One Month Away

You've all heard the saying "time flies". After our time in Porto Alegre, Brazil and being the daddy of a 2 and a half year old I really believe it! One month from today (January 27th) we will board a plan and leave the place we have called home since March 9, 2004.

Jennifer's parents were here for a visit last month. They left on November 27th to return to the States. We marked in our minds the date of December 27th (today) as a half-way point between then and when we leave Porto Alegre. It is hard to comprehend that we are at the half-way point.

Today, Jennifer and I were talking about how we only have a few more weekends left to spend with a particular couple that we are close to here. Some of those weekends are already spoken for, so there really isn't that much time. It made me have the thought "we are running out of time and I don't feel like I have had enough". I know it is time to "move on", but saying all the good-byes is tough. Especially when you want to do it right and make an effort for it to be meaningful and not just a one-armed hug and a "tchau".

Well, those are my thoughts for today. I'm sure that I will have many more to share as January 27th grows nearer. Until then...

Overdue Update

I stated in the last post that it is hard to find time to post on the blogs. That is so true! Today I finally made a post on the "Elisa Blog". If you are interested in seeing what is going on with our family I recommend you click here. Thanks for stopping by!

Relocation Update

It is getting difficult to find time to blog. There is a lot going on, but almost too much to sift through and mention in a post. I do have the time now to share some details with our faithful readers a "relocation update".

In preparing for a move of this magnitude there are certain things that really set things in motion. You can talk about the move all you want for as long as you want, but before you do certain things all it is is talk. So, here are 4 huge things that we have done recently that puts this beast on the road of no return.

1. We turned in our 30 day notice to the real estate office and owner of the house we are renting that we will be moving. Once this is done there is no turning back. We, at the very least, will be moving out of our house.

2. Last Saturday (and continuing until we don't have anything left) we had a garage sale. We made the decision to sell a lot of things that we either don't need or could easily replace in the U.S. This will make the move much easier. It is hard though, because in many ways we feel like we are already in the camping stage (no dining room table = lots of picnics on the living room floor; dismantled bed = sleeping on a mattress on the floor).

3. This week (on Monday) we bought our one-way airline tickets from Porto Alegre, Brazil to the United States of America. Again, this is huge and makes everything that is happening so much more real.

4. Today (only an hour ago) we hired a moving company. They will be here on the 15th of this month to pack our belongs and load our container. They will store our belongings until our departure date on January 27th, then they will put them on a freighter and send them to the States.

We can tell that Elisa is a little troubled by all this and doesn't really know what to make of it. Please keep us and especially Elisa in your prayers as we continue moving through this transition. We need wisdom, peace and unity as a family. Thanks in advance for remembering us.

Over the next several weeks I will do my best to keep you all up to speed on what is happening. Don't read to much into a lack of blog activity. We are just really busy.

Peace.

The Invisible Woman

This is a great lesson! I hope it blesses you like it blessed me.

Thoughts on the Presidency

I want to start this post by congratulating Mr. Obama on his new post as Commander in Chief. I didn't vote for him (or Mr. McCain), but I have tremendous respect for the accomplishments that he has achieved. Unfortunately, when I got on-line early last month to register for my absentee ballot it was too late. I missed the deadline by just a few hours. I am still disappointed that I did not have the opportunity to vote in such an important election.

In my opinion both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain would make a good President. I believe that both have the respect of many, both love the United States of America, both have good hearts and both are intelligent and capable men. Having said that I also think that both men have flaws. But, to paraphrase the words of Jesus, who among us doesn't. No one is perfect, not even the President.

I have been appauled at the nonsense I have heard and read about both of these men, especially Mr. Obama. Americans are really good at pointing the finger and accusing others of all sorts of things. I honestly don't know who would be a better President between Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama. I will say though, that as a citizen of the United States of American I will support the current President, the next President and all future Presidents no matter their party, color or gender.

You may ask how I would go about showing my support. I am a Republican, but I am a Christian first. I believe in the power of prayer and I plan on exercising it on behalf of our elected officials and leaders. As a Christian I feel that I have the responsibility to lift Mr. Obama (or Mr. McCain had he won the election) to the Lord in prayer. Many people feel that Mr. Obama's ideas and strategies are bad for the country. Why not pray about that then? More than anyone, Mr. Obama needs prayers for wisdom and strength. He needs prayers for clarity of thought and courage. He needs prayers for conviction to always do what is right not just for the American people, but for all people. The greater percentage of Americans felt that he will be able to lead us in the right direction. Let's join together in prayer for this man and his staff and all the other leaders of our nation. I believe that his heart, mind and soul will be moved to always do the very best thing - to make the best decisions if he is constantly covered in prayer. Let's pray.

What I Will Really Miss About Brazil

As the time for our departure approaches I spend more time reflecting on my time in Brazil. I don't mean that I sit around dreaming the day away. I simply reflect and take in this 5 year experience. Over the last few days I have made a small mental list of what I will really miss about Brazil. Some things hold quite a bit of significance for me while others are just little perks. Here is my list:

• I will miss our team the most. For those who are still here, Matt; Paul; Kevin and Benay, I will miss you deeply. I can't even write this without tearing up. We have had some great moments and some really difficult moments. We have grown spiritually in ways I never expected. Through it all I am so glad that the Lord put us together. Please know that each of you will remain in my prayers throughout the years to come. I love you.

• I will miss our church family. I haven't gotten to know everyone in this particular group at the level I would have liked, but I honestly don't think that is possible. I will miss our time worshiping together and learning together. I pray that the Father bless you each with a special strength as you strive to know Him and His will for you and your life. I love you.

• I will miss the Salgado Family. My family has spent a lot of time with Claudio, Rute, Keity, Jenny and Lhaumar over the last couple of years. Again, just thinking about saying good-bye to this beautiful family makes me emotional. I will hold you in my prayers to the Father each day; that He will bless you and that you will each grow in your faith. I love you.

• I will miss all of our good friends: Dani, Alexandre and Ana Luiza; Milton and Julianna and their girls; João and Clarice; José Carlos, Paula and their family; Fabio and Thaís and baby Natalia; Tiago; Cesar; Paulo Renato and many more.

Okay, now that the ones that make me a bit weepy are out of the way I will hit the less emotional, but still important ones:

• day and over night trips to Gramado and Canela.
• churrasco (Brazilian bbq) - it can't be touched!
• the way Brazilians as a people love children. I appreciate so much how strangers treat Elisa and other children. I wish the world as a whole would adopt a love like this.
• the botanical scene. Our city's landscape is amazing. We have the most beautiful trees, plants and flowers. I will miss the nature in this city of 3 million!
• the local restaurant scene. Brazilians aren't into the chain restaurant thing as much as Americans are. I love the different places to go and how your palate can have a variety of experiences.
• believe it or not - speaking Portuguese regularly. I am not a great speaker, but I fear that I will lose some of my ability to communicate in Portuguese after we return to the States. I will work at keeping it up, but I will miss speaking it everyday.
• our car. We drive a Honda Fit and it has been great. We have never had a problem. Not one. I think we would ship it back to the States if it were possible.

I know I could probably think of more things, but this is all that really stands out. When the day comes I will say "tchau" or "good-bye" or "later on, dude!", but I will always hold each person in my heart. I will speak for Jennifer when I say that we have grown to be different people because of our time here. God has used our Brazilian experience to produce fruit for the future that we don't yet know exists! Isn't that amazing? Because of our struggles and our searching we now see things differently than we did when we first moved here in March of 2004. What we have gone through here is our stepping stone for what ever comes next. This has been a part of our journey that will take us where He wants us to go. I'm glad I will miss all the above things because that means that this has meant something - it will always mean something. Always.

The Date Is Set

Well, there is still an incredible amount to do as far as our move back to the States is concerned. We are planning to have a massive garage sell (which is not a typical thing in Brazil) on November 29th and will spend the month of December packing the rest of our stuff.

We still don't know what city will be our final destination. We do know that we will have a period of up to 6 months with our sponsoring congregation in Colorado Springs while I look for a job. Most likely, we will end up in Texas.

One important bit of information that we do know is our departure date. We will board a plane and leave Porto Alegre, Brazil on January 27, 2009. If ever there was a "bitter-sweet" this is it. We are happy to have the date, but leaving what we now know as home will be difficult.

We won't actually land on U.S. soil until February 4th. From January 27th until February 3rd we will be on a "transition/debrief" vacation. Continent of Great Cities and Mission Resource Network highly recommend a time for missionaries to go on a vacation before they get back into the American life. This will be a good time for our family to relax and reflect upon our time as missionaries to Brazil.

Like I said, we still have an incredible amount to do. We will do our best to keep you updated as things progress. Until then, tchau!

Kid's Day

Of all the places that I have been to in the world (including the United States), Brazil has got to be the most kid friendly. Brazilians have a love and respect for children that is really unique. I appreciate so much the way perfect strangers treat Elisa. It is not unusual for us to be in the grocery store or at the post office or any where really and have people kneel down to Elisa's level and speak to her with genuine interest. It is a really sweet thing.

I'm not sure when it began but among many, many Brazilian holidays we celebrate Kid's Day every October. The 2nd Sunday of the month is full of festivities for children to enjoy throughout the city. Going to the mall the Saturday before is exactly like going to the mall on the 24th of December in the U.S. - crazy! Most children receive multiple gifts as if it were Christmas.

This year we celebrated Kid's Day with the Salgado family at their house. We told Keity, Jenny, Lhaumar and Elisa that we love them and appreciate them. Then they all opened presents. I think they enjoyed themselves.

It is pretty neat to have a day for children just like we do for mothers and fathers. It makes them feel special and appreciated. We really should make more effort celebrating the innocence and joy that children bring us. After all, Jesus did say, "I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

A Hard Life

During our time in Brazil we have met a few folks who have their fair share of struggles. Some go through the most difficult of situations that I really can't describe on this website. Some seem like they were destined for a hard life. We probably all know the person that tries and tries, but can never seem to dig out of that enormous hole they are stuck in.

As I write this post I am thinking specifically about Diane. I wrote about this weary, young mother once before around 3 months ago. You can get caught up on her story here. A brief summary is: she is a young mother (I think she is 24) of 5 who has struggled to keep her children in a good environment. She has a job now, but comes to us once or twice a week and asks for bus tokens. We listen to her and try to provide some form of advice and comfort. There is usually some kind of extreme circumstance going on - sickness, lack of food, social services taking the kids because of poor living conditions, husband getting injured at work site, etc. The main thing the last several months has been the health of one of her twin girls, Pamela. She is sick with cancer. It is easy to perceive that Diane doesn't understand the seriousness of the situation, due to her lack of education, but she trying.

When I think about the brief summary above I think, "how could it possibly get any worse? This seems like a bad made-for-TV movie." But it is real. It is very real.

Now it is time to share the most recent hardship of Diane. About a week ago she came to our house. Normally, Jennifer speaks with her, but she wasn't home. So, I went out to visit with her. I could tell something was wrong. She told me that her 58 year old father had died. He had diabetes and pretty much drank himself to death. Although she is only 24 she is the oldest sibling, so she was in charge of the funeral arrangements (her mother had already passed away). Can you imagine being 24, the mother of 5, about to be the mother of all your younger siblings (ages 3 to 20 or so) and in charge of your father's funeral arrangements? I can't. I talked with Diane for a while and gave her some bus tokens so that she could go and take care of her family.

A few days later we saw her and she proceeded to tell us the following: she left her twin girls (they are 5 or 6 years old I think - remember, one has cancer) with their godmother for a couple of days while all this stuff is going on with her dad's funeral and trying to figure out what to do with all the siblings. She sent someone to pick up the twins, but the godmother wouldn't let them leave. This is a major inconvenience since they are poor and have to spend more bus tokens going back and forth, etc. When Diane went to get the girls, the godmother and the girls were gone. Just gone. Kidnapped. Apparently, the godmother took off with the girls with no intention of giving them back. So, Diane started trying to track them down. Somehow she found out that they went to a neighboring town. She went to the police who told her to wait 42 hours. She came to us asking for more bus passes so she could go to this town. We told her to let the police handle it and to try to stay calm. What else was there to do? I can't even imagine what she was going through. I kept telling myself "maybe it is all just a big, BIG mix up. Bad communication. Maybe the godmother messed up the days or... I don't know!"

We found out just today that Diane went to an old employer and asked for help making flyers with the girl's picture. Very smart. They posted the flyers all over the town where they thought the girls and the godmother were. Someone saw the flyer and recognized the girls. They called to notify Diane. Then someone else saw a flyer at a bus stop while the girls and the godmother were standing there waiting for a bus. They called Diane immediately. Diane, the ex-employer and the ex-employer's son (a lawyer) went to the bus stop. Luckily (thanks to God) they were still there. They were about to head to another state! Unbelievable! Diane probably just had a matter of minutes before her girls would have been on a bus leaving the city. Diane has her girls now and the godmother has been arrested.

Can you believe all this? It is so difficult for me to wrap my mind around this kind of turmoil. I have been stressed about our upcoming move, but frankly I confess that my biggest complaint lately has been the problems we are having with our high-speed internet and our phone. We have no problems! None!

I wrote this post because my heart goes out to Diane. I know the Lord's heart goes out to Diane too. He longs to save the lost, the down trodden, the broken. He has a heart for the suffering. She is the definition of suffering that only Jesus can heal. There are so many scriptures that could come to mind when I think of Diane's life, but only one really hits me right now.

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Diane needs to trust in the Lord for the strength that only He can provide. I pray that He would give me and Jennifer the wisdom and discernment to know how to minister to this hurting soul and to allow His Spirit to work through us to bring her comfort and rest in Him.

4 Months Left

It is hard to believe that we only have 4 months left before we head back to the US. What a crazy time to head back too! The financial crisis has us scratching our heads, but we trust the Lord and know that He will put us where we need to be. Over the last 4 years the strength of the dollar has dropped significantly, so we actually have some experience being in an on-going financial crisis of sorts.

Anyway, we have transitioned out of our responsibilities here (for the most part). I still meet with the other team guys once a week for prayer and updates on the work. I am grateful for that time. Prayer with my brothers is so vital for me. I also meet Paulo Renato and Cesar for lunch on Tuesdays. After our lunch, Cesar and I have a Bible study.

We are doing what we can right now to prepare for our life in the States. I am working on professional development to renew my teaching certificate and Jennifer is studying for the GRE. She will take it later this month. She is leaning heavily toward returning to school to get her Masters next fall.

As our time winds down we are trying to spend time with individuals and families that we are close to here. We really want to take it all in before it is too late. Through the good times and bad we are grateful for our time here in Brazil. We have learned a lot and have grown to be much more wise and mature. Our family is looking forward to taking our experiences here and using what we have learned to help bring more people to Christ wherever we may go in the future.

For now, we don't really know where that will be. But, we will keep you posted. Please continue to pray for our transition and for the church family in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Relationships

We have learned many things about Christian living during our time here in Porto Alegre. I think one of the most essentials lessons we have begun to understand is how to start, grow and maintain relationships. Relationships with other people (Christians and not-yet Christians) is vital to maturing your own faith and helping others find theirs.

In June we met a couple in a restaurant in another city. Elisa was drawn to them because of a toy they had for their infant daughter. As we did the small chat thing at their table we found out that they actually live only 3 blocks from us in Porto Alegre!

After a couple of months they called us up and had us over for dinner. The ironic part about them calling us is that they are unbelievers, but wanted to reach out to us because they felt that maybe we were homesick. Having spent a couple of years in Boston, they know what it is like to be thousands of miles away from family. They didn't know at the time that we have already been here for 4.5 years. They reached out to us with compassionate hearts the way we, as Christians, should always be looking to reach out to others.

We recently met this couple again for dinner at our house. Even though we are transitioning out of the work in Porto Alegre, we aren't transitioning out of our responsibilities as Christians. We will continue no matter where we are or what we are doing to work on growing relationships - just like Jesus did.

Our newest friends: Fábio, Thaís & their baby girl Natáilia.

Claudio and Rute Wed!

On August 5, 2005 Claudio and Rute made some public commitments that have been life altering. On that day they gave their lives to Jesus and to each other! After living together for approximately 15 years they decided to be baptized and to be married on the same day!



A little more than 3 years later, on September 5th, they were able to have their wedding ceremony before the state. Due to various drawbacks they had not been able to take this step until now. They showed a lot of determination and persistence to get to this point! We are so happy for them that they were finally able to be married legally - on paper! This date will forever be special to their family not just because of their wedding, but September 5th is Claudio's birthday! I bet they would have had the ceremony at mid-night if possible since September 6th is Rute's birthday! I think that is just great!

Claudio and Rute with the Justice of the Peace after the ceremony.

Jennifer and I were asked to be their witnesses. This meant a lot to us because of the relationship that we have with them. We will, of course, miss everyone when we return to the US. However, I think of all the Brazilians we will miss Claudio and Rute's family a little more.

Sascha signing the marriage certificate as one of the witnesses.

Jennifer and Elisa with Claudio, Rute and their youngest daughter, Lhaumar.

The New Blume!

Our teammates, Kevin and Benay Blume, had a baby boy yesterday morning! He is their 6th child! Everyone is doing great!

For more pictures and information you can visit their blog here.

Giovanni Müller Blume

4 Recent Baptisms!

In less than a week 4 individuals have given their lives to Jesus! On Sunday, August 24th, 3 people were baptized out at the Chácara. Two of these people were mothers of guys that have been in the rehabilitation program. The other person was an intern at the Chácara. It is pretty incredible that the Lord is using these young men coming off serious drug and alcohol addictions to reach their families for Christ. More and more family members and friends are being touched by what the God is doing there.

Above: Jane is baptized by Pastor Isaiah. Below: Jane with her sons Eduardo and Rodrigo (Chácara graduates).

This last Saturday, Matt baptized Guilherme (William). The following is taken from Matt's blog about this experience:

A few weeks ago I wrote about a new Bible study we had begun with a young man named Guilherme. He is a bright guy with a bright future in the field of computer science. He has been dating Gabrieli, daughter of our friends and brothers Lauro & Lorena. Our Bible study time has been amazing - he has soaked up the Word like a sponge. It's always exciting to study the Word with someone who is so eager to learn. Last week Guilherme came to us and said he would like to be baptized! It's finally nice to be able to participate in a baptism! (It's a running joke here in POA that whenever I leave town for a trip, someone gets baptized - that has happened a dozen times over the past few years!)

Matt and Guilherme before (above) and after (below) the baptism!

Praise God for these recent commitments to Christ!

Things you can find on an outing

Our family really enjoys getting out of the house. We love to go on walks in the neighborhood. We have a couple of parks near our house where Elisa likes to play. It is a good way for us to stay connected with each other and take in our surrounds here in Brazil.

There are times, though, when our surroundings are laced with darkness. You can read a lot in the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament, about sacrifices to false gods. We see a lot of sacrifices here in our neighborhood and in Brazil. A lot of dark religions were brought to Brazil during the time of slave trading. Now, there are many, many different sects and cults that practice sacrifices. In the evening it is not unusual to spot a candle burning on a street corner with a bottle of alcohol (probably Bourbon) near by as a gift to a god. Sometimes you see or hear of animal sacrifices. I have heard of large animals like pigs being sacrificed in the city, but have never witnessed anything.

The following is a series of pictures of a family outing we took yesterday. These pictures were taken about 3 blocks from our house.

Now I want to ask you not to skip ahead and look at the pictures below. Let's make a game of this. Elisa and I are posing in this picture. What caught our attention was actually across the street on the corner. Let's go in for a closer look...

This is the corner I was referring to. You can see that there is definitely something on the curb. Maybe it is trash or a bunch of leaves...

Or maybe it is a sacrifice that was either offered to the false god in the middle of the day or wasn't cleaned up from the night before.

This is a chicken that was sacrificed. It looks as though there is something like cornmeal with it and some other items. It could be that the cloth that the chicken is resting on belonged to the person that left the sacrifice. I don't really know though.

I wanted to share this with you so that you could see what we deal with some of the time. Spiritual Warfare is real and we are engaged in ways that we never imagined 5 years ago. Satan has a grip on a lot of people not just in Brazil, but throughout the world. What do we do to fight against spiritism and acts that don't glorify the true living God? We pray and we arm ourselves with wisdom, integrity, peace, love and joy in Jesus. We don't become numb to what is around us. We reach out to and pray for those who are lost to see and understand the truth of our salvation in Christ. If anything, things like what our family saw yesterday should make us more determined to fight Satan every day with all that we have: physically, mentally and especially spiritually.

"Household gods give worthless advice, fortune-tellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce falsehoods that give no comfort. So my people are wandering like lost sheep; they are attacked because they have no shepherd." Zechariah 10:2

Irresponsible Missionaries

Don't let the title of this post freak you out! In some cases, being irresponsible is a good thing. Our team learned a lot about this when Bryan and Jacqueline Bost were here for a seminar in June. They are very wise people who have taught us some very relevant things about being missionaries in the house church setting.

Our teammates, Kevin and Benay Blume, wrote a great post about being irresponsible on their blog. I would love for you to read it. Just "click" here and you will see the importance of being an irresponsible missionary.

Chácara Graduation

Today was a great day! Not only was it Father's Day in Brazil, but it was graduation time for 7 guys at the Chácara! These days the Chácara is always at full capacity. If someone leaves, that space become occupied almost immediately. The thing is - hardly anyone is leaving!

The rehabilitation program at the Chácara lasts for 9 months. Today we had what I think was the largest graduating class ever! The guys are welcome to stay and continue at the Chácara for more than 9 months, but leaving sooner than 9 months means they haven't met the goals and requirements of the program.

Today's graduation consisted of a uplifting worship service that included 6 of the 7 guys giving short testimonies. Let me tell you - it is something special to have one of these guys share their testimony, but to have 6 is nothing short of powerful. Listening to their stories can seriously change your perspective on things. It was all I could do to keep from being overwhelmed emotionally. I felt a lot of joy at the Chácara today.

It was a very encouraging and uplifting time for all the guys - graduates of the program and individuals who are still battling on against their addictions (By the way, Adão Claudio made it back to the Chácara and is fighting strong). The amount of love shown from family and friends was a treasure from the Lord. I am grateful that I spent part of my day celebrating with these brothers. I am sure that God is proud of the work and sacrifice that these 7 men have put into turning their lives around for His glory. What a great Father's Day present to our Father in heaven.

The Graduates (from left to right): Christian, Jefferson, Eduardo, Alexandre, Marcelo, Anderson & Rodrigo.

Alexandre shares some of his story.

Anderson has always had the support of his 5-year old son. Happy Father's Day, Anderson!

This is the Lima family (from l to r: Lucas, Lauro, Luis, Lorena & Gabrieli). Luis is a nephew/cousin of the Limas who has been at the Chácara for just one week. This was a very encouraging day for Luis.

All seven of the graduates became Christians at the Chácara. One of them announced that his mom will be baptized soon. I think it is obvious that the Lord used the transformed lives of her sons (Eduardo and Rodrigo both pictured above) to touch her heart for Jesus. Praise God!

Thoughts on Christian Conflict

I have found in my Christian walk that the path is often full of conflict. Why is that? Why must a people who are taught to love show so much disdain? Why do we fight and argue and hurt one another instead of treating each other with respect and love as the Bible commands.

I think a lot of this comes from fear. A lot of fear comes from what we don't understand or what we find uncomfortable.

I have been reading a book called Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere. Whether you believe that the miraculous gifts are for today or not this book gives some interesting Biblical insight into different gifts and how they benefit and encourage the body when they are used appropriately.

I really appreciate how this book is delivered; humbly and with plenty of scripture. When I am reading a book that is charismatic in nature I tend to have this discouraging voice in the back of my mind repeating over and over that this is something that causes division and can be hurtful. The fact is I am reading such things to help grow, mature and build up the church.

Today I read some wonderful words about how to deal with Christian conflict that really encouraged me. This is near the end of the chapter entitled Pursuing the Gifts with Diligence. I hope you also find the following encouraging...

One of the most eloquent admonitions I have ever encountered along these lines is in Bishop Burnet's preface to the classic work "The Life of God in the Soul of Man", written by Henry Scougal in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Here is what Burnet wrote:

There is scarce a more unaccountable thing to be imagined, than to see a company of men professing a religion, one great and main precept whereof is mutual love, forbearance, gentleness of spirit, and compassion to all sorts of persons, and agreeing in all the essential parts of its doctrine, and differing only in some less material and more disputable things, yet maintaining those differences with zeal so disproportioned to the value of them, and prosecuting all that disagree from them with all possible violence; or if they want means to use outward force, with all bitterness of spirit. They must needs astonish every impartial beholder, and raise great prejudices against such persons' religion, as made up of contradictions; professing love, but breaking out in all the acts of hatred.

Somewhere someone has to stop this. Someone has to stop returning insult for insult, unkindness for unkindness. Why not make up your mind that no matter what is said about you, you are not going to reply in kind. And never forget that immediately after Paul told his readers to "eagerly desire the greater gifts," he wrote, "If I... have not love, I gain nothing" (I Cor. 13:3).

I found this to hit home. May God bless you as he has me with these words.

House Call

As you may have read in the past, one of the ministries of our church family is helping a youth recovery center outside Porto Alegre in the town of Alvorada. We call this place the "Chácara". It can house up to 24 young men. Most of the guys out at the Chácara are trying to leave an addiction to drugs or alcohol or both. Matt Rehbein; Paulo Renato; and our sister in Christ, Irotilde go out to the Chácara every Wednesday to encourage and counsel the young men. They listen to their stories and try to help them through their struggles.

There have been a lot of successes over the last year. Many are staying for the duration of the 9 month program. Lately, we have seen more young men than we normally see overcome their past struggles. Some of the men have gone on to find jobs and have become the supporting husbands and fathers that their families needed.

Unfortunately, not all of the stories are good. There are guys who leave the Chácara prematurely and find themselves back in the mess that they were trying so desperately to get out of. One of these guys is Adão Claudio (Adam Claude). He left the Chácara after only being there for 4 months. He left for the wrong reasons and ended up regretting it. Before he knew it he was using drugs again.

Paulo Renato often gives the guys who have left the Chácara a call to see how they are doing. When he called Adão Claudio's house last week he found out some very disconcerting news. Adão Claudio's wife had just kicked him out of the house because he was using crack. His addiction to crack was still too much for him to handle and it was hurting his wife and 4 kids.

Paulo Renato, Kevin and I tried to set up a visit with him until we were finally able to make it happen yesterday. Paulo Renato spoke with Adão Claudio's wife again and found out that he was back at home. He didn't want to see us initially, but finally he agreed to the visit. Once we made it out to his house it was apparent that he had been struggling. He was much thinner than the last time I saw him and looked nervous. I think that he mainly felt ashamed because he knew that he messed up.

We spent between and hour and an hour and a half visiting with him and encouraging him. Paulo Renato invited him and his wife to the C.A.S.A. for visits and encouragement and Kevin offered the support of the house church that meets in his home. Adão Claudio is a good man who knows and loves God, but has allowed Satan to have a stronghold. After we prayed for him he embraced each one of us. You could feel the love and gratitude in the hugs he gave. It is possible that he will end up going back to the Chácara. I think he is open to that possibility, but he must humble himself first. He can and will overcome this difficult time with the support of the Lord and His family.

Adão Claudio during the "Every Man's Battle" study that Paulo Renato and I conducted at the Chácara earlier this year.

We care deeply for Adão Claudio and the other men of the Chácara. Different ideas of how we can better support these men are being mulled over and discussed. One idea is to start a house church for the men and their families once they no longer are at the Chácara. There are many possibilities. We ask you to join us in praying for wisdom and discernment to better know how to support Adão Claudio and men like him.

Celebration Time!

As you may know, our church family is trying to reach the city of Porto Alegre through a network of house churches. Each Sunday our church family meets in different house churches in the city. However, on the last Sunday of each month we meet together at a rented facility for a Celebration service.

This last Sunday was a Celebration service - and it was a powerful one at that! We had a great time of worship and praise and a time of prayer as a church family. During the lesson (Don't Underestimate the Little Things) we invited three of our members, Garigran; Clarice and Tiago to give their testimonies. I have known each of the people who gave a testimony between 2 and 4 years. Surprisingly, I learned a lot about each person through the words that they shared. It was a real encouragement to me and to the rest of our church family.

Garigran giving his testimony.

Clarice giving her testimony.

You may remember that Tiago traveled to Australia about 6 weeks ago. He sent his testimony via email and our brother Paulo Renato read it to us. Here is Tiago's testimony translated into English for you.

It all started in a winter just like any other. I knew that some church was going to have free English classes, and what was more interesting was that the classes would be given by Americans. What more could an engineering student with no money and bad English want?

Anyway, during this time I was a staunch atheist. I knew that there existed something more, but I didn’t call this something God, or better, I thought that this “something more” had nothing to do with the god that people were talking about. I thought that church was just something that some unscrupulous people used to take money from others. For me Jesus was simply a person who lived some 2,000 years ago, did good things, and was made into a kind of baseless idol.

On the other hand, I had (and still have) a deep respect for the beliefs of others. I was really sure of what I believed, and I was certain that I wouldn’t change. But I knew (and still know) that I don’t know everything, especially about what is right for other people.

So, when I decided to participate in the English classes, also known as LST, or Let’s Start Talking, I always tried to respect what was they were trying to teach, even though at that time it didn’t touch my heart, and I didn’t have the slightest intention of changing. On the other hand, nothing was being forced on me. During the classes we basically read the Bible and discussed what we read, letting the Word do the work. In fact, if it had been the other way, if they had tried to force it on me, I doubt I would have continued going to church for very long.

This continued for a good amount of time. The “teachers” changed, but I continued participating in the English classes at the church whenever I could. What I didn’t notice at the time was that I was changing. In the beginning it was only about the classes; with time it began to make sense to me.

I think that the point when I realized I had been changed was when one of my teachers invited me to a Bible study group, this time in Portuguese. I accepted, and what’s worse, I liked it!

To make a long story short, from that time on I began faithfully participating in this group. During this same time period, the church of Christ started to utilize the concept of the house church, and I started going to worship every Sunday. I also started to participate in the Men’s group. All of this worked together in order for me to see how much God was doing in the lives of the people with whom I interacted during these activities.

All of this culminated in the moment when I decided that I would spend some time in Australia. I realized that it didn’t do any good for me to deny any longer how much Jesus had touched my life, and that I had already made Him my Lord and Savior. It was then, just before I traveled to Australia, that I asked to be baptized.

I hope these words have been encouraging in some way. I would have like to have written more, but I lack inspiration, just like I lack a way with words.

May God bless you and give you peace.

After the service we had a great time of fellowship - which usually includes some kind of delicious treat. We were all blessed by this great time of worship, encouragement and fellowship. Please remember our church family in your prayers when you can - that we would allow the Lord to work through us to grow is Kingdom in mighty ways.

Transition Is Upon Us

Whether you keep up with our family or our work (or perhaps both) we want to make you aware of a big transition that our family is preparing for in the not-so-distant future.

It is hard to believe that our 5-year commitment to working in Brazil is almost up. We spent most of 2007 thinking and praying about where God might want us after this initial commitment. After a lot of discussion and prayer we came to feel peace in returning to the US in the second quarter of 2009. Of course, we expect that it will not be easy to leave Porto Alegre. Just imagining saying “até mais” to our many brothers and sisters of this church family makes me tear up already. We have invested a lot to be where we are and to do what we do, but we know in our hearts it is time for our family to move on.

Word travels fast, so I imagine that many who read our blogs already know of our plans. We shared with all the house churches in our church family last month. We were really blessed by the way each house church accepted our plans to leave Brazil. With less American presence there will be more shift toward Brazilian responsibility and leadership in the house churches – something we are all excited about.

One thing that I will say about our future plans is that we haven’t worked all the kinks out yet. There is still a lot of time (approximately between 8 and 10 months) for us in Brazil, so I will wait to share some of the more specific details for other posts. However, we are very excited about where we see the Lord taking us!

I wanted to express our gratitude for all the love and support that you have shown us. We shouldn’t start our transition out of some responsibilities here until sometime around November and will remain in Porto Alegre working with house churches in some capacity until March or May of next year. Once we land on US soil I expect we will spend a little bit of time with our sponsoring congregation in Colorado Springs before the next stage of our lives begins.

In the meantime, stay tuned…. we are still working hard and enjoying our time in Brazil, and will keep you posted as always on the many happenings in Porto Alegre.

Much love,

The Terrys

Cesar

Last night our good friend, Cesar, gave his life over to Jesus through baptism. He shared with us last month that he had a dream in which a man resembling his father told him to "follow his heart". Cesar knew exactly how to interpret the dream. The night after he had the dream he expressed his desire to be baptized! We have had a few good discussions and studies since then to help him understand the significance of baptism and the Christian walk that the Lord calls us to lead. Cesar is a wonderful young man who is full of love and joy in the Lord. We are very excited for him and his new commitment to Christ.

Sascha and Cesar immediately following the baptism.

Cesar first came to know our church family through an LST campaign a few years ago. Since that time we have grown our relationship with him and he has grown his relationship with Jesus. It has already been a great experience to see him grow and mature spiritually.

We were very please by those who were able to come and witness this wonderful event. Several folks from different house churches came to encourage Cesar, as well as his mother - who we have only met once before about 2 years ago. We made Cesar's baptism the focal point of our worship to the Lord. During our time together each person gave a word of encouragement, shared a blessing, led a song, prayed or read from scripture. It was a wonderful time of celebration for each of us - especially Cesar!

Cesar and his mother after the baptism.

The celebration!

I plan to continue studying with Cesar for as long as we can. All Christians need support and encouragement, but especially the young ones. We hope and pray that Cesar would feel the protection of the Holy Spirit as he begins his walk with God. We ask you to keep Cesar in your prayers as well.

The Heat

Last month I wrote a post about the cold we experience in Porto Alegre during the winter (June through August). You could say that I even complained about it. Sometimes it is pretty difficult to endure.

However, all residents of our part of the world have been pretty surprised about the drastic change and consistency of the weather for the last couple of weeks. I would estimate that it has been anywhere from 75 to 85 degrees during that time span. This is extremely odd. It has the look and feel of summer. Practically everyone is outside walking or running for exercise; parks are full of people; and swimming pools aren't such a nuisance to clean!

It started to cool down a little today and we expect it to stay in the 60s over the next few days. I don't know about Global Warming, but this kind of crazy heat really makes me scratch my head.

Anyway, I thought that I would keep any loyal readers in the loop on interesting stuff like the weather. Stay tuned, I expect to have more to write about in the very near future... maybe my favorite elevator tunes!

"A Cup of Cold Water"

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

Matthew 10:42

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.

Matthew 25:35-36

Last year our family moved from an apartment to a house. There are many differences between apartments and houses that are very obvious. However, many differences exist that you wouldn’t find to be quite so obvious. One example in particular is the amount of contact you have with people passing by your home. In an apartment, the doorman always talks to the people passing by. If people come to the front gate of our house, we are ones who speak to them.

Sometime late last year we met a young woman named Diane. She came to our door one day asking if we could spare some change for bus tokens. We don’t typically give out money and rarely do we have bus tokens. However, there is a member of our church family who tithes a bag of bus tokens each month. This member had given us a bag of tokens to hand out to folks who needed them. So, on this day we were able to help Diane with some tokens.

Time and again Diane would return to our door asking for tokens. Through this need we began to grow a relationship with her. Jennifer especially felt called to minister to this young woman. Jennifer would visit with Diane when she would come to our door. Over time we started to learn who Diane is and what kind of life she has.

Diane is 25 years old and is the mother of 5 children. Her three oldest are from a previous relationship (their father is deceased) and her two youngest are from her current husband. Her children range in age from 7 years to 4 months.

She lives in a shanty town not to far from our home. Living conditions have been really difficult for them, but most recently they have been able to do some standard renovations that will allow them to have some small comforts that most of us take for granted (warm showers and electricity).

It isn’t unusual for Diane to come to our house once or twice a week asking for bus tokens or food. We visit with her and usually help her with her need. On occasion she comes to our home upset by something that is going on with her children. A few months ago she came to our door in tears because Camilla, her 3 year old, swallowed rat poison and almost died. Several weeks ago she came telling us that her first husband’s mother, who had been caring for the 3 oldest children, passed away unexpectedly. Last month she told us that child protective services had come to her house to take away her children because of the living conditions. Last week she came to our door every day! One of those days she came to tell us that one of her 5-year old twins, Stefanie, has leukemia. Unbelievable!

Sadly, the world has influenced us at times to want to not believe this poor woman. In a world of dishonesty it is easy for one to become cynical toward people with needs like Diane’s. There are times when we are so tired of the situations and stories that we don’t want to listen. I confess that I have wanted to ignore the door bell of various occasions. But, I can’t do that. If I am to call myself a follower of Jesus I need to listen to Diane each time she comes knocking on my door. I need to show her grace and mercy. Maybe she has lied to us. So what!? She still deserves to know Jesus’ love for her. She still deserves to have someone to listen to her troubles. She still deserves that “cup of cold water”.

I ask you to be in prayer for Diane and her family. I believe that she wants to be the best wife and mommy she can be and is really having a difficult time. Please pray for her children; for their safety and health. Please pray for them to be blessed by a relationship with Jesus Christ…

and please pray for our family to be a family of mercy and compassion so that we may be ready to minister to the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick and imprisoned of this world.

Roberto

Roberto, Moema and their son, Kjeld

Over the past year and half we have learned a lot in our house church network. We have learned who people really are - their strengths and weaknesses; their passions and fears; their levels of spiritual maturity and immaturity. Sometimes it can be difficult and sometimes it can be overwhelmingly rewarding.

Roberto and Moema are some of our members who meet in the Blume's home on Sundays. They gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized almost 2 years ago. It seems that for them the transition to house churches was an easy one to make. Their faith-walk has been a struggle at times, but they always seem to do the right thing. We love them very much and are very proud of them and their desire to grow closer to the Lord.

Roberto is a man who is always striving to do better. He is always ready to share a blessing with a fellow follower of Christ. He has a great personality and an awesome smile and laugh.

This Sunday, Roberto will begin a 5-month Spiritual discipline course with a group called JOCUM (youth with a mission). He hopes to discover how to grow and use his spiritual gifts and to learn how to be a stronger disciple of Jesus. During the 5 months of the course, Roberto will be in another town. This means that he will not have the comfort of his own home or the company and encouragement of his own family.

Please pray for Roberto during the next 5 months. Pray that the Lord would use this opportunity to grow Roberto and to mature this church family. Roberto is an awesome example of how to sacrifice for the Kingdom. Like I said before, we are very proud of him.

Ismenio

In 2004 and 2005 our church family hosted Let's Start Talking campaigns. LST is used as an avenue to bring folks into a church environment using English. Study sessions are set up with readers and American campaigners to read the books of Luke and Acts. Throughout the 6-week campaign there are parties for the readers and even a Friend's Camp. It is a good way of establishing relationships and introducing Jesus to many people.

After the 2005 campaign Matt Rehbein, Tessa Sexton and I did follow-up studies with around 30 interested individuals. As a result we made many good friends through LST. Some of these people have come to know Jesus through our relationships with them. Just to name a few: Waleska (Matt's wife), Grace, Tiago and Cesar (who will be baptized soon) each started studying the Bible with more interest through LST. I have been able to maintain relationships with a couple of other LST readers too. Ricardo and I had an on-going Bible study in English up until recently that last almost 3 years. It is possible that we will resume again someday. Also, I have another good friend from LST named Ismenio (pronounced is-men-E-o).

As you may have gathered from the title of this post the subject is Ismenio. Ismenio is a sergeant in the Brazilian Army. He is stationed in a little town outside of Porto Alegre called Sapucaia do Sul. After the 2005 LST campaign we were not able to continue our follow-up studies. We stayed in touch by playing soccer together on Saturdays. However, after a few months the soccer ministry fizzled and I went on furlough. One drawback to furlough is that sometimes you loose your established rhythm and relationships suffer. Unfortunately, this happen to my relationship with Ismenio. I thought about him often, but didn't stay in touch.

A few months ago, after almost 2 years of nothing, Ismenio sent me an email. He was wanting to know if I would be willing to study English with him to help him prepare for a test the military had invited him to take. As it turns out, he had been invited to take an English proficiency test in Brasilia. If he did well enough he could possibly be invited to participate in military training and courses in the United States. This possible series of events had potential to really bless Ismenio's family and his military career.

I agreed to meet with Ismenio once a week until the week of the test. We read through magazines and different articles in English to work on comprehension. Then we started working on Ismenio's endurance. What I mean is that I would make up practice tests that were similar to what he would take in Brasilia. He was able to take practice tests for about 4 weeks before he left for Brasilia to take the real thing.

He had been under the impression that there would be a lot of people (sergeants) taking the test with him. As it turned out, he was only 1 of 4 sergeants participating. I was very confident in Ismenio and what he did to prepare. He ended up scoring an 88 out of 100 questions! The other three scores were: 61, 66 and 69. Needless to say, Ismenio was invited to participate in the training and courses in the United States.

For the last few weeks Ismenio has called Ft. Bliss (El Paso, Texas) his home. I have received a few emails from him. He is working hard and doing really well. I am really proud of my friend and how hard he worked to get to where he is. Please pray the Lord's blessings on Ismenio. It is my prayer that his relationship with God would come full circle through this experience and that he too will come to call Jesus his Lord.

This picture is of Ismenio and a Brazilian colleague posing with the mayor of El Paso, Texas. Ismenio is the soldier on the right.

Christian Architecture

"Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:10

I recently had a couple of experiences that made me think a little bit about "Christian architecture". In relation to Christianity, you may think of architecture in the sense of construction of a church building or you may also think of the growth and maturity of a Christian soul.

This last weekend we went with my parents to the towns of Gramado and Canela - just a couple of hours away from Porto Alegre. While we were there my dad and I took in the architecture of a Catholic church. I must admit that I admire and love the stone work and the stain glass windows. Man really can build some amazing structures! However, it is my opinion that too much emphasis is given to the physical aspects of a building.

Today I spent about an hour and a half studying with a good friend named, Cesar. Cesar has been a part of the house church that meets in our home for almost a year. A couple of weeks ago Cesar told us that we wanted to be baptized! He grew up in a religious home and already has a knowledge of Jesus Christ. As we studied today we talked about the difference between having religion and having a relationship with Jesus. We talked about the significance of baptism and what it means to be a new creation in Jesus. It was a great study for us as Cesar prepares to live his life for Jesus. As we talked I could see how his soul will soon be a new structure in Christ. He knows that the next step is his baptism. I expect that it is very possible he will show his love for Jesus through his baptism this coming Sunday. Whenever it is Cesar decides to be baptized we have committed to spend every Tuesday for the foreseeable future studying Christian living and answering any questions or doubts Cesar may have. As he continues to study (just like all of his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ) he will grow into "Christian architecture" that is shaped and formed by grace, mercy and love. This is the most beautiful architecture of all.

From left to right: Paulo Renato, Leni & Cesar. This photo was taken moments after Cesar told us of his desire to be baptized.

Prayer for the Weary

In a world full of muck, it is my prayer and hope to use the internet to share the prayer that is on my heart for my brother in Jesus Christ, Claudio. I haven't planned this prayer. I am simply allowing the Spirit to open my heart as I share his struggles on this post. Please join with me in lifting Claudio and his family up to the Father...

O Holy Father,
Almighty Giver of all things. I thank you for the avenue of prayer. I thank you for the opportunity that you give your children to come to you with praise and request. My heart is heavy for my brother Claudio, Father. I see how weary he has become. I see how exhausted he is: physically, mentally and spiritually. I ask you Lord, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, to release Claudio from his burdens. I know that as people pray this prayer that most will not know or understand Claudio's situation. They won't understand that he needs to be fired from his job. They may not understand that he will benefit, his family will benefit, from his being fired. Regardless of understanding or lack of understanding I ask you, Father, to hear the cries on Claudio's behalf. Hear the cry of your people on behalf of your struggling son. He loves you, Lord. He wants to honor and glorify you with all he has. He wants to give his home that he is working so hard to keep for the growth of your Kingdom. He wants to raise his daughters to be strong, productive, Christian women. He wants to honor and cherish his wife. He wants to see your Family grow in and around Porto Alegre and throughout the world. Please lift this man up from his despair. Please raise him up to be a mighty warrior in your Kingdom. May he not be a victim of Satan's schemes. Instead, let him bring light to the darkness. I ask you to bind those who persecute Claudio and his family. Don't allow them to open their mouths if they wish to speak evil and bring him down. Fill him with joy and comfort and peace in knowing that he will overcome with you leading the way. I ask you to reveal whatever lesson you may want to teach him through this difficult time. I pray that he would be submissive to whatever you may be trying to tell him or teach him. I pray that he would be led by your Spirit in all things.

Father, I ask you in faith to fire him from his job and put him in a much better situation. You have power of all people and all things. You can fire him as I write this. I beg you to fire him! Father, I ask you to surround your servant Claudio with people who love him. Encourage him with visits from his brothers and sisters in Christ. Lift him up and keep and protect him from any excuse that Satan can put in his heart to be angry and dejected. Fill him with joy. Give him the strength to share the joy of Christ with those who are persecuting him. I ask you to bless your servant and honor his requests.

I ask you to hear and bless this prayer in the power name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Abba Father. Thank you. Amen.

The Cold

Unless you have been to Porto Alegre during the winter months (June through early September) you really can't imagine the cold of South Brazil. It can snow in the mountains just a couple of hours away, but it rarely does (and it never sticks!). That may seem normal and not that big of a deal to folks from the northern United States where it gets to sub-zero temperatures during the winter.

Well, we aren't exactly tropical here! As I write this it is 52 degrees outside, but it feels like it is 45. The humidity is 76% which makes it feel much colder since your clothes hold in the dampness. The main cold factor comes from the way buildings and houses are constructed here. Everything is solid concrete with no insulation. The lack of insulation means that when it gets cold outside it slowly gets cold inside, then it stays cold. The weather channel might say that it is 52 degrees outside, but it is more than likely that or cooler inside! We usually keep an oven thermometer around the house just to keep tabs on how cold it gets.

We have some good gas space heaters and a fire place that do a good job of keeping us warm. We use the oven more often and leave the door open when we are done in order to not waste any heat. We also have learned to adapt by wearing extra layers of clothing. It is funny how it works sometimes; you may wake up in the morning, see your breath and think "it is going to be a cold one today." But, once you are outside and in the sun it is completely different. It really makes me wish that Southern Brazil would find a way to introduce central heat and air. A lot of folks could really use it. I went to bed 2 nights ago with a ski cap on and I wore it the whole night. You do what is necessary to stay warm I guess.

Unfortunately, not everyone can stay warm. Last week 2 homeless people died due to the cold night temperatures in this region. One person was here in Porto Alegre. Last winter was the coldest in this area in over 40 years and they are predicting that this year will be about the same. In fact, they are saying that this winter should last until October for us. October should be mid-Spring!

It is hard not to think about and complain about the cold when it is a constant - inside and out. It is even harder to manage when you know that so many people are suffering and dying because of the elements. I pray that the Lord would show us ways to be helpful in times like these - ways to show the warmth and love of Jesus. Thankfully, it looks like we are in store for a little warmer weather soon.

Water? What water?

It is really easy to take something like running water for granted. You might think that missionaries like our friends Kemmel and Lisa in Guatemala would have problems with running water, but not missionaries in a city of approximately 3 million people!

On Thursday of this week most of the city of Porto Alegre was without water! In fact, we read in the newspaper on Friday that 38 neighborhoods were lacking water. We didn't find out that there was a water problem in our house until late Thursday night when the toilet wouldn't flush. What a great way to find out that you are out of water! I went out to the street to see if it was our problem or a neighborhood problem. Our meter was on, but it wasn't running. I then went up into our attic to check our water reserve "caixa" or box. It was practically empty.

Most folks have a "caixa" or water reserve on the roof of their house like the one in the picture above. Our "caixa" is in the small attic of our house (pictured below).

Friday afternoon the water finally came back on, but we are still having problems. There is only enough pressure to wash our hands and brush our teeth. Our water reserve needs to fill back up so that we can have water pressure to take baths, flush toilets, do the dishes, etc. It is quite the problem to have.



We have been able to handle the situation by using the extra shower (with an electric shower head) in the garage and by trying to be extra conservative with the water that we do have. Hopefully, by the end of today or tomorrow morning we will be back in good order with the water situation.

This is our extra shower that
doesn't get used often!