Ministry Update: A Season of Preparation

One of the main reasons we began this blog 20+ years ago was so that we could keep you informed of what is going on in our ministry here in Brazil. And usually there is no shortage of things to report on. Indeed, most of the time there is a backlog, and I end up sharing about events a week or two after they happen.

But then there are seasons like the past couple of weeks, where there is really nothing of consequence to write about.

It’s not that we’re not busy…that is DEFINITELY not the case. It’s just that we are in a preparation phase for the various ministries we participate in, and…well…writing about preparations is not all that exciting. When writing the Missionary Max books, I was careful to avoid getting bogged down with the lead-up to major story events. Readers want action, action, and more action.

But here’s the thing…big events don’t happen without preparation. In fact, one could say that the event itself is just the tip of the iceberg, with massive planning under the surface. so with that in mind, I’d like to take this moment to report to you the preparations that are going on right now.

Carnaval Retreat

The Mount Zion Baptist Camp is currently making final preparations for their first ever retreat during Carnaval season. So far there are roughly 40 people signed up. This will be the first family-style retreat of its kind, and we are pretty excited about it.

We also won’t be there…and that’s because of the next set of preparations we are making…

Evangelism Conference in Bahia

Early in 2023 Itacyara and I were invited by a former student of ours at the Cariri Baptist Seminary to participate in a conference in the state of Bahia…about 20 hours by bus from us. We agreed back then, having no idea that there would be a Carnaval Retreat at our camp, nor that I would be pastoring the Ebenezer church once again. Thus, when those developments came about we were already committed to the conference.

Nevertheless, we are looking forward to the possibility of being an encouragement to our brothers and sisters there. Indeed, when this article goes to press we should be on the bus en route to the event.

Bible Institute

This month also marks the beginning of a new semester at the Maranhão Baptist Institute. I will be teaching Old Testament Survey this month, and I am currently in lesson-planning mode.

Ebenezer Ministry

Having taken on once again the pastoral responsibilities of the Ebenezer church, we have spent the last several weeks laying the groundwork for future ministry. There are several fronts where we hope to be active this year: development of a children’s ministry, visitation, discipleship, and purchase/development of property are some of the major areas of need.

We look forward, in the weeks and months to come, to have many exciting things to report. But when we do, keep in mind that none of them would happen if it were not for the intense planning and preparation being carried out by us and our coworkers at this moment. It doesn’t make for exciting writing, but we don’t get to the exciting parts without it.

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And be sure to read the action-packed adventures of Missionary Max: Missionary Max and the Jungle Princess and Missionary Max and the Lost City.