2017 Here We Come! / 2017 Aí Vamos Nós!

I pray that you and your family/friends have had a wonderful Christmas.  I must say it has been interesting hearing “Dashing through the snow” in stores while it is very hot! 

You will notice something new with these posts beginning now.  Nayara will be making a post in Portuguese at the end of my post.  This will be a way for her ministry partners to keep us with us as well.  So, if you dare, try your hand at Portuguese and see what you can understand or you can copy and paste into Google Translate! (I have been there done that!)

My time here has been good.  I had the opportunity with Nayara to spend 2 days with Pastor Jose, Leoni and Ron, Jane and the girls.  Pr Jose is doing very well.  They will be traveling back to the States on the 30^th-31^st making a stop in Manacapuru.  While in Manacapuru, they will be checking out the Mission House where Nayara and I will be staying beginning January 12^th.  They both are very excited about the work Nayara and I will be doing there with English.  My heart is full of gratitude to the Lord for Pr Jose’s recovery and for Leoni’s steadfast love and trust in the Lord through these challenging months.  Glory to God is all I can say!!!!

Tomorrow, Nayara and I will be traveling back to João Monlevade and will be there until next Tuesday.  She does not have internet at her house so I wanted extend my “Happy New Year” greeting to all of you.  This new year will be full of many blessings and opportunities to serve.  Just this week we received 8 dates for English Camps and that does not include one that will possibly be in Manacapuru.  We are prayerfully considering these opportunities and look forward to talking with Pastors Rogério and Eustáquio.  Please join in prayer that we will do exactly what He wants when He wants in all our activities.  I am praying God’s richest blessings upon each of you for your partnership financially and prayerfully with this work.  We are in this together!

Our preparations are going well.  Nayara is closing things down here in Belo Horizonte (BH) with her apartment and her work at church in João Monlevade.  She is speaking on January 8^th in the morning in João Monlevade and in the evening here in BH.  She is wanting me to prepare something to share in Portuguese so that means practice, practice and practice.  Next week will be a very busy week for sure.  I hope to reconnect with at least one more teacher at the English School here in BH as well as spend time with some dear friends.  But for the most part, we will be continuing our language study, English lesson prep and packing up the apartment.

Ron Duggins shared a quote from Seth’s Blog titled “I don’t know the first thing about this issue.” It says:  “Actually, you do.
It’s likely that you don’t know the last thing.  But the first?
You know enough to know you don’t know everything.
You know enough to know that there might be a pitfall or a trap ahead, and that you need to tread carefully.
You know enough to reach out and ask for help.
That’s three things, things that others less thoughtful than you don’t know.
So, give yourself some credit and begin.”

Great word for me Ron, thanks!

Prayer needs:

·        Strength as we close things out here in BH

·        Discipline in my learning Portuguese, and Nayara learning English

·        God’s wisdom as we discern which English Camps we are to participate in

·        Health and endurance as we finish here in BH and move to Manacapuru

·        Good rest and sleep at night!

God bless you my teammates and talk to you soon from Manacapuru!

Lisa

Ei amigos e irmãos amados. Essa é a minha primeira postagem aqui no blog e desde já agradeço ao Senhor Jesus por nos proporcionar esse espaço simples e divertido onde poderemos compartilhar com vocês as coisas que Deus está fazendo e que ainda fará em nós e através de nós em Manacapuru – Amazonas.

Talvez você ainda não saiba, mas em 2004 Deus colocou um amor imenso no meu coração pelo Amazonas e um sonho lindo de abençoar as pessoas de lá com minha profissão (e agora com as duas profissões... Enfermagem e Teologia), mas apenas agora, 12 anos depois, é que estou realizando esse sonho com a benção de Deus, do meu Pastor Romeu Roldan que tanto amo e da minha mãe que faz de tudo pra me ver feliz e nos caminhos do Senhor Jesus. Acredito que nesses 12 anos Deus estava me preparando de todas as formas: academicamente, emocionalmente e espiritualmente para essa missão tão linda. Nesse tempo conheci o Pr. José Agostinho Almada e sua linda esposa Leoni que trouxeram a Lisa de presente pra mim como uma grande parceira de ministério.

Se você deseja receber notícias sempre que fizermos postagens aqui cadastre seu e-mail no nosso blog. A primeira postagem sempre será feita pela Lisa em Inglês (caso você ainda não saiba Inglês, tente o tradutor. Você vai se divertir com as postagens dela) e logo em seguida virão informações minhas em Português, basta você descer a barra de rolagem da sua tela.

Eu e Lisa temos vivido dias intensos aqui em BH procurando resolver todas as coisas para viajarmos com tranquilidade no próximo dia 12. Nossos corações estão cheios de saudades, mas também cheios de expectativas para o NOVO de Deus em nossas vidas. Obrigada por fazer parte 

disso junto conosco. Sem suas orações e apoio financeiro seria muito difícil a realização desse sonho missionário.

Que 2017 seja um ano repleto das bençãos de Deus sobre todos nós. Confie no Senhor, Ele tem sempre o melhor a nos oferecer. Contamos com suas orações!!!

Nayara

Arrived in Brazil yesterday!

Yesterday, I arrived in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  It was a little longer  trip than usual due to the fact I stopped in Manaus to drop off luggage for Manacapuru.  But overall the flights went great and I am grateful to finally arrive here.

I want to thank everyone for the help during these past months of preparation, for those who faithfully give every month, for those who give annual gifts, for those who helped me close out my apartment and who have stood in prayer.  I especially want to thank Rhonda Madison for her incredible help and encouragement.  She herself will leave for Uganda January 4th!   We have walked this process out together and it has been a gift for both of us.

So here is the plan for the next month.  You can use these has guidelines for prayer.

• Nayara and I are engaged in serious language study - Nayara with English and me with Portuguese.  Everyday we will work on both.   She is very serious with her study and I am too!
• Nayara and I will be going over curriculum plans for the English classes.  We will be getting an outline together the best we can right now and then adapt it as we get to Manacapuru.
• We will be doing a lot of walking here because Nayara's car is in the shop.  That will be good for both of us.  These hills are challenging but we need to prepare physically for what is ahead!
• We will be doing a lot of praying together - for each other, for the transition time, for our future encounters with those who want to learn English and for new opportunities to serve.
• We have been asked to consider helping with possibly 5 mini English camps through the Presbyterian Church of Manaus and they are wanting to do one in Manacapuru.  I had some time with Pr Djard when I arrived in Manaus.  He told me of the rough structure and where he saw Nayara and I serving.  Good stuff!  As I get more information on dates and cities I will pass it on to you.  For right now, we are covering it in prayer together.
• Nayara is closing out her official church leadership roles where she has been serving for about 10 years.  Her church of course has mixed feelings with this new ministry role with LCM.  They are excited and they see God's leading but they also will miss her very much.  Pray for continued grace for Nayara and for her church.
• I will need to shop for clothes that will be appropriate for the weather in the Amazon.  I will admit, I do not "like" to shop.  What a blessing to have Nayara here, to know where to go and to give her counsel.
• I am continuing to try to sell my car.  A brother at New Covenant is taking the lead for me.  I even got an email today asking if my Total Gym is still available!  Yeah!

Thank you for covering those things in prayer.

We will be going back and forth to Nayara's home church on the weekends.  This week we will take the train which will be nice and relaxing.  It takes about 3 hours.  I am looking forward to this!

So the preparation month has begun: spiritually, physically and emotionally!  This time is a gift for us and we want and need to make the most of it.

Thank you again for your support and prayers.  To say I am excited is an understatement.  Yes a little nervous but God's peace is great!  I know there will be adjustment opportunities, but knowing I am in the will of God makes all the difference!  

Our departure date from Belo Horizonte to go to Manacapuru in January 12th.

Bless you my friends.

Preparation Time

Since my return in August from Brazil, life has been crazy busy.  The Lord has confirmed His direction in many different ways and He has instructed me to "prepare as if I am going to Manacapuru".  Well, needless to say, there have been many things to do each day.  As it stands today here is what is happening:

• Nayara is finishing her last semester in Seminary in Belo Horizonte as well as making preparations to go with me to work in Manacapuru.  She has the blessing of her Pastor as well as her mother.  She is working hard learning English and she is doing great!  She is both learning English and helping me with my Portuguese lessons!  More about Nayara a little later.
• We are currently waiting for the formal letter of invitation (they have already asked me to come).  This letter along with other documents are necessary to obtain the necessary visa.
• I am now working hard in raising a financial support and prayer support teams.  I am very excited about sharing with people the work that we will be doing.
• The work that we will be doing there will be to teach English classes through the church but it is not limited to classes at the church.  We may do some individual lessons, tutoring as well as classes in some of the communities around Manacapuru.  There are many opportunities.
• We are wanting to use English as a vehicle to establish relationships and eventually be able to share the Gospel and disciple those who come to know the Lord.
• These classes will not be limited to just children but will involve people of all ages. 
• We may also be involved with some trips with the Medical Boat Ministry as well.

As we are waiting for the final confirmation, for the visa to be obtained and for the financial support to be in place, we are trusting the Lord to put all things in order. My lease on my apartment ends December 28 so by the first part of November a decision of go or no go will have to be made.  In my heart it is a go, but all these details have to be taken care of properly.  If it were up to me, I would love to leave by December 20, 2016.  This will give me time to get use to the summer heat and to get clothes that will be good for the Amazon.

This is a huge step for me.  Stillwater, OK has been home for all but 4 years of my life.  The peace I have in my heart is further confirmation to me that this is a God thing.  Yes, I will miss my family and my friends but these relationships are solid and our love is strong.  Yes, I am a little nervous but it is not based in fear, it is just I know I am going into new territory.  It is such a tremendous blessing to have Nayara with me on this mission adventure.  She knows her people, her culture and language.  She has had the calling of the Lord for the Amazon since 2004 and is a gifted woman of God.  She is also a Registered Nurse which is great!!!!  Please continue to pray as we make preparations.

Also, if you know of individuals and families who would be excited about this work and would possibly be interested in joining our financial/prayer team.  Please share the news and introduce me to them!  I know that whatever God calls me to do, He will make all provisions needed for it to be successful.  God is faithful!

I will be making some changes to this blog to get it ready to be used when we get to Manacapuru.  I will be encouraging everyone to sign up with their email in the upper right hand of the blog.  This will be the major avenue for me to get news out to everyone about what is happening with the work.  So be patient if you get notifications here in the beginning as I make some changes. 

Bless you all!

Back in Brazil for six weeks....

I am now back in Belo Horizonte, Brazil for six weeks.

Since I have arrived on Wednesday, I have had the opportunity to see Pr Jose, Leoni and the family. Words cannot express my joy in seeing him.  God has been faithful and has done some miraculous things in his body.  We are continuing to stand in prayer for him.  It is an honor to serve such a couple who has faithfully served the Lord over 40 years.

There are other objectives in my time here in BH.

** I have already been back to the English Institute for some follow up instruction with teaching English as a second language.  I received such an warm welcome back from Rita the director as well as from the teachers and students.  I have already learned some good things and I look forward to more conversations.  Next week is the last week before the official vacation time begins for the month of July so the Lord's timing has been perfect once again.

** I am also spending time with Nayara during this time.  I will be ministering at her church in Joao Monlevade two times on Saturday (tomorrow) and two times on Sunday.  I will be continuing the English lessons for her and for the rest of the time it will be Portuguese Immersion for me!  I am looking forward to this time with Nayara so we can get to know each other better.  We were talking last night now good it will be to spend time praying together, talking together, and hearing each other's stories in the Lord.  This time will be important as decisions are made for the future.

Because of the nature of this trip, there will not be sharing many pictures etc as with the other earlier trips. I want to respect Pr Jose's privacy so I will not be posting specifics at all.  Just join us in prayer.
I will keep you updated as needed.

Thank you for your prayers during this time of serving Pr Jose and Leoni as well as during this time with Nayara and ministry opportunities.  I am so grateful for your support and prayers!  God is at work!

bless you!

The last lap!

It is hard for me to believe that in less than a week I will be back in Oklahoma.  The time here in Denmark has been wonderful and when I leave here, I have new precious friends!

The Bible School sessions on Prayer ended last Saturday and I cannot say enough good things about these people.  They are hungry for the Word and for moving forward in their walk in the Lord.  It has been an honor to serve them these last 5 weeks.  We have all learned together as we have studied about Holy Spirit and Prayer!

I finished my 5 week series on the life of Joshua last Sunday.  This study has once again challenged me and from the testimonies I have heard....God has blessed many lives through this study.  It has been a privilege to share the Word each week and pray together with these wonderful believers.  I am humbled by the trust of Pastor Kjeld to allow me to preach.

This week, I shared both my testimony and a word from the Word to a women's meeting held at the church.  Once again, Pia shared her gift of worship with us, she is great.  It was a great meeting with fellowship, worship, teaching and prayer.  We laughed together, prayed together and His Presence was there in a powerful way.  Once again I was in awe of Him and His faithfulness.

As I total up the time here in Denmark, God allowed me to share/preach/teach 34 times.  I will be honest, my voice needs a break but I loved every minute of it.  What a gift, what an opportunity, thank you Jesus!

I did get to go to a shooting range with Michael and two of the students from the Bible School. This was a new experience for me and I must admit it was fun - and I did hit the target a couple of times! (I won't tell you how many rounds it took to hit the target a couple of times!)  I later laughed when I realized that I had to come to Denmark to ride a horse and shoot a gun (real Cowgirl here)! Tomorrow, Joan will be taking me to her city of Sæby which is on the west coast.  Remember Denmark is not very large so to get to the coast is not that far.  I look forward to the time with Joan and seeing her city.  We will be touring some very old churches and hopefully I will be able to get some good pictures!  Saturday we are celebrating my hosts youngest daughter's 1 year birthday with the whole family.  It will be a fun time.  On Sunday, I will be able to sit back and hear Pastor Kjeld preach and minister!

I am scheduled to leave Denmark for the long trip home on Monday, May 9.  Thank you again for all your support both in prayers and financial support that has allowed this trip to become a reality.  I trust the Lord for His timing for when I can return and share again with these precious friends.

Great opportunities and adventures!

Time is flying by ...............

On Thursday of last week, Lisbeth (one of the translators) took me out horse back riding.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It has been over 40 years since I have been on a horse.  It was a great 1.5 hr with her in the countryside and forest of northern Denmark.  The horse was gentle - praise God.  We did go fast a couple of times and I held on for dear life.  It was a precious time shared with Lisbeth and her husband.  I paid the price for my fun with some pretty significant soreness on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  It made for good sermon/teaching lessons.  We all had a good laugh.



On Friday, the whole family, Pr Kjeld, Kirsten, Jacob + family, and Michael + family and I went to the northern most point of Denmark to a town called Grenen just past Skagen.  There in Grenen, you will see a place where the two seas meet, Skagerrak and Kattegat. We also went to a place where a church built in the 1300's that eventually got buried with sand.  It was a day of fun with the family and the weather was great with sunshine.  You don't take the sunshine for granted here.  Many days it rains and we even had a brief time of snow....and yes the wind is cold here!




The Bible School continues to go well as we study about prayer and as we spend time in His Presence.  We have been talking about the different types of prayer as well as a vision that a good friend, Jennifer, shared with me several years ago about the Harness of the Lord.  It was a wonderful time of sharing in the Word and praying together.  The students continue to be so open and teachable, it is such a blessing to be here with them.

The service on Sunday was great!  We had a worship leader, Pia, who did a wonderful job with her voice and guitar.  I loved hearing them worship the Lord in Danish.  The series in Joshua continues to be a blessing.  The Lord was there in a powerful way.  Jon ministered to the congregation in prayer for about an hour after the message.  It was awesome!

Last night, Jon and Michael hosted a small group here at the house.  Michael taught for the first time
in English and he did a great job.  It was great to participate with the group.  It was a good teaching and fellowship.  I so appreciated Michael being sensitive to me as well as step out in a new level of growth with his English.

As I look ahead for the last couple of weeks here in Denmark, I am excited to see what the Lord has in store.  I will be finishing up the teaching at the Bible School this Saturday on prayer and with the Joshua series on Sunday. Then next week, May 3rd,  I will be speaking at a Women's meeting at the church.  God has blessed me tremendously during this time.  God is good...all the time.

Thank you for praying and please continue.  I will write again soon!

God is moving!

This last week was once again a wonderful week.  The weekend was packed full with teaching at the Bible School for 5 sessions (6 hrs) as well as services on Sunday.  I am loving getting to know these precious people and seeing their hearts for the Lord.

In the Bible School, we finished up the section dealing with Holy Spirit with a final session teaching and then we had an exam.  It was decided that we would do the exam in groups - this was a good experience and everyone seemed to enjoy the process.  It was great to see the students sharing with each other and doing well on the exam.  We started the section on prayer with a teaching on one of my favorites, Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.  We especially looked at it as it relates to how he responded to the challenges he faced.  Then during the second session on prayer we talked about the prayer of agreement.  The students were wonderfully receptive.  During the final session of the day, I felt like the Lord spoke in my heart that it was not enough to just talk about prayer but we needed to pray.  So we took the final hour and did just that.....we prayed....and those who had a need, turned to their neighbor and prayed in agreement for that need.  It was a good time and His Presence was strong in our class!

I can speak for myself that these teachings on Holy Spirit and prayer has been good for me! The Word of God has a lot to say, we just need to make time to read and study it!




On Sunday we continued our study in Joshua.  I was so blessed by hearing testimonies of how God has moved in our midst with healing, deliverance and giving wisdom to individuals.  It was wonderful.  After the message in the Word, we had some tender ministry time.  I cannot really share specifics but let me just say that Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way.  I am so grateful and humbled!


This week has started off very well.  My focus is on Bible School and preaching on Sunday.  I have one additional teaching time but that is not until May 3.  This has been good for me to slow down a little and rest my voice.  I have also been enjoying the time on Skype with my friend Nayara in Brazil.  She is doing so well and is working so hard with learning English.  She is also helping me with my Portuguese and of course I am here with Jon which is great!  This week I have a couple of special outings that I will tell you about next week!

Pastor Kjeld and Kirsten

Let me let you know a little more about Pastor Kjeld and his wife Kirsten.  They have been in ministry for more than 30 years.  They have served as Pastors as well as evangelist and teachers throughout Denmark.  Their passion is to see an outpouring of God in Denmark.  They both are strong believers in the Word of God and share it boldly.  I have been touched by their tender and teachable hearts.  Their lives shine with the love of Jesus.  I am blessed to be here and am honored by their trust.

Michael

I also want you to meet the translators who have helped me for many hours!  Michael, Jonábia's husband as not only helped me during the Bible School translating but he has also helped translate portions for the students handouts.  Joan and Lisbeth have been awesome by my side translating in services, small groups and in Bible School.  I so appreciate their willingness to share their gift of language to make it possible for me to be there.  They are awesome!

Joan and Lisbeth

Thank you for your prayers, I can feel them.  God has been so faithful in everything!  I am in awe of His working!  May God pour out His blessings on your faithfulness in prayer and financial support. Please know that God is moving and lives are being changed - including mine!

Until next time!

Second week was tremendous!

The second week here was great.  I got to teach in the Bible School for the full day - which is 5 sessions and when you add in the breaks it is from 10am-4pm.  The students are fantastic and so teachable.  We continued our teaching on Holy Spirit.  I have one more session plus a test for this coming Saturday then we are on to Prayer.  This study has been so good for me.  Pastor Kjeld is always encouraging with his words.  I didn't get any new pictures from Saturday, sorry about that!


Last Sunday was a full day to say the least.  I once again had the opportunity to preach for Pastor Kjeld and the Presence of the Lord was so strong.  We are going through the life of Joshua and and crossing over the Jordan.  It was a tremendous time of worship as well as in the Word.  The church was so receptive and we ministered in prayer for over an hour after the preaching was over!  God moved in a powerful way.  I love Pastor Kjeld's heart, he wanted to receive prayer too!

That same afternoon, I had an opportunity to go and share at a home gathering.  It was a wonderful time together with these believers.  The pastor spoke fluent English and translated for me. We talked about one of my favorite passages, Phil 3:10 out of the Amp Bible!  We shared together for about 2 hours.  Needless to say, by Sunday night my voice and body were tired but it was a good tired!

Last night, Tuesday, I had the chance to travel with my translator friends to a town called Brande which is about 2.5 hours south of where we located.  It was nice to get out on the highway and see a little of the countryside.  It actually does not look that different from Oklahoma.  It was a pleasant drive.  I shared the scripture Ps 119:68,  "God is good and what He does is good"!  Once again, God's Presence was strong and ministered to all of us!  I am so humbled by all these opportunities and I am so grateful! We had a wonderful time together.  One of the Bible School students translated for me and did a great job. I also loved spending some precious moments with 2 young ladies who reminded me of my Youth Pastor days.

Nayara

I have enjoyed meeting with my Brazilian friend Nayara on Skype as I am helping her learn English.  It has been a great experience and lots of fun.  She is helping me in learning how the best way to teach someone English. We also make time for my Portuguese lessons too.  She loves the Lord and desires to serve Him wherever He leads.

Sabrina and Pri

When I get home, we will be able to adjust the schedule and include Pri and Sabrina in on the fun of learning English.  Pri and Sabrina are wonderful girls and I do miss them all!  All three of these young ladies faithfully serve the Lord in their home churches and travel home every weekend to serve. They are working hard to complete their studies and graduate this year.  Their dedicated lives are a living testimony of the love of Jesus!  When I was there with them, we had a good time together in BH.  We have had quite the challenge to get all of our schedules together with this time difference between Brazil and Denmark.

 

Michael & Jon
Nathalie & Joshua

I would like you to meet my friends who I am staying with for 6 weeks (now that is friendship). Jonábia and Michael Pedersen have been married for almost 4 years.  She is from Brazil and he is from Denmark.  God brought them together in an incredible way (that is a story for another time). Michael's father is Pastor Kjeld.  They are very active in the Bible School and Church.They have tender hearts for the Lord. They have two children, Joshua who is 2.5 and Nathalie who will turn 1 in May.  They have been wonderful.  I have quickly found out that Michael is quite the cook - so much for losing weight!  I first came to know Jon when I traveled to Brazil in 2010 to the NE part of the country.  She served as my translator.  I have also had the opportunity to assist with her Conversation English Class via Skype when she was teaching English in Brazil.  It was a blessing and I love being able to spend time with her during these weeks.  Tomorrow night, Michael's mom is coming over to help watch the children so that Jon and Michael can have a date night!  It will be fun with the kids....and Michael's mom and I will be able to be together and communicate through Google Translate! lol  She is a precious woman of God and I look forward to spending some time with her.

Michael & Jon's home in the country

Thank you for all your love an support in these days.  The days have been full and crazy at times.  But I have loved every minute.  God is doing a good work in me and through me.  I know I said this before but I am very grateful!

Until next time!

Greetings from Sulsted, Denmark!

The first week here in Denmark has been great!  I loved getting to hug my friend Jon's neck along with her whole family (picture is coming).  It has been 6 years since we have been physically together.  They have made me feel so welcome and their home is in a quiet place with fields all around.  It is very different than my apartment in Brazil.  Jon and Michael have two small children, Joshua who is almost 3 yrs old and Nathalie who is almost 1 year old.  They are full of energy and have lovely smiles.

Bible School

I started teaching in the Bible School on Saturday and all went well. The students were wonderful and receptive to my style of teaching. I have two ladies that are helping me with translation, Joan and Lisbeth.  Joan has worked with me on Saturday with the Bible School, Sunday morning service and last night at a meeting about 30 minutes from here.  These ladies are super and have made me feel so comfortable.

Pastor Kjld, who is Jon's husband Michael's father, has welcomed me with open arms, along with his mother Kirsten.  They both love the Lord and it is obvious to me they love people.  I have enjoyed both of them very much.  He has such a passion to share the love of Jesus!

I am teaching in the Bible School on Holy Spirit for this Saturday and a part of the next Saturday. The following topic will be on prayer.  This has been such a good study for me personally.  The students seemed to enjoy it last week.  On Sunday mornings, I am teaching a 5 part series on Joshua.  This study as well as been good for me.  During the other meetings, I am trusting the Lord to guide me as to what to share.  This has been a good stretching time for me.  I have been pressing in to prayer and seeking to hear His voice as to what to share and how.

Joshua

I am blessed to be here and the Lord is moving.  Thank you so much for your prayers and I would ask that you continue to pray.  Thank you for your faithful support with finances, without you this time would not be possible.  It is such a privilege to come and serve here.  You are having an impact here in Denmark.

I will write again soon, until next time........

Nathalie

Leaving Belo Horizonte tonight!

It is hard for me to believe how fast the time has flown by here in BH.  All of the girls have left for the weekend - holiday and youth conference.  This has given me a time to reflect and thank God for all that He has done on this trip, both in Manacapuru and here in BH.

precious ones in Manacapuru

The time in Manacapuru was great with lots of conversation about the direction of the work there through Agata Church and ARS.  It is exciting to see the Mission House constructed!  My heart is filled with joy as I think about the many people who contributed to all three of the projects.  Please allow me to say once again, thank you for each of you who have contributed.  I know that God has great things to do in and through these precious believers in Manacapuru.  I am also praying about my part in that plan.

My time in BH has been filled with laughter and learning!  I don't think I have laughed as much as I

Nayara, Pri, Sabrina

have these past 4 weeks than I have in years.  My roommates - no let me rephrase - my precious sisters in Christ, were simply awesome. They not only opened their apartment to me, but they opened their hearts.  They took care of me like family.  I will be honest, tears have been shed about leaving today.  But I know, this time with them has been a gift from God and I will cherish the memories forever.  I pray that one day our paths will cross again and we can once again enjoy and laugh together.  We are going to be doing some English lessons via Skype so that will be a great blessing to all of us!  These ladies are graduating in December, and I am excited to see where the Lord directs them in life and ministry.  I would ask that you pray for Priscilla, Sabrina and Nayara, they are women who love God and want Him known to everyone they meet.

Dr Raíssa and spouse Geraldo 

God used Nayara to get me in contact with a precious Doctor, Raíssa, who is a powerful believer in Jesus.  She was so attentive in her care of me.  I will be forever grateful for her incredible care, wisdom and guidance.  Nayara and I were invited over to their home last Sunday for lunch and time with her and her husband and family.  Once again, the hospitality of Brazilian believers was demonstrated.  She also got in my face about my weight!  She said "We need you healthy for the work of God!"  Well, what can you say in response to that except, yes you are right!  Thank you Father for guiding Nayara to Raíssa!

Rita

I am also grateful to the all the staff at the English School for welcoming me and allowing me to learn from them.  Rita, has been tremendous and I know she will be a wonderful resource in the future.  All of the teachers have been so helpful and I loved being with their students.  They were interested in the possible work in Manacapuru, but they also cared about ME and prayed for me during my sickness with dengue.  I knew then and I know now that if I need anything, all I have to do is contact them.

God has proven Himself truly to be my Father and has taken good care of me here.  I have been blessed beyond measure by His goodness extended through all of these people.  My life will not be the same!  My faith has been encouraged and strengthened during this month.

Now, I close this chapter, and further prepare for the next one.  I will arrive home tomorrow and then I will leave for Denmark on Tuesday.  I know that God has ordered this time so my heart is at peace. The specific things to pray about:

• health - that my strength would be renewed and sustained
• hearing heart - that I would clearly hear God's voice as I minister in the next 6 weeks
• peace for my family - the world events can seem scary but I am trusting the Lord 
• anointing - His presence and power during the times of ministry, teaching, and preaching

I will be staying with a dear sister in the Lord, who is from Brazil, who is married to a wonderful man and they have two children.  I look forward to continuing my Portuguese training!  Not sure how much Danish I will pick up but I will try!

Thank you for your continued support in prayer and through your financial gifts.  This time and opportunity would not be possible without you.  Hey, you have been in Brazil over a month and now you are going to Denmark for six weeks!  Bless you!

Until next time in Denmark!

Third week came and went and I'm still here :-)

Last week was so full of let me try to get you caught up.

Nayara leading worship

The time in Joao Malavade was wonderful.  This city is Nayara's (one of my roommates) home town and it is where she ministers to youth every week.  She is a student at the Baptist College and she is a RN.  When we arrived on Saturday, she had a discipleship group with young ladies, then a rehearsal with a music team, then we were to have pizza with a core group of leaders.  Well, the youth gave her a surprise birthday party and it was a blessing to see them love and appreciate her.  On Sunday, I
shared in the service about ARS and our projects in the Amazon.  It was a great time.  We ate lunch with the Pastor's family then back to Belo.  On our way home, Nayara took me to where Pr Jose and Leoni are staying (a long way from my apartment).  I so appreciate her taking me there to hug their necks and to talk about ARS details.

During my time in Joao Malavade, I began to get a sore throat and headache and really thought nothing of it.  Well as the week afterwards progressed, I found out that it was something.  I had dengue.  I am so glad that Nayara was there and she made calls and off we went on Thursday to see a doctor who is the head doctor at a clinic.  God truly has had me covered in so many ways.  This doctor is not only a good physician, but she is also a precious believer in Jesus and believes in prayer! She was quick to monitor me and make some adjustments with my meds. (Dengue and blood thinner is not a good combination I found out).  She has been monitoring me daily.  On Friday, the headache went into hyper drive and she admitted me for IV fluids.  I stayed only overnight but it helped a lot. Once again, fortunately Nayara stayed with me the whole time, God bless her.  I was a little uneasy being in a different country in the hospital, but God's peace was there.  As of this moment, my numbers have turned around and I am on the mend and the dengue is dead.  I have one more visit and blood work tomorrow with the doctor and hopefully we will have all green lights to go home and get ready for Denmark.

I am using the time this week to rest - it did wipe me out along with getting ready with my teaching and sermons for Denmark. The additional time with my friend Dayse as well as the girls in the apartment has been precious to me.  We have had so much fun teaching each other Portuguese and English.  They are super and yes, I will cry when I have to leave.  We will be doing some English over skype but it won't be the same.  They have been gifts from God to me and I so appreciate all they have done to make this trip awesome.

Marcia

Jerusa

I am going to be ending my observation of English classes this week with several classes.  I will also be having some time with the administrator.  I have posted here just a few of the wonderful teachers at EBI who pour themselves into their students every day.  Their enthusiasm and commitment to teaching English has been a joy for me to experience.  I know that if in the future I would have any questions, I could call them and they would help in anyway possible.

Cecilia

Henrique

My flight home is scheduled for Friday, arriving home on Saturday.  If time allows I will post again any final thoughts about this trip.  This I will say over and over, thank you for your prayers and support.  I have felt your love and partnership.

I know that God ordered this time in Brazil and I am excited to see the next steps.

I want to close with some pictures of the Mission House in Manacapuru.  The work is progressing and we are excited.  I love this church and their heart for their community.  God is at work in the Amazon and in Manacapuru specifically.