May 17, 2012

Luau on the Beach (or...Suffering for Jesus in Brazil)

Our last activity with the Kerigma youth group was a luau on one of Sao Luis' spectacular beaches. While it was bittersweet, due to our impending departure, the ambiance was relaxing and therapeutic.

Here is a picture of Itacyara and I with our outstanding group of teens:

More pictures here.

The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max, Parts 1, 2 and 3 are now available for Kindle and Nook!

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May 14, 2012

Sadness and Hope

The following are excerpts from our most recent prayer letter. You can read the whole thing here.

The past month and a half has been for us--without a doubt--the most difficult of our ministry since we arrived in Brazil. Our walk through the valley began on April 2nd, when our beloved co-worker Francisco Bezerra was killed by a stray bullet.

On the following Sunday the church voted unanimously for me to assume the pastorate of the church. I jumped into this role with both feet, determined to carry on the legacy of my departed friend. We had the full support of the pastor's family as we began our ministry.

Or so we thought...

After two weeks, events took place (too lengthy to write in detail here) which made it clear to us that the family of Pastor Francisco wished to place his oldest son in the pastorate of the church, by virtue of the fact that he had accompanied his father throughout his ministry. Numerous attempts to sit down and talk with the son were rebuffed, and in the meantime a highly successful campaign to undermine our ministry was carried out by the family.

It came to a head in a conversation with Pastor Francisco's widow, in which she left no doubt as to her goals for her son.

Itacyara and I realized at this point that if we were to press the issue it would divide an already hurting congregation. So, with great sadness, we officially resigned all our positions at the Kerigma congregation, effective last Saturday.

The days leading up to this decision were emotionally wrenching for us, as we found ourselves at odds with a family we have known and loved since before we were married, and because it forced us to leave a congregation which we have grown to love deeply over the past year.

The next couple days were of uncertainty. Since shortly after we arrived in April of last year we had fully embraced the Kerigma project, believing that God was directing us to help bring the church to graduation. When Pastor Francisco died, we embraced the project even more, believing that God had given us the task of moving the church forward in the midst of the tragedy. Now that it had all ended, we were at a loss.

The two other Regular Baptist pastors here in São Luís were very supportive, and began to offer ideas. We discovered that there was a group of individuals interested in beginning a work in a neighborhood on the other side of the city. On Thursday we went with them to visit this neighborhood, and came away greatly encouraged. Some of the things we found:

* A family from one of our churches, willing to serve as host family.
* An elementary school that has been made available to us for work with children on the weekends.
* A piece of land, donated by the above mentioned family, for the eventual construction of a church building.
* New residential areas projected for the area, giving potential for growth.
* A team of people with diverse skills, eager to embrace the project.

On Wednesday we will be meeting with the team to plan our next steps, and we hope to have exciting things to share with you in the near future.

Though there have been dark days as we walked through this valley, God has repeatedly shown Himself faithful, and never once has our commitment to the work here in São Luís wavered.

The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max, Parts 1, 2 and 3 are now available for Kindle and Nook!

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April 25, 2012

In Case You Missed It...

Our most recent ministry newsletter.

The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max, Parts 1, 2 and 3 are now available for Kindle and Nook!

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April 7, 2012

Look to Jesus!

The following is an excerpt from our most recent prayer letter:

I wish I could transmit to you the beautiful scene I witnessed at the cemetery on Wednesday. After the short devotional the casket containing Pastor Francisco's mortal remains was wheeled out of the little chapel and towards the grave site. The crowd (and it was a large crowd--two buses and about twenty cars accompanied the hearse from the church to the cemetery) followed close behind...singing. First they sang "It is Well With My Soul", then an old Brazilian hymn imploring sinners to trust in Christ. Finally, as they approached the open grave, they broke out into a chorus that is very popular in churches here which echoes, almost verbatim, the words of Romans 8: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

After a few short words from the pastor's brother, the casket was lowered into the ground, and the cemetery workers began to pile the dirt on top. (Unlike Americans, Brazilians stick around for this part.) Suddenly Pastor Francisco's aged mother, Dona Terezinha, spoke up through her tears, in a voice so loud and clear all could hear it:

"People, look to Jesus!" she exclaimed. "Look to Jesus! Look to Jesus!"

The next months are apt to be some of the most challenging of our ministry...but with God's help, and with Dona Terezinha's words echoing in our ears, we will look to Jesus.

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April 3, 2012

Farewell, Friend

Pastor Francisco Bezerra and family

This was not the post I had planned on writing today, and even now, as my fingers move, I can scarcely believe what I am seeing appear on the screen.

As I was getting ready to teach an English class last night, the phone rang. It was a lady from our church, imploring me to get over to Pastor Francisco's house, as he had been shot. "It doesn't look good" she said.

Pastor Francisco has been my friend since 1999, when I first traveled to Sao Luis. In 2000 he performed our wedding. And long before that, he was Itacyara's pastor, discipling her as a new convert. Ever since we met, he has prayed and urged us to come to choose Maranhao as our field of ministry. And when we finally arrived here in 2011, he and I began a fruitful ministry partnership. He welcomed us into the congregation that they were starting, and together we continued the task of bringing the church to where it could be organized. At the beginning of last year he told me about a piece of property near the city of Morros. We went and visited it, purchased it, and since then he has been the greatest cheer leader for our camp project.

As soon as I got off the phone I grabbed Mikey (who was studying while I taught) and together we took off full-speed in the direction of Pastor Francisco's house. It is about a twenty-minute drive from where I was teaching. On the way, I got another phone call, this one bringing home my worst fears--Pastor Francisco was dead. As I weaved in and out of rush-hour traffic in São Luís, my heart was breaking. My friend, my mentor, my co-laborer...gone.

In human terms, it was a random event. Stupid, really. Pastor and his family were outside their house. He was working on his car--something he was always doing. His wife and daughter were on the front steps, together with our youngest son Nathanael who was visiting his "Brazilian grandma and grandpa". Suddenly, shots rang out, together with cries of "ladrão!" (thief), and "tiros!" (shots).

A short distance from their house is a warehouse where a local chain of department stores keeps merchandise. Two young hoodlums tried to rob it, and the security guards ran them off. The two split up, and one of them, armed and shooting wildly, ran up Pastor Francisco's street.

When they heard the shots and the yells, the pastor's wife and daughter scooped up Nathanael and rushed inside. Once in the door, the pastor's wife looked back to see if Francisco was following her. She heard him say "Ai, meu Deus!" (Oh, my God), and turning, saw him sprawled out on the pavement.

He was dead before he got to the hospital.

Several people, including Pastor Francisco's younger son gave chase to the bandido, but he managed to elude them and is apparently still at large.

Pastor Francisco is an irreplaceable loss for São Luís, for our church, and he leaves a big, gaping hole in our personal lives. He also leaves a wife and three grown children. His legacy became apparent last night and into the early hours of the morning as people flooded into the house to pay respects. People were literally arguing over who would have the privilege of paying the funeral expenses. Without exaggeration, Pastor Francisco has touched thousands of people with his simplicity, sincerity, generosity, and genuine love for Jesus and for people.

And it goes to show what a terrible, mixed-up world we live in that my friend is the one in a casket at the front of the church (a church he built with his own hands), while the idiot that killed him is still roaming the streets. If I didn't believe in the absolute sovereignty of God, I would be losing it right about now.

At this point I am at a loss for what else to write, except to ask you to pray. Our ministry changed radically yesterday afternoon, and the next few weeks are going to be a long and challenging.

Farewell, good friend. You are basking in the presence of Jesus, but we are going to miss you terribly here.

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