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…
Here are the most recent snapshots from our life and ministry. As always, you can see what is happening in real time by following our Instagram account. A snipped from the prelude at Ebenezer last Sunday. _____________________ Did you enjoy this post? Consider making a donation to our ministry in Brazil. As an Amazon Associate…
Some may question my inclusion of this in a “Best of Brazil” post. After all, it’s an outlaw fleeing police and committing numerous traffic violations in the process. But every time I watch it, all I see are two artists at work. The guy in front leads the police on a wild five-minute chase through…
A few days ago I posted some clips from the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Cariri Baptist Seminary in 1996, an event in which I had the privilege of participating. After I published the article a friend of mine edited the clip down to just the section featuring the choir. I thought that would make…
Last summer a team came down from the US, and in the course of their stay one of the men bought a cake from a local vendor at an exorbitant price. When I found out about it, I laughed and told him “Welcome to Brazil!” Later, as we were discussing the day’s events, the group…