This week-end (in March 2015) we had our first TLC (Training Leaders of Communities) week-end. We have not done an event like this before so we decided to make it simple and to monitor the results. After identifying eight topics that center around church leadership we decided to make the meetings as interactive as possible, that each leader should make sure there were lots of good snacks, and to finish the week-end with a meal. Mostly, within this Complex Framework, things went really well.

In a Complex Framework there is a link between the cause and effect, but it can only be known after the fact because there are so many variables. Afterwards, when we evaluate what we did, we will identify what went well, and do more of that, and what did not go so well, and do less of that.

There are three other organizational frameworks. Each one is right for a certain setting, and each one requires a different type of leadership. And then there is the fifth area, known as the Difficult Framework. This is where we are most of our time as we are trying to identify which of the other four will best help us solve our current leadership challenges. (Our professor posted a Prezi, a type of slideshow, that explains the four organizational categories known as the Cynefin Framework. If you are a leader, you may find this helpful when your group encounters challenges. Click here to start the Prezi.)

I was talking to a young fellow this week who wants to leave a life of crime. It is not easy. “I used to make R$150-R$200 a day. Now, if I can get one day’s work for R$50 I think that is really good. So how can I support my family?” A long-term solution may be to help families learn to help their children, but right now we young adults from dysfunctional families who would like to become responsible community citizens. This is a prayer request, and a complex problem for which we don’t have any really good ideas yet. If you have any good ideas or if God says anything to you, please let me know.

Our friend has a loader, so he came and worked for us for a few hours last week. As we get opportunities we make improvements to our property. In this case we have a pond in our field. We look forward to the day when this is part of a training and retreat center.

This photo of the Marabá leadership team was taken while Deanna was in Canada last Fall. We are very grateful that her health continues to be good.

In the meantime, we posted this leadership photo on the new Mission Website (thanks to Steve Dolan). We’ll retake the Maraba Leadership Team photo when Deanna gets here, so it will be complete.

To see the new Xingu Mission website, click here.

The Maraba Leadership Team photo (missing Deanna)

Two of the Girl’s Group had birthdays. Bella, Emma, and Aline lead this group while Deanna is gone. This week I made several trips to the hospital with Bruno, who got his leg broken in difficult circumstances. His sister always comes along to help Bruno get through the hospital system. She waits with him all day, in some cases, even though she has 5 children and is a single mom. It turns out his sister is his aunt, and the mom of one of these girls (Bruno’s grandmother took him in as a baby. His mom lives across town, and doesn’t want anything to do with him). The grandma came over and told me more of their story this week. I find our lives being woven together with this family in more and more ways. In the book Christy, by Catharine Marshall, Miss Alice tells Christy that her “neighbor” is the person who is always being woven back into her life. I often think of that quote, and wonder how I can help the people God is weaving into my life.

Two Birthdays Are Celebrated!

Emma got home Monday night, with four other young people from our church. They came home by bus on the Trans-Amazon Highway, a fourteen hours journey with about half the road paved. All was well until they came to a river where the bridge was gone. Washed away. Everyone had to get their bags and pay a motorboat to cross the river. Then they had to get on a different bus on the other side. Except there weren’t enough seats, because many buses were doing this, but there was standing room. Needless to say, they had a fun adventure. But that was not the best part. They were part of a prayer conference, and saw many outstanding instantaneous healings. Saturday morning they prayed for people in the marketplace with very cool results. Emma has lots of stories, and this is a week that will mark her life. And the same for these other youth.

Luciano, Paulo Roberto, Adriana, Sammi, and Emma

The kids love the chacara (church property) even more when it is fruit season. But some of them are kind of untrained. This week when some of our leadership was travelling, we were less able to keep a close eye on their activities. They ended up moving a hose out of our view, playing with water for hours, and left the water running overnight, which eventually burnt out the water pump. Then they got into our old car, which we are trying to sell. They found some powder graphite and sprayed it all over inside and outside of the car, making a terrible mess. If we can keep loving them, having patience, keeping the big picture, who knows the plans God has for these kids? And when you hear their stories, it really helps.

Thais, who is up in a choke-cherry tree, is one of the girl’s good friends. She has a cute little baby, Melany.

The children bring bags so they can take home the fruit on our trees.

At 6:30 a.m. Phil and Jen, Ivanildo and Monica, and as many youth as they could fit in their vehicles, headed out to a conference in Altamira. They allowed two days to get there, stopping along the way to visit the church in Pacaja.

Since Emma went with the group, that leaves just Bella and me home for the week. Eliel, Aline, and Edilton are sleeping some of the days at the chacara, to help keep an eye on things, and to keep the church programs running.

Phil puts their house garbage on the roof of his kombi, to drop it off at the gate on his way out.

And they are off, in a cloud of dust.

The Leaos drove their car, so more people could go.

“Missionary time and emotional energy should be spent 30% on their support teams, 30% on their families, and 30% on actual field work”. This is how I counsel new missionaries. In real life, I have no idea how our time and energy actually gets distributed, but if we lose any one of these three areas of responsibility, our impact is seriously weakened.

Each Missionary is Part of a Big Support Team

Over 18 years ago Danny Meyer brought a team from Columbus, OH, for a short-term outreach. They stayed in our home that first time, and the Lord really drew us together. We lived on the edge of a swamp, in the middle of the city. The rats would sometimes scurry across the living room even as we visited. As Danny, and his wife Penny, continued to come to Altamira every year with teams, they introduced us to Craig and Linda Heselton. The Heselton’s started bringing teams. I think they came for over ten years in a row. Phil and Judy Niemie also came on these teams, and we ended up staying in each of these homes, just now, for two or three nights each. These friends became like Aunts and Uncles to our children. Every year they would come stay in our home, and they were there to see our children grow up from babies to adults. They brought gifts, and stories, and goodwill. Because a Christian outreach team is focused on ministry, there is always as special sense of Jesus’ presence all around the time they are there. Now all of these friends have grandchildren!

The People Who Come Full-time as Missionaries Become Like Family

Very close to our family are all the people who came to live and serve with us full-time, to help Train Leaders and Plant Churches in Brazil. Kevin and Angie came for five years. Ron and Tiffany came for two years. (They had no children then). Tim and Betsy Kubacki came for five years. (They are now serving in Angola). Our girls were best friends with the Kubacki children. Now, as teen-agers, even though they have not seen each other for four years, they could pick up right where they left off in their friendships. Keith and Marsha have been in Brazil about nine years, and are still there. We were able to see all these people, and even several more with similar stories, to encourage them in their journeys, however they are now serving God, and to receive even more encouragement than we gave.

Kevin and Angie’s house in Columbus.

 Kevin and Angie came to have ice cream with us at the Heselton’s house.

Ron and Tiffany now have 5 lively children, including 4 year old twin boys. Busy. And fun.

Bella, Elly, Emma, Ben, and Meredith were all friends in Altamira.

Thought for the Day

Today I had coffee with a friend I have not seen in twenty-six years. As we talked of missions, God, and our families, he relayed the following story.“Sometimes our friends in church mention that they wish their teen-agers wanted to sit with them, as ours do. While these parents would like to have a better relationship with their children, they do not see the bigger picture. They do not choose to organize their lives so they can eat together as a family, and spend quality time together. Sitting together on Sunday is the tip of the ice-burg, the fruit of many years of choosing to do things together with our children, even if we would rather be doing other things”. 

This thought about serving others came out in a different way during our family devotions this week. Bella brought to our attention how the important centurion humbled himself before Jesus so his servant would be healed. This army leader stepped out of his comfort zone to help his servant. 

Matthew 8:5-6 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”


God will give you opportunities to help others this week, but sometimes you will need to step out of your comfort zone…maybe way out. I am curious about your experiences or thoughts about this.