October

Chris and long-time missionary, David Ingram

In October, Chris had the blessing to participate in the first CCC (Continent Connection Conference) for Men. This was a tremendous spiritual renewal retreat for missionaries in South America, hosted by Continent of Great Cities. The speakers were highly-qualified former missionaries and missionary-support experts and targeted topics like missionary burnout and prayer. I am thankful that I was able to participate in this fantastic event. It renewed me and helped me focus on my own spirituality even as I try to help others. Thanks, CGC!

Chris and his small group at the CCC conference for Men

Repairing the front door after the second robbery

On returning from the conference, Sunday morning I discovered that the church building had again been broken into. Stolen items were the trash can, coffee pot, a few pots and pans, the new Lords' Supper trays and cups Liduina had brought from the US, grapejuice, and a fan. We were very discouraged, again. The most important loss was the folder with all the church documents and reciepts. The cost of the door repair was also hard to swallow: 250 reais. It is, however, stronger than ever.

The smiling thief, carrying our coffee pot, aluminum pan, and a folder with all our church reciepts, was caught by the camera of the supermarket across the street. He is still at large.
One of the ever-challenging aspects of mission life: long lines.

Carlos helping install new locks on the front doors on our workday.

Jorge also helped install locks and wire the new fans we bought to replace the stolen ones.

Installing the new fans

Francisco and Liduina returned from the US, which was a great relief to us. They had a wonderful trip, but we are very glad they are back!

The School of the Bible students took their final test in December, and did very well. I am proud of their commitment and dedication to learn the Word of God. They all committed to return in March to study the Old Testament as well, and return they did!

I have been studying martial arts, which I have always loved, in order to get some exercise and I have really enjoyed it. As I progressed, I began to experience pain in my right knee. It saddened me to discover recently that I have a bone fragment in my patellar tendon. I have had to quit, and I miss the exercise, but the good news is that the surgery to fix it is fairly simple. I am scheduled for the 9th of April to have the surgery, and the complete recovery time is 2 months or less.

Please keep us and the work in your regular prayers. We continue to work on security here, knowing that our true security is not in posessions bu tin Christ, and is therefore assured.

September Trials and Triumphs

The last month has been challenging in many ways. It started off well, with big plans for a youth event at the building. We got video games together, picked up the kids (all girls this time), and went to the building to get things set up. When we arrived, the building was a terrible mess, everything moved and thrown around. We had been robbed!

They had snuck in the back through a window, and stolen our fans, microwave, computer, tools, mop, cooking pans, and even juice and crackers!

Ariane's sisters loved to have their picture taken when I picked her up for the youth event

The kids helped Alley and I clean things up a bit and take inventory, then she took them back to our house for an all-girls devotional. I stayed to continue the clean-up process, finish the inventory, and try to secure the building. Alley and I were both very disappointed.

Cleaning the building after the robbery

We were able to board up the window in case they tried to come back again, and I immediately got to work beefing up the security of the building. Most of my energy for the rest of the month went to cutting bars, installing them, and shopping for better security measures such as reinforced locks on the front doors, installing a working lock on the gate to the back passageway, and a more robust lock on the back door.

The sight that greeted me at work for the following days got me down a little.

However, with the materials from our old fence, I was able to cut bars and begin installing them without much extra cost. After filing two police reports (you have to do it twice here, once for each police jurisdiction), talking to the investigator, and neighbors, it became clear that one of the people involved was an ex-con named Agner who lived on the street and whom we had helped several times to buy milk and other basic foods. He was identified by one of the neighbors the next week when he came back to ask for food! I described him, and his address (Francisco had gone to pray with his wife and kids, and to offer them a Bible study) to the police investigator, but as is usual for Brazil, have heard nothing back, and I don't really expect to. Ours was one of about 14 robberies in a five block square are during the first two weeks of the month.

The girls' devotional at our home sparked quite an interest. Alley read a book with them called "You can be pretty," about Christian beauty, and they all loved it. They asked if they could meet again the next Saturday and read some more. So in spite of our disappointment, the girls were very encouraged, including three visitors!

The girls at our home after the robbery

In spite of trials, or maybe because of them, the church has continued to grow over the last month. Sebasitan, who was working nights and unable to participate in our cell group, has transferred to daytime hours. He and Gilda are currently studying with their neighbor, Fannie. Please pray for her.

You can be Pretty (Voce pode ser Bonita): Alley, Taynara, Ariane, Isabele, Carla, and Naiara

The next week, Isabele and Ariane were able to return for more!

The School of the Bible has grown, with an attendance now of 12 students. We have had several visitors as well, including Ne, who copies the course material for me, and my martial arts instructor Luis, his wife Carol, and mother as well. Caio, a former student, also has returned for a visit. He was recently married and his wife Sabrina is now expecting. Please pray for them. We have offered them a study, they just need to let us know when! We had dinner with them last month and met her grandparents as well. One of the highlights of the School of the Bible last month was the presentation on the archeological sites of Corinth and Rome I presented with our projector. That technology helped me make a huge impact as I presented them with the cultural context of three very important letters in the New Testament.

Caio, Sabrina, and her grandmother, in Boquerao

Eduardo Dutra

Another challenge this month has been the absence of Francisco and Liduina as they visit their daughter in Washington. We sure miss their help! But, things have kept on moving nevertheless. We had a wonderful pizza night on one of the most rainy and dismal Sundays so far this winter, and the day after the robbery. But our spirits were warm as we talked and shared about everything that was happening. That night, Carlos was out of work, Sebastian also, the church had been robbed, and we were lacking our usual regular visitors. In hindsight we can see how the bonding and mutual encouragement nurtured our faiths and helped us all move on.

The Kids on pizza night


Pizza does help one to feel better

Carlos and Adriana: consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds...

Sebastian and Gilda, with unshaken faith in the face of financial uncertainty

Sebastian and Gilda have taken it on themselves to be our cheerleaders and encouragers.

As work continued on the building's security issues, I expereinced another personal tragedy. My PDA and cell phone died. Again. I spent two trips to Sao Paulo to try to have it repaired, but all was lost. For those of you who rely on such devices, you know how hard it is to lose them. Here it is also a major challenge to replace them, as they sell for about three to five times the price in the US. However, thanks to a generous donation from my parents, a new one is on the way. Whew.

Hanging those bars

Clean up after all the activity

The bars are rather ugly, but are also safe. Life in South America.

We made contact recently with a couple who lives very near us, Ray and Edna. Ray is an American, retired, and Edna is a Brazilia. They are very alone and were looking for some friends. They have agreed to study the Bible with me. Please pray for these studies. I also continue to study with Lucas on Sundays. Please pray for him as well.

The School of the Bible is exciting and strong. The congregation is taking care of one another's needs. God is taking care of all of us, in spite of unpleasant circumstances. After all, if God can't be Lord, even in hard times, what kind of all-powerful God would He be? Yet, in all things, he is watching over us for our good. We are thankful to be part of His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Thank you very much to those of you who have decided to pray for us as we strive to plant the church here. Thank you also for the help some of you have sent: the work here moves on because fo your generosity. Thanks, Southwest VBS, for the donation to improve our kitchen! Thanks to the Nelsons! Your donation bought much-needed fans for our hot summer (and winter) months. Thanks to my cousin Amber for your generosity as well. Thanks to the Kerseys for your generous help, again. Thanks also to Juanita Hall, and thanks to the Kelleys for my new drill and phone. May God reward your earthly donations with credit in heaven.

August Action: a photo report.

A group of volunteers cleaned the building

Francisco and Eduardo, before Francisco left for the US

Francisco gave great adult classes

Adriana invited us over for her birthday. "Parabens!"

I had the privilege to help with the youth event in Sao Vicente. Some of these kids first came to the church when we had an event called Games for Brothers at our house.

For our devotional we watched part of "The Jesus Film" and talked about the way Jesus treated people.

5 from Praia Grande participated along with the kids from Sao Vicente.

Teenagers are camera shy in any culture, it seems.

Lucas

Our kids class is growing, and the Ladies do a great job of teaching them.

The School of the Bible class on Tuesday Nights, studying their way through the New Testament

The cell group in Boquerao, with Eduardo, Chris, Silvio, and Denira.

Maria, who studied with Francisco on Sunday mornings.

Chris leading singing

Our new water tower, provided by a generous donation from Marlene Kelley. Thanks!

Lines are something we have to deal with on a daily basis here in South America. Above you will see the line from the Loterica, a place where people pay a variety of bills and buy lottery tickets. Here the line to pay bills goes around the corner.

This is the line in the Banco do Brasil, where I have to pay one bill every month.
Here you can see on my slip of paper that I am number 116. By the way, the sign in the background says, "Now serving number 79." This was so I could deposit money in the church account. When we work in other countries, our sense of time and accomplishment are tested as we discover that things simply take longer to get done.

Sebastian preaches for the congregation. This brother is a real blessing to the work here. He has a lot of experience and training as an evangelist, and is a great encourager.

This is one of the offering I referred to in a previous newsletter: an offering of wine, rice, beans, and roses to please whatever saint or demon people want to ask for their desires. This was taken on the corner of one of the main roads, right in front of the fruit market, on market day.

This is one of the Ladies' Invasions, when they went to Fannie's house (in the middle). Fannie is studying with Gilda (2nd from right) and Sebastian.

Alessandra and Gilda, in Gilda's home in Mirim.

This is what we call Churrasco (pronounced chew-haas-coe). Meat grilled on a spit. Mighty good.

I hope you can see from these pictures that the congregation is growing in maturity; each member is participating more, and appreciating one another to a deeper level. Visitors are greeted warmly. Neighbors are studying with members, not just with us. I can't take credit, really, for all these good things, because they are the work of the Lord. but if He isn't' behind the growth of the church, it does us no good to work here. We're thankful that He is truly providing increase and multiplying our efforts. we pray He will bless you all as well.

July 2009 Birthdays, Beginnings, and Blessings

We are preparing for the next semester of the School of the Bible by passing out fliers and inviting people who stop by. Previous students are also called and reinvited, as well as any contacts we have made since the first semester. Please pray for all these efforts to be fruitful.

The first blessing of the month was the arrival of Marlene on the 3rd. She came for four weeks, and was truly refreshing as she helped us out, reconnected with the kids, and experienced Brazil. She even was brave enough to ride with me on the bike to one of our church activities.

The activity was a dinner for the congregation at Adenira's house in Boquerao. We sang, had a short devo, and shared wonderful Strogonoff, made the Brazilian way, of course. Adenira later offered her home for the cell group that now meets there on Wednesdays.
Francisco presenting the grace of God found in Jesus Christ

One of our new regular visitors, Ligia, came to that event and has been a regular attender ever since. She is participatin with the ladies in thier weekly studies, and is very encouraged. Please keep her in your prayers. The kids also had a blast. Dessert was fresh fruit and chocolate fondue!

Marlene and Ligia

Debora, Thaisa, and Isabele

Diego, Stephanie, and Lucas

From Left to right: Silvio (studies with Francisco and attends our new cell), Chris, Ariane (Jorge's oldest daughter), and Gilda, Sebastian's wife

Ariane wasn't feeling well, but still hit it off with Marlene very well.

Manoel and his birthday cake

Manoel, who drove us to Santos when our car was in the shop, and drove a bunch of youth around as well during the campaign from Itu, celebrated his birthday this month and Alley thought it was fitting to make a cake in his honor.

Marlene and Silvana, from Sao Vicente

Florinda put Psalm 84 to music and sang it to me during the birthday party

The rodrigues family is already fully active with us in Praia Grande. They have invited the above young couple, Fannie and Wellington Freitas, to church, cell group, and a Bible study. Please keep them in your prayers.

The whole family at the cutting of the cakes

Birthdays in Brazil are considered much more important events than they are in the US. If you don't call a friend or family member, on the exact day of his birth, it is a serious oversight and is considered very rude (they don't remind you in advance, either). We had the pleasure of hosting almost the whole congregation for Jonathan and Stephanie's joint birthday party, and it was a wonderful time of family and ministry together.

Alessandra gives a dynamic class the next sunday

Maria Eduarda and Isabele in class

The group is growing!

It was a blessing to finally find a host for our second cell group in Boquerao. Please keep this group in prayer, as it has the possibility of reaching a number of people for Christ. Please pray for potential members and visitors, as well as the members: Marcia and Valdivino, Silvio, Adenira, Eduardo, Caio and Sabrina, and others whom the Lord will call.

Silvio and Adenira after the cell group in her home.

Valdivino and Maria Eduarda, after a study in thier home.

Sebastian Rodrigues after the cell group in Mirim in the home of Carlos and Adriana

We thank God for your many prayers for Jonathan's surgery. It went very well, took only about 25 minutes, and he recovered almost instantly. Thanks for keeping us before the Lord in what, for a parent, is truly a tense moment.

Brazil has a very spiritually aware culture. This is very good, but it also a culture that is very suggestible (is that a word?). Combine those elements and you will see how that can make preaching the gospel a challenge. Praia Grande is the center for the worship of two separate pagan ocean deities. One is a male native american deity, the other Iemanja, in Candomble, the mother of most of the other Orixas (Candomble is a blend of Brazilian and African animism with spells, incantations, and blood rituals, and posessions, much like Voodoo). Besides Candomble, there are several other branches of spiritist worship entrenched here: Macumba, Umbanda, and Kardecism. There is much spiritual awareness, but much suggestibility, resulting in odd mixtures of belief and superstition, combining Spiritism, animism, Catholicism, evangelical christianity, and even Buddhist and Hindu religions. St. Sebastian, patron saint of Rio de Janeiro, one block from our building

One practice that we see a lot here is the leaving of a ceramic bowl with an offering of rice and beans, other foods, a candle, and a bottle of rum or Cachaça, by the side of the road or at an important intersection. These are offerings to saints, or spells, in order for the person who left it to get what it is he or she is looking for. Just a block down from the church building there is a shop that sells a number of images of saints, incense, oils, and a number of ingredients for spells as well as candles and other items used by a wide variety of different religions.

Translation: REFICUL, Rituals and Magic for love

(let the reader understand that the name is to be read backwards)

As shocking as this seems, it is even more shocking to me to see the different religions coexist in the shop, as well as people's minds. Please pray for us as we shine the light of Jesus Christ here in Praia grande, that we might have courage and love to speak the truth continually so that the superiority of Christ will be plainly seen. His in the only name given, by which we can be saved.