Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Saturday in Marabá

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This week’s highlights:

1. Soccer training school started up again.

2. Deanna, Emma, and Via are back from Canada.

3. We are coming into mango season.

4. The little bouganvilia plants we bought are flowering with all their might.

5. The neighbours come to the chacará Saturday afternoon.

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The mangos are almost ripe.

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Neighbourhood guys come to the chacará to watch the soccer game, and to hang out.

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Ivanildo is very respected, and the guys love it when he coaches and refs games.

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The swing.

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Deanna visits with Lene and Quita. Quita is pregnant with baby number 5, a girl after 4 boys.

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Michelle enjoys the afternoon.

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Ruan.

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Mango trees are fun to climb.

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Our little bouganvilia plants are outdoing themselves with color.

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A meadowlark sits outside our window.

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Bella and Emma play volleyball on Saturday afternoon.

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Marcos Turns 8!

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Ivanildo and Monica moved to Marabá with their two children, Bruna and Marcos. Marcos had his 3rd birthday right after they moved. Marcos turned 8 on Tuesday. He has lots of friends here.

 

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Marcos was very excited about his 8th birthday. He wants to grow up to be a strong, helpful, man just as soon as he possibly can.

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Aline and Eliel are leaders in our church. Eliel leads the worship team, and together they lead the youth. They are getting married in two weeks, the first among us to date, plan a wedding, and get married, before living together.

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Marcos invited about 8 boys his age come to his party. He also invited me to come.

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Marcos and his friends.

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Karin has been part of our church for about four years now, and living here on the chacara for the last two. Her life has changed so much. She is becoming a student of God’s word, and is very generous to those around her.

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Karin, Bruna, and Monica.

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Bruna is Marcos’ sister.


 

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Barbequed Ribs!

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The “gaucho” cowboy culture is part of Brazilian folklore and includes eating barbecued ribs and drinking chimarrão tea from a gourd. Last Saturday we bought a huge 23 kilo (52 pounds) ribcage. It was almost a whole front quarter of beef. The butcher just cut off a bit of the neck and the front leg behind the shoulder blade as I watched and gave directions. As I bought the meat Ivanildo dug a pit and gathered some logs for a bonfire. Sunday morning Ivanildo and I got up at 3:30 a.m. to set the ribs over the glowing bed of coals. We roasted the ribs for eight hours, right until lunch. In the meanwhile, Monica had planned a church-cleaning event, with the usher/set-up ministry. Everyone brought food or drinks, and about 40 of us ate until we couldn’t eat anymore. Afterwards, while I went home to sleep, they all went to the river to swim and continue the party. It was a fun day for the church, the stuff legends are made out of. This becomes part of our story.

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Chimarrão Tea

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We have a robust setup / greeter team.

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Emily (Luana and Yara’s little sister).

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Jaquelene and Shianne carve the last morsels off the ribs.

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The crew is cleaning the area where all the neighbours can come and get good drinking water.

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Antonio and Zecca have a crew of helpers in the church front yard.

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Kevin helps sweep the floor.

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The main helpers.

23 kilos, 53 pounds, of ribs, roasted for 8 hours over coals.
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Nilma

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Jaquelene

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Emily helps scrub the chairs.

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Many hands make light work.

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The musicians polish their instruments.

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It’s fun, when everyone is into it.

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Eliete is Emily’s mom, and a changed person.

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Ivanildo used to do this when he worked in the army.

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We got up long before daylight to get these ribs started. They had been roasting for over tow hours when this photo was taken. Sloooowwwwly.

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Anxiety vs Faith

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Canna Lilly

Canna lilies grow in the ditches in our neighbourhood.

 

These canna lilies grow in the ditches alongside the road in our neighbourhood.

Anxiety (according to Seth Godin) = experiencing failure in advance
Faith (Hebrews 11:1) = belief in the best possible outcome

Mathew 6:27-29 …”And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these”.…

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Spiritual Retreat

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Church planters, pastors, and missionaries do so much good in the world. Unfortunately, the attrition and burn-out rate are high, and this can undo the good work, and even be damaging. Steve Summerall told us, “Like a boat, we all leave a wake behind us. Some people understand what the waves they make, and some people have no idea.”
To increase the good, and to lessen the harm, Vineyard leaders from the United States have been encouraging a few Vineyard leaders from around Brazil to gather once or twice a year for two or three days, for a spiritual formation retreat. During these retreats we have the opportunity to become quiet, to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Other benefits include the deepening sense of family and community among us leaders, even though cultures vary greatly from region to region.
One of the exercises we did this week was to reflect on Luke 15:11-32. We were asked to identify with the younger son, who rebelled and then came back home. In the afternoon we went to our solitary places and reflected on how we are like the older son, who was not happy to see his repentant younger brother. Another time we reflected on God’s father-heart. What is it like for God when we, His children, act like this? What does God really think about us? This is a rich, powerful way to read the bible.
This time our retreat was located in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil. It is cold here. While we waited for a few others to arrive on our first day, we hiked to nearby waterfalls. The last day we ended with a meal that included ribs that were barbecued for 8 hours, along with entertainment from the gauchos, the local cowboy culture.
I cannot express how grateful I am to participate in these retreats. Now how can I bring this sense of community and personal relationship with God back to Marabá? How can I guard against our church simply becoming a bunch of meetings and things we do and don’t do? How can we help our neighbours understand how to relate in a healthy way to the Father, and to fully life life here with Him?

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Church Camp

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The InterVinha 2013 was held at the Church Camp in Altamira. This is the place we used to call “The Ranch”. For all who have helped support us and the movement in Altamira over the last 18 years, thank you. Here is a small glimpse of how the team there is taking things forward!

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Phil Strout

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Phil Strout is the leader of the Vineyard Movement in the USA. I am very encouraged for the Vineyard movement in the USA, and around the world! 
Phil was the guest speaker at this InterVinha conference. Our girls rehearsed his sermons for hours on the way home the next day. Even now I am sure they still remember all the main points.
TEN PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP – by Phil Strout (spoken over three evening, in Altamira)
1.  Get people in front of Jesus, whatever the cost! “WHATEVER IT TAKES!” (story of the paralytic let through the roof)
2. This is the most important thing we’ve ever done. (Every day, every service, every task…)
3. It is amazing what can get done when you don’t care who gets the credit. 
4. Take care of your soul. (The key to going the distance.)
5.  The ministry is not overwork, it is overflow. 
6. Fruitful longevity. (I am making a date with everyone 25 years old and under. Let’s meet back here, on the 29th of July, 30 years from now. 2043! I want to hear stories of how you are still serving well in ministry.)
7. Do to others what you want them to do to you. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Matthew 7:12. 
8. If it is worth anything, it is worth everything.  Matthew 13:44-46 
9. Ignatious – Everyday everything that happens is for the greater glory of God and the well-being of people. 
10. Drink the cups of The Lord. 
Galatians 4:19
John 18:7-11
Mark 10:35-40
Matthew 26:36-39

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The Good Life

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Elba was born so far out into the bush that her dad went to get the mid-wife with a horse. When he got back, Elba was already born, but the mid-wife was on time to deliver Elba’s twin sister Nira. Now these two ladies are both pastoring at the Mirante Vineyard in Altamira.
When Elba grew up her dad used to take their family to the beach occasionally, and they would fry fish over an open fire, and go swimming. Elba treated us to the experience.
That night we slept with the waves gently swinging our hammocks in the boat.