BRAZIL — Mariani released a cry of anguish when she heard that the woman had not only lost her husband, but now her only son. In her world, that meant a life of suffering and abuse, with no hope at all for the future. Tears welled up in Mariani’s eyes as she felt the full weight of the Bible story for the first time. But when the prophet Elijah appeared at the woman’s house and God did the unexpected by raising the widow’s son, Mariani and the others erupted with shouts of joy.

The people in Mariani’s village continued to be amazed at God’s power and provision as they studied parts of Scripture they had never experienced during the week-long course called MICALI (Ministério de Capacitação de Líderes Indígenas stands for Indigenous Leaders Training Ministry).

Several Crossworld workers in northern Brazil developed the MICALI program to disciple and train local leaders within their cultural context. Though specifically geared toward equipping pastors, the program is open to anyone in the area wanting to study God’s Word. Courses like Old Testament Survey, Pastoral Practice, the Life of Christ, Acts, Proverbs and 1 John give the participants a foundational understanding of Scripture within their worldview.

In 2011, Crossworld workers taught 39 courses in 56 communities, and since the start of MICALI in 2009, 1,516 people have participated in the Bible training.

The training isn’t just about gaining knowledge — it’s about applying biblical truth to everyday life. Just like Mariani, the participants experience the God of the Bible through the stories in Scripture and are challenged to trust Him in a new way in their own lives.

Unimaginable things are happening because of the transforming power of the Word of God. Two families feuding over the murder of a teenage girl sit together at a table, studying Jesus’ power over evil and soaking up His words in the Gospels. A chief witchdoctor expresses his desire to leave witchcraft behind and follow Jesus. A young man confesses his sin to a group of believers so that they might hold him accountable. Children passionately recount Bible stories to their parents. An illiterate man participates so that he can return to his village and tell everyone what God has said.

When the people in these villages hear Jesus say to go and tell others about Him, they obey! Believers from one village are taking the gospel to neighboring communities. A Brazilian couple is now leading MICALI courses and baptizing new believers in several villages. Disciples are making disciples who are making disciples and spreading God’s glory across Brazil.

“The Word of God is very good for us,” said Xiri Xiri, one of the MICALI participants. “We want to grow; for this reason we are taking this course. Before, we didn’t have a Bible. We didn’t know how to study. Now we are growing. When we study God’s Word, [we learn] ‘This is how God thinks! This is how God is!’ With MICALI, we are reading, learning and knowing more about what God says. You learn about God and then you tell another. If you don’t tell others, neither you nor the gospel will grow. If you don’t study God’s Word, you won’t grow. With God’s Word, we grow.”

Currently 44 courses are scheduled in 17 villages among seven ethnic groups in 2012. Pray for a village where Crossworld workers will teach the MICALI course for the first time this year. Right now there are only a few, if any, believers in this place.