Comings Communiqué

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

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:56:02 -0300

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!

Max Moment: Reviews and Interviews

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:25:30 -0300

The past couple of weeks saw two new reviews of The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max hit cyberspace.

First up, a review that originally ran in the bulletin of our home church in Lakeland Florida, written by the associate pastor (also...my brother).

Money quote: "...the action, romance and multi-layered plots will keep just about anyone turning the digital pages." Thanks, bro!

Next we have a review that ran in the blog Fundamentally Reformed, owned and operated by Bob Hayton.

Money quote: "The twists and turns of the plot, characters with depth and reality, and a locale where almost anything can go, keep one guessing throughout the book."

As Bob is one of the administrators for SharperIron--a site I have contributed to from time to time--the review appeared there the following day. As an added bonus, they also published an interview with me with several in-depth questions about the book, and writing in general. The following is one of my favorites:

Q. The book seems to be written from a guy’s perspective, and some of the themes, such as the chemistry between Max and Ilana, seem more suited to older teens and adults. What is your target audience for the book?

A. My target audience is teens to young-adults…especially guys. I remember reading Tarzan books as a kid, and then immediately going out to try my hand at being “king of the jungle” in the little patch of woods behind our house. In a recent documentary it was shown how, after the first Indiana Jones movies were released, there was a spike in the number of young men entering the field of archaeology.

The woods behind my house is far different from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ romanticized Africa, an archaeologist’s work is far different from that portrayed on the screen by Harrison Ford, and my ministry here in Brazil bears little resemblance to that of Maxwell Sherman.

Yet, it is my hope that The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max, in presenting somewhat of a romanticized ideal, will stir the hearts of young people—young men in particular—to pursue the genuine article.

If you have not yet immersed yourself into the exciting world of Missionary Max, what are you waiting for?

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

Daily Dozen

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:50:20 -0300

The Avengers ...and theology

The Avengers ...in high school

Tips for Preachers, 1 Preach through whole books.

Tips for Preachers, 2 Make a bee-line to the Cross.

Lego Creation of the Day Legos and trains...can it get any better than this? I submit that it cannot.

Tanks You're welcome.

Tanks Again You're welcome again.

Mothers, teach your children to play trumpet. It could save their life in a war.

The Four-Question Meeting Great for church business meetings.

Happy Birthday, Bella A heartwarming post by Elizabeth Santorum.

Divine Interruptions Patience is a virtue

You're Not the Boss of Me Tell you're soul who's in charge.

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

Sadness and Hope

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:09:24 -0300

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!

Daily Dozen

Mon, 07 May 2012 20:01:37 -0300

Aaaaaand....we're back!

Honest Lawyers There are some.

Brain Teasers Just in case your brain needs a good teasing.

The More Things Change... ...the more they stay the same.

Lego Creation of the Day This little light (house) of mine...

You Can't Tell a Book By It's Cover But you might be able to tell it by it's first sentence.

Killing Canaanites and Eating Shrimp Why "those parts" of the Bible are still relevant today.

Make Peace, Not War Ok...maybe a little war.

The Course of Empire I'm thinking we're somewhere between paintings three and four.

Seriously What could go wrong?

Walk Like and Egyptian ...and be a-mazed.

The Importance of Reading Fiction It's very important.

Book Promotion In 50 easy steps

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

Sorry for the Blog Silence

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:45:35 -0300

This has been a grueling week for us, ministry-wise, and posting here has fallen to the bottom of the priority list. I am revving up to begin regular updates again on Monday. So, stay tuned.

Max Moment: Author Interview

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:28:31 -0300

Earlier this week we were pleased to a very kind review by book-blogger extraordinaire (and my sister-in-law) Kalyn Comings. Today, she has continued the Missionary Max mania with an interview with the author--yours truly.

I had fun answering her questions, and I hope they give you some insight into the "why" and "wherefore" of The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max.

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

In Case You Missed It...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:24:14 -0300

Our most recent ministry newsletter.

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

Daily (half) Dozen

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:49:28 -0300

Irrational Worldviews ...and how to escape them.

Lego Creation of the Day A Beautiful Wreck

In Case You Missed It A great review of The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max

The Cake ...of Sauron

Castle in the Sky In Germany

Feed Your Family ...on $10 Billion a Day

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

Max Moment: Words With Books Review

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:49:33 -0300

Words with Books is a blog dedicated to--you guessed it--books. It's creator and author is my sister-in-law, Kalyn Comings. Today she posted a full (and very gracious) review of The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max. Be sure to check it out, and give her some love in the comments section. And, if you have not yet read the book, she is hosting a giveaway!

Are you a blogger? Would you like a free copy of all three parts of The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max? All you have to do agree to write a review (and it doesn't even have to be positive) on your blog, and I will happily send them to you. Like Kalyn, you can even host a giveaway on your blog. If you are interested, send me an e-mail with your blog address, and whether you prefer the Kindle or Nook versions of the book.

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

Daily Dozen (update: with broken links fixed)

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:15:51 -0300

Brazil's Emergence A rare balanced view.

The Ten Commandments Hillbilly style

Board Game Ministry My bro Joe should read this.

130 Years ...with a harpoon in it's back.

Lego Creation of the Day The Temple of Doom

Baby's Crave Human Touch Or not...

And That Same Little Girl ...now

Best Computer Handbook Ever.

Who Killed Ahithophel? Besides Ahithophel, that is.

A Short History ...of shopping malls.

Important Questions To Ask before you post on Facebook.

Open Minded People turns out, not so open minded.

Have something interesting for the next Daily Dozen? Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

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

Video: Bahia in 1927

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:41:06 -0300

I was going to include this in a Daily Dozen, but it is so cool, I decided to give it a post all it's own. From Deep Brazil comes this video from the state of Bahia in 1927. This is the kind of thing that Brazilians see imperfectly reproduced in historical novelas.

Enjoy!

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

Brazilian Musical Interlude: Yamandú Costa plays "Carinhoso"

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:28:24 -0300

This one came from Rio Gringa:

If you're interested, here are the (untranslated) lyrics:

Meu coração, não sei por que
Bate feliz quando te vê
E os meus olhos ficam sorrindo
E pelas ruas vão te seguindo
Mas mesmo assim
Foges de mim

Ah se tu soubesses como sou tão carinhosa
E o muito, muito que te quero
E como é sincero o meu amor
Eu sei que tu não fugirias mais de mim

Vem, vem, vem, vem
Vem sentir o calor dos lábios meus a procura dos teus
Vem matar essa paixão que me devora o coração
E só assim então serei feliz
Bem feliz

Ah se tu soubesses como sou tão carinhosa
E o muito, muito que te quero
E como é sincero o meu amor
Eu sei que tu não fugirias mais de mim

Vem, vem, vem, vem
Vem sentir o calor dos lábios meus a procura dos teus
Vem matar essa paixão que me devora o coração
E só assim então serei feliz
Bem feliz

And, as a special bonus, Marisa Monte (one of my favorite female vocalists) singing the same song.

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

Daily (half) Dozen

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:05:45 -0300

Good News for Me Brazil likes foreigners...kind of.

From the Depths A digital re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic.

The More the Merrier Who is the presidential candidate with a more polygamous background? Hint: It might not be the Mormon guy.

And on a Similar Vein How different are Mormonism and Islam, really?

How Many Ways can you Write 3M? Apparently, lots.

The Dark Lord ...of the cookies.

Have something interesting for the next Daily Dozen? Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

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

Tools for the Modern Missionary: Podcasts

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:54:03 -0300

One of the greatest challenges in the life of a missionary is keeping yourself fed spiritually. Of course this is true in any ministry context, but the challenge is heightened when you take into consideration language differences and lack of resources.

For this reason, podcasts have become a daily companion for me.

Wikipedia defines a podcast as "a type of digital media consisting of an episodic series of files (either audio or video) subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device."

What this means, in plain English, is that you can go into iTunes, under podcasts, search for the name of a particular preacher that you enjoy, and chances are good his messages will be available for free download.

Of course it's not just messages. There are literally thousands of podcasts out there on every imaginable subject.

Because most of my "downtime" is while I am driving, I have a weekly ritual of downloading the latest files from my favorite podcasts, then transferring them to my portable drive and listening to them as I travel to and fro throughout São Luís.

I currently subscribe to four podcasts in three categories:

Edification

Truth for Life with Alistair Begg
Let My People Think with Ravi Zacharias

Leadership

This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt

News/Entertainment

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me NPR's news-related quiz show.

Do you listen to any podcasts? Share your favorites with us in the comments secition.

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