One time I listened to a Francis Chan sermon titled something along the lines of "The Most Important Lesson I Could Ever Teach." I was expecting some mind blowing truth that would cause me to see everything in a new light, that would change the way I live, the way I think, the way I feel. I was expecting him to tell some story from the Bible that I had probably already heard but bring new truth to it that I had never seen. I was expecting something revolutionary. He says at the beginning of the sermon, "If this were the only lesson I ever learned it would be enough." And then he gave it to me. I have forgotten a lot of the scriptures that he used in the sermon and all the illustrations. I've forgotten the jokes he told, but I remember the most important part, the most important lesson. The lesson was how to read the Bible for himself! How to spend time alone reading Scripture and studying Scripture for himself.
When I first heard this sermon, I agreed with it. Of course I agreed with it! It was not quite what I expected, but it was good. Then I learned how to read the Scripture for myself! When I first heard the sermon, I had never read all the way through the Bible. I had never opened up to Genesis 1 and finished in Revelation 22. I heard his sermon, but I didn't really understand it. I didn't grasp it. Then I went to missionary training this past July. Each and every day I was bathed in the Word of God. Whether by my own reading or by the talks of other men and women, each day I spent anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours studying and meditating and memorizing Scripture. This was when the passion for the Word of God began.
Then when I arrived to Brazil, I decided to read through the Bible. This last summer I read through the Old Testament, reading through all the books that I had never read before. But I decided when I got here that I wanted to read through all the pages of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation I wanted to get a grasp of the Bible in its entirety. So, mid-October, I started reading Genesis. Then I moved onto Exodus and so on, reading from 10-15 chapters a day. Today I started Romans. And oh, how thankful I am for the Word of God - the Bible! I know I've quoted this verse on this blog before, but once again, a verse that I love is Psalm 16:11, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Every time I open open up my Bible, I am spending time in the presence of the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of all things! And in this there is fullness of joy. I could not begin to describe how sweet the times have been while I have sat in the presence of our God. I couldn't even tell everything that I have learned and what all God has showed me for the very first time. I do know that my passion for reading the Bible has grown tremendously. To find God in Scriptures, to hear His Words and understand a little bit more of who He is, what He has done and who I am is humbling, refreshing, and purpose giving.
I am so thankful for the Word of God. Here - where all the singing and preaching is in Portuguese, and I go to church and fight to even understand half of what the pastor is saying - I have learned to find joy, and strength, and peace within the pages of Scripture. I have learned to worship Him in what He has done throughout history and for the promises that He gives us even today. And what a great lesson it is. I am so thankful for guys like William Tyndale, who literally gave his life that I might have the Word of God in my own tongue. To be perfectly honest, when I first heard that Francis Chan sermon, I kind of looked past it. But now that I have learned to treasure God's Word, it is that life changing lesson that I was expecting. It is what gets me through each and every day here with out family and American comforts. In reading through the Bible I have learned more each day about depending on God. And in Him, there truly is fullness of joy! Thank you God for Your Scripture!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Basketball Buddies
One HUGE praise that I have, is that I have found a group of guys who play basketball at an outdoor court about 5 times a week. It may sound a bit unspiritual for basketball to be a point of praise, but a praise it is! It allows me a chance to meet some new Brazilians, to practice my Portuguese and learn new 'sports-related' terms, to get out of the house and have something to do, and to enjoy playing a game that has, more or less, been a big part of my life up to this point.
Anwho, I was playing on Friday night (I believe my team won 5 games and lost 1 for those who wanted to know) and as I was leaving one of the guys caught up to me and we started talking. We ended up going to a Shell gas station convenience store (yes, they have those here!) to get some Guarana Bare (a drink like coke made with seeds of Guarana that has a lot of caffeine). After that, we hung out a little bit more. He speaks a little English, but I understand his Portuguese a lot better than his English. His mom is Catholic, he believes in God, but he does not go to church or have a personal relationship with Christ.
We played ball together again last night (Monday), then caught the most recent Narnia movie afterwards. He is really nice, he even invited me to come celebrate Christmas with him and his family on Christmas Eve.
Be praying that God would use me to get him involved in a church and to have that first encounter with the God of Creation! I have started memorizing the Roman Road in Portuguese so that maybe I can start talking to him a little bit about Christianity. Pray that I could learn some of that 'religious jargon' in order to talk to him about our Creator and our Saviour.
Anwho, I was playing on Friday night (I believe my team won 5 games and lost 1 for those who wanted to know) and as I was leaving one of the guys caught up to me and we started talking. We ended up going to a Shell gas station convenience store (yes, they have those here!) to get some Guarana Bare (a drink like coke made with seeds of Guarana that has a lot of caffeine). After that, we hung out a little bit more. He speaks a little English, but I understand his Portuguese a lot better than his English. His mom is Catholic, he believes in God, but he does not go to church or have a personal relationship with Christ.
We played ball together again last night (Monday), then caught the most recent Narnia movie afterwards. He is really nice, he even invited me to come celebrate Christmas with him and his family on Christmas Eve.
Be praying that God would use me to get him involved in a church and to have that first encounter with the God of Creation! I have started memorizing the Roman Road in Portuguese so that maybe I can start talking to him a little bit about Christianity. Pray that I could learn some of that 'religious jargon' in order to talk to him about our Creator and our Saviour.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Pork and Cheese
Where has all the time gone? I started my missions training at the end of July, and it is already December!? Time has flown by. I've been here in Manaus now for a little over a month and a half. Thank you for all of the prayers and messages that I have been receiving. It is definitely encouraging to know that people are thinking about me and lifting me up before our Heavenly Father. Thank you! A lot!
The main question I have been getting from people is what have you been doing? So let me give you the average week so you know more or less what my life looks like right now. Monday through Friday I have language training from 9:30 - 11:30. My language teacher and I have a book and usually we spend one hour going through some book pages and one hour talking (in Portuguese), or going through Bible stories to learn some of that 'religious jargon.' This morning we actually made some 'creme de maracuja' which, I believe, would translate into passion fruit cream!? It was like a fruity pudding made out of passion fruit - very delicious! Then the rest of the day is up to me. Usually I'll spend an hour or so studying more Portuguese, an hour or so studying my Bible, and some time watching TV in Portuguese to continue working on listening comprehension.
Last night my roommate and I went down to Ponta Negra, which is a popular strip along the river here, to do some storytelling. I memorized the story from Matthew 4 of Jesus calling Simon, Andrew, James, and John to be 'fishers of men.' After I told the story to one guy, I asked him if he had any questions. He asked what it meant to be a fisher of men. My first thought was, "I don't know if I could really explain this in English, how in the world will I do it in Portuguese!?" But, I explained as best as I could talking about discipleship, then I let my roommate, who is fluent, finish it up for me! It was a good time last night and I think we are going to start going down there to tell stories on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We met one guy last night who started crying when talking about his life - be praying for him. He's a vendor down there and hopefully we can talk with him some more next time we head down there.
The weekends are usually somewhat busy. I go to a church here named Nova Igreja Batista. They have a singles service on Saturday nights that runs about 700 and a normal service on Sundays that runs about 2500! Pretty large! But I like the people I've met there and we usually end up hanging out before services and after services.
So far so good. I'm definitely feeling ready to go to training and start doing the 'real' work that I came here to do, but first I've got to patiently be working on that Portuguese and learning that culture. Ya'll can be praying that I would have this patience to be content where I am and give 100% to language learning. Also, pray that I continue to have opportunities to be with Brazilians and learn the language by hearing them and talking with them. And last, but not least, next Saturday I will speaking at a youth service at a different church, so pray that God would give me the words to say. Thank ya'll!
The main question I have been getting from people is what have you been doing? So let me give you the average week so you know more or less what my life looks like right now. Monday through Friday I have language training from 9:30 - 11:30. My language teacher and I have a book and usually we spend one hour going through some book pages and one hour talking (in Portuguese), or going through Bible stories to learn some of that 'religious jargon.' This morning we actually made some 'creme de maracuja' which, I believe, would translate into passion fruit cream!? It was like a fruity pudding made out of passion fruit - very delicious! Then the rest of the day is up to me. Usually I'll spend an hour or so studying more Portuguese, an hour or so studying my Bible, and some time watching TV in Portuguese to continue working on listening comprehension.
Last night my roommate and I went down to Ponta Negra, which is a popular strip along the river here, to do some storytelling. I memorized the story from Matthew 4 of Jesus calling Simon, Andrew, James, and John to be 'fishers of men.' After I told the story to one guy, I asked him if he had any questions. He asked what it meant to be a fisher of men. My first thought was, "I don't know if I could really explain this in English, how in the world will I do it in Portuguese!?" But, I explained as best as I could talking about discipleship, then I let my roommate, who is fluent, finish it up for me! It was a good time last night and I think we are going to start going down there to tell stories on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We met one guy last night who started crying when talking about his life - be praying for him. He's a vendor down there and hopefully we can talk with him some more next time we head down there.
The weekends are usually somewhat busy. I go to a church here named Nova Igreja Batista. They have a singles service on Saturday nights that runs about 700 and a normal service on Sundays that runs about 2500! Pretty large! But I like the people I've met there and we usually end up hanging out before services and after services.
So far so good. I'm definitely feeling ready to go to training and start doing the 'real' work that I came here to do, but first I've got to patiently be working on that Portuguese and learning that culture. Ya'll can be praying that I would have this patience to be content where I am and give 100% to language learning. Also, pray that I continue to have opportunities to be with Brazilians and learn the language by hearing them and talking with them. And last, but not least, next Saturday I will speaking at a youth service at a different church, so pray that God would give me the words to say. Thank ya'll!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Greg - 1 ; Piranhas - 0
Before telling about my time here in Brazil thus far, I heard a quote today listening to a John Piper sermon about William Carey that is worth putting on here. William Carey is often called the "Father of Modern Missions" because in a time (late 1700's) where there were very, very few missionaries he and a group of friends started the Baptist Missionary Society and he himself went to India to be a missionary. As I said, there were very few missionaries, so he went with no training, no guide, no mentor, no nothing... except God, who is in Himself the greatest trainer and guide. He answered a call in his life to go where people had not gone, to go to a land full of non-Christians in order to fulfill the Great Commission. Before he left he and one of the mission society co-founders, Andrew Fuller, exchanged these words,
Andrew Fuller: "There is a gold mine in India; but it seems as deep as the centre of the earth; who will venture to explore it?"
William Carey: "I will go down, but remember that you must hold the rope."
You must hold the rope! And that is exactly what I am asking from each and everyone of you reading this blog. I am here. I am in Brazil. I am in my gold mine, so please hold the rope. Remember me in your prayers and remember the lost Ribeirinhos of the Amazon in your prayers as well.
Whew. Well, it has been a crazy 3 weeks and I do apologize for not updating my blog sooner, but internet time is limited here and I have been using what little of it I do have to e-mail and skype with my parents, which I'm sure no one would object to! I got here late, late Friday night three weeks ago. The following weekend was a little orientation. Then Monday I got to go out into the 'Interior' of the Amazon! A fellow American and I went to a Ribeirinho community. It was great. We packed our backpacks, jumped on a hammock boat (think of a normal river ferry with hammocks strung EVERYWHERE, and you sleep and eat on the boat until you reach the desired destination), and set sail for 2.5 days of boat travel. We got to the community and it was very much what I had imagined. For those of you who have been to Laveasar, Cambodia, it was very much like that village. A slow, simple life that centers around fishing and relationships. All the houses were built up on stilts because of the flooding during the rainy season. I enjoyed practicing what little Portuguese I know on these people, and they would laugh and correct me and then the American I was with would fill me in on what I said wrong. We spent one night out there then jumped on a boat back to Manaus and made it back on Saturday morning. It was a nice little flavor of what is to come here in 5 months or so. It will be a difficult lifestyle for sure, but it will be very worth it. I am excited about what is to come.
But, that is what is to come. Let's talk a little about the here and now. These last two weeks have been all about language. Portuguese, as many of you know, is very, very similar to Spanish. I've never been fluent in Spanish, but the couple of years I did have in high school are definitely paying off. A lot of the sentence structure and grammar and verb forms and tenses are the same. For two hours a day a language teacher comes to my little house here in Manaus, and we practice what I know and I learn some more. Then I practice it. I practice it with the American and the Brazilians that live here in the house I'm at. I practice it at the market, on the streets, at church. I watch Brazilian TV and movies and listen to Brazilian music. I'm trying to immerse myself in it as much as possible so I can grow that vocabulary and train my ears to hear and understand what is being said.
I've been meeting a lot of Brazilians through my language teacher and through church. We stay pretty busy on the weekends hanging out and going to church. This last Friday we went to a circus. It was like Cirque du Soleil, but a lot worse! Yesterday we went to a graduation for the 5 people that just finished their Amazon Race training and are about to be heading out into the interior, this morning we went to a wedding (supposed to start at 9:00, it started at 10:15, gotta love that Latin American timeliness!), and then tonight I'm going to church with my language teacher. As I said, I'm meeting people, and it has been so awesome to hear some of the testimonies and see how God is at work in people's lives here in Brazil.
All in all, I am loving being down here. It's different, and sometimes I just want some Air Conditioning or Papa John's (they have pizza here but it's terrible!), but definitely I have been enjoying it. Here are some prayer requests that I would ask you all to be lifting up on my behalf:
- That everyday I would be founded in God's Word and in living for Him. This is number one. More important than language, and more important than getting to know the culture. Pray that I would grow in my relationship with Him each and every day, that I would be sensitive to his voice, and that I would obediently follow him wherever He leads me.
- That I would be fluent for the purpose of communicating Christ here in Brazil. This is what the next three months are about for me. Practicing, studying, memorizing, speaking, and reading in Portuguese is a big part of each day. Pray that God would give me His grace in communicating with Brazilians. My Portuguese has already gotten a lot better just since getting here (Big praise!), but just ask that I would continually understand more and more, especially when people are talking fast, and that I would be able to speak more and more each day. It is a process, so pray for patience in that too!
- That I would be surrounded by good, Godly, Brazilian friends. I love the Americans who are here, and I am really grateful that they are here in my transitioning, but just pray that more and more I would be surrounded by Brazilians, being encouraged by there life stories, and learning more Portuguese from them. I have already met quite a few, as I mentioned before (another big praise!), but pray that I get more and more opportunities to spend time with them throughout the week.
Thank you all so very much for being my support and having my back while I am here in Brazil. I hope to be putting pictures up soon on my Facebook and, if I can figure out how, on here as well. And just a reminder, if you have any prayer requests that I can be praying for, please e-mail me amazongreg@gmail.com or Facebook me and I would love to be able to pray for you as well. I'll try and update this a little more regularly while I am here in Manaus!
Andrew Fuller: "There is a gold mine in India; but it seems as deep as the centre of the earth; who will venture to explore it?"
William Carey: "I will go down, but remember that you must hold the rope."
You must hold the rope! And that is exactly what I am asking from each and everyone of you reading this blog. I am here. I am in Brazil. I am in my gold mine, so please hold the rope. Remember me in your prayers and remember the lost Ribeirinhos of the Amazon in your prayers as well.
Whew. Well, it has been a crazy 3 weeks and I do apologize for not updating my blog sooner, but internet time is limited here and I have been using what little of it I do have to e-mail and skype with my parents, which I'm sure no one would object to! I got here late, late Friday night three weeks ago. The following weekend was a little orientation. Then Monday I got to go out into the 'Interior' of the Amazon! A fellow American and I went to a Ribeirinho community. It was great. We packed our backpacks, jumped on a hammock boat (think of a normal river ferry with hammocks strung EVERYWHERE, and you sleep and eat on the boat until you reach the desired destination), and set sail for 2.5 days of boat travel. We got to the community and it was very much what I had imagined. For those of you who have been to Laveasar, Cambodia, it was very much like that village. A slow, simple life that centers around fishing and relationships. All the houses were built up on stilts because of the flooding during the rainy season. I enjoyed practicing what little Portuguese I know on these people, and they would laugh and correct me and then the American I was with would fill me in on what I said wrong. We spent one night out there then jumped on a boat back to Manaus and made it back on Saturday morning. It was a nice little flavor of what is to come here in 5 months or so. It will be a difficult lifestyle for sure, but it will be very worth it. I am excited about what is to come.
But, that is what is to come. Let's talk a little about the here and now. These last two weeks have been all about language. Portuguese, as many of you know, is very, very similar to Spanish. I've never been fluent in Spanish, but the couple of years I did have in high school are definitely paying off. A lot of the sentence structure and grammar and verb forms and tenses are the same. For two hours a day a language teacher comes to my little house here in Manaus, and we practice what I know and I learn some more. Then I practice it. I practice it with the American and the Brazilians that live here in the house I'm at. I practice it at the market, on the streets, at church. I watch Brazilian TV and movies and listen to Brazilian music. I'm trying to immerse myself in it as much as possible so I can grow that vocabulary and train my ears to hear and understand what is being said.
I've been meeting a lot of Brazilians through my language teacher and through church. We stay pretty busy on the weekends hanging out and going to church. This last Friday we went to a circus. It was like Cirque du Soleil, but a lot worse! Yesterday we went to a graduation for the 5 people that just finished their Amazon Race training and are about to be heading out into the interior, this morning we went to a wedding (supposed to start at 9:00, it started at 10:15, gotta love that Latin American timeliness!), and then tonight I'm going to church with my language teacher. As I said, I'm meeting people, and it has been so awesome to hear some of the testimonies and see how God is at work in people's lives here in Brazil.
All in all, I am loving being down here. It's different, and sometimes I just want some Air Conditioning or Papa John's (they have pizza here but it's terrible!), but definitely I have been enjoying it. Here are some prayer requests that I would ask you all to be lifting up on my behalf:
- That everyday I would be founded in God's Word and in living for Him. This is number one. More important than language, and more important than getting to know the culture. Pray that I would grow in my relationship with Him each and every day, that I would be sensitive to his voice, and that I would obediently follow him wherever He leads me.
- That I would be fluent for the purpose of communicating Christ here in Brazil. This is what the next three months are about for me. Practicing, studying, memorizing, speaking, and reading in Portuguese is a big part of each day. Pray that God would give me His grace in communicating with Brazilians. My Portuguese has already gotten a lot better just since getting here (Big praise!), but just ask that I would continually understand more and more, especially when people are talking fast, and that I would be able to speak more and more each day. It is a process, so pray for patience in that too!
- That I would be surrounded by good, Godly, Brazilian friends. I love the Americans who are here, and I am really grateful that they are here in my transitioning, but just pray that more and more I would be surrounded by Brazilians, being encouraged by there life stories, and learning more Portuguese from them. I have already met quite a few, as I mentioned before (another big praise!), but pray that I get more and more opportunities to spend time with them throughout the week.
Thank you all so very much for being my support and having my back while I am here in Brazil. I hope to be putting pictures up soon on my Facebook and, if I can figure out how, on here as well. And just a reminder, if you have any prayer requests that I can be praying for, please e-mail me amazongreg@gmail.com or Facebook me and I would love to be able to pray for you as well. I'll try and update this a little more regularly while I am here in Manaus!
Friday, October 15, 2010
It's here...
Well, it is currently 3:07 AM [early] Friday morning. My plane leaves Houston in about 9.5 hours. I won't be back on United States soil until July 2012. How crazy is that! I don't even know how to feel or what to say. I have no clue what my life will look like in a week. What I eat and where I eat, who I hang out with and how much we'll be able to communicate, where I'll go during the day and what I'll do. I'm trying to have as few expectations as possible so as not to be disappointed when what I thought would happen doesn't happen. Blessed are the flexible for they will not break, right? Well, we'll see. All I know is that I am super excited about living in a different place. I know it will be difficult at times, but it's an adventure and it's where God has called me, so I'm going.
I've been getting quite a few questions about the immediate future and what I'll be doing, so here is a rough outline of where I'll be and when.
- For the first month I'm there I will be just hanging out in Manaus. I'll get a head start on language and maybe do a little traveling with my supervisor on the river. I should have internet during this time so I'll try to update this blog and do some facebooking, but no promises on anything.
- In mid-November I start formal language training. I'll be living in a house of sorts in Manaus and a tutor will come to me each day. I assume he will be there in the mornings and early afternoon and then I will go out and practice what I am learning in the late afternoon and evening. This will last a little less than 3 months.
- At the beginning of next February I start jungle survival training. I don't really know what this will look like, but I do know that it sounds really cool and really intense! I will be learning how to live in the Amazon Basin, which I assume means learning which plants to eat or not eat, which bugs to eat, which plants are good for medication, how to make a shelter, how to fish Amazon-style, how to avoid mosquitoes, etc.
- Then [finally], next May I believe I will for the first time go to a people in need of the Gospel. And that starts my 3 months in and 2 weeks out process.
Hopefully that clears some gray area so you know where I'll be and what I'll be doing.
Prayer! So, here are some ways that you can be praying. I'm sure these requests are elsewhere on the blog, but these are the ones that I think are most important at this time.
Pray for safe travel.
Pray for an open mind that understands a new culture instead of deeming it 'wrong.'
Pray that God would give me His grace in learning a new language as quick as possible.
Pray that God would lead me to young Christian men in the city of Manaus that I could grow close to and depend on through the transition of moving to a new place.
Pray that my eyes would be open to the lostness in Manaus and that wherever I am I would be a light shining in darkness that causes others to give glory to God.
Pray that I just fall in love with the country and the people.
Pray for safety.
Pray for strength.
Pray that I would remain rooted in the Word of God. That I would look to Him as my rock, my shelter, my fortress, and my foundation. Pray that He would be my source.
Pray for the people of Manaus. That God would open up their eyes and their hearts to the truth of who He is and His grace.
Thank you all!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
God is Faithful
As I reflect over my time at Field Personnel Orientation (I'm back at home as of September 23rd), I can think of one verse in particular and one theme that we find throughout the entirety of Scripture. This verse is 2 Corinthians 2:14, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." As I prepare to leave a week from tomorrow I am constantly reminded of how inadequate I am. I am not worthy to be a missionary. It is humbling that God has chosen to use me. What is encouraging in the face of this is the fact that God leads us in triumphal procession. It's not about me going and telling people about Christ, it's about me following God where he has led me and worshiping him through missions. It is not about what I can do for the kingdom of heaven, but about taking part in God's story and his work that has already begun in the Amazon basin. I'm not perfect and I'm not worthy and, really, I'm not capable. But God is! God leads us in triumphal procession. And God spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of himself everywhere. Praise God! He does use us, as the verse says, but it's him spreading the fragrance through me; it's not about my own strength and my own words, it's God's!
We see this same theme through Scripture:
Genesis 14:20 tells us that God delivered Abraham's enemies into his hands.
Exodus 14:30-31 tell of God's mighty power to save the Israelites from the Egyptians.
Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us that God goes before us and he will always be with us.
Joshua 23:3 tells us that all the victories of the Israelites in Canaan under Joshua were because God fought for them.
1 Samuel 17:37 is David saying that just as God delivered him from a bear and a lion God will also deliver him from Goliath.
2 Kings19:35 tells of God striking down many enemies to defend Judah on behalf of his great name.
All through the pages of the Bible we see men who are faithful to God being led by God as he is faithful to them. How refreshing to know that God works for us and in us and through us for himself. As I leave not too long from now, I know that God is guiding me and that he has already prepared the way. "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." Thanks be to God!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Prayer & People
First off I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your prayers. Prayers for me. Prayers for Brazil. Prayers for the specific people on the Amazon that I will be working with. I could not say thank you enough. I don't want it to be a one way street though. As I have said before, God has been teaching me a lot about prayer; therefore, my own personal prayer life has been growing. So, if any of you reading this blog have some prayer requests that you would like for me to be lifting up please e-mail them to amazongreg@gmail.com. I would really like to know how I can be lifting you up before our Creator and Savior.
I have to give a 10 minute presentation on my people group tomorrow. In researching for this I have learned a lot about their history, culture, daily life, and religion. So, I figured I would put on here what I have found out so that you can be praying a little more specific for these people.
They are called the Ribeirinhos (hee-bear-a-nyos) - which literally means 'riverine' in Portuguese. They are the river dwellers. The majority of them have settled along the Amazon from other parts of Brazil. One wave of them came during the Industrial Revolution. With a growing need for rubber to make the assembly lines and products, men were drawn to the rainforest to tap rubber, hoping to get rich quick. The process was hard, and conditions difficult. Money was hard to come by, so many were never able to make it out of the Amazon. The next wave of people came to settle the Amazon during World War II. With a need for rubber in the war, men in Brazil were told to either fight in Italy or go tap rubber in the Amazon. They, again, were promised wealth and prosperity in going to be rubber tappers, or Rubber Soldiers as they were called. Just as before, the work ended up being harder than expected, money was scarce, and returning home became impossible. Also, these men were in danger of sickness and death caused by malaria and yellow fever, wild animal bites, and malnutrition. They, along with the men from the first wave, ended up marrying local (often times indigenous) women, and lived permanently on the Amazon.
Most likely, the people in the community that I am going to will be descendants of these former rubber tappers. Most make livings from fishing, rubber tapping, or fruit collecting. The people themselves are diverse. Because of their history, some have blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin while others (descendants of former slaves) have dark hair, brown eyes and dark skin. There are between 2,000,000 and 6,500,000 Ribeirinhos spread out into 30,000 communities of 50 - 300 people each. Their culture varies due to their mixes of Amazonian, European, and African peoples. They are apparently extremely hospitable. However, they face very difficult lives. One man who visited Ribeirinhos said that every house he came across had at least one person with malaria in it. The same man said that not a single house had anyone who had been formally educated for at least a year. There is often resentment and sometimes violence between indigenous groups and Ribeirinhos over who gets to fish on what parts of the river. Also, because of commercial fishing, it has become harder to catch fish at all on parts of the river. One Ribeirinho said that as a teenager he could catch some lunch in 5 minutes and get on with the day. Now it takes him a full hour to find some fish. Not to mention the same problems mentioned earlier that the Rubber Soldiers had when they originally came. Pray for their physical well-being, that God would heal them and protect them. Pray that God would send people out to proclaim the Gospel to these Ribeirinhos that they might not die having never heard the truth of a Creator God who loves us and gave His Son for us.
And lastly the religion. According to one website they are 87% Christian. This sounds good, but in reality very, very few of them are practicing, Bible-believing, born again Christians. Many of them say they are Catholic, though this is most often mixed with an African tribal religion called Orixa. They believe in a god, Oludamare, who created the world. Then they believe in other lesser deities called Orixas. Each individual has his own Orixa that controls their destiny and protects them. They mix these religions by calling Oludamare "God" and by worshipping the Orixas as "saints" and “ancestors.” In fact many of them wear crosses and worship in cathedrals though the Catholic subtleties are covers for this Orixa. From some websites I read they even justify the worship of these Orixas and God by saying that Jesus is the Son of God and He is the only way to the Father - they say that these Orixas are lesser deities; therefore can be worshipped in addition to Jesus. Pray that they would see that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only mediator between us and God. There are no other deities and no other ways to eternal life but following Him and Him alone. Pray that God would open their eyes to this fact.
I have to give a 10 minute presentation on my people group tomorrow. In researching for this I have learned a lot about their history, culture, daily life, and religion. So, I figured I would put on here what I have found out so that you can be praying a little more specific for these people.
They are called the Ribeirinhos (hee-bear-a-nyos) - which literally means 'riverine' in Portuguese. They are the river dwellers. The majority of them have settled along the Amazon from other parts of Brazil. One wave of them came during the Industrial Revolution. With a growing need for rubber to make the assembly lines and products, men were drawn to the rainforest to tap rubber, hoping to get rich quick. The process was hard, and conditions difficult. Money was hard to come by, so many were never able to make it out of the Amazon. The next wave of people came to settle the Amazon during World War II. With a need for rubber in the war, men in Brazil were told to either fight in Italy or go tap rubber in the Amazon. They, again, were promised wealth and prosperity in going to be rubber tappers, or Rubber Soldiers as they were called. Just as before, the work ended up being harder than expected, money was scarce, and returning home became impossible. Also, these men were in danger of sickness and death caused by malaria and yellow fever, wild animal bites, and malnutrition. They, along with the men from the first wave, ended up marrying local (often times indigenous) women, and lived permanently on the Amazon.
Most likely, the people in the community that I am going to will be descendants of these former rubber tappers. Most make livings from fishing, rubber tapping, or fruit collecting. The people themselves are diverse. Because of their history, some have blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin while others (descendants of former slaves) have dark hair, brown eyes and dark skin. There are between 2,000,000 and 6,500,000 Ribeirinhos spread out into 30,000 communities of 50 - 300 people each. Their culture varies due to their mixes of Amazonian, European, and African peoples. They are apparently extremely hospitable. However, they face very difficult lives. One man who visited Ribeirinhos said that every house he came across had at least one person with malaria in it. The same man said that not a single house had anyone who had been formally educated for at least a year. There is often resentment and sometimes violence between indigenous groups and Ribeirinhos over who gets to fish on what parts of the river. Also, because of commercial fishing, it has become harder to catch fish at all on parts of the river. One Ribeirinho said that as a teenager he could catch some lunch in 5 minutes and get on with the day. Now it takes him a full hour to find some fish. Not to mention the same problems mentioned earlier that the Rubber Soldiers had when they originally came. Pray for their physical well-being, that God would heal them and protect them. Pray that God would send people out to proclaim the Gospel to these Ribeirinhos that they might not die having never heard the truth of a Creator God who loves us and gave His Son for us.
And lastly the religion. According to one website they are 87% Christian. This sounds good, but in reality very, very few of them are practicing, Bible-believing, born again Christians. Many of them say they are Catholic, though this is most often mixed with an African tribal religion called Orixa. They believe in a god, Oludamare, who created the world. Then they believe in other lesser deities called Orixas. Each individual has his own Orixa that controls their destiny and protects them. They mix these religions by calling Oludamare "God" and by worshipping the Orixas as "saints" and “ancestors.” In fact many of them wear crosses and worship in cathedrals though the Catholic subtleties are covers for this Orixa. From some websites I read they even justify the worship of these Orixas and God by saying that Jesus is the Son of God and He is the only way to the Father - they say that these Orixas are lesser deities; therefore can be worshipped in addition to Jesus. Pray that they would see that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only mediator between us and God. There are no other deities and no other ways to eternal life but following Him and Him alone. Pray that God would open their eyes to this fact.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Not in Lake Jackson
As I go through my days here in Virginia I am reminded constantly that I am not in Lake Jackson anymore. We don't have nearly as many mosquitos up here, though there are ticks. There are hills! And not just hills but mountains. Yesterday a group of us went and hiked Old Rag Mountain (http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/OldRag/ scroll down for pictures). I seriously don't think I've gone hiking on a mountain since Jr. High, and it was so much fun. For the most part there is a lot less humidity up here, though we have had some pretty humid days. It gets fairly hot during the afternoons, but cools down big time at night. Sometimes leaving the gym in a sweaty shirt at night makes for a really cold walk to the dorm. There are the inside jokes and Hot Rod quotes that I turn to say sometimes that I then remember no one will get. Sometimes I just want to go to the beach, but it's 3 hours away. A movie ticket costs 10 bucks! It was $4.50 in College Station and $5 in Lake Jackson. Not to mention missing the friends and family. The food is pretty good here too, but it's nothing like mom's home coooking! It's definitely been a fun month of getting to live in a different location, and it's hard to believe that it's half-way over. I'll be back home this time next month getting ready to move a lot farther away then Virginia!
I know I put this on just about every blog, but it's been incredible what all God has done in my time up here. It's a combination of some really awesome people coming to speak to us all day every day and an environment where there are few distractions and reading the Bible and prayer is a priority. The Bible is full of hidden jewels and I think that my understanding of God, His love, His grace, His glory, His righteousness, and His Word have changed quite a bit since I got here a little more than a month ago. Look up the Hebrew meaning of the word "worm" in Psalm 22:6 and it'll give you a bigger appreciation for God's creation. Watch this video http://vimeo.com/5428141 to get a slightly different perspective on the stories of the Bible. Read this article http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1541_Did_Christ_Die_for_Us_or_for_God/ by John Piper and I think it may shift some thoughts about who man is and who God is and what salvation is all about.
All in all my time here has been filled with sweet time spent in group fellowship and personal devotion before my God. I hope that regardless of what distractions may come my way, when I leave in 4 weeks, my walk with God will be my source and my strength.
I know I put this on just about every blog, but it's been incredible what all God has done in my time up here. It's a combination of some really awesome people coming to speak to us all day every day and an environment where there are few distractions and reading the Bible and prayer is a priority. The Bible is full of hidden jewels and I think that my understanding of God, His love, His grace, His glory, His righteousness, and His Word have changed quite a bit since I got here a little more than a month ago. Look up the Hebrew meaning of the word "worm" in Psalm 22:6 and it'll give you a bigger appreciation for God's creation. Watch this video http://vimeo.com/5428141 to get a slightly different perspective on the stories of the Bible. Read this article http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1541_Did_Christ_Die_for_Us_or_for_God/ by John Piper and I think it may shift some thoughts about who man is and who God is and what salvation is all about.
All in all my time here has been filled with sweet time spent in group fellowship and personal devotion before my God. I hope that regardless of what distractions may come my way, when I leave in 4 weeks, my walk with God will be my source and my strength.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Planting a Church
It's crazy to think that my time at training is already a fourth of the way over. I overheard someone saying this the other day, and thought it to be very true: I came here thinking I was ready for the mission field, once I got here I realized how unprepared I really was. This last week was wonderful. We started the week talking about different cultures and the real importance of learning the culture and the language in order to communicate within their context. So please be praying that I can pick up Portuguese and a Brazilian lifestyle quickly. Toward the end of the week we focused on the actual process of church planting. My view of my position as a missionary totally changed these past couple of days.
At first I thought I would be doing a ton of evangelizing, I mean, that's what missionaries do, right? And I will be doing evangelism, but the real goal is to plant a healthy, self-supporting and self-governed church that then reaches out to the community around it. We looked a lot this last week at the book of Acts and studied how Paul and his partners went into cities and associated with the people. My job will be to find people interested in the Gospel and teach them the stories of the Bible. Assuming they believe and become Christians we start a church. Then my job will be focused more on equipping them to go out and spread the Gospel to their neighboring comunities who then will go out and spread the Gospel to their neighboring communities and so on. So pray not just for people in my future community to become Christians, but to become Disciples of Christ. Pray that they would take ownership, and that by the end of my two years in Brazil they would be a church with no need of an outsider from the USA. Sounds a bit ambitious, and really, really big, God big.
Which is why prayer is absolutely needed in every little bit of where I'm going and what I'll be doing. Just as God went before the Israelites and won all of their battles if they'd obey, so I need Him to go before me and prepare hearts and win spiritual battles for any of the river community people to know Him. Here is a verse where Paul has the same mindset, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledfe of him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14)
So please do pray that God would open the eyes of the people to whom I am going. Pray that God would raise up men and women to take the Gospel to the surrounding communities. Pray that I would be an obedient messenger accurately proclaiming the truth that they need to hear. Pray that I would be able to teach these men and women about the character of God, and pray that I would be able to equip them and prepare them to do ministry of their own. But pray most of all that God's hand would be in this. He alone can bring people unto Himself, and He alone can send people out with their faith on a solid foundation. So pray, beg (like the persistent widow of Luke 18) that He would already begin preparing people for His Gospel. Thanks.
At first I thought I would be doing a ton of evangelizing, I mean, that's what missionaries do, right? And I will be doing evangelism, but the real goal is to plant a healthy, self-supporting and self-governed church that then reaches out to the community around it. We looked a lot this last week at the book of Acts and studied how Paul and his partners went into cities and associated with the people. My job will be to find people interested in the Gospel and teach them the stories of the Bible. Assuming they believe and become Christians we start a church. Then my job will be focused more on equipping them to go out and spread the Gospel to their neighboring comunities who then will go out and spread the Gospel to their neighboring communities and so on. So pray not just for people in my future community to become Christians, but to become Disciples of Christ. Pray that they would take ownership, and that by the end of my two years in Brazil they would be a church with no need of an outsider from the USA. Sounds a bit ambitious, and really, really big, God big.
Which is why prayer is absolutely needed in every little bit of where I'm going and what I'll be doing. Just as God went before the Israelites and won all of their battles if they'd obey, so I need Him to go before me and prepare hearts and win spiritual battles for any of the river community people to know Him. Here is a verse where Paul has the same mindset, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledfe of him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14)
So please do pray that God would open the eyes of the people to whom I am going. Pray that God would raise up men and women to take the Gospel to the surrounding communities. Pray that I would be an obedient messenger accurately proclaiming the truth that they need to hear. Pray that I would be able to teach these men and women about the character of God, and pray that I would be able to equip them and prepare them to do ministry of their own. But pray most of all that God's hand would be in this. He alone can bring people unto Himself, and He alone can send people out with their faith on a solid foundation. So pray, beg (like the persistent widow of Luke 18) that He would already begin preparing people for His Gospel. Thanks.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Evangelism
This should not be news to anybody, myself included, considering that I am here to be trained as a missionary, but there is a big push for evangelism. We have to 'evangelize' to someone at least three times per week. We are in class all day (which the classes by the way are great!) and then in the evenings I've been able to focus on digging into the Word, praying, and of course playing some basketball/frisbee/soccer. Because most of us stay on campus Monday through Friday, they allow us to evangelize to other people that are here for training. It's kind of funny in and of itself to be sharing the Gospel with those who are called to go out and share the Gospel full time, but it's for the purpose of allowing thoughts to move from the brain into words out of the mouth. Anywho, Saturday we had an opportunity to go out and share the Word. We went to a Caribbean music festival downtown. Armed with Bible tracts and partners we walked around looking for people to talk to. My partner and I quickly split up thinking that it would be best to cover more ground. For me personally I'd rather engage in conversation by myself rather than having someone else looming over my shoulder... a little less aggressive I'd say.
In the hour and a half I was there I talked to three people in particular. One guy I talked to was named Donny. He and his family were Christians and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes. I told them about what I was soon to be doing in Brazil and they told me they'd be praying for me, then they told me all about their involvement in their church and how they share the Gospel in their workplaces. It was a real good conversation. The next man I talked to was named Charles. He and his wife run one of the little shops there in the town square where the music festival was being held at. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes- mainly about the history of the city and all the sights to see before I leave. To try and make things a bit more spiritual, I asked him if he attended church anywhere in the area. He told me that he attended a Baptist church on the west end of town, but then he stumbled over his words trying to remember the name of the church. He said that he doesn't know the name of the church because he has been going for so long that he just doesn't bother to look at the signs anymore! I took it to mean that he seldom goes, so I told him that I'd be going to Brazil and emphasized the fact that I was going to be teaching that Jesus is the only way to the Father and therefore the only way into heaven. He knodded his head, then started talking more about historic downtown. Having had a nice conversation I wished the man and his wife well and proceeded to walk around for a couple minutes. Then I met Lawrence, a city worker. Lawrence informed me that he grew up Baptist, but he hated how they made you put money in the offering plate. And he especially did not like the fact that most Baptist preachers drive nicer cars and own nicer clothes than the people in their congregation. I tried convincing him that that was not always the case, but then we moved onto more serious things. When he was 16 he became a Jehovah's Witness. Not really knowing too much about Jehovah's Witnesses, I asked him a few questions about his beliefs - about salvation, about heaven, about Jesus. Unfortunately I couldn't talk to him for too long because we were meeting to leave at a certain time. I feel like we made some progress, and I left him with a tract explaining salvation and eternity.
Now why do I tell you about this? First off, pray for Lawrence. He needs to know about Jesus. He needs to believe in the God of this universe and Jesus as his Son, who paid the sacrifice to forgive us of our sins. But I also tell you this because it's made me step back and think. Three weeks ago, if you would have asked me how to measure spiritual maturity in a person, I think it would largely have been based on Biblical knowledge. Criteria would have been quiet time length and how many times said person has read through the Bible. A good prayer life would have worked its way into the equation, as would theological perspective and backing. I probably never even would have asked about evangelism practices. But as I look through the pages of Scripture this is so opposite of what the Christian faith is all about. So many passages tell of God's love for the nations and His desire to see them be saved. Look at the very life of Jesus. Time with His Heavenly Father was very, very important to Him. I don't in any way intend to undermine quiet times. They are important and essential in becoming more Christlike. However, the New Testament is full of stories in which Jesus was telling others about the Kingdom of God. He was telling people about being born again, about the living water from which you will never thirst again, and about the need to give all you can for the sake of the Gospel. Once again, I'm not saying that evangelism is more important than daily time with God. Jesus spent long periods of time by himself in prayer. I'm saying that personal time with God and evangelism are two aspects of spiritual maturity that shouldn't be separated. Praying and meditating on Scripture is just as important as telling others the Good News of the saving grace of JesusChrist. The sad thing is that for so long I have overlooked this dimension of being a disciple of Jesus. I mean, what were Jesus' last statements? The last thing Jesus says in Matthew is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." And in Acts we find Jesus' words to be somewhat similar, "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." As I look at these two passages that record some of the last words of Jesus I wonder how I could have lived so much of my life as a follower of the man who said these words with relatively no practice in these words.
So, I ask that you would pray that I may have boldness. I ask that you would pray that God would give me a heart for the lost people in Brazil as well as the lost people all around me. The church in Acts was marked by their boldness and they kept praying that they would be more and more bold. Pray that I may deny my flesh and walk in the Spirit. That I may do things out of my comfort zone for the sake of the One who sacrificed all.
Someone told us today a pretty good little saying. Paul knew only two days. He knew today. And he knew 'the day.' He knew the present, and he knew eternity. I pray that my today's would be lived in light of the end day, that God would welcome me into heaven saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
In the hour and a half I was there I talked to three people in particular. One guy I talked to was named Donny. He and his family were Christians and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes. I told them about what I was soon to be doing in Brazil and they told me they'd be praying for me, then they told me all about their involvement in their church and how they share the Gospel in their workplaces. It was a real good conversation. The next man I talked to was named Charles. He and his wife run one of the little shops there in the town square where the music festival was being held at. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes- mainly about the history of the city and all the sights to see before I leave. To try and make things a bit more spiritual, I asked him if he attended church anywhere in the area. He told me that he attended a Baptist church on the west end of town, but then he stumbled over his words trying to remember the name of the church. He said that he doesn't know the name of the church because he has been going for so long that he just doesn't bother to look at the signs anymore! I took it to mean that he seldom goes, so I told him that I'd be going to Brazil and emphasized the fact that I was going to be teaching that Jesus is the only way to the Father and therefore the only way into heaven. He knodded his head, then started talking more about historic downtown. Having had a nice conversation I wished the man and his wife well and proceeded to walk around for a couple minutes. Then I met Lawrence, a city worker. Lawrence informed me that he grew up Baptist, but he hated how they made you put money in the offering plate. And he especially did not like the fact that most Baptist preachers drive nicer cars and own nicer clothes than the people in their congregation. I tried convincing him that that was not always the case, but then we moved onto more serious things. When he was 16 he became a Jehovah's Witness. Not really knowing too much about Jehovah's Witnesses, I asked him a few questions about his beliefs - about salvation, about heaven, about Jesus. Unfortunately I couldn't talk to him for too long because we were meeting to leave at a certain time. I feel like we made some progress, and I left him with a tract explaining salvation and eternity.
Now why do I tell you about this? First off, pray for Lawrence. He needs to know about Jesus. He needs to believe in the God of this universe and Jesus as his Son, who paid the sacrifice to forgive us of our sins. But I also tell you this because it's made me step back and think. Three weeks ago, if you would have asked me how to measure spiritual maturity in a person, I think it would largely have been based on Biblical knowledge. Criteria would have been quiet time length and how many times said person has read through the Bible. A good prayer life would have worked its way into the equation, as would theological perspective and backing. I probably never even would have asked about evangelism practices. But as I look through the pages of Scripture this is so opposite of what the Christian faith is all about. So many passages tell of God's love for the nations and His desire to see them be saved. Look at the very life of Jesus. Time with His Heavenly Father was very, very important to Him. I don't in any way intend to undermine quiet times. They are important and essential in becoming more Christlike. However, the New Testament is full of stories in which Jesus was telling others about the Kingdom of God. He was telling people about being born again, about the living water from which you will never thirst again, and about the need to give all you can for the sake of the Gospel. Once again, I'm not saying that evangelism is more important than daily time with God. Jesus spent long periods of time by himself in prayer. I'm saying that personal time with God and evangelism are two aspects of spiritual maturity that shouldn't be separated. Praying and meditating on Scripture is just as important as telling others the Good News of the saving grace of JesusChrist. The sad thing is that for so long I have overlooked this dimension of being a disciple of Jesus. I mean, what were Jesus' last statements? The last thing Jesus says in Matthew is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." And in Acts we find Jesus' words to be somewhat similar, "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." As I look at these two passages that record some of the last words of Jesus I wonder how I could have lived so much of my life as a follower of the man who said these words with relatively no practice in these words.
So, I ask that you would pray that I may have boldness. I ask that you would pray that God would give me a heart for the lost people in Brazil as well as the lost people all around me. The church in Acts was marked by their boldness and they kept praying that they would be more and more bold. Pray that I may deny my flesh and walk in the Spirit. That I may do things out of my comfort zone for the sake of the One who sacrificed all.
Someone told us today a pretty good little saying. Paul knew only two days. He knew today. And he knew 'the day.' He knew the present, and he knew eternity. I pray that my today's would be lived in light of the end day, that God would welcome me into heaven saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Refreshment
Psalm 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." I think the main reason it's taken me so long to write anything on this blog is because we do so much here that I don't even know where to begin to communicate what God has been teaching me. So, if I in any way seem a little scatterbrained, just bear with me.
I read this verse in Psalms this morning, and I think it so wonderfully explains my time here so far. We've stayed pretty busy going in and out of classes from 8:00 - 5:00, but the evening times and morning times have been so full of what's important. I've been able to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's putting God first. And what a joy it is to put God first rather than letting the flesh try to compete with Him. It's just been refreshing. I've been able to spend so much time reading the scriptures, and it really does revive the soul. It makes me wonder why I didn't spend much time reading God's Word and Praying back at home. I think the answer is simple - Distractions. With the Internet, and TV, and Movies, and you name it right there at the house, it's easy to simply forget about God and give Him second place. While here, it's been so much easier to really focus on what's eternal. Peter, John, and Paul all called themselves bond-servants of Christ and the Bible says that we are the same. The Greek word there is Doulos. A definition of Doulos is one devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; a slave. According to this definition, if we are followers of Christ, then we are slaves of Christ, and if slaves of Christ then we should be so devoted to obeying Christ in our lives that we disregard our own interests.
One of the weirdest things about this is that when we finally do give Jesus the reigns, there is no regret. At the surface level it doesn't sound fun to be anybody's slave. It's not exciting to forsake our own desires in order to follow someone else. But for some reason, when we stop holding on to our lives too tightly and follow Jesus every step of the way, there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Instead of watching SportsCenter I've been reading my Bible, instead of wasting time on facebook I've been praying. And I can tell you that it has been an incredible week, just sitting back letting God fill me with more and more of himself. There is no regret in living for Him.
If I could ask you to keep on praying though then I would greatly appreciate it. Keep on praying for the lost along the Amazon River where I will be going. Pray that God would begin opening their eyes to the Truth. Pray that when I get there God will have already been at work among them even if they don't realize it till I get there. Pray also for me. Pray that God would continue working on me, molding me into the obedient follower that I must be before He sends me out. Thank you all so much for your prayers, He does hear them!
"That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." Acts 3:20
I read this verse in Psalms this morning, and I think it so wonderfully explains my time here so far. We've stayed pretty busy going in and out of classes from 8:00 - 5:00, but the evening times and morning times have been so full of what's important. I've been able to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's putting God first. And what a joy it is to put God first rather than letting the flesh try to compete with Him. It's just been refreshing. I've been able to spend so much time reading the scriptures, and it really does revive the soul. It makes me wonder why I didn't spend much time reading God's Word and Praying back at home. I think the answer is simple - Distractions. With the Internet, and TV, and Movies, and you name it right there at the house, it's easy to simply forget about God and give Him second place. While here, it's been so much easier to really focus on what's eternal. Peter, John, and Paul all called themselves bond-servants of Christ and the Bible says that we are the same. The Greek word there is Doulos. A definition of Doulos is one devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; a slave. According to this definition, if we are followers of Christ, then we are slaves of Christ, and if slaves of Christ then we should be so devoted to obeying Christ in our lives that we disregard our own interests.
One of the weirdest things about this is that when we finally do give Jesus the reigns, there is no regret. At the surface level it doesn't sound fun to be anybody's slave. It's not exciting to forsake our own desires in order to follow someone else. But for some reason, when we stop holding on to our lives too tightly and follow Jesus every step of the way, there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Instead of watching SportsCenter I've been reading my Bible, instead of wasting time on facebook I've been praying. And I can tell you that it has been an incredible week, just sitting back letting God fill me with more and more of himself. There is no regret in living for Him.
If I could ask you to keep on praying though then I would greatly appreciate it. Keep on praying for the lost along the Amazon River where I will be going. Pray that God would begin opening their eyes to the Truth. Pray that when I get there God will have already been at work among them even if they don't realize it till I get there. Pray also for me. Pray that God would continue working on me, molding me into the obedient follower that I must be before He sends me out. Thank you all so much for your prayers, He does hear them!
"That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." Acts 3:20
Monday, July 26, 2010
Off to Training
Tomorrow... Actually in 4 hours I will be leaving Lake Jackson/Clute, Texas to go be trained. As I have read the books that have been given to me in order to prepare for this adventure I am about to undertake I have constantly been reminded of how little I have depended on God throughout all of this. As a human being and as a man I like to think that I am capable and competent enough to do anything that I put my heart to. I know it's pride, but it's just that way I think. In all honesty, I think that even if I never stop to pray I could 'get through' the next two years. However, I don't want to just 'get through' these next two years. I want God to show up in huge and mighty ways. In Habakkuk 1:5 God says, "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." I hope that God does things that are unthinkable and unbelieveable. I know that these things will not happen though, unless I learn to rely on Him and live every moment for Him and not for myself.
I guess what I'm getting at is the idea of prayer. I have not taken nearly enough time to just sit before the Creator and Sustainer and let Him give me hope and vision and joy as he prepares me for where I am to go. I definitely believe that God answers prayers; however, if anyone were to actually look at my life, they would never know it. It's not a priority. I've heard stories of the "Heroes of our Faith" who spent hours in prayer each and every day. They were sensitive to God's calling and leading throughout their days.
One of the books that I have been reading is called Church Planting Movements. As the title suggests, it is about planting churches that plant churches that plant churches. It's about a movement - a revolution that changes the thoughts and beliefs of entire people groups as it rapidly spreads throughout landscapes. One of the quotes is as follows, "Prayer permeates Church Planting Movements... Church Planting Movements are steeped in prayer." I love those verbs - permeates and steeped. Prayer is everything in missions. If we expect God to act then he expects us to humbly approach His throne.
So, I want to ask you to pray. Right now. Tonight. Tomorrow morning. Or even all the above! Pray for yourself that you would be sensitive to God's leading in your life today! Also, pray for my mission trip. Most likely, the reason you are reading this is because you have already been praying or want to know how to pray for me as I go. So let me give you a few thoughts from the book I mentioned previously.
1. Pray for the missionaries
I hate to put myself first, but it's the order it's in in the book! As I go to training I have no idea what training holds. I know that I will be extremely busy and probably tired. I know they will try to get us out of our comfort zones as we prepare to move into an entirely different culture. I'm fairly positive that they are going to stuff our little noggins with an information overload that will be hard to keep up with. Pray that I grow ever closer to our Savior each and every day. Pray that God uses this time to refine me (which often isn't easy) into the man I need to be as I approach the time to leave for Brazil. Pray that God would show up in incredible ways at Orientation.
2. Pray for the lost people group.
The people that I will be going to may have some prior knowledge of the Gospel. However, if they have any it is very faint and most likely mixed with some sort of spirit worship that many would associate with villages in remote locations. As I said in a previous blog, I won't be done with training until April or May of next year. But it is never too early to start praying for lost souls. Pray that God would open their eyes to see His glory and the hope that He offers. Pray that they would actively receive it and willingly spread the news throughout their region.
3. Pray for the new believers.
I have no idea what will happen when the first group of people turn to Christ. The rest of the community may treat them the same, or they may be ignored and harmed. Pray that God would grant them His strength to be bold. Pray that they would persevere as the faith becomes their own and they proclaim it to others.
4. Pray for new workers.
Pray that as men and women come to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, they would become missionaries. The goal would be for them to become church planters and evangelists.
Just pray! To be honest I have no idea what's in store for these next few months, but I do know that the best way to prepare is to pray. So join me in lifting up the men and women along the Amazon River to our Lord.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A Fortnight Away
Let me start off with a story I read from 2 Kings 7 last night. It's one I have heard, but one that hit close to home since I leave in two weeks for training. It's a story about 4 lepers. While sitting outside of the entrance to the city, they say to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go..." So they rise up and go to the only place where they even have a chance of living, to the camp of the enemies - the Syrians. As they were headed down to the camp of the Syrians, God made these lepers sound like a great army coming to fight. Because the Syrians feared that a mighty army was coming to besiege them, they fled. In their fear they left everything behind them. "When these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them." They just found immense treasure and everything they needed to stay alive, as this was what compelled them to approach the Syrians to begin with. But they hid it. They kept it to themselves. Remember, there was a famine in the city, and upon finding all that the Syrian army had left behind they chose to hoard it for themselves rather than share this great news with the others. Then they realized what they were doing. They said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. Let us go and tell..." So they went and told the king's household. Then, all the people went and plundered the camp of the Syrians and were able to have abundant amounts of food and drink.
While reading a commentary on these verses I found a quote from Charles Spurgeon, "If the only result of our religion is the comfort of our poor little souls, if the beginning and the end of piety is contained within one’s self, why, it is a strange thing to be in connection with the unselfish Jesus, and to be the fruit of his gracious Spirit. Surely, Jesus did not come to save us that we might live unto ourselves. He came to save us from selfishness."
I have been blessed greatly by the family that God has given me and the friends that God has surrounded me with. Most importantly I have been blessed by God by being able to call myself a son of God, to receive an inheritance greater than anything the earth has to offer. Therefore I cannot keep it to myself. Just as the lepers went and told the nation of Israel, so I must go and tell.
Many of you know that I am headed out to training here in two weeks to start my two months of training. After this I will be heading down to Brazil sometime between mid-October and mid-November. At that point I will go through another 5-6 months of training. Then I will start my missions job. Amazon RACE - Radical Approach to Church planting and Evangelism. I will be paired up with a native Brazilian. We will canoe down the Amazon River in search of a particular river-community that will be our new home for about a year and a half (not a year and a half straight though, we will be there for 3-4 months then back to the city of Manaus for 2 weeks, then in the river community for 3-4 months, then back to Manaus for 2 weeks...). As the Amazon RACE name implies, my job will be to develop relationships that lead to Christ-centered conversations that will lead to discipleship that will lead to church planting that will lead to sharing the Gospel in surrounding river communities. I am definitely excited about the next two years of my life. There is absolutely no telling what God will do inside of me and around me. Clearly, at this point I need prayer, and lots of it, so here are some things you could be praying for:
- That I would learn more about God and depend more on Him and less on myself each and every day.
- Language learning, I have been told that this is one of the most important things at this point.
- Visa, that the visa process would be pain free and not delay me in going to Brazil.
- Last, but definitely not least, that God would prepare the hearts of those I am going to be ministering to and that He would use me to bring people to Himself that at this point have never even heard of Him.
Thank you all! I am so excited about this.
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