November 29, 2010

Baptist Mid Missions on Facebook

Our mission agency, Baptist Mid Missions, has just created a Facebook page. Go check them out!

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November 27, 2010

Holliday Musical Interlude: The Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob

I know this has been playing everywhere on the world wide internets, but I couldn't help myself. Talk about an amazing way to proclaim Christ!

Talk back to the missionary: Can there be any doubt that this song will be sung in Heaven?

Talk back to the missionary, part deux: This one is for my atheist friends. Would you really want to live in a world where this song doesn't exist?

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November 24, 2010

The Reason for the Blog Silence

Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

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November 15, 2010

Theological Musical Interlude: Steve Martin sings "Atheists Don't Have No Songs"

The good folks over at Sharper Iron drew my attention to this video, which was a new one to me. In it, Steve Martin bemoans the fact that atheists have contributed very little to the arts, and tries his hand at an "atheist hymn". The result is, predictably, hilarious.

Actually, I can think of at least one atheist song: John Lennon's creepy "Imagine".

Talk back to the missionary: Anybody out there know of any other atheist anthems? Tell us about them in the comments section.

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November 12, 2010

Urgent Opportunities, or Missions in Brazil in the 'Fifties

A few days ago I posted some video footage of Northeast Brazil in the 1950s. This next series of videos was shot about the same time. All four comprise a documentary made by our BMM missionaries for recruitment and fund raising purposes.

For me the following videos are informative on several levels. I love the intimate look that it gives into the daily lives and ministries of men and women I consider to be pioneers. When we arrived on the field a few of them were still serving. Most of them have either been promoted to glory or are in retirement in the US. Yet their legacy continues to this day.

After each video I will include some of my own observations:

The first part of this video gives kind of an overview of Brazil in the middle of the last century--or at least the American impressions thereof. At about 5:50 there is a humorous (to me) sequence about language school. I praise God that my own language training was nothing like that. I would probably have thrown myself off the nearest skyscraper.

At the 6:30 mark there is a segment about the Fortaleza Academy. Those of us familiar with Fortaleza will marvel at the fields surrounding the "Big House"--fields that are now occupied by row upon row of high-rise apartments. This segment also includes an interesting justification of the "boarding school" philosophy of MK education. And before we come down too harshly on the previous generation's outsourcing of their children's schooling, it may be helpful to note that several current missionaries can be picked out among the little tykes shown here.

I must say, however, that I am at a loss as to how raising one's children in full view of the people one is trying to reach can "harm the effective witness of the missionary". How are new believers supposed to develop godly family lives if they have no example to serve as a model?

But I digress.

This next section begins with some fascinating scenes of ministry on the Amazon, including at a "den of iniquity" (:49) Note the missionary at 3:40, working in the midst of the Amazon jungle--with perfectly coiffed hair!

At about 5:57 is a great sequence of a group of people bring a sick friend to missionary Harold Reiner's plane, in a hammock. Incidentally, Harold Reiner is now living in the US, after serving for 60 years in NE Brazil. He holds Baptist Mid Missions' record for most consecutive years of missionary service.

At about the six-minute mark begins a segment about a radio program administered by missionaries in the southern region of Brazil. The lady playing the organ(!) is the mother of the man who gave me these videos. I am well aware of the reasons for their choice of American/European hymns for the program. Yet, I can't help but think of the kaleidoscope of Brazilian musical creativity that was going on around them at the time. Brazilian music--good Brazilian music--was at a high point in the '50s and '60s, and we seem to have missed it. Ironically, narrator notes that the missionaries use "all means" to reach the Brazilians with the gospel. Apparently, "all-does-not-mean-all" applies to more than just Calvinism.

Check out the grass roof being put on a church building at 1:31. At 3:08 missionary Pete Brooks watches as charter members sign the church role. Over fifty years later I sat with Pete until about 2 am and listened to him regale me with story after story of missionary life in those days. Shortly afterward he went home to be with the Lord. I am grateful to God I had the opportunity to know Pete, as well as other members of that "pioneer band".

At 5:20 the narration turns to the Cariri Baptist Seminary, where Itacyara and I were privileged to minister for the last four years. The campus shown is now a series of shops in downtown Juazeiro do Norte. At 5:57 there is a great segment showing Tom Willson leading the seminary choir.

The description of the seminary continues in this fourth section. The new campus referred to at :26 is now the site of a modern shopping mall. The seminary occupies yet another campus in the nearby city of Crato.

The national pastor who makes an appeal in English at 7:28 was a graduate of our seminary.

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. Missions has changed a lot since the '50s. Yet, at it's core, it is fundamentally the same. We use any means possible to permeate Brazil with the gospel of Christ. And if there was a need for more missionaries back then, when Brazil's population was 70 million, there is a desperate need now that it has exploded to 180 million.

Talk back to the missionary: Did these videos spark any thoughts or ideas about missions in Brazil? Any of my colleagues see anybody they know...or have any corrections for my commentary? Let us know in the comments section.

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November 11, 2010

Stuff that's Changed: Goodbye Blockbuster, Hello Red Box

This is part of on ongoing series where we examine changes that have taken place in the US since we left for Brazil in October, 2005.

God bless the genius who came up with the Red Box concept. One dollar gets you a DVD for a day. Happen to be traveling? No problemo. You can rent the DVD in one city and turn it in when you arrive at your destination. Not able to return it after one day? Once again, not an issue. You just pay one more dollar.

As we have racked up the miles on the missionarymobile, Red Box has kept our two energetic passengers in the back seat occupied with hours of entertainment--all with no membership, no deadlines, no hassles, no pressure. What more could one ask for?

It's no wonder that Blockbuster has become Blockbusted.

Talk back to the missionary: What modern innovation has made your life easier over the last five years? Give us a head's up in the comments section.

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November 9, 2010

Scenes from the Past

My family and I had the privilege yesterday of spending some quality time with Philip McLain, the son of the first BMM missionary in Northeast Brazil. Guy McLain and his family were true pioneers, taking the Gospel into some of the most hostile environments of that time.

His son Philip presented me with a box full of documents and other items of interest relating to that time. Among them were a few videos, which I am going to post here over the next few days. The first one was shot in the late 50s and early 60s, and shows the cities of Fortaleza, Mucuripe, and Juaziero do Norte. Anyone remotely familiar with Brazil as it is today will be fascinated by these images of the Brazil of almost sixty years ago.

(There is no sound, so do not adjust the volume on your screen.)

Talk back to the missionary: I am especially curious if any of my colleagues can fill us in on details of what we are seeing here. If you can, please let us know in the comments section. I will update this post with any interesting information you may provide.

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November 6, 2010

Does it Rain in Nativeamericanapolis in the Summertime?

The following is a letter I wrote to a teacher who marked my son off for using the word "Indian" in reference to the Navajos. She preferred the term "Native American" as "Indians live in India."

Greetings!

This is in response to your note about my son's use of the term "Indians" in his assignment. First, let me say that Michael's mother and I are very pleased with the lessons, and grateful that he is learning about the indiginous cultures of North America.

I am not sure, however, that I can agree with the use of "Native American" at the exclusion of the term "Indian".

I find it interesting to note that the article in question was about the Navajo tribe, and often referred to them by that name. Yet the lesson itself mentioned that they call themselves Diné, and that Navajo is a name given to them by their neighbors.

Or consider the poor Haudenosaunee, who are to this day called the Iroquois--a name conferred upon them by their enemies.

And what about a more modern example: My family and I live and work in Brazil. Brazilians take issue with the fact that we are called "Americans" because, after all, they are Americans too...South Americans. Many insist on calling us North Americans. Yet that name does nothing to distinguish us from the Canadians. For some reason, the term "United Statesian" (estadosunidense in Portuguese) has gotten little or no traction.

I am well aware of the cosmic geographical error that caused the original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere to be called "Indians" (although I am inclinded to give Columbus et al some slack--what with there being no Google Earth at that time and all...). Yet it seems to me that it is much more efficient to refer to a people by a name that has been theirs for over half a millenium.

Also, while Native American clears up that bedeviling confusion between the inhabitants of the Mississippi River Valley and the Inhabitants of the Indus River Valley, it replaces it with a new problem: Who exactly is a Native American?

I most certainly am a Native American. I was born in Ithaca NY, to parents who were also born in America (or the United States, if you will). I was not a part of any invading army or migrating people-group. Of course it could be argued that my ancestors took land that was not originally theirs, but everything indicates that the Iroquois (or Haudenosaunee) who were in Upstate NY at the time also took that land from previous groups that lived there.

And should I, in a fit of conscience, return to the British isles from whence originated my ancestors, then I might as well go back to France as I am a direct descendant of the invading French horde of 1066. And who knows...upon arrival in France I may discover that I was the descendant of a soldier of the ruthless Roman army that brutally conquered that country under Julius Ceasar. This would occasion a move back to Italy. But if I should find and attempt to occupy my family's original lands in Italy I can be certain that the current inhabitants of said lands would be...nonplussed.

So I guess what I am saying with all this is that it is impossible to completely right all historical wrongs...geographically or gramatically. We may just have to accept some things as they are (I guess I should shelve plans to seek redress from the clans that ran my family out of Scotland) and move on with life.

I would write more, but I promised my son that we could play "Cowboys and Native Americans" this afternoon. Then I need to call my brother in Nativeamericana and see if he was able to get tickets to see the the Nativeamericanapolis 500.

Talk back to the missionary: Cultural insensitivity or common sense? Leave your opinion in the comments section...or send me a smoke signal ;-)

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November 5, 2010

The "Blame McDonalds" Party Goes to Brazil

It would appear that judges in my adopted land are just as loony as those in the land of my birth. Or...to use a more relevant phrase...one fry short of a Happy Meal:

A Brazilian court ruled this week that McDonald's must pay a former franchise manager $17,500 because he gained 65 pounds while working there for a dozen years.

The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high, because McDonald's hired "mystery clients" to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food, service and cleanliness.

The man also said the company offered free lunches to employees, adding to his caloric intake while on the job. His identity was not released.

The ruling was signed Tuesday by Judge Joao Ghisleni Filho in Porto Alegre.

Ghisleni said McDonald's could appeal the case, and the Brazilian headquarters of the chain said in an e-mailed statement Thursday it was weighing its legal options.

Having been a McDonalds manager for several years, I can assure the reading public that there is no way one can put on that kind of poundage simply by taste-testing the food. It sounds like this guy took "testing" to a whole new level.

Talk back to the missionary: What do you think? Is this a case of corporate irresponsibility or lack of personal discipline? Let us know in the comments section.

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November 3, 2010

Parabens, Dilma

I have been traveling for the last couple days, so I missed this very important Brazil related news. On October 31st, Brazil elected its first ever woman president. Dilma Rousseff, handpicked by her predecessor--Luis Inácio Lula da Silva--handily beat her opponent in runoff elections.

Many have asked me what this means for Brazil, and more specifically, what this means for missions in that country. The best answer I can come up with at this point is "wait and see". Very little is known about what her policies will be on subjects like abortion, special privileges for sodomites, etc. She appears to have won mostly on the merits of her predecessor.

In democratic societies it is easy to forget that Proverbs 21:1 is still true, and God's purposes are not frustrated. Please continue to pray for Brazil, and for its new leader.

Talk back to the missionary: Have an opinion about Dilma? Sound off in the comments section.

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