Are missionary kids sheltered?

From the world?  No.

They see this world for how sin ugly it is. 

My little missionary kids see people losing themselves in alcohol every Sunday night on our way home from church.

They see the raucous parties through our tinted car windows. 

They know what a girl looks like who is out to sell herself.

They hear the music that displeases God blaring down from the neighbor's window right into our house.  They know the sorrow of hearing those lyrics over and over in their head as they battle against it. 

They aren't afraid of imaginary monsters getting them in the night, but of drugged up monsters getting into our church.

They know the faces and names of the homeless living under the bridge in front of the church.

They see the grace of God in this world too.

 

They see Daddy pray with the drunk homeless man and then beg to be the one to give him a sandwich.

They bound across the broken up cement to put an invitation to church in a stranger's hand.

Hymns in English and Portuguese fall from their lips as they rush through the house from one thing to the next.

They understand the joy of following God's calling even when it is hard. 

They beg to watch dvd's that highlight missions work in other parts of the world.

They want to be missionaries to the jungle and other places where people have not heard.

"Sheltered" missionary kids often have a world view beyond their years. 

Is it scary?

Sometimes.

But we serve a great God who is all powerful and completely in control.

And so I trust Him with the life he has chosen for my children.

Planting Seeds

Sunday morning already promised to be a warm day.  The usual crowd minus a few came out for Sunday School.  Opening exercises ran the same way they do each week, we joined in song, Bible reading, announcements and then a special prayer for the children before they headed upstairs for their class.  The adults gathered around the wooden table that traveled by boat from North America to South America.  The table that back in Michigan served as dining room table folding down to seat three and folding out to seat nine.  The table where we first started studying the book of John in Rio with people from the neighborhood.  The table where we gather ladies one Saturday a month to fellowship over crafts and food.

One moment we were deep into our study of the passover and the next he was at the door seeking out a cup of cold water.  His name was Christian.  He came in quietly, not like some who storm the building demanding money or food.  How ironic that he came bearing the name follower of Christ and yet looked so lost.  A cup of cold water, an invitation to join the study, an open Bible and he was at the table with us receiving Living Water.

Twenty minutes later after hearing the gospel and quietly sharing his story of hunger and a hungry baby at home with no milk, he was on his way with his immediate needs met and a gospel shaped seed in the soil of his heart.

Planting seeds...it's what we do.

We leave the results with God.

Annual Ladies Meeting

Every August the annual Ladies Day is held here in Rio amongst our sister churches.  Each church gets a turn to host the event.  It is a wonderful day packed full of food, fellowship and the chance to sit quietly and hear from God's Word. 

You would think that living in the same city we would see each other often, perhaps run into one another at the grocery store.  However, when there are eleven million and nine hundered and ninety nine thousand other people milling around, the chances of seeing one another are slim.  This annual meeting is when friends meet up, sometimes for only the third or fourth time that year!  What a reunion it is!!

The day starts out with breakfast and from there we head right into singing and a session from God's Word.  This year our speaker came from the deep south of Brazil.  She was a blessing to all.

After our first session we divide up into prayer teams.  This year the hosting church did a great job of mixing up all the churches so we had a chance to branch out in our friendships and prayer partners.  This is always a special time to hear the burdens these ladies carry and then to lift them straight to the Burden Bearer!

Each church brings a special number to share with the ladies.  Even more beautiful than the special music is hearing all of us sing our praises to God together.  It was an extra big blessing for me this year since our own church is so small, I have been really missing the joy of hearing many voices raised together in praise!

After lunch we divide into groups of highschool/college and ladies.  One group goes to a craft area while the other group goes to a session with the speaker geared toward their stage of life.  At the end we come back together for some fun door prizes and laughs and then share afternoon coffee and last conversations before heading home.  Already we are looking forward to next year and the blessing of being together again!

Winter Youth Camp

No, it wasn't snow camp, although there was intricately cut blue snowflakes adorning the walls and while it did warm up enough in the afternoon to open the pool, it was chilly enough at night to gather around a bonfire for testimonies and good ole american s'mores with marshmallows freshly imported just a few days earlier by Pastor Robert's daughter. 

A new group of thirteen year olds entered the world of youth group and camp.  Youth camp with teens from age thirteen up into the mid-twenties and even thirties can create an interesting dynamic.  No matter the age, God works in hearts just the same. 

This year the theme was I Timothy 4:12.  Four of the local pastors brought messages from God's Word.  BJ was able to share the importance of being an example in the faith.  Each pastor spoke on a different part of the theme verse. 

Some highlights for our kids were helping to set tables and ringing the dinner bells.  Myla was made an official kitchen helper by one of the pastors so she enjoyed drying dishes with the teens after meals.  All of the kids roamed the grounds picking flowers, chatting with the teens, watching game time and just having a good time out in nature!  As Daniel said, "when you are at camp, you play lots and lots of games!"

As many pastors and their families that are able to, come out for the camp.  It is such an important thing for the teens to see christian families in action and for our families to see the importance of serving in every area, not just at church.

Opportunities...

Thursday night we had a unique opportunity.  Two doors down from the church is an auto school that has been in that location for the last 44 years with the same owner.  His name is George.  He has cancer.  He knows this neighborhood like he knows his auto school manual. 

George has come to church several times when he feels well enough to sit through a service.  He loves to say "hello" to our children in english.  George likes what we are doing, likes the impact we are making on the community.  In fact he told us that the whole neighborhood is talking about us and they all finally came to the conclusion that our church being there was of God.  Interesting that unbelievers would come to a conclusion like that.  He said before our building was the church, it was a bar and before that it was a night club.

Violence was the reputation of the building, now we are trying to establish a reputation of peace. 

Thursday night was George's birthday.  True to culture, he threw his own party complete with soda pop, cake and salgadinhos (fried appetizers served at EVERY party!).  Also true to culture several speeches were made.  George had asked BJ ahead of time to please come and do a small church service.  He wanted to use his birthday as a way to share the gospel with his auto school students.  George himself is not sure of his salvation, and yet he wants to share with others. 

Please pray with us that God would bring some of those students to our church.  George made sure each one knew exactly where the church is located!  It was an interesting experience but afterward we felt certain it was exactly what God wanted us to do and so we trust Him with the results.

Youth Rally

Tonight was the big night...the youth rally we had prayed for, planned for, passed out invites for. A sister church drove an hour or more with seven young people to help us pass out invitations, share special music and be an encouragement to those who would come from our neighborhood. The famous hotdog sanwiches, cake and pop for 25 people had been prepared.

 And we sat down to start the service...with just ourselves. Swallowing my tears I let the song service put my focus back where it needed be...on Christ Alone. My ever optimistic husband stood to preach a message he spent hours on geared for the skeptical unbelieving teens we had faith would arrive. Said he was not discouraged because we had planted seeds and seeds do not grow overnight.  Why do I always forget that, think that with miracle gro they will be flowering bushes the next day?

Praise the Lord for the faithful ones who came to help, support and be a part of. Praise the Lord that His ways are not our ways. Praise the Lord that someday we will see and understand all the twists and turns the road of church planting takes. Praise the Lord that He is in control no matter what!

ps - we forgot the camera...hence no pictures!

Bible Conference 2012

Word of Truth Baptist Church had its first Bible Conference today!  It was a great day of preaching from the Word of God by Pastor John Victor of the First Baptist Church in Jacarepagua. 

The most exciting event was that a couple from Pastor John Victor's church came to church in the morning bringing someone the husband works with who lives in our neighborhood! What a great contact!! She came with her little boy and wants to come back!! Please pray that she will come back! Her name is Cacilda.

We enjoyed lunch as a church together with lots of yummy food and desserts!  It was also a great time of fellowship and people getting to know each other better!

As you can see everyone enjoyed our first Bible Conference.  May it be the first of many to come!