January 30, 2004

Monica's Gang

The last couple of days have been slow in the news department, so I though I would share a link to one of my favorite Brazilian sites. This is the homepage for Turma da Mónica (Monica's Gang), the most famous comic strip in Brazil.

Don't worry, this is their English site. Reading these comic strips, you might just gain some insight into Brazilian culture (unless you are one of the 2% who read this site from Brazil...in that case you already know all this!)

Enjoy.

Posted by Andrew at 8:45 PM // Comments: 1 //
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January 28, 2004

An Opportunity for English Speakers in Brazil

Recently the Brazzil website carried an article about the opportunities for English teachers in Brazil. It gave the web address to Educação Para Todos, an organization that seeks volunteers from England, Australia, and the UK to teach English in the northeastern city of Maceió.

Teaching English is a great opportunity that is open to us in Brazil, and can open the door to sharing the gospel. If you have a background in education and are interested in serving God in this way, let me know, and I will put you in touch with the right people.

Posted by Andrew at 7:23 PM
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January 27, 2004

Religion in Brazil

Recently I came across a series of excellent articles (albiet from a secular perspective) on religion in Brazil. In them, scholar Rubem César Fernandes gives an excellent overview of the spiritual makeup of the country. Below are the links to the respective articles. (Please keep in mind that these are written from a secular standpoint, and certainly do not reflect the views of the staff or management of this weblog)

Religion in Brazil: An Introduction
Kardecist Spiritualism
Candomblé
Evangelicals and Pentecostals
Pagelança
Liberation Theology
Umbanda

Posted by Andrew at 7:39 PM // Comments: 1 //
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January 26, 2004

24 New Missionaries to Brazil

Yesterday we consecrated 24 new missionaries to Brazil. Actually, consecrated is probably not the correct word. Un-crated is probably the better term.

You see, these are 24 puppets that were donated to us yesterday. Puppets are an effective way to minister to children and adults, and their effectiveness is increased 100 fold in Brazil, where they are more of a novelty. I have seen large crowds form in public parks and listen intently as the Gospel was presented by puppets.

The chief purpose of my short-term ministry in Brazil (1994-1996) was to start a puppet team for the Cariri Baptist Seminary. That puppet team is still going, and still using the original eight puppets I took down for the task. As I write this, I am informed that one of those puppets is currently ministering on the Amazon, and one of them is on a missions trip in Colombia.

We are looking forward to putting these current additions to our puppet ministry to use in Brazil as soon as possible.

A special thank you to Colin Jumper for his generosity in making this donation.

Posted by Andrew at 11:59 AM // Comments: 1 //
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January 24, 2004

Happy Birthday, São Paulo

It is most likely that I will not be around the computer tomorrow, so I wanted to take this opportunity to wish the city of São Paulo a happy 450th birthday.

With over 10 million inhabitants, São Paulo is not only the largest city in Brazil, but also in all of Latin America--and the fourth largest city in the world.

According to the official website of the city, it "houses 6% of the Brazilian population, represents around 9% of the national GNP and commands the country's third largest budget.''

São Paulo was founded in 1554 by Jesuit priests. Today it is home to many ethnic groups, and Brazil's center of industry.

My own adventures in São Paulo include numerous mishaps at the airport, visits to some very huge malls, a conference at a large church near the Santana bus terminal, and a wild taxi ride through the city.

Good times.

Posted by Andrew at 12:50 PM // Comments: 3 //
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Brazil's New Prominence

Those interested in an interesting article about the role Brazil plays in the western hemisphere and in the world should check out this article in the New York Times. (Registration is required, but it is free)

Posted by Andrew at 11:42 AM
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January 22, 2004

Brazilian Baseball?

Usually people don't associate baseball with Brazil, but in my searches today I came across this Brazilian site, dedicated to the propagation of the sport within that country.

Of course, it is in Portuguese, which precludes 99% of the readers of this site. Still, they might find the pictures interesting.

Posted by Andrew at 9:53 PM // Comments: 1 //
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January 21, 2004

This Just In...

Did you know that Brazil has the worlds second largest population of water buffalo?

Thanks to Dr. William Smallman, former missionary to Brazil and current administrator of our mission for sending me that life-changing info!

Posted by Andrew at 4:09 PM // Comments: 1 //
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I Must Be Crazy!

Today I schedule scheduled myself to speak at a week of camp this summer. Nothing so extra-ordinary about that, except for the fact that I am already scheduled to speak at another camp the following week.

Two different camps, two sets of at least 8 messages each, two different themes, two consecutive weeks.

Like I mentioned in the title, I must be crazy!

Posted by Andrew at 3:39 PM // Comments: 1 //
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January 20, 2004

What Would the World Be Like...

In a recent article on the Brazzil website, Guy Burton sheds light on a little-known event in Brazilian history. It seems that in 1834, somebody presented a bill to the Brazilian legislature that would have, in effect, joined Brazil and the United States together as one national entity. The bill, as quoted by Burton, stated the following:

Art. 1 Brazil and the United States will be federated for the purpose of mutually defending themselves against foreign pretensions and will aid each other in the development of the internal wealth of both nations.

Art. 3. Each one of the nations shall be represented in the national assembly of the other.

Art. 4. The products of each nation shall be received in the other in the same manner as its own, free from all imposts.

Obviously this bill never went very far. The Mr. Burton notes that even if it had been passed in Brazil, it would have had to have been ratified in the US as well.

As somebody with strong ties to both countries, I cannot help but wonder how history would be different if something had actually come of this, and both Brazil and the US had ratified this treaty.

Below are some headlines we might have seen over the last two centuries:

Continue reading "What Would the World Be Like..."

Posted by Andrew at 3:36 PM // Comments: 4 //
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January 19, 2004

Interesting Stats

So far this month, Brazilian visitors to my site total 1% of all visitors. While this may not seem like much, it represents the largest group of non-US viewers.

Other countries from whence this site has been visited include (in descending order based on number of visits):

Canada
Malaysia
Australia
Trinidad and Tobago
Portugal
France
United Kingdom
United States
Seychelles
Bulgaria
Greece
Sweden
Viet Nam
Belize
Germany
Denmark
Japan
Mexico
Saudi Arabia
Argentina
Spain
Ireland

Posted by Andrew at 10:12 AM
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January 18, 2004

A Noteworthy Event

I had an interesting experience today. We presented our ministry at Calvary Baptist Church in Preble, NY. In the evening we spoke in council time in their AWANA meeting. Just as I was getting ready to speak to the kids (from pre-school to 6th grade) I noticed the entire youth group filing into the back rows.

Now I had prepared for the kids, I was not prepared for the teens. These are two entirely different groups, which require radically varied communication methods. I tried my best to include things the teens would appreciate in my presentation, but admittedly a lot of what I said was geared to the younger kids.

The remarkable thing was that, in spite of this, I never felt like I lost the teens' attention. I was very impressed with the fact that they sat through our presentation, and never once exhibited the typical boredom symptoms I am used to seeing in such situations.

Like I said before, I was very impressed. Afterward, several teens came up and peppered us with substantive questions about Brazil and missions. This is always encouraging to us, because it makes us feel like our deputation ministry is having an impact.

Posted by Andrew at 11:41 PM
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January 17, 2004

Current Ministry Opportunities

I wish I was in Brazil. Of course I believe I have mentioned that--or at least hinted at it--before. Now, however, that God-given desire has intensified!

The reason is that I am in New York for meetings, and the temperature has hit a one hundred-year low. What did I do to deserve this? How is this preparing me for ministry in Brazil?

Actually, God has given us plenty to do to keep busy:

We are sharing our ministry in several churches.

We are working with Guilherme, a Brazilian foreign exchange student staying with my folks here in the (frozen) North.

I have been able to expand the web aspect of our ministry, with several positive results.

I am working at McDonalds again part time (more witnessing opportunities).

We are feverishly preparing for our ministry trip in March.

Busy does not even begin to describe us. People shouldn't be allowed to have this much fun!

Posted by Andrew at 9:06 PM
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January 16, 2004

O Auto da Compadecida

Last night I watched (again) the movie O Auto Da Compadecida, one of the pest pictures to come out of Brazilian cinema in a long time. Originally a TV miniseries, it broke Brazilian box-office records when it was released in its film version.

Continue reading "O Auto da Compadecida"

Posted by Andrew at 3:38 PM
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January 14, 2004

The Very Latest...

This just in:

An American pilot and his crew have been detained by Brazilian police after the pilot allegedly made and obscene gesture just as he was being photographed. The rest of the crew refused to be photographed or fingerprinted. At present they are being held in the VIP room of the airport, awaiting further action. Get the full story here.

In the interest of keeping you up-to-date with happenings in our field of service, we will post anything of interest that happens as a result of this.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Andrew at 3:23 PM
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Ongoing Fingerprint Saga

The latest news from Rio is that Brazilian tourist Agencies are meeting American tourists at the gates of the Rio airport with t-shirts, flowers, and other presents. This is an attempt to soften the impact of the new fingerprinting policy which applies only to Americans entering the country.

The Boston Globe reports that while Americans at the gates are impressed with the gifts, tourism is still suffering. According to a Brazilian travel official, "Travel agencies that are part of our organization have already registered three cancellations of large tour groups -- one for 240 people, another for 350, and another for 400."

Posted by Andrew at 2:06 PM
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Notes on Last Night

Yesterday I was able to attend the pastors and wives fellowship hosted by Bible Baptist Church in Cortland, NY. We had a real good time of fellowship. I knew most of the pastors present. We were able to share in a good time of prayer, and I even came away with a couple of engagements for later in the year.

In other news, Guilherme Saraiva arrived from Florida last night. He is a Brazilian exchange student who will be staying with my folks for the remainder of the school year. He seemed a little shell-shocked when he arrived, probably due to the below-freezing weather.

Posted by Andrew at 10:23 AM
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January 13, 2004

New Feature

Thanks to the computer savvy of K3, I am proud to present the newest feature to this site: The "Let's Talk About Missions" forum. This will replace the now-defunct Missions Forum, and hopefully spark some lively discussions that will challenge all of us for missions.

Posted by Andrew at 5:02 PM
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Latest From Brazil on Talks

According to the Globo newspaper, talks in Mexico with leaders of the other American states are seeing some signs of progress.

Mexico

Mexican leader Vincente Fox has come out in favor of Bush's new immigration policy, and the war in Iraq.

Brazil

Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva met with Bush for about half an hour, and they talked about the recent decision by a Brazilian judge to photograph and fingerprint all Americans coming into the country. According to Globo, President Lula actually proposed that each country (the US and Brazil) open its borders to the citizens of the other--without need for a visa. I am not sure about the security ramifications of this for the US, but this could be a positive development indeed for missionaries serving in Brazil.

Illiterate and Nosy?

Finally, Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, angry at being called a dictator by the Bush administration, lashed out at Condolezza Rice, calling her "illiterate and nosy". My impression of Ms. Rice is that she is very good at what she does, and is not someone you want as an enemy. I am sure these remarks will do Mr. Chavez absolutely no good whatsoever.

Posted by Andrew at 1:01 PM
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Oh Happy Day!

Right now we are in the process of buying the tickets for our ministry trip to Brazil in March. After over three years outside of the country, I can hardly believe that I will actually be going back...even if it is only for a month.

There is much work to be done, but the fact that the tickets are actually being bought as I write this is a tremendous boost to our spirits.

Posted by Andrew at 10:32 AM // Comments: 1 //
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January 12, 2004

Update from Latin America

Please be in prayer today for President Bush as he goes to Mexico for talks with Latin American leaders. At stake is much more than international cooperation on the western hemisphere. The way Americans--and, more importantly, American missionaries are perceived in the region--could hinge on these talks.

According to LA Times writer Richard Boudreaux:

When he arrives in Monterrey today for his second Summit of the Americas, Bush will meet a Latin American leadership that has shifted to the left and grown increasingly assertive with Washington as people across the region lose faith in free markets.

The leftward shift of Latin American leadership is epitomized in Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is demonstrating a growing anti-American bent in his policies. Most recently, he has made national law a recent judge's ruling that all American citizens must be photographed and fingerprinted upon entrance into Brazil. This is in retaliation to photographing and fingerprinting carried out on all foreign nationals by US customs agents for security reasons.

In this writer's humble opinion, the solution to Brazil's economic woes is the reduction of it's external debt. You do not reduce your external debt by thumbing your nose at your largest creditor.

Whatever the lack of wisdom might be evident to those of us abroad, his actions seem to be quite popular in Brazil, which brings me to the main point of this entry:

Pray for your missionaries in Brazil!

The decisions of this week could have a great bearing on how Americans are viewed by educated Brazilians, and an impact on the effectiveness of American missionaries in that country.

For the most part, American missionaries are there because they have a God-given love for Brazilians, and are anxious to give the greatest gift they can--their lives--to Brazil. These kind of international conflicts only serve to distract attention from their work--which has eternal value--and focus it on temportal issues which have little relevance to the Gospel.

As one wise man put it, "Missionaries need to remember that they are there to say 'thus saith the Lord' and not 'this is how we do it in America'."

Pray that God will help all of us to keep this focus.

Posted by Andrew at 10:33 AM // Comments: 1 //
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January 10, 2004

The Missionary Quest

Recently a young lady wrote to me with the following questions:

When you first found out you were being called to be a missionary? What are some steps you took to get there? What did you have to go through to become a missionary?

Below is my response:

1. After I surrendered my life to God, to do whatever He wanted, I began to look for ways to serve him where I was. I got involved in my church. I got involved with a Christian puppet team, and in an area youth association.

2. I had already been to Brazil for two months, and was feeling an intense desire to return. Not one to trust my feelings, I sought out some areas of ministry that did not have anything to do with Brazil. I even took a missions trip to Russia. Through all of this, I could not get Brazil out of my mind.

3. Since I couldn't extinguish the burning desire I had for Brazil, I decided to pursue a short-term missions trip there. I figured that if God was going to open or close the door, He could do it then. God used my puppet skills (see #1) to open up an opportunity for me to start a puppet team at a Christian college in Brazil. From the moment I stepped off the plane in Brazil, I knew that I was home. While in Brazil, there were several things God used to confirm His calling: a) I had no trouble picking up the language. By the end of my two years there, I was speaking Portuguese like a native. b) Brazilian believers expressed to me their desire that I return. c) I saw many opportunities for ministry in which I could be involved. d) God worked a change in me to where I am more comfortable in Brazilian culture than my own. Cultural adaptation took more time and was more difficult than language learning, but God "pulled it off" in my life. d)At just the right time, God brought a Brazilian woman into my life with the same burden for her country that I had. We began dating at the end of my two-year missions trip.

4. After returning home from Brazil, my only focus in life was returning to Brazil (ok, so maybe getting married figured in there somewhere as well). My girlfriend (we were engaged in the summer of 1999) was completing her education in Brazil, and I began looking around for a good Bible College here in the States. I finally settled on Spurgeon Baptist Bible College in Mulbery, Florida. I chose Spurgeon because its focus was on Bible training, it had graduated some very good missionaries, and it very cost-effective. The school has changed somewhat since I attended, but it is still a good place to train for the ministry. I graduated from there in 2000, and was married in the summer of that same year.

5. While at Spurgeon, I was able to associate with Fellowship Baptist Church. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of finding a good, solid church family. I cannot imagine trying to go "solo" without the support, encouragement, and accountability of my church family.

6. I took some "time out" from my quest for missions in Brazil in order to establish my family. Starting a new life on the mission field as well as a new life of matrimony would probably not have worked out very well.

7. While I was working in Brazil, I worked closely with missionaries there from Baptist Mid-Missions. This is a great missions agency out of Cleveland, OH, with missionaries all over the world. I am extremely gratefull to be a part of this missionary family. Choosing a good mission agency is second only to chosing a good sending church. Mission agencies provide fellowship, accountability, and teamwork while on the field that your home church cannot provide by itself. They also provide financial, logistical, and infra-structural services to missionaries that free us up to do the work God calls us to do. Baptist Mid-Missions was the logical choice for us, because we had worked with their team in Brazil. If you are interested, I can get you some more information about this particular missions. There are other good boards as well. I think I gave you the links to those in my last letter.

8. Once we joined the mission board, we began the process called "deputation". This is the process where we go to as many churches as possible to present the ministry to which God has called us. Some of those churches will agree to partner with us financially. When enough do that, we will go to the field. We are looking forward to that day, but also enjoying the ministry God has given to us now.

Posted by Andrew at 11:29 AM
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Brazilian Weddings

Recently I received a letter from somebody asking about Brazilian wedding traditions. I thought this information would be interesting to post on this blog. I also have a page which shows pictures of my own Brazilian wedding.

Brazilian weddings vary from couple to couple, and from region to region of Brazil. I have been in some very ornate ones, and also in some very simple ones.

One of the main differences I have noticed is the signing of the marriage license as part of the ceremony. At our wedding, the bride and groom signed, and two witnesses from each side also signed.

Some Brazilians in evangelical circles are starting to add the candle ceremony as well. This is due to the influence of American missionaries.

The custome of groomsman and bridesmaids is not part of Brazilian culture, however we had them. Some Brazilians are starting to include them as well. It was impossible to find tuxes and matching dresses for them, so they just all wore whatever formal wear they could find. It actually turned out looking very nice.

We also had a translator present, so all parties understood the whole service (except for the special music, which was all in Portuguese).

As to the cost, it was a LOT cheaper than an American wedding, if you discount what everybody paid to go down there. Brazilian brides usually rent their wedding gown (which makes much more sense to me), and things like food and decorations are much cheaper than here in the States.

Posted by Andrew at 11:05 AM
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January 9, 2004

Praise God!

Three things for which we are rejoicing today:

#1. We arrived in New York without incident. Our car worked fine, we maintained the proper speed, and we got here in a timely manner. Even though we are suffering now in -11 degree weather, we are thankful for the safety God gave us.

#2. Encouraging conversations with Tassie's family. My wife's sisters and mother are growing in the Lord following their conversion. Continue to pray for them, and for my wife's two brothers who have yet to accept Christ.

#3. Another church has voted to partner with us financially! This is encouraging to hear, and brings us that much closer to going to Brazil.

Posted by Andrew at 9:52 PM
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Brazil in the News

A Brazilian judge has decided that, because the United States makes foriegners--including Brazilians--be photographed and fingerprinted upon entry into the US, Brazil will do the same thing...but only to Americans.

The judge, Julier Sabastiao Silva, cited "diplomatic reciprocity" in his ruling which issued the order. He also, according to the San Fransisco Chroncle, used some tough rhetoric, calling the U.S. program "absolutely brutal, threatening to human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis."

The effect was seen almost immediately. The San Fransisco Chronicle also reports:

On Monday, at Rio de Janeiro's Tom Jobim International Airport, the holiday trickle of travelers became a flood and there were long delays for Americans.

Poorly equipped, understaffed immigration services couldn't keep up. Some Americans waited up to nine hours to enter the country. Previously, it took minutes.

Of course the process has been streamlined and takes less time now, but it still represents a major inconvenience to Americans travelling to Brazil, as we will be in March.

My Opinion

This is a mean-spirited decision based on emotions rather than reason. For a good perspective on this, check out John Fitzpatrick's article on the BRAZZIL webpage, Welcome to Brazil - Say "Cheese".

This serves to illustrate the anti-American spirit that exists in many mission fields. Much prayer is necessary for people laboring in Brazil. Satan uses the political climate to distract people from the message of the Gospel being preached by missionaries, who happen to be American. Pray that God would give us the grace to be faithful in the task He has given us, and not be distracted by side issues.

Posted by Andrew at 1:18 PM
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News From the Field

Here is a portion from a prayer letter I received from Mark and Linda Willson, which shows some of the work involved in church-planting in Brazil.

This past Sunday morning, almost all the members of the Novo Juazeiro
Baptist Church, including the Maranatha and Calvary congregations, met in
Novo Juazeiro to vote on a proposed revision of the CHURCH
CONSTITUTION. A revision committee, in which Pastor Sergio had participated, drew up the proposal. Copies were distributed to all and were read and explained in business meetings. Other suggestions were received and some of them incorporated. Then everyone met on Sunday for a final reading and
voted to approve it.

This was a good experience for the members of the Maranatha congregation.
They learned a lot about what is involved in a making a local church function, as we went over the mission of the church, its membership, its leaders and administration, etc. It was important all the members to be present. Praise the Lord, not only did almost everyone show up, but there was also plenty of transportation. Besides the pastor and missionaries, there are five other vehicles in the congregation, but many times they haven’t been available. Attendance seemed down a little at Sunday night service, but the atmosphere was very good and Pastor Sergio’s message was very appropriate. It is good to see the people grow together more and more as a CHURCH BODY.

Posted by Andrew at 12:47 PM
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New Emphasis

Regular readers of this blog might notice a few changes to the look of the site, as well as to the tenor of the articles. This is due to a change in emphasis that took place at the beginning of the year.

The purpose of this weblog is to communicate updated information on our ministry to Brazil, educate people about Brazil, and discuss missions and Brazil in general. In the last year the blog became somewhat of a personal journal. There will still be personal entries made as they relate to our preparations for ministry in Brazil, but the overall emphasis will shift to ministry.

Also, I am shifting my emphasis to quality versus quantity. It was my objective last year to have at least on entry every day. Now you can rest assured that nothing will be posted unless it is truly relevant to the stated purpose of the weblog.

For anybody interested in more personal ramblings (for whatever unfathomable reasons), those are available at my other blog.

Posted by Andrew at 12:39 PM
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January 6, 2004

Comings and Goings post

I have been experiencing problems with my mailing list, so here is the Comings and Goings prayer letter which did not go out, for some reason or another.

Comings and Goings

Dear friends and supporters of this ministry,

The new year is upon us! 2003 was a time of tremendous challenges, tremendous opportunity, and tremendous blessing. Praise God with us for some of His blessings in the previous year:

Praise God for the many young people who were saved this year during our VBS and camp outreaches.

Praise God for the many people who expressed to us the desire to follow God’s leading in their lives with regard to missions.

Praise God for His protection of our family in our many travels.

Praise God for the opportunity to share our burden for Brazil in many churches in Florida and New York.

Praise God for the 27% of our needed support that has come in so far.

Praise God for the difficulties that we have faced over the past year, that have made us grow stronger in our faith and depend more on Him.

Praise God for increasing fruit seen by missionaries already on the field in Brazil.

As we look ahead to 2004, there are several opportunities for which we still covet your prayers.

Pray for the continued blessing of God on the work in Brazil.

Pray that Satan would not be effective in dividing or destroying the churches there.

Pray for God’s continued blessing and protection on our ministry.

Pray that God would provide the finances for us to be able to visit Brazil in March.

Pray for the All-Brazil missionary conference in March.

Pray that God would provide the necessary support so we can be on the field well before the end of this year.

Pray that great things might be done for God’s glory in the country of Brazil.

In Christ,

Andrew, Tassie, and Mike

Posted by Andrew at 6:42 PM
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January 5, 2004

Miami...Nice

Success has attended our efforts! Michael is now an official citizen of the Federative Republic of Brazil. *insert Brazilian national anthem here*

Of course this means that now I will have to deal with TWO Brazilians in my house on a daily basis. I think I will survive.

Posted by Andrew at 4:47 PM
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Miami...Twice

This is the second time we have come to Miami with the express purpose of taking care of documentation for our son Michael (third if you count the time we came just to get information). Hopefully success will attend our efforts today.

Our goals for today are the following:

1. Renew my wife's Brazilian passport.
2. Register my son as a Brazilian citizen.
3. Begin the process of gaining my permanent residency in Brazil.

It is hard for me to believe, as I bask in the glorious sunshine of the Miami area, that in a couple short days I will be freezing to death in New York.

Posted by Andrew at 8:16 AM // Comments: 2 //
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January 3, 2004

New Years Resolutions (a little late)

Most people make up their new years resolutions on January 1st, or perhaps December 31st. I guess January 3rd is not too bad. Here are my resolutions for 2004.

1. Not to procrastinate so much.
2. To have family devotions every day.
3. To memorize a verse a day.
4. To exercise at least 15 minutes every day.
5. To maintain a consistent budget (without having to erase all my accounts from Microsoft Money and start over!)
6. To be consistent in the Comings and Goings and To Brazil with Love prayer letters.
7. To be in Brazil, permanently, by the end of the year.
8. To make this weblog more about missions and Brazil, and less of a personal journal.

Now these are published, and we will be able to look back at the end of the year and see how many of them actually happened.

Posted by Andrew at 2:38 PM // Comments: 2 //
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