Emma was born soon after we first arrived in Altamira. She was smiling then, and she has not stopped in 15 years. What a blessing Emma is to us, and to all who are around her. We are so very grateful to God for Emma.

I started to write a weekly email update in December with the plan of sending four Advent Christmas cards, one each week. In January I kept on going because friends and readers encouraged me. Now it is mid-May, and my weekly email has become part of my devotional time, a time to reflect and share what God is doing in the world around me.


Here are a few reasons why I am encouraging you to post some highlights of your week and send a weekly email.


1. “But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3:21.
2. “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thess. 5:11
3. This is a great spiritual exercise, a time to reflect on God’s involvement in your life, and to share that with others.
4. This is a time when you can bless people, by appreciating their work.

“The godly are like trees that give life-give fruit,…” Proverbs 11:30a

Last night our church attendance was 242 people, including about 40 moms. Mother’s Day here in Brazil is one of the biggest services of the year. Unfortunately, there were very few dads. At the Mirante Church in Altamira we noticed three distinct waves of newcomers, first the youth, then the moms, then the dads. We hope this will be the same here in Marabá. The children whose moms came to church were glowing with happiness. They were walking on clouds. The children whose moms did not come tried to keep a stiff upper lip. It was harder for them.

During the worship service our worship team lead vocalist, Adriana, 15 years old, young in the Lord and from a broken home herself, said, “I am sensing that many people have a lot of pain. If the pain you are feeling is because of your home, put one hand on your heart and put the other hand in the air, and face the direction of your home.” There was an immediate response by almost everyone in the church. “Now, let’s sing this song again, and believe in your heart, as much as you can, that Jesus is transforming your home, and bringing His healing there.” Then she lead the singing in a song about God bringing healing to homes.

To me, this was a moment of “life-giving fruit.”

I thought, as we were singing that worship song, about how often God looked down on the children of Israel and heard their cry for help, and rescued them. It really feels like God is doing this now, rescuing the people of Brazil.

If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! Proverbs 11:27

Goliath says to David, “Come here and I’ll feed you to the birds and wild animals!”

David responds, “You come here, and I will cut off your head, and I will give the dead bodies of you and your men to the birds and wild animals.”

So how are you responding to the giants in your life? What is your attitude?

Then David goes on to reveal the lens through which he sees life. “And everyone will know that the Lord does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The Lord will give you to us.” 1 Sam. 17:47 NLB

We can get this lens too, if we spend lots of quiet time with God. But its a bit like energy or life in a computer game. If we run out of seeing life through this lens, if we start thinking we are great, or wise, or capable in our own strength, the giants will wreak havoc with us. We have to keep spending lots of quiet time with God if we want to keep the lens fully charged up.

This is what we are talking about.

There should be some moments every day where you can honestly say to yourself, “This is a good life.” If we have good moments, that will result in good memories, which is what a good life is all about. When we lived in Altamira for the first year our rental house was full of rats. We lived on the edge of a city drainage area where sometimes the neighbors killed very big snakes. Our bathrooms often did not work. There were lots of mosquitos. There were frequent power outages. The house was really hot. I remember thinking, “I don’t have any place around this house where I can sit, have a cup of coffee, and think ‘This is a good life.'” So we went for lots of walks. And we enjoyed those walks.

One secret I have learned is we need to enjoy the Good Moments while we are having them.

This is the day the LORD has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today! Psalm 118:24 GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)

Yesterday at the soccer tournament one of the girls told Emma, “If we win this tournament I am going to dress up in my nicest clothes and go to church (our main service is at night) and I am going to praise God!”

Emma responded, “Well, what if we lose this tournament? I think you should still get dressed up in your nicest clothes and go to church and praise God.”

The girl had to think about that. Finally she scrunched up her nose, “Yeah. I guess I will.” And she did. She lost the tournament, and she dressed up and came to church and praised God.

It is easy to think that if our problems will only go away, or if we can only get to some better place in life, we will be happier. Think about it. The problems you had last week/month/year have gone away. And now you have a new set of problems. Are you any happier? The happiness that lasts comes along the way, in the midst of it all.