in leaving loved ones
Language acquisition
Submission to God’s perfect will and guidance

I currently serve as a co-lead of the Ends-of-the-Earth mission team at
Hibernia Baptist Church. We are working to connect every Bible Study Class
with at least one foreign missionary. I have been blessed to be a part of
eight short-term foreign mission trips, one to Burundi, Africa and seven to
Brazil. Serving as the team lead for many of these trips has truly been a
blessing, not only seeing God changing lives in other countries, but seeing
the lives of our own team members changed. There is a lost world out there
and they are waiting to be told the truth. I am amazed at how receptive
people are to hearing the word of God, they are willing to stop what they
are doing and invite you into their home. No matter whether it is Africa,
Brazil or America, I have found so many good people that are headed to hell
- we must love them enough, to give up a little, to share the truth. If I
could put into words the impact a mission trip would have on your personal
relationship with Jesus, we would have to charter several airplanes to take
everyone that would want to go. Whether your calling is a local ministry or
not, going on a short-term mission trip will prepare you and grow you in
ways that will benefit your ministry back here at home. Thank you for your
prayers, support and participation.