January 31, 2008
Camp Update
I am sitting in my office making final arrangements for camp. I wanted to thank you for your faithfulness in prayer. Rain has been coming down pretty steadily, and the last report we had was that the lake was up half a meter.
From everything we can tell, registration is very low. I have been praying for 100 campers. Given our camp's physical challenges, that would be a nice, manageable number. However, I really want God to send the campers He has in mind for our week. Please be praying for my brother Daniel as he shares what God has laid on his heart--and that I would be able to adequately translate it.
I will most likely not be updating much until after the retreat is over. Then look for photos, videos, and inspiring anecdotes.
Posted by Andrew at 8:46 PM
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January 30, 2008
Uncle Daniel Has Arrived
Actually, he arrived Sunday evening. Since then he has been quite busy...
...hanging out with his nephew Mikey...
...shooting the breeze with his brother Andrew (that's me)...
...conversing with an assortment of odd characters...
...and searching for "El Nino". He is also busily preparing for next week's Carnaval retreat--at which he will be the featured speaker.
Posted by Andrew at 5:36 PM
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January 28, 2008
Junior and Cris' Wedding
On Saturday Itacyara and I had the privilege of being witnesses at the wedding of our good friends Junior and Cristiane. The ceremony was very beautiful.
One neat thing about this wedding was that the groom sang a love song to the bride as she came down the aisle.
The bride was radiant, as all brides are supposed to be.
The ring bearer came down the aisle when the pastor introduced the ring ceremony--not with the rest of the procession. The effect was very nice.
"With this ring..."
Actually, both bride and groom have been wearing this ring since they have been engaged--on their right hands. At the ceremony, they put the ring on their left hands, where it will stay "até a morte os separe".
The "main event" went off without a hitch.
As witnesses, our job is to sign the official wedding document.
The happy couple!
Posted by Andrew at 10:50 AM
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The Missionary and Anti-Americanism
One of the tensions faced by the American missionary in today's world is that of increasing anti-Americanism. While the level of irrational America-hatred is not nearly as high here in Brazil as it is in many other countries (not to mention within the ranks of the Democratic party) it is still very evident.
On Friday night Mikey and I went out for a little father-son time, and ended up at the food court of our local mall. There is a little pool hall located right next to where we were eating, and the sign above it caught my eye:
The picture shows Brazilian president Lula playing pool with Venezuelan president/dictator Hugo Chavez. I found it interesting. The common wisdom here is that many Brazilians like Hugo Chavez, but few would actually want to be governed by him. I was moderately intrigued by the mural.
My intrigue turned to shock and dismay, however, as I turned my head and saw the rest of the mural:
In case you can't figure it out, here we have Osama bin Laden playing pool with George W against a panorama of New York City on 9-11. Compare the expressions of Osama...
...with that of W:
Who is winning? Who is losing? Who is the hero? Who is the zero?
But the caricature of President Bush does not bother me nearly as much as does this:
For me, it seems like yesterday that I awoke to images of the towers collapsing, of people jumping from the top floors and landing with a sickening "thud" on the ground. I have listened to the desperate phone calls of victims who knew that rescue was never coming. No matter what your feelings toward America, it is absolutely inhuman to poke fun at that event.
I am sure I am not the only missionary to feel this tension. I can shrug off the Bush=Hitler graffiti, and "America wants to invade the Amazon" nonsense. However, to me shrugging off such disrespect to the victims of that horrible event would be like shrugging off the holocaust.
Itacyara and I are not here in Brazil to serve the US or her interests. We are here serving the Kingdom first, and the Brazilians second. I readily confess, however, that standing in front of that mural I had a hard time remembering that.
Posted by Andrew at 9:48 AM
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January 24, 2008
Know Your Audience
Continuing the discussion on Christianity and culture, I thought I would share this clip from and interview with Mark Driscoll.
I love how he makes the distinction between the elements in culture that can be cultivated and appealed to, and those which must be confronted with Scripture.
Posted by Andrew at 9:27 AM
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January 22, 2008
Pray for the Iguatu Camp Retreat
As a boy, I remember a specific week at Lamoka Baptist Camp when God showed His power in a wonderful way.
On Thursday of that week, the forecast called for rain--and lots of it. Torrential rain puts a serious "damper" on any camp program. My Dad--program director for that week--called the staff and campers together and asked that everybody pray that God would hold off the rain. Everybody prayed, and God held off the rain. Bucketloads of rain fell all around the camp, while we remained high and dry.
But that was not the demonstration of God's power that I am talking about. No, that came the next day, when at breakfast Dad asked everybody to pray--not that it not rain, but that God's would show himself powerful whatever the weather.
We got drenched. The planned program was completely ruined. Kids had to stay in their cabins. And revival swept the camp. Young people came to Christ. Believers got right with God. And God was glorified.
I tell this story to emphasize a point. As we approach this year's Carnaval retreat at the Iguatu Camp, we are facing many challenges. Not the least among these is the fact that our lake is very low due to lack of rain in the region. The directors and I feel that we are going into this week with some distinct disadvantages.
My first instinct is to ask you to pray for torrential rain so that our lake will fill with water and our camp with kids. That would be my plan--and God is certainly capable of doing it.
But I am wondering if my plan might be a little too small for God. Would all of you please pray that God would be glorified this week, that the Holy Spirit would touch people's lives, and souls will be added to His kingdom.
Below are some pictures of the counselors meeting we had today. God has provided a wonderful program director in Pr. Ricardo, and a very promising staff of counselors.
Ricardo lays the groundwork.
Simone, Manú, and Adelice listen intently.
An energy-filled crew.
These are the people through whom I am convinced God wants to do mighty things during the Carnaval retreat. Pray for us!
Posted by Andrew at 10:01 PM
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January 21, 2008
Pyromaniacs: In What Sense Is Depravity "Total"?
Yesterday in Sunday School I read to our young people the previously blogged article advocating the removal of all missionaries from the Amazon region. Then I opened up the floor for conversation. Our teens are very perceptive, and immediately began ticking off problems with the logic (not to mention the theology and worldview) of the author.
At one point the discussion turned to the role of the Christian in culture. I made the point that all cultures are made up of humans, and all humans are created in the image of God. Hence all cultures will contain evidences of that image--good things which are fruit of common grace.
Now, one thing I have always struggled to reconcile in my mind is "total depravity" and the image of God. In that regard, todays post by Phil Johnson at Pyromaniacs was very helpful to me. Below is an excerpt:
The human race was created in the image of God. Though sin has spoiled that image, even non-Christians are capable of rising to great heights of human goodness, honesty, decency, and excellence. "Total" depravity does not mean that every unredeemed woman must be an angry, slobbering hag, or that every unbelieving man is a twisted, degenerate psychopath. It does mean that unbelievers, those who are in the flesh, cannot please God.
The key for me is the difference between being able to do good things (which reflect the image of God), and the ability to please God. All humans have the former, the latter is only available through Christ.
Posted by Andrew at 3:07 PM
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January 19, 2008
John Knox
In my teen Sunday School class I have been taking our students through the stories of some of the Heroes of the Faith. For the fun of it I am posting here the Power Point presentation I did for the life of John Knox. The subtitle reads "The 'Braveheart' of the Reformation".
Posted by Andrew at 11:03 PM
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January 18, 2008
Putting Things in Perspective
The following conversation between me and a missionary colleague took place as I took a quick break from an afternoon of doing financial books.
Me: I wonder if Adoniram Judson ever had to send in receipts.Colleague: Not when he was in jail.
I feel a little better about spending time with the books.
Posted by Andrew at 9:33 PM
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Traffic in Brazil
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Posted by Andrew at 6:43 AM
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January 16, 2008
Save the Amazon...Kick out the Missionaries?
Under the guise of 'Amazon charity' programs, some officials still allow foreign groups and even Brazilian groups to promote the religious indoctrination of Amazonian native communities, which corresponds invariably to the demolition of the cultural identities of these ethnicities. In exchange for a few packages of Western style medicines and eventual health care actions, which are goods and services Native Brazilians never hoped to have, these "modern era Crusaders' are allowed to take from these people everything they always had and hoped to have forever: their culture, kept alive for thousands of years. These post-modern pseudo-Messiahs, with their ethnocentric agenda imported from Europe and North America (and even from Brazil itself!) insist on reediting, in today's Brazil, the miserable benchmark established centuries ago in the Americas, Asia and Africa.
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It is possible to buy into this guy's screed until you realize that what he is calling for is the wholesale relegation of an entire people group to the stone age--an age which he is presumably unwilling to be relegated himself.
Posted by Andrew at 7:40 PM
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Missionary Blogging
Why blog? And particularly for foreign Christian workers, is there any particular reason to blog? Over the last two or three weeks I’ve been working on a 10-minute presentation on that topic. It’s mainly to be shared with our colleagues here, but since I’ve prepared it, I may as well share it here on my blog, too. If you have a modem connection, you may need to put the video on pause after you start it, then wait until it finishes loading before viewing it. If you have a faster connection, you should probably view the higher resolution version instead. If you have any trouble viewing the video, please let me know what kind of problems.
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Posted by Andrew at 4:17 PM
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January 15, 2008
2007 Work Report
The following is the work report we submitted to the regional field council of Baptist Mid Missions of Brazil for the year 2007.
Our second full year in the Northeast Region of BMMB has been full of unique opportunities and exciting challenges.Seminary
The ministry internship program at the Cariri Baptist Seminary continues to be our main focus. This year saw 65 students working in 37 churches and congregations—as well as two seminary ministry teams—exercising functions ranging from Sunday School teacher to titular pastor. Our students reported several decisions for Christ through their ministries this year.
2007 also saw the rebirth of the SBC puppet team. It was made up of five students and put on about ten presentations in all, including a trip to Fortaleza and participation in this year’s Romaria. During the Romaria one little boy accepted Christ after one of the presentations.
This coming year we will be making some changes in the reporting system currently used by our students. We intend to increase input on the part of the pastor or responsible party in the churches where students work. We are also working with two area churches to set up a door-to-door evangelism program which will involve our freshman students.
Besides ministry internship program, Andrew and Itacyara both had the opportunity to teach this year. Itacyara filled in for one of the English teachers for three weeks, and Andrew taught English IV for the second semester, as well as substituting for a few weeks in the Panorama of Doctrine and New Testament Survey classes.
Next semester Itacyara will be teaching English I, and Andrew will be assuming the Panorama of Doctrine class.
Camp
Perhaps the biggest challenge for us this year has been our experience as director of the Iguatu camp. One of the most important lessons we have learned is not to bite off more than we can chew. Though more details will be given in the Camp Report, here is a basic rundown of the camp events we were involved with in 2007:
• 1 ladies retreat
• 2 retreats from outside groups
• 1 children’s week
• 1 teen week
• Various retreats of churches in our fellowshipVisits
Every year we try to host at least one group from the US. Not only does this give us a chance to “give back” to churches that faithfully minister to us, we feel it is also a valuable recruiting tool for future missionaries to this region. This year we co-hosted with Jon Reiner an outstanding group of young people from Faith Baptist Church in Winter Haven, FL. They spent a week with us ministering in local churches, giving Gospel presentations in a local English school, and then hosting an English camp on the weekend. They were able to touch the lives of many unsaved people, and continue to have contact with the students they met.
This coming year we will be hosting two back-to-back mission trips in late June and early July.
A special highlight this year was the visit from Dr. Richard C. Piatt, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Lakeland, FL—our sending church. He came down to be the speaker for the seminary retreat, and left with a great impression of the seminary, and of our field and its missionaries.
Church
We have continued our participation at the Igreja Batista da Paz. We enjoy sitting under the ministry of Pastor Paulo Alves, and opportunities for ministry are plentiful. Both Andrew and Itacyara have had numerous opportunities to teach, and Andrew has been able to preach about once a month. Andrew is currently teaching the youth group during vacation—bringing a series on the “Heroes of the Faith”. He is also working through the book of Philippians in his preaching.
One of our favorite aspects of ministry at the Igreja da Paz has been the rapport we have been able to establish with the young people. It is a rare week when we do not receive a visit from one or more members of the youth group, and on special occasions (Christmas, New Years, etc.) we have hosted the entire group. We have been able to do some one-on-one counseling with several young people, and are excited by the growth and maturity we are seeing in the group as a whole.
Preaching
Besides preaching at the Igreja da Paz, Andrew has had other opportunities to speak. This year he spoke at the teen retreat at João Pessoa, a youth conference in Belem, a youth event in Juazeiro, and once filling in for the pastor at the Igreja Batista Maranata.
Puppets
The puppet ministry we are developing continued to progress this year. As the couple that works with us—Cícero and Nice—are members of the Igreja Batista de Novo Juazeiro, the ministry was adopted as an official ministry of that church. This was a huge step forward, providing as it did much needed structure and cash-flow. We administered three schools of puppetry this year—two in the Cariri and one in Currais Novos, Rio Grande do Norte. The students who participate in this course not only learn how to use puppets in ministry, they also get hands-on experience in making them. They then take the puppets they make home with them for use in their ministries.
We have also developed a line of quality puppets that are available to churches and other ministries at very reasonable prices.
We are continuing to work on our filming project. Progress has been slow due to scheduling conflicts and lack of resources. We are on track, however, to begin filming again in February.
Family
In 2007 the size of our family increased by 50%. Nathanael Kenneth Comings was born on July 6th. Our family is now made up of one New Yorker, one Maranhense, one Floridian, and one Cearense.
Our family also experienced one “new birth”, as Mikey made a profession of faith this year. Mikey has continued his studies at the Colégio Batista, and is making progress academically and socially.
Itacyara’s studies at URCA have been interrupted twice this year—first by the arrival of Nathanael, and currently by a teacher’s strike.
One of the biggest challenges faced by our family in 2007 has been the housing situation. The house we were renting was sold out from under us in May, and from that point on we lived in John and Jean Peterson’s house while they were on furlough. Currently we live at the seminary in Bloco A.
The Comings family counts it a privilege to serve as part of the Northeastern Region of BMMB. We are thankful for God’s blessings throughout 2007, and look forward to new challenges and adventures in 2008.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Comings
Posted by Andrew at 8:48 PM
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Quote of the Day
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.
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Posted by Andrew at 10:22 AM
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January 14, 2008
The Lilies of the Field (UPDATE)
I thought I would update you briefly on what is going on with our housing situation. In our previous post on this subject I mentioned how we were quite up in the air, and asked for prayer regarding God's leading.
We want to thank you for your prayers, and report that God led in a very specific way. Namely, He closed every door except for the option that we absolutely did NOT want to do--move in to the vacant dorm at the seminary. Having settled on this option (it did indeed turn out to be the only option), we are finding out that God had a plan in mind, and that not only was it the only option--it was the best option. Staying here will allow us to live much more economically. It will give us much more contact with the students to whom we minister. Mikey and Nathan will have plenty of room to roam without ever leaving the grounds. And I have even started a vegetable garden.
I was just talking to my mom online, and trying to describe for her where we now live. Then I remembered Skitch, and sent her this picture...
...and this one...
Later I will take some pictures of the inside of the house, as well as of my garden!
Posted by Andrew at 9:57 PM
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Should Brazil fear Venezuela?
I think Brazilians should at least take the Hugo Chavez threat VERY seriously. Ironically, thanks to a comedy bit that ran on Brazilian TV a little while ago, Brazilians are starting to talk about the subject.
Here, complete with English subtitles, is the piece:
Also, living as I do in the shadow of his statue in Juazeiro do Norte, the line about Padre Cicero was priceless.
h/t Global Voices
Posted by Andrew at 8:40 PM
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Testing
I just downloaded a cool photo-sharing Mac application called Skitch. I am testing their embeding capabilities with this shot from my desktop.
Posted by Andrew at 9:58 AM
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January 13, 2008
Bat Baby
This is a repost of an entry that did not survive the upgrade.
Posted by Andrew at 3:30 PM
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Blog Upgrade
A big huge "thank-you" to my friend Kevin for upgrading the Moveable Type software for this blog. Now hopefully the painful comment and trackback issues will clear up. I am already liking the more powerful (and way cooler) editing interface.
Posted by Andrew at 3:14 PM
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