June 29, 2007

A Major Milestone

That's right, Mikey lost his first tooth.  Below, he holds the offending dental unit.

Posted by Andrew at 11:18 AM
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Brazil Gets a Mexican Drubbing

clipped from au.fourfourtwo.com Mexico secured a shock 2-0 victory over reigning champions Brazil in their opening Group B clash of the Copa America. In front of a crowd of 40,000 at the Cachamay stadium in Puerto Ordaz, Hugo Sanchez's side were far superior against a depleted Brazil outfit.

Posted by Andrew at 11:05 AM
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June 27, 2007

Caption Challenge for 06-27-2007

img src http://thrillingwonder.blogspot.com/

Posted by Andrew at 11:36 AM
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Book of the Week: The Marketing of Evil

How did America get to the point where we accept the wholesale murder of the unborn?  How did marriage get to be defined as basically any relationship between any two living beings?  Why is it that we make excuses for jihadists while vilifying traditional American heroes?

The startling answers to these questions--and more--are set forth in a straightforward manner by David Kupelian in his masterful book The Marketing of Evil.  Beginning with the "abortion rights" movement and covering everything from "gay rights" to prayer in public schools, Kupelian demonstrates how the US has been consistently and purposefully fed a line.

Careful not to descend into the lunacy of Illuminati/Scull and Bones/Bilderberger conspiracy theories, the book instead presents a very lucid and well-documented look at how those intent on promoting evil have been allowed to do so under our very noses. 

Kupelian also does not sink into the despair or escapism that so easily accompanies a treatise on the decline of Western society.  Rather, he suggests ways that those on the side of good can create a counter-culture that will eventually save civilization as we know it.

A very interesting, informative, galvanizing read.

Posted by Andrew at 11:20 AM
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The DEMUTRAN Adventure

Dear readers, I posted this yesterday (Wednesday), and when I came back today, I found that the last part of the story was missing. Not quite sure how that happened, but it is fixed now. If you have been dying of suspense--waiting to find out what happens, wait no more.

Two-and-a-half weeks ago I was in the middle of conducting an awesome group from the US through a week-long missions trip here in the Cariri Valley.  We were running full tilt, seeing the sights, and preparing for a weekend ministry to English students.  On Thursday of that week I took two of the guys from the team downtown to get some supplies.

We spent a pleasant afternoon shopping for the various items we needed, and then made our way in a leisurely fashion back toward where my truck was parked.

Or where it had been parked.  As we turned the corner of the block, my truck was "conspicuous by its absence".  My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach as I remembered all the tales other missionaries had told me of stolen vehicles.  Doing everything possible to maintain calm in front of my guests--who by now had noticed the empty parking space--I turned to them and cocked my head to one side.

"Well that's interesting."  I said.  As they were concurring with my observation, my mind raced ahead to see what my options were.  Just then, I noticed two officers of DEMUTRAN--the department of municipal transit--standing on the corning.

I casually sauntered up to them and asked, "You didn't happen to see a gray Hilux parked here a little while ago, did you?"

"Oh yes" they replied.  "We had it towed."

The conflicting emotions that flooded over me are hard to describe.  First, I wanted to hug them, because that meant my vehicle had not been stolen.  Then, I felt like grabbing the nearest one by the collar, lifting him up, and hollering "What do you mean you had it towed!!!!"

Instead, I raised my eyebrow.

"Oh really." I said, trying to effect an air of mild interest.  "Any particular reason for that?"

"That's a no parking zone." was the reply.

"That's interesting.  There is no sign there stating that it is a no parking zone." I observed.  At that point the other official stepped in.

"We towed your car because it was parked too close to the corner." 

"Ah, I see."  I replied.  I was beginning to enjoy this.  "And where is the yellow line that is supposed to indicate how close to the corner I can park."

Uncomfortable pause. 

Then the second DEMUTRAN cop offered lamely, "Well, you can definitely mention that in your defense when you contest the ticket."

I could see that this conversation--fun as it was--was fruitless.  I got from them the address where I would find my truck (three blocks away), and we set off on foot to get it. 

Arriving at the impound--an old building with a large, run-down court-yard that looked as if it might have at one time garrisoned Dom Pedro's troops--I saw no sign of my truck.  I walked up to the first official-looking guy I saw and stuck out my hand. 

"Hello!"  I said, affecting all the congeniality I could muster.  "I believe you have something of mine, and I would sure like to have it back."

He looked at me and gave me a wan, dentally challenged smile.

"That's going to be hard." he informed me.  "Your Hilux is not supposed to be released until tomorrow."

Vaguely confused as to how he knew I was the owner of the Hilux, I was much more concerned with the prospect of spending the evening without a car. 

It was then that I had an epiphany of sorts.  I had just finished reading the book Cross Cultural Conflict by Duane Elmer--and I remembered examples he had given of how missionaries to "two-thirds world" countries had resolved conflicts by appealing to the nationals' sense of shame.  I decided it was worth a shot.

"Oh that's not good." I replied to the tooth-deficient official. "You see those Americans over there? They are part of a group of fourteen that are visiting this city, and it would be very embarrassing to tell them that the truck is caught up in red tape.

The official thought about this for a moment, and then--telling me to wait right there--turned around and entered the main building, shutting the door behind him. A few minutes later he re-appeared at a small window.

"Meet me around back," he said.

Circling to the back of the building, I saw (oh the joy!) my truck. I also discovered why it was not hard for the official to tell I was the owner of the Hilux. It was the only vehicle in the lot.

After he had run a check to make sure that all my documents were in order (they were), and after he had charged me R$70 for the tow truck (to haul my truck three blocks!), I drove off in my truck--very thankful to be doing so, and very grateful for Duane Elmer and Cross Cultural Conflict.

Posted by Andrew at 10:51 AM
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São João Party

Saturday was the São João (Saint John) party here in Brazil.  For most of the countryside it is a time of setting off fireworks and building bonfires.  At night, the streets of the city look like this...



To the untrained eye, this could look like a war zone.  It is not, but the frequent bonfires--as well as the inebriated people weaving in and out of traffic--make for interesting driving during the festival.

As our church is right in the middle of a residential area that is the scene of some very wild and noisy parties, the youth group decided to spend the night at our place.  Many found their own transportation, but those who couldn't crowded into our truck.




And I do mean "crowded"!  Thus loaded, we took off for Crato, dodging bonfires as we went. 

When we arrived, we found the party in full swing.










I had had a full day, so I turned in at about 9.  Itacyara is more of a "party animal" than I am, however, and so she stayed until the "wee hours" with the kids.
 


We were happy to be able to afford the youth group this chance to blow off a little steam, as well as get away from the smoke and noise of the São João "celebrations".

Posted by Andrew at 9:57 AM
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June 26, 2007

Puppet Ministry has a Home

I realize this is two puppet posts in one day (sorry, Kev), and I realize that you may think that this is all I do--so I want you to know that you will be seeing many more camp/seminary/youth group/ posts in the near future.

However, I did want to inform you of perhaps the most exciting development in the Cidade Feliz project.  On Sunday we were officially "adopted" by the Novo Juazeiro Baptist Church.  They have taken us on as an official project of their church.

Sunday morning Itacyara and I joined up with Cicero and Nice for a presentation to the church family at their bi-monthly business meeting.



That's me presenting the ministry to the church.  After three years of deputation, this is like butter on hot bread.



After the presentation, Cicero, Nice and I fielded questions.  The response was very positive, and the church voted to add us to their budget.  We were thrilled!

Tonight I am going with Cicero to check out on a studio for recording the sound tracks for projects that are already in the pipe.  We also have solid invitations for three more Schools of Puppetry, and verbal invitations for many more.

Posted by Andrew at 5:22 PM
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Second Puppet School

On Friday and Saturday we of the the Cidade Feliz team held our second ever puppetry school.  It was a roaring success.  But don't take my word for it--check out the pictures!




As always, our school of puppetry features hands-on training in puppetry techniques.  Here I demonstrate with Nice the operation of a human-arm puppet.

By far the biggest draw for the course is the fact that students get to make their own puppets, which they then take home for use in their various ministries. 

Below are some of the more creative designs that came out of last week's school.



Pinky the Punk Puppet




I liked the hair on this puppet. 



This guy bears a striking resemblance to the Brazilian president.  And he only has one less finger!



This puppet seems rather nonplussed by his first look at the world.



After they make their puppets, the students divide up into teams and prepare a short lesson using their new creations.  This provides for some entertaining moments.



Presenting the June, 2007 graduating class of the Cidade Feliz School of Puppetry!

Posted by Andrew at 5:07 PM
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June 21, 2007

Update on Daniel Lounsbrough

Danny came through surgery just fine.  Here is the e-mail I got this morning:

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your prayers.  Daniel was in for about three hours, and the problem nerve was cauterized.  They went in from the
groin area only, not from the top also as I had indicated.  The nerve was in the left ventricle, which is the easier one to get at.  He spent four hours in recovery coming off of the anesthesia, and they are on their way home as I write.

We praise God for a quick and successful surgery.  The doctor says there is a 97% chance the problem will not return.  We'll be doing follow up with the doctor here in Brazil beginning in August.

Thanks again for praying.

Mark for all

Posted by Andrew at 8:38 AM
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June 19, 2007

Puppet Brazil Blog

Cicero and Nice have just set up a blog where they will highlight their work with puppets, particularly the manufacturing part.  Their intention is for it to be both in Portuguese and English.  This could be a very helpful resource for those interested in putting together a puppet ministry.

Posted by Andrew at 5:47 PM
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Special Prayer Request

Posted by Andrew at 5:14 PM
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Caption Challenge for 05-19-2007

Posted by Andrew at 9:23 AM
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Book of the Week: Cross Cultural Conflict

This book was required reading by the mission--to be read before I left for the field (cough cough). I found it to be an outstanding resource for the missionary, or anybody interested in increasing their communication skills in an increasingly multicultural world.

As I was reading it, I had two opportunities to put some of it's principles to practice here in Brazil (ostensibly part of the "two-thirds world" the author constantly refers to). One of these opportunities--involving getting my car out of a city impound--was successful due to the principle of appealing to the sense of shame built into the culture. The other--a conflict with a local airline--is still in process.

Mr. Elmer helped clarify my thinking on a lot of issues. I highly recommend his work.

Posted by Andrew at 9:09 AM
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"New" House

If you have been following along with our hectic pace, you know that we recently moved to a new home.  In truth, we are simply house-sitting for a missionary couple that are home on furlough. 

The house has several very nice features.  Among them is this upper deck area, which has become my home study.

Posted by Andrew at 9:04 AM
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Bazaar and Classical Music Concert

Last Friday saw two big events here at the seminary.  First, the student body hosted a bazaar in order to raise funds for the seminary retreat in October.  Second, the Music Dept. hosted a concert of classical music in order to raise funds for some new instruments.

First, some pictures of the bazaar...



Used clothing was a hot item.



Edney takes orders by phone.  (Actually not...he was just playing around with a phone donated to the bazaar)



Gil gives me the sales pitch.



Itacyara haggles for the right price (while the sales-lady feels her stomach...)

Now for some pictures of the concert...




The combined seminary choir and orchestra, as well as the flutophone choir from one of the local churches.



The repertoire consisted of music by Bach, Handel, and Mozart, with little biographical sketches of each composer.




Mikey and Itacyara were obviously riveted by the music.

Both events made for a great evening.  It was especially gratifying to see how the quality of music has taken a jump here at the seminary over the past couple years.

Posted by Andrew at 8:43 AM
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Puppets Galore

Because my focus has been on other things during the last few weeks, there have not been many "puppet posts" recently.  This does not mean that nothing is being done in that area, however.  Cicero and Nice, our "partners in crime", have been busily designing puppets for our upcoming filming project. 

Here is one of the newest examples:



In a moment of whimsy, we took the following shot...



In their "spare" time, Cicero and Nice made a little tutorial video, showing their technique for making foam puppets. 





There has been a tremendous response to the video.  It was recently featured on Puppetbuilding.com, and subsequently shown on Make--a site for "do-it-yourself-ers". They have received requests for information from as far away as Canada and Australia.

I am very blessed to be able to work with such gifted people. 

Posted by Andrew at 8:02 AM
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June 12, 2007

Family Retreat at Iguatu

In addition to the Faith Baptist team and our moving from one house to another, the other event that kept us busy was our ongoing duties as director of the Iguatu camp.  Last Thursday the churches from the Center-South region of our state held a family conference, for which I was present.  Here are some pictures:



I arrived late Wednesday evening, after spending all day moving furniture at our house.  When I drove onto the campus at about midnight, I found a soccer game in full swing.  I had a pretty easy time resisting the urge to join in.



Lucia is our camp cook.  She does an outstanding job.




Geraldo is the maintenance man.  He also doubles as cantina staff.



Something you do not see in US camps: hammocks stretched all over the place.



I played around testing the night capabilities of our new camera.  Seems to work pretty well.



I really liked this night shot of our dining hall.



Frogs like this are commonplace.  This one was not nearly as annoying as the little ones that take up residence under the toilet seat in my living quarters at the camp.



Of course the whole reason we "do" camp is so that unsaved people will hear the Gospel, and believers will be edified.  I was unable to sit in on any of the services, but was gratified to hear that those in attendance were blessed by the preaching of the Word.

Posted by Andrew at 7:51 PM
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Missions Trip Report

A week has passed, and I have still not posted anything regarding the missions team that visited us from Faith Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida.  Bad missionary blogger!

The team arrived early in the morning (about 2:30!) at the Juazeiro airport after an eventful, one-day stay in Fortaleza.  We packed them into a topique and took them to the seminary, where they were able to rest up for the remainder of the day.

By the way, when I say we packed them in to the topique, I do mean packed!

 

On Wednesday (the 30th) we took them to see the statue of Padre Cicero.  This is usually the first "port of call" when we bring groups down, just because it gives people an idea of the raw Catholicism of the region. 



The blatant idolatry and overwhelming lostness of the people around the shrine to the Padre never fail to make an impression on visiting groups.

One of the greatest impacts a team from the US can have here is in the ESL community.  The fact that they don't speak Portuguese actually becomes an advantage as they interact with those who are intent on learning English. 



In the above picture, two of the team members interact with students at the American English Center--the school we worked through during the week.



During the week we had two "get-to-know-you" sessions at the English school in preparation for the main event--a two-day English camp held at the seminary.  Here is the Faith team with a group of students and staff from the American English Center.

Another highlight for teams we bring down is a hike in the Araripe mountain range.  From this vantage point, one can see the Cariri Valley in all it's glory.



Climbing on the rocks is always a big attraction.



Some of the team members were quite courageous.




And others were just plain crazy.




This is a group shot of the team, taken on the way back from the hike.

On Friday afternoon we began the main event.  The Brazilians who came (about 60 in all, most of them un-churched) were divided up into teams, and competitions were held, including a "team yell" contest (below).




The neatest thing about this event was that several members from the Faith team got to give their testimonies during the English camp.  They were translated into English--sometimes by yours truly, and sometimes by Brazilian believers in attendance.



Notice the rapt attention being given as testimonies are being shared!




The team from Faith was alive, fun-loving, and eager to serve.



I was very impressed with the way they mixed it up with the Brazilians.  Many friendships were made, and the team maintained an excellent testimony during the entire visit.




One highlight of the visit was a ministry to the church for the hearing impaired on Sunday.  As you can see from the above picture, we had a three-way translation going on--Pastor Pete preaching in English, me translating into Portuguese, and one of our seminary students translating into Portuguese sign language. 

Of course it didn't help any when I read the wrong passage at the beginning of the message.




Also on Sunday the team had an outstanding ministry at our church.  Many unsaved people showed up who had developed relationships with the group throughout the week.  The team sang a special number, and Pastor Pete preached. 



Goodbyes are never fun.  Mikey in particular was torn apart--although I suspect it was because he wanted to ride on the bus.  We said our farewells Sunday evening as the group boarded the bus for another week of ministry in Jo�o Pessoa.  We were sad to see them go, but are hopeful they will chose to come visit us again.

Posted by Andrew at 6:41 PM // Comments: 1 // TrackBack: 0 //
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Dad's Cancer Surgery

I am slowly getting out from under a huge pile of work that accumulated during the last two weeks.  I thought I would resume blogging with this excellent news for those who have been praying for my Dad over the last few weeks:

Surgery was last week Friday (June 1). The cancer tissue was removed from the left side of my face, leaving a very interesting set of stitches with which to entertain folks who met me. Two other spots were cut into for a biopsy. Went to the doctor for a follow up visit today. The stitches were removed. There should be little to no scar...eventually. The cancer was thoroughly removed and the area around it is clear. The other two suspicious spots were sun-damaged but not cancerous. So, clean bill of health again - but, from now on, a
steady alertness to the possibility of a recurrance. It has been a very good time for careful thinking. Thanks for all who were concerned and who prayed and who laughed at my thoughts of changing my name to Frank N. Stein while the stitches were decorating my face. I hope that in some way Christ was represented well through this process.

Posted by Andrew at 5:49 PM
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June 4, 2007

Blog? What Blog?

A big apology for all those readers who depend on their daily fix of Comings Communiqué.  The recent blog silence has been due to the absolutely marvelous week we spent with the team from Faith Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida.  Added to that is that fact that we have been busily packing for the last two weeks, in preparation for our move.  Today was moving day, and we have about 90% of our goods transferred--either to storage or to our new (temporary) residence.

There are some great stories from the missions trip, as well as some awesome pictures (taken on the camera they brought down for us!) which will be posted on the web as soon as time allows. 

Stay tuned!

Posted by Andrew at 4:18 PM
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