Bits from Brasil April

Yesterday I went to Teen Challenge located right here in Arcoverde. The director is a Pastor that attends our Pastor’s group and has been excited about our project here in the Outback. I was able to talk to him more about the ministry as we added up receipts to be sent to the government in hope for money for their project. He told me about the land being donated several years ago and how God has supplied their needs. I asked him how he received his salary; to which he replied; I don’t receive a salary. “But how do things run?” I asked. “By faith” was his reply. 

Many people have stories of when their bank account was empty and they lived by faith to receive their daily bread. Sarah and I do not have those stories and it is because for some reason God has chosen to supply our needs before they are dire. Praise Him for that and for supporters like you all. Last night I again had the chance to tell a soccer buddy about our awesome job and how people like you are on the other end allowing us to be here. Thank you!

This month has been a month of developing friendships and even starting Bible studies. Dhiego has heard a summed up version of the Bible by using the Roots of Faith images as well as watching a DVD called the Hope. I believe he understands there is a decision to be made. Pray for him as we continue to study.

I am doing an English conversation group on Saturdays. The first week we had two; second week we had 5; and I think it will continue to grow as they seemed to really enjoy their time. 

Next Wednesday night we are starting an open home Bible study. Our friends have promised they will be there and are excited about it. We will be starting in Genesis and going through the Bible so that they can get a full understanding of God’s redemption plan. Most of them have at least a Catholic background, but are unchurched right now. 

Evelyn is starting to be courageous with learning Portuguese. She has enjoyed her ballet classes with her best friend Alice. We have spent a lot of time with her family (Francisco and Bia are her parents). They are a lot of fun to hang out with and we are blessed to call them friends. 

Last week our administrators Cal and Carol Clark came for a visit. They have been a huge blessing to us in our decision making and encouragement. (If you have ever seen my blog posts on whether or not to use mission boards; they are a huge reason I advocate having one). We went to Afogados da Ingazeira to check that out as that city will most likely be our next step. Then we talked about what our goals are for the future. Looking at the big picture (20-30 years ahead) can help you decide what to focus on in the present. We decided that it would be good to have a strong church in Arcoverde to support the work in the central of the Outback. One year will not be enough time to start a strong church and so we decided it would be good for us to stay in Arcoverde for 3-5 more years. We will have more contact with colleagues until we have recruited more for the interior. 

God has been so good to us in sending us here and in supplying a great home team that prays and supports us regularly. When the guy asked me last night why we were here when we could be there I wanted to ramble forever about the blessing it is to be a missionary. Thank you all so much for making that possible. Pray for fruit that remains!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, my chatter-box ballet story-teller and my big one year old (turned one on April 6) who eats so well and wants to talk so badly!

Rejection

Rejection is tough to handle. I remember taking my basketball to school one day during elementary school and at recess we went to play outside. They excluded me when they picked teams even though they used my ball. I sat over next to the wall feeling rejected. It must not have been a good feeling if I still remember it over 20 years later.

Rejection does not feel good and few like to be left out of the crowd. Good Friday is a day when Jesus was rejected by us. He was not just left off the team, but was disgracefully expelled from society. With a beating, spitting and mockery He went to the cross.

Jesus understood God's sovereign plan for His life. He understood that it would mean rejection and He accepted that and did not react negatively to the plan.

We will all feel rejection at some point in our lives. We can react negatively or accept it as part of God's sovereign plan and have a proactive response. Jesus reacted with forgiveness not revenge and our reaction should be similar.

As in the rejection of Jesus we receive the gospel, so in our rejections we have a chance to display the gospel.

PFR

This morning on facebook I posted about our water situation and I thought I would explain a little more here. Since being in Arcoverde we have never been without water, although we have been without running water over half of our days here. We arrived in the middle of the drought season and thankfully it is about to be over (according to everyone we have talked to).

Lack of water, especially running water, seems to complicate things quite a bit. For example, cleaning is difficult. Any kind of cleaning; washing dishes, laundry, ourselves, our hands, vegetables, the floor, etc... We do not usually think about how water affects our every day lives. In order to flush the toilet we need to fill up a bucket of water, lift the lid off the toilet and pour it in. When we are without running water we usually ask around the house who has to go to the bathroom so we can all go around the same time and use one flush. Yeah, that sounds gross...that is because it is gross. So naturally we do not feel very clean. Especially since we all take a bath in the same 8 liters of water every night.

But the thing is; we do have drinking water and we do have water. We can usually buy water pretty easily (besides yesterday and today). We have a Planet Earth DVD on water that shows people traveling 3-4 days in the desert trying to find water. We are not even close, not even anywhere near that desperate. Plus we have money to buy water, lots of water. If we really wanted (and I don't), we could spend the $3 it costs for 20 liters of drinking water and use that water all the time. We are very blessed.

God is using this time (hopefully short time) without water in our lives to better understand the people in this region. We can live as they live and see the value of their lives. Just as starting with the weather is an easy conversation starter so is using the water situation.

We know that God has reasons for this time in our life and we are doing fine. Our family has grown very closer the last couple of months and we have learned to appreciate so many benefits that we have in life.

Bits from Brazil March

The church in Recife prayed at a park three years ago for the ministry here in Arcoverde. Most afternoons we go for a walk at that same park. Evie rides her tricycle or pushes her baby stroller and Anna Claire puts up with it for a while, but begs to be out of the stroller and roaming around on her own picking up whatever is on the ground. We receive all kinds of looks and conversations naturally happen very often. There are two families that we have spent more time with as a result of these conversations. Francisco and Bia have a 5 year old girl named Alice. We have been to their house and both of their parent’s houses about an hour away. Evelyn is going to take ballet classes with Alice and we look forward to spending more time with them.

Roberta stopped to take a picture of the girls at the park. Since then she has recommended and gone to a pediatric appointment for Anna Claire. We have gone to eat with her, her husband Jajilson and daughters Bruna and Maria Valentina. She calls often to check up on us.

Dhiego I met playing soccer and we have since been biking together and had he and his girlfriend Juliane over for pizza. We look forward to hanging out much more when he is off work for a shoulder surgery he is going to have. 

I continue to play soccer, basketball and we all walk in the park. On the training side of things Pastor Roger Smith started a Pastors fellowship group in Arcoverde and I will be able to participate in that. Through that group we hope to have more contacts for some of the training courses we have to offer. 

I did start the Story of Hope with Adegilson who made a decision with Carlos several years ago but has never gotten into church. He seems excited about the study and we hope to soon include his wife. 

We did make a trip to three more cities this month and saw the many needs there. The trip made me a little sad for the lack of vibrant churches, but excited for the future opportunities. It enforced our burden for a strategic location for church planting and training that results in leadership development to enforce local churches and plant new ones. Pray with us that we would be able to dream big, pray hard and be faithful with the little things!

God bless you all for your faithfulness in prayers!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, a helpful creative imaginative four year old, and a very mobile almost one year old (April 6). 

Visiting friends

Sunday morning we drove to the city of Triunfo where Brazilian missionary friends Francisco and Dalva work tirelessly with the endless needs in the Outback. We spent some time with them talking and then I preached at their afternoon church service on their front porch/garage. They have recently taken on more responsibility as the Pastor at the other Baptist church in town had moral failure which caused many problems in the church. Francisco had started helping out there. Before I preached he "sold the fish" (tried to give us some reasons to work in Triunfo) and they were very convincing.

After I preached we drove down the mountain to another town where Francisco helps out as well. Fortunately I was invited to preach as I met the Pastor for the first time. He struggles there with less than 20 or so in the congregation. He said that he was the only Pastor in the whole city (partially true as there are some other denominations there with Pastors, but just a couple). He asked us to go work there as well. Both Pastors have been receiving invitations from other area churches to be their Pastors.

On Monday morning we headed to Afogados da Ingazeira and were able to meet with a Pastor there. He said most churches were very small and usually a result of a rift in another church. There is a lot of jealousy and a lot of loyalty to their church (usually the Catholic church).

The three towns made me both excited for the opportunities we have in working here and sad about the current situation. The reputation of Evangelicals in Triunfo is terrible because of the moral failures of several Pastors. Most churches are small and dying rather than large and growing (not that small is always bad).

The workers in the Outback are few. It is not an easy place to live because of the heat and the lack of water. Apparently religious persecution drives people away as well. Pray that God would 1)Raise up workers to go to the Outback 2) Raise up leaders in these churches 3) Through these steps the Outback would see a significant rise in Christians in the region resulting in more leaders, more churches, and a passion for missions. May God's name by mightily proclaimed and glorified!

A good work

As I prayed for my wife this morning I realized how excited I am about her spiritual growth. I can see that she has really matured in her trust in God. This takes so much time. The older I am (I am still really young), the more I perceive the quantity of time and experience it takes one to mature. Our microwave society does not produce maturity at the touch of a button. It is more like a crock pot set on warm that takes its time. 

One of my favorite verses to use in preaching is Philippians 1:6 that says, “Being confident of this very thing, that HE who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We can have faith in this; God is working in us! He is allowing experiences, trials, friends and influences in our lives that will mold us to be more like Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29). 

I am amazed by testimonies. I often tear up hearing of God’s grace in lives. I have had the unfortunate experience of counseling people in affairs, drugs and other difficult situations. Is life over for these people? No way! In fact, a few years after the fact, these are Believers. I mean, genuine, Spirit filled, grace giving Believers who have had a marvelous work done in a difficult situation. 

It is our job to first of all; allow God to work in us! He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be... Secondly, have the eyes to see God’s grace in others’ lives. Don’t give up on them yet! Thirdly, help others as they grow in grace! Goethe said “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” Beautiful! We can help others in the process of growing in grace rather than complaining about their lack thereof. 

To God be the glory for the work He has done in our lives. May we bring praise to His holy name!

Getting offended

Why must we always be offended? I am easily disturbed by “my rights being violated,” someone saying the wrong thing to me, or my name being pronounced wrong. Think about it. Are people really out to get you? Do they really not like you so much they are trying to destroy you? We take ourselves too seriously. 

The media has a lot to do with it. No matter what side you are on, you have a news show you can watch that tells you what you want to hear regarding your rights being attacked by your enemy. Conflict sells. We become emotionally involved in checking the news to see who offended us today. 

After the Nelson Mandela funeral, photos emerged of the Obama and Bush families sharing laughs as they travelled together to South Africa. Yet the media would have you believe they would never cordially speak to one another. I fear the politics of media have created a debate atmosphere which has fostered much unnecessary hatred. It filters down in society to where we have learned to trust no one.  

Why must it be that way? I do not have to give in to those emotional appeals to hate my neighbor. Abraham Lincoln said “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends with them?” Why not reach across the aisle and get to know those by whom you are offended. If you reach with sincerity in love, I doubt there will be many who will shut you off. 

How do you talk to someone who is so different than you? Ask questions. Ask about their kids, school, sports, work, favorite teams, foods... Diverse people have much to offer when it comes to knowledge. You can learn from almost anybody. As you get to know other people, you will learn from them and find that you grow as a person.