Teachers Coming To The Lord

Yesterday we had the privilege of speaking to a group of teachers at the municipal pre-school EM Eunice Caldas in Santos. The director of the pre-school also works at another school in Santos, and we spoke there last October with the group from Cedartown GA and she really liked the message and the project. So she invited us to come to speak to the teachers. The students are in pre-school and thus are still too young for our speech, so we came and spoke to the teachers.

God moved mightily in their hearts, and 10 of the teachers accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him. We praise God for this great opportuntiy that He gave us. We have been invited to come back to the school to speak to the teachers that work in the afternoon period. Yesterday we spoke to the teachers that work in the morning period. We are scheduled to go back and speak on March 27.

Sacrifice

As American missionaries in Brazil we are not suffering much at all compared to those servants of God who serve in dangerous places where it could cost your life to share the Gospel. We do not experience violence and persecution such as those who live and serve in certain parts of the world. Our health is not jeopardized by being exposed to deadly diseases like other parts of the world, although there are some disease issues here such as dengue and some others. And unlike what many people think of Brazil, we are not out in the jungle lacking most modern appliances and conveniences. We live in a modern urban environment with cell phones, internet, cable tv,...

I am writing this today because it is our middle son's 25th birthday. One of the hardest parts of our serving here in Brazil is being separated from our 3 sons and our families, and not being there for things like birthdays, Christmas, and many other of life's events. We have been here for 5 1/2 years, and rather than getting easier it seems that it gets harder as time goes on to be separated from our sons and loved ones, and not being involved in their daily lives. And it is not easy for them either.

Serving God involves sacrifice. It involves suffering, especially when you are on the front lines such as we are in the spiritual war for souls. It sometimes involves loneliness. At various times we have felt alone in our work, even though we work with many churches and people here. There is alot of spiritual oppression here, and often times we have to endure many difficulties in order to share the Gospel in the schools, churches, and other places, especially when we are preparing to speak to a large group of people and share Jesus with them. The spiritual oppression can be overwhelming at times. Another sacrifice for us is the financial cost that is involved. Since it was God's plan for us to come to Brazil without an organization or church that supports us, and for us to use our own funds, it has cost us alot financially to serve here.

However, it is the very least that we can do to show our love and appreciation for what Jesus did for us. And it is the very least we can do to help others to know the hope and the abundant and eternal life that we have in Jesus. We owe everything that we are, and everything that we have, and everything we do, and every part of every day to our Lord Jesus. And we owe it Him to do our very best to join Him in His work of seeking and saving the lost who are without Christ.

We can say without a doubt, that it is well worth every sacrifice and everything we go through and suffer, to see God touching others' lives and helping others to have peace with God and a restore relationship with Him. It is difficult to put into words the joy that we experience when we see people humbly praying to receive Jesus and committing their lives to Him. There is nothing else like it, and we are thankful to God for allowing us to have this wonderful privilege. 

Pursuing Intimacy With God

Pursuing Intimacy With God is a 2 part Bible study to help people to grow in their fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Each part is a 6 week study that will help enhance your prayer life, will help you to learn to hear God's voice, and also to discern God's will for your life. The Bible studies are solely based on God's Word, and they include hundreds of verses from God's love letter to you - the Bible.

You can access the studies from the website www.intimacywithgod.com or you can request a copy to be sent to you via email. May God bless your walk with Him, your life, and your service for Him, all for His glory.

History Of Carnaval

Carnival Roots

The origins of carnival date back to the ancient Greek spring festival in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted the celebration with Bacchanalia (feasts in honor of Bacchus, the Roman equivalent to Dionysus), and Saturnalia, where slaves and their masters would exchange clothes in a day of drunken revelry. Saturnalia was later modified by the Roman Catholic Church into a festival leading up Ash Wednesday. It quickly evolved into a massive celebration of indulgences - one last gasp of music, food, alcohol, and sex before Lent - before the 40 days of personal reflection, abstinence, and fasting until Easter (not exactly what the Church probably had in mind). 40 days of purging sins, preceded by a week filled with virtually every known sin. The word itself comes from Latin, "Carne Vale" or "Farewell to the Flesh".

Rio de Janeiro

Rio's lavish carnival is one of the world's most famous. Scores of spectacular floats surrounded by thousands and thousands of dancers, singers, and drummers parade through the enormous Sambadromo Stadium dressed in elaborate costumes (or, quite often, with absolutely no costume.) It is an epic event televised around the world. The origin of Brazil's carnival goes back to a Portuguese pre-lent festivity called "entrudo", a chaotic event where participants threw mud, water, and food at each other in a street event that often led to riots (an event quite similar to today's Andean carnival - see Venezuelan section of this booklet). Rio's first masquerade carnival ball (set to polkas and waltzes) was in 1840. Carnival street parades followed a decade later with horse drawn floats and military bands. The sound closely associated with the Brazilian carnival, the samba, wasn't part of carnival until 1917. The samba is a mix of Angolan semba, European polka, African batuques, with touches of Cuban habanera and other styles. What we now know as samba is a result of the arrival of black Brazilians (primarily from Bahia) to the impoverished slums or favelas surrounding Rio following the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888. Today the carnival is organized by the escolas de samba (samba schools). They first appeared in 1928. Much more than musical groups, they are in fact, neighborhood associations that provide a variety of community needs (such as educational and health care resources) in a country with grinding poverty and no social safety net.

Salvador, Bahia

Salvador da Bahia was Brazil's first center of government (from 1549 to 1763), and remains its musical capital. For centuries, Bahia was home of the Portuguese sugar industry and slave trade. As a result, today Salvador is the largest center of African culture in the Americas. Amidst the colonial architecture and cobblestone streets, there is an unmistakeable beat of Bahian drumming. You can hear it in the stereo speakers and boomboxes blasting the latest pop music. It becomes overwhelming when the large percussion ensembles (with literally hundreds of drummers) called "blocos Afros" take to the streets for carnival. It was a movement launched a half century ago by the group, Filhos de Gandhi (Sons of Gandhi). Today, there are countless blocos Afros that have taken on a new mission as part of the "negritude" movement to re-establish Black Pride. Olodum, Ara Ketu, Il Aiyé, Timbalada and the all women's drumming mega-group Dida all electrify Salvador every February during carnival. Olodum's Billy Arquimimo explains, "We started Olodum 20 years ago because at that time, black people used to be ashamed of their skin. We thought it was necessary to do something to re-establish Black Pride, and to redevelop African culture here in Bahia." Like Rio, the city of Salvador is famous for its carnival. For both cities, it is an enormous festival leading up to Lent. That is where the similarities end. Rio is famous for its Samba schools, elaborate costumes (or at times no costumes), and a huge parade held at the Sambadromo Stadium. Salvador is Brazil's street carnival. It lasts for weeks. The music begins daily as early as noon and runs until 7 or 8 the next morning. Bahian superstar Carlinhos Brown explains, "We play, not for money, but to celebrate happiness. Our carnival is a street carnival. It is for everyone, not just for those with money." In addition to the Blocos Afros, artists like Carlinhos Brown and Daniela Mercury perform on huge trucks, packed with loudspeakers called "trio electricos". These are the big tractor-trailer trucks packed with huge speakers. The tradition began in 1950 when two Bahian musicians, Dodo and Osmar, performed with their electric trio aboard a 1929 Ford pickup truck.. Even though there are regularly 20-40 bandmembers atop 18 wheeler mega-trucks today, the name "trio electrico" still sticks. Bahia's carnival is perhaps the world's largest public festivity, attracting crowds of three million that dance through the night in Salvador's historic colonial streets.

Carnaval In Brazil

Today is the first day of the annual 4 day Carnaval festival in Brazil. For many Brazilians it is the biggest party time of the year, and many people party and drink as much as they possibly can. And there are the traditional Carnaval shows that nearly every city has, which features different Samba schools putting on a parade like show of music and dancing. The Samba schools compete for the bragging rights of which team is the best in the show. The most famous Carnaval celebration is in Rio de Janeiro, and it is televised on Brazilian TV. Many of the costumes are very colorful, and parts of it are very interesting. Other parts are not so good, as some of the costumes can be quite skimpy and racy, with some partial nudity thrown in.

For Christians here, it is one of the worst times of the year, because of some of the behavior and problems during Carnaval. Many churches have retreats or camps during Carnaval in the country. For us on the coast, it means that thousands and thousands of people will be coming from Sao Paulo to escape the big city. It brings more traffic problems, more garbage on the beach, much higher crime rates during the 4 days, and other related problems. The traffic jams in Sao Paulo on Friday and Saturday for Carnval are massive, and there are miles of stalled traffic on the various highways leading out of the city. Yesterday Sao Paulo registered 120 miles of traffic jams in the city. 

Another quirky thing about Brazil is that many people here do not want to work much between Christmas and Carnaval, and it can be hard to get things done until after. I guess I am not much of a fan of Carnaval, and I will be glad when it is over.

 the mass exodus from Sao Paulo to the beaches

some Carnaval photos that are suitable for posting

Finishing Up At Igreja Batista Morrinhos

Last Sunday we led the 2nd part of the People Sharing Jesus seminar at Igreja Batista Morrinhos in Guaruja. Once again the participation of the church was very good, and this ended up being one of our best seminars in quite awhile. The people in the church are very loving and warm, and it was a joy to be able to meet the people and fellowship with them, and to preach and lead the seminar in the church.

After the seminar was over we were invited to eat lunch at Pastor Valtecy and Artemia's house for lunch. We had a great time of fun and a great meal, including spaghetti, pork ribs, and some other Brazilian type foods. We will be working again with the church in the 1st week of March in a nearby school.

People Sharing Jesus seminar

Yesterday morning we lead the 1st part of the People Sharing Jesus seminar at Igreja Batista Morrinhos in Guaruja. We will lead the 2nd part next Sunday morning. We had great participation from the church, and 48 people came to learn how to share the Gospel of Jesus powerfully and effectively. Our friend Alex from another church in Guaruja helped as my interpreter.

The last part of the seminar yesterday was to have the people pair up in twos and practice sharing Jesus using an evangelistic pamphlet. A young member of the church, Tanyara, had never shared Jesus before. She used a Gospel tract to share Jesus with a 7 year old boy, and he accepted Christ and committed his life to Him. God is great !

After the seminar we went to a church family's house (Ailton and Fabiane) for a great home cooked meal and a great time of fun and fellowship. Fabiane is from the northeast of Brazil, so she cooked us a northeast Brazil style meal with some seafood and other dishes, and for dessert we had a grape flavored mousse and ice cream.

What God Has Done In 5 Years

We have begun our 6th year in ministry here in Brazil, and we are amazed at what God has done during our time here. I stress the part about what God has done, because without Him we can do absolutely nothing. We are ordinary people who have the privilege of joining God in the great mission work He is doing here. We did not go to seminary, and we have had no previous formal training to be missionaries. Before the mission trip we took to Sao Paulo in 2005 (when God called us to join Him in Brazil), we had never been on a mission trip before, and we had no experience as missionaries. In fact, we did not even know enough about missions to adapt or copy some other mission ministry's strategy (which is not the way it should be done by the way). When God called us we had to fully depend on Him, and we still do, for everything ... protection, strength, ability and power, ideas, strategy, wisdom, guidance, boldness, courage... When God called us, He also gave us His love and passion to reach lost people for Jesus, and He also gave us His vision of what to do and how to do it. 

Here is what God has been able to accomplish through us, a couple of ordinary "nobodies", in the first 5 years:

* Over 63,000 people have accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him

* We have worked with 65 churches & preached in 62 churches in Brazil

* We have held 24 People Sharing Jesus seminars and have trained over 1000 people to share Jesus

* We have spoken in 99 schools

* More than 1200 teachers have accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him

* We have helped many churches in special events to share Jesus (at a ministry for business people; hospital ministry; during VBS; various ministries for poor people; community outreach events; family events;...)

We give God all of the praise, honor, and glory, and we are looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year and in the future. God truly is awesome and all powerful, and nothing is too hard or impossible for Him.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing"  - John 15:5

"Thanks be to God, who always leads us victoriously in Christ, and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him."   - 2 Corinthians 2:14

"Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."  - Psalm 115:1

Igreja Batista Morrinhos

Igreja Batista Morrinhos is another church we have recently begun to work with, to help them to share Jesus in their community. The church is led by Pastor Valtecy, and is located in a poor area in the city of Guaruja. We will be having a People Sharing Jesus seminar at the church on the first 2 Sunday mornings in February, and we will also be working with them to share Jesus in a nearby school in March.

Last night I had the privilege of preaching in the service. Here in Brazil Sunday night is the main worship service, and Sunday morning is the smaller service, which is exactly opposite of the US. The message was to encourage and challenge all members of the church to join God in His passion and mission to seek and save those that are lost, and that He wants all people to hear the Good News of Jesus. Most churches leave evangelism work to the pastor(s) and a small group of people, but this is not Biblical and is not what God wants. At the end of the service we shared the Gospel and we praise God that 8 people accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him.

Igreja Batista Central In Praia Grande

We have recently begun working with Pastor Reinan and Igreja Batista Central to help them to share Jesus in their community, which is located in the city of Praia Grande. Praia Grande is one of several cities that make up the coastal area known as the "Baixada Santista". Pastor Reinan has been the pastor at the church for 19 years. His wife is a teacher in 2 schools, and we met her when we did our Qualidade De Vida project in a Praia Grande school last year.

We will be working with the church in a state school in Praia Grande in late May. Pr. Reinan invited me to preach in the church, and I did last night. It was also a good opportunity to meet the people of the church. Ellen, a member of the church, served as my interpreter. We had a great time of worship in the service last night, and God moved in many hearts during the message, which was to encourage everyone to participate in God's mission of reaching out to those who are without Christ. In the end we shared the Gospel and we praise God that 12 people accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him. Afterwards we ate at the church and enjoyed some nice fellowship.

Missions Quotes

"We were not saved from our sin simply so that we would qualify for heaven. God delivered us so we would have a relationship with Him through which He could carry out His mission to redeem a lost world."
        - Henry Blackaby

"The command has been to "go," but we have stayed - in body, gifts, prayer and influence. He has asked us to be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth… But 99% of Christians have kept puttering around in the homeland."
           - Robert Savage

"While vast continents are shrouded in darkness…the burden of proof lies upon you to show that the circumstances in which God has placed you were meant by God to keep you out of the foreign mission field."
           - Ion Keith-Falconer

"I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China…I don't know who it was…It must have been a man…a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing… and God looked down…and saw Gladys Aylward…And God said - "Well, she's willing."
           - Gladys Aylward

"Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees."
           - J. Hudson Taylor

"The man… looking at him with a smile that only half concealed his contempt, inquired, "Now Mr. Morrison do you really expect that you will make an impression on the idolatry of the Chinese Empire?" "No sir," said Morrison, "but I expect that God will."
           - Robert Morrison

"Here am I. Send me."
           - Isaiah

"And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives…and  when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."
           - Nate Saint

"Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary."
           - C.T. Studd

"Oh, that I had a thousand lives, and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ to these degraded,  despised, yet beloved mortals."
           - Robert Moffat

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God."
           - John Stott

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
           - Jim Elliot

"A tiny group of believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story."
           - K.P. Yohannan

People Sharing Jesus

 I recently re-read the book People Sharing Jesus, written by Dr. Darrell Robinson, founder of Total Church Life ministry. They have a seminar based on the book that we use to train pastors and church members to effectively and powerfully share Jesus person-to-person in a loving and caring way. It is an excellent book, as is the seminar.

Here are some of the quotes or statements that made an impact on me:

* only 3-5% of Christians are obeying the Lord's command to be "fishers of men", actively sharing Jesus with others in their community.

* Many churches today do not have the same passion and priority that the Lord has: "God wants all men to be saved."  (I Timothy 2:4)

* When we join God in His work and mission to seek and save the lost, and faithfully share the Gospel with others, we are joining God's unbeatable team of 3:

      

1. God's Word (there is great power in God's Word and the Gospel)

2. The action of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit empowers us to share Jesus, and also convicts of sin, convinces the lost person they need Jesus, and reveals spiritual truth)

3. The faithful witness

* God has empowered all of His children to share the Gospel, through the Holy Spirit

* To be successful in sharing Christ, the other person does not have to accept Christ. If you do the following 3 things when sharing Christ, you will be successful in God's eyes:

1. You need to faithfully and prayerfully share the Gospel ... the only way you will fail is if you fail to share.

2. You need to share in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Leave the results in God's hands. (this takes the pressure off of us)

* You may live a consistent life, minister to people, and invite them to church. You have not really witnessed until you have shared Jesus. Unbelievers will not experience the forgiveness of Christ until someone shares the life-changing Gospel with them.

* There is nothing that energizes and gladdens the heart of a Christian more than leading a person to Christ.

* God's plan for His church is for every believer to actively share Jesus with others.

* We need to have a person-centered, loving & caring approach to reaching out to lost people.

* We need to learn to listen to others and then share Jesus in a way that meets their particular needs.

* There are numerous methods to sharing Jesus with others. The method is not the most important thing; sharing in the power of the Holy Spirit and then leaving the results in God's hands is.

* We need to have Jesus' love (John 3:16) and compassion (Matt. 9:35) for others in order to effectively share the Gospel.

* We need to be focused and sensitive to the lost people around us. Sharing opportunities and lost people are all around us in our daily lives. Many times we are not focused and sensitive to the "divine opportunities" that God gives us.

* God is always at work and He has already prepared a harvest (Matt. 9:37-38) ... we need to be faithful and join God in His work, sowing and sharing the Gospel, and reaping the harvest.