Last Sunday the men of our church stood in the front and belted out one of my favorite hymns found in our Brazilian hymnal: Olhando para Cristo (Looking to Christ) This is not nearly the most sophisticated or musically impressive piece we have shared here. There are even times were some (or all) of us…
This week’s collection features a lot of things we do that “ordinary” people do too. For up-to-the-minute updates, be sure to follow our Instagram account. Video from this week’s prayer meeting at Ebenézer. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) ____________________ Did you enjoy this…
While there is no evidence that everybody has a water buffalo, there is a squadron of Brazilian police, who do indeed have water buffalo – and ride them on patrol. The island of Marajó – not far from the city of Belém – apparently has one of the largest water buffalo populations in the world,…
It has been almost five months since we began our second ministry at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Since then we have seen God work in many ways, and at the same time have become more aware of the tremendous amount of work still to be done. What follows is a quick summary of what has been…
As I worked through the book of Genesis with my Old Testament Survey students this year, I noticed, for the first time, something quite profound. Are you ready? You might want to get out pen and paper and write this down. Genesis 12 is preceded by Genesis 11. Neat huh? No? Well…let me unpack it…
As the sun creeps slowly towards its apex above the Judean countryside, a scrawny young boy of about fifteen stands on an outcropping of rock that affords him a commanding view of his surroundings. Despite his tender years his complexion and physical appearance belie a lifetime of living outdoors. As he steps from one rock…
It’s been an eventful two weeks since our last Snapshots post. As always, you can keep up with what is happening in our lives and ministry by following us on Instagram. We have a few video clips this week. First up, some lovely butterflies Itacyara filmed in our yard: Last Sunday I played one of…
“Pastor, what our camp needs is a BBQ pit.” I’ve heard those words several times over the last months, coming from Pedro, a 79-year-old retiree in our church. Once when I was at his house, he showed me his homemade BBQ pit. “I could make one like this at our camp.” So on Monday we…
The Brazilian song Tico Tico no Fuba has been arranged and played in many ways, and for good reason. It’s a really great tune! We’ve featured it on this site a couple times (see here and here). But perhaps one of the most unique of all arrangements to be found is that of Cecilia Siqueira…
The elderly prophet pauses on the dusty road that winds its way through the rock-strewn landscape. The men who accompany him – one leading a heifer, another carrying supplies that include, significantly, oil for anointing – stop and wait for him to catch his breath. Leaning on his staff, he raises his bearded, bushy-eyed face…