December 30, 2009
It Can Be A Problem For Missionaries Too...
This brings to mind I Corinthians 1:27.
Talk back to the Missionary: How insane must missionary work seem to those who don't know Christ?
Posted by Andrew at 2:37 PM
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December 29, 2009
Photo of the Day
Interestingly enough, this corresponded with my reading in Exodus of the account of the ten plagues.
Talk back to the missionary: What exotic wildlife and/or treasures have your kids brought home?
Posted by Andrew at 10:04 AM
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December 28, 2009
Brazilian Stamp of the Week: Brazil in WWII
In the interest of being more informative about Brazil and all things Brazilian--and in order to make the best use of my Christmas present--I am starting a new series on this blog. Once a week we will feature a Brazilian stamp (or stamp series) along with information related to the person or event it commemorates.
This first one is perhaps my favorite series of the entire collection. The stamp on the top left shows the participation of the Brazilian air force in the Italian campaign. The next one over pictures the Brazilian navy in the South Atlantic campaign. The bottom-left stamp shows the FEB (Força Expedicionária Brasileira, or Brazilian Expeditionary Force), once again in the Italian campaing. The final stamp shows the special participation of the Brazilian mail service in the war.
We have covered this part of Brazilian history before on this blog. You can read that entry here (it includes video and pictures, plus an expanation of the emblem featuring a snake smoking a pipe).
Talk back to the missionary: What interesting things have you learned from stamps?
Posted by Andrew at 11:50 AM
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December 26, 2009
Cape Verde Project Christmas Program
With all the Christmas season rush I am finally getting around to posting pictures of our Christmas program hosted on Tuesday by the Novo Juazeiro church. The purpose of this program was to raise support for the participants in the Cape Verde Project.
When the opportunity for this fundraiser first presented itself I set about to writing a script. Using our Cidade Feliz characters I wrote a story that "borrowed" elements of O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi, with a Christ-focused application. Once the script was written, we set out to design and build the set.
Here Nice and her daughter, Alane, work on one of the Styrofoam backdrops, made to represent the front of a house...
...while her husband Cícero paints one of the walls.
Our original plan was to do our presentation outside, as people dined. As you may be able to guess from the picture, however, God had other plans.
As it became obvious that the weather was not going to permit an outside presentation we moved everything into the sanctuary. As it turned out, God's plan was actually better than ours (go figure!) as the 300+ people packed into the auditorium would have had difficulty seeing our presentation had it been held outdoors.
The presentation went off without a hitch.
A great feature of this program was the musical participation of our "Christmas Troubadours".
Afterward I made a brief application and then introduced the team.
During the dinner that followed, our new character, Miudinho (translation: Tiny) visited all the tables asking for donations for the Cape Verde Project. He was a big hit, except with my son Nathanael, who was terrified of him.
In all, about $400 was raised during the evening.
For more information on the Cape Verde Project, click here.
Talk back to the missionary: Have a memorable Christmas program moment to share? Tell us about it in the comments section.
Posted by Andrew at 2:42 PM
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Brazilian Musical Interlude: White Christmas, Bossa Nova Style
Many have asked what it is like to be in Brazil for Christmas. Perhaps this song, sung by Lisa Ono (no relation to Yoko that I can tell), a Brazilian-born Japanese woman, will transmit the "same but different" quality I feel here every December 25th.
Talk back to the missionary: In your mind, what traditions are absolutely necessary for a celebration of Christmas?
Posted by Andrew at 2:30 PM
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A Comings Family Christmas
Most of you are prohibited geographically from spending time with us on Christmas day, so we thought we would bring a little bit of our Christmas to you.
Those who know Mike know his love of animals. Hence, he was thrilled with this large, hard-cover book filled with glossy, high-quality photos of every kind of animal imaginable. Although his sharp eye was quick to point out where the authors of the book got it wrong--confusing a chameleon with a Komodo dragon. The very idea!
Nathan is into anything with wheels. He was not disappointed this year!
This scooter fit right into the "wheels" theme.
Here Itá holds up a book about her favorite detective, Adrian Monk. She was thrilled with it. (whew!)
Itacyara got me a great addition to my stamp collection--the 2004 series of Brazilian stamps--this even though she insists that stamp collecting is "a hobby for nerds". I am sure a host of stamp collectors will adjust their pocket-protectors and rise to my defense.
Over the years the highlight of our Christmas celebration has been our evening meal, when we invite young people to our house for a Christmas dinner. This year we had a record sixteen guests, which--when you add in our family--comes to twenty people. The food was wonderful, and the fellowship was even better.
Posted by Andrew at 1:36 PM
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December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas from the Comings Family
Posted by Andrew at 5:31 PM
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December 19, 2009
Missions Trip Opportunity
If you or someone in your youth group are looking for an opportunity to participate in a meaningful way on a mission trip you need to consider "Aventura Brasil". This is a program started by a couple of our missionaries here in Northeast Brazil. Co-sponsor Jim Leonard describes it this way:
Working with our co-workers, Doug and Renate Reiner, we will be promoting a twenty day missions adventure for the young people in your church who could be potential missionaries. This adventure will immerse the youth into Brazil's culture and language, as well as provide meaningful ministry opportunities in church plants and children's camps.
Here are two images that can be downloaded as posters for the event.
If anybody is interested they can contact Jim Leonard for details.
Talk back to the missionary: Have you ever participated in a foreign missions trip? If you have leave your fondest memory in the comments section.
Posted by Andrew at 5:16 PM
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December 18, 2009
Missionaries Get "Big Headed" Sometimes...
...but I have never seen a case as bad as this:
Talk back to the missionary: How do you like the new "visual"?
Posted by Andrew at 2:12 PM
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December 16, 2009
From Grammar to the Gospel
In the past I have received invitations from schools, public and private, to talk about things relating to the English language and/or American culture. Recently I have been trying to make these into opportunities to share the Gospel in a much more bold fashion. I did this a couple weeks ago with my recent Thanksgiving talk at a local English school. Today I had the opportunity to do it at a local public school where one of our church members is a teacher. She asked me to "say something having to do with English". Below, accompanied by the presentation slides, is what I said.
I titled the talk "English--Language and Culture". The subtitle reads "The influences that transformed a people, and the world." Can you see where we are going with this?
I began answering one of the most common questions posed to be by those who study English as a second language: Why is English so complicated? The short answer is that English is a "mongrel" language, having many origins. This as compared to Portuguese, which, although there are influences from other tongues, is primarily a Latin-based language. I spent some time explaining the Celtic origins, and the Anglo-Saxon invasion...
...complete with words that come from those sources.
Then we talked a little about William the Conqueror and the Norman conquest of 1066...
...along with words that came to us from the French.
I then asked them to guess what event had the most influence on English language and culture. When they came up blank, I showed them the following slide:
We talked about how, early-on in the Reformation, the Bible was translated into English. Then I showed how the influence the King James Version had on the language.
Brazilian students are very aware of French author Victor Hugo. This quote from him illustrates the important role the Bible played in shaping Anglo-American culture:
England has two books, the Bible and Shakespear. England made Shakespear, but the Bible made England.
We then went through several phrases that the English Bible has contributed to the English language (I have only reproduced one slide here). Most of these were new phrases to the students, so we spent some time learning the pronunciation and usage of each one.
Then I began talking about the contribution to society. Here I mentioned that I believe the main effect on society was the concept of liberty. The above slide features a quote for Horace Greeley:
It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.
I then gave two examples: The abolition of the slave traffic in 1807 and the comparison between the French and American revolutions (showing the difference between liberty based on humanism and liberty based on the Creator).
Finally, I spent some time talking about how Christ came to offer freedom from the bondage of Sin, and how that central concept of the Gospel allows individuals to be truly free, regardless of whether the society they live in is free.
The young people impressed me greatly. They listened and interacted with me throughout the entire time. Some even had questions afterward. Thanks to the marvels of social media I intend to keep in contact with many of them.
I fully intend to use this format in other English-related opportunities that present themselves.
Talk back to the missionary: What creative approaches have you used to turn everyday events into opportunities to share Christ? Tell us about them in the comment section.
Posted by Andrew at 3:51 PM
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December 15, 2009
A Tale of Two Idols
Padre Cícero, the renegade priest who founded the city of Juazeiro do Norte, has been featured before on this blog. Over seventy years after his death the venerated padre continues to be the most influential person in this region. His likeness can be found in most business establishments. A huge concrete statue of him is the focus of worship for thousands of Brazilians who make yearly pilgrimages there. This is idolatry--to use an expression common in Brazil--naked and raw.
Speaking of "naked and raw", there is also a very active and vocal "gay rights" movement here in the Cariri Valley. Every year they sponsor parades and other events aimed at raising "awareness" in the community. Their overarching cry is for "tolerance".
This is why most of the area's residents found it odd when a recent publication promoting a "gay rights" event included a photo of Padre Cícero which had been doctored to show the venerated priest using lipstick and nail polish.
The outcry was immediate and violent. The gay community has been forced to offer several lame excuses and half-retractions.
Some Christians here have found themselves in the uncomfortable position of defending Padre Cícero. After all, isn't this an attack on "faith"?
Scripture, I believe, would indicate otherwise. The worship of Padre Cícero is no more a demonstration of "faith" than is adherence to the homosexual lifestyle. In fact, in Romans 1:18-26, the worship of statues and sexual perversion are linked as being expressions of the same sin--idolatry.
As I have tried to express at our Portuguese-language blog, what we are witnessing in here is not a conflict between the gay movement and "people of faith". Rather, it is a clash between two forms of idolatry. The Christian reaction should be to examine our lives to see what idols may be hiding there, and then boldly proclaim salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Talk back to the missionary: What are the main idols in the place God has put you to minister?
Image Source: Fotolia
Posted by Andrew at 10:41 AM
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December 14, 2009
Rapid Reviews: Of Tilt-A-Whirls and Ape Men
Since July I have had the opportunity to read several books which time has not permitted me to review fully. What follows are short summaries of them, in no particular order.
Notes from a Tilt-A-Whirl
Author: N.D. Wilson
Subtitled “Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World”, this book can be thought of as theology for postmoderns. Note that I did not say “post-modern theology”, as there is much in here that would cause the likes of Tony Jones or Doug Pagitt to blanch.
Notes form the Tilt-A-Whirl is written in an off-kilter, sometimes-quirky style that reflects the short attention span of current generations. Wilson consistently puts high theological concepts on the bottom shelf where they are easily reached. He is very gentle in his approach, except when it comes to philosophers. These he routinely skewers with a rollicking sarcasm—especially Nietzsche.
Rapid Rating: This book will be a treat for you to read.
The Missionary
Authors: William Carmichael and David Lambert
Set in a “fictionalized” Venezuela—complete with a Chavez-esque dictator—The Missionary explores the relationship of the missionary with the political life of his adopted country. Motivated by the extreme poverty and tremendous abuse of power around him, young missionary David Eller decides to become involved in a “regime-change” plot, with near disastrous results.
I found this book to be riveting in some places, and rather tedious in others. Also, after spending several chapters building up the complexity of the characters, I found the ending to be rather clichéd.
Rapid Rating: Read this book if you are interested in the subject of missionaries and the politics of their host country.
The Reason for God
Author: Timothy Keller
In this book the eminently successful pastor/missionary Tim Keller addresses his target audience—secular westerners. He begins by capably answering several of the more common accusations leveled at Christianity (ie There Can't Be Just One Religion or the ever-popular How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?)
I felt he handled the subject matter well. I was disappointed (but not surprised) at his defense of a kind of “theistic evolution lite”. Other than that, it was a good read.
Rapid Rating: Read this book if you are a skeptical secularist, or if you know one.
Tarzan and the Leopard Men
Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
I found this in a little used book store while I was at the Conferência Fiel. It is full of what you would expect from a Tarzan book: jungle adventure, damsels in distress, and tree-swinging galore. In this particuar adventure Tarzan takes on the murderous Leopard Men, finally ridding the jungle of their evil menace.
Rapid Rating: If you are a Tarzan fan you have probably already read this. If not, you probably will not like it.
The DaVinci Code
Author: Dan Brown
My belated foray into the world of conspiracy theories combined with ancient gnostic heresies. If one temporarily suspends any shred of rational thought, the book is enjoyable. Otherwise it is difficult to see how it was taken so seriously.
Rapid Rating: Only read this is you are in a position of leadership that requires you to be on top of what popular culture is trying to pass off as theology.
Talk back to the missionary: What are the best books you have read this year?
Posted by Andrew at 2:20 PM
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December 10, 2009
I've Been Ridin' on the Railroad...
After what seems like forever, the Cariri Railroad project is finally open for business--sort of. They are giving free rides from Crato to Juazeiro and back every morning. There are no stops along the way, as all of the platforms are still under construction.
Still, this was a great opportunity for some Daddy/Mikey/Nathan time, so we took advantage of it.
Here are Mikey and Nathan, eagerly awaiting the train's arrival at the station.
Moments later the train arrived...
The inside of the train looks a lot like the inside of a bus.
The scenery flashes by. Because the line does not follow the main roads I saw some territory I have never seen before, even though I was never more than 10 miles away from my house.
The sides of the train featured pictures of smiling people, ostensibly from the region. I was unaware that Sarah Palin was from this region...
Talk back to the missionary: Ever had a train-related adventure? Tell us about it here.
Posted by Andrew at 2:44 PM
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December 8, 2009
Li'l Abner: Urban Missionary
The good folks at Sharper Iron just published a little article I wrote about the virtues of rural church-planting, as it applies to its urban counterpart. You can read it here.
Talk back to the missionary: Have you observed a rural ministry having an impact in an urban center? Tell us about it here.
Posted by Andrew at 7:15 AM
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December 6, 2009
Meet the New RAs
This year we added to the many hats we wear here at the Seminary that of Dean of Single Students. In this capacity (which we are filling while a colleague is in the US on furlough) we are in charge of the dormitories, and work closely with the resident assistants.
We are very excited at the prospect of working with these two outstanding young people next semester: Suzane and Fagner. They have both shown themselves to be true servants and examples to their fellow students. Last night Itá and I took them out to dinner. They were full of ideas, energy, and enthusiasm for next semester.
We thank God for bringing them to the dorm at just the right time to fill this position. Pray for them, the job ahead of them can be daunting. We are convinced, however, that they are equal to the task.
Talk back to the missionary: As we chatted with them, memories of my own time as RA came rushing back to me. Did any of you ever serve as RAs of a college dorm? What were your most interesting experiences?
Posted by Andrew at 5:41 PM
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Brazilian Musical Interlude: Perpetuum Jazzille, BR6, Sing Aquarela do Brasil
What do you get when you match a Slovenian vocal band and a Brazilian sextet with one of the greatest Brazilian tunes ever written?
This:
Talk back to the missionary: Observe the faces, gestures, expressions of these artists as they sing the praises of a country. Do they match the faces, gestures, expressions of those singing praises to the King of Kings this morning in your church? Should they?
Posted by Andrew at 5:26 PM
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December 5, 2009
Cape Verde Project Video
As vacation time begins here at the seminary most of our students make their way back to their home churches. Those who are participating in the Cape Verde Project will be taking with them this video to show to their friends, family, and congregations.
I decided to post it here because it gives a nice visual overview of the two ministries involved in this project, as well as introducing the people involved.
If you are completely unaware of what the Cape Verde Project is, please click here.
Talk back to the missionary: If you have been praying for this project, give us a shout out here. It would be very encouraging to our students as they raise necessary funds.
Posted by Andrew at 5:05 PM
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December 4, 2009
David Goldman Before Congress
From Rio Gringa comes this interview with David Goldman. If you are unaware of the details of how his son has been held illegally in Brazil over the past few years, please read this.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Another Brazilian blogger, BrazilMagic, was actually at the Congressional hearing and shares her thoughts (in English) here.
Talk back to the missionary: How would YOU react if a non-family member was keeping your child hostage in a foreign country? Does David Goldman's reaction remind you of the case brought before King Solomon in I Kings 3:16-28?
Posted by Andrew at 8:15 AM
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December 3, 2009
Land of the Free, Home of the Brave
It is now only a matter of time before other nations--including my beloved Brazil--will recognize the legitimate government. Look for Chavez' Venezuela to be a spitefully perpetual holdout.
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Talk back to the missionary: Do you think that the Honduras crisis represents a "tipping point" in the advance of leftist-leaning governments in Latin America and the world?
Posted by Andrew at 9:11 AM
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The Brazilian Twin Phenomenon
I have written about this before. There appears to be a growing curiosity about the connection between the Brazilian town with an abundance of twins and the Nazi monster Mengele.
HT Rio Gringa
Talk back to the missionary: If it indeed is proven that the preponderance of twins in this town is due to some sort of genetical manipulation by Mengele, what would be the teological implications?
Posted by Andrew at 7:43 AM
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December 2, 2009
Over the Hill
No, not me. Still have a couple years to go. Last weekend we celebrated that 40th anniversary of the church Itacyara and I attend here: Igreja Batista da Paz.
The cake, featuring pictures of the church and church members, was delicious.
Me with the Bezerra clan. These are four brothers (there are a few more not pictured) who grew up in our church. Three of them are pastors. One of them (the one on the far left) was Itacyara's pastor in Maranhão. Another (on the far right) is a pastor in Rio de Janeiro and was our keynote speaker for the conference.
These are our current pastors. Pastor Erivan (left) is the assistant pastor, and Pastor Paulo (right) is the senior pastor. Paulo is also the director of our seminary.
Itacyara and I participated in the musical program. Here she is, singing with the worship team.
I was in the band. For some reason I appear to be deep in though, asleep, or praying. Most likely I was trying to figure out what key the song was being played in.
All-in-all, this was an amazing celebration. It was powerful to hear testimonies of what God has done through this church over the last 40 years. This is also instructive about the work of God in our region. Incredibly, ours is the second-oldest church in the area. On our way to church each morning we pass within a mile of eight other Baptist churches or congregations.
Sometimes people ask why we are so intent on leaving this region and going to Maranhão. That is the reason.
Talk back to the missionary: What about the church you go to? How old is it?
Posted by Andrew at 5:16 PM
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