Newsletter: Update from Maranhão, Brazil

Dear friends,

When we began our new ministry at Ebenezer at the beginning of the year we had some definite ideas as to what we wanted things to look like by this time, but only the sketchiest of ideas as to how that would come about. Now, as we step back and evaluate, we can clearly see God’s hand at work.

Investing in the Next Generation

In my recent readings through the Old Testament I have been constantly reminded of Israel’s repeated failure to transmit the truth of Scripture to the next generation. When we returned to Ebenezer, we were dismayed to find nobody under the age of twelve in attendance, and only a handful of nominally involved teenagers. Itacyara and I have made turning this situation around one of our main priorities.

In our last newsletter we reported on how the church has rebooted its children’s ministry. This work has continued to grow, and we have begun to have opportunities to reach out to the parents of some of the kids who attend. Itacyara has been the main organizer and driving force behind these efforts.

We also asked you to pray for God to open the doors for a potential ministry with a local soccer team organized by one of our men from church. God has answered your prayers, and that work is flourishing!

In May we sat down with one of our young couples and mapped out a plan to make June “youth month”, where we would focus on events that would engage to youth of the community. Our two main events were game night and a youth rally that involved the teen groups from all of our sister churches. Both of these events saw participation from some of the area youth we are trying to reach.

The month of July often sees a downturn in Sunday School attendance due to vacations and other family events, so we have taken a month-long break, and are using the time to overhaul our entire Sunday School program, with classes for all age-groups. Also, at the end of this month we plan on hosting all the kids-club kids at our home for a mini-retreat.

As for the young people that were already attending, this month saw four of them finish their baptismal class, with their baptism scheduled for August.

A Visitor from the US

One of the reasons that our “Youth Month” was so successful was the presence of Marcus Baltich, a college student from Faith Baptist Bible College. He spent almost the entire month of June with us, and was active in the soccer ministry, the youth ministry, and everywhere else we plugged him in. His presence with us added a dynamic that made our area young people take notice.

But don’t take our word for it. Marcus has posted his impressions of his time here on our website, and you can read them here.

Moving in the Right Direction

Besides our outreach to are youth, we have been focusing on laying the foundations (or re-laying, as the case may be) of what a church should be for the congregation as a whole. Our study in Nehemiah (which we hope to publish on our website as soon as we finish up the Life of David series) was used of God to help our people understand the true nature and importance of worship. We have seen a definite, measurable uptick in involvement of the people in all aspects of the church, and become more excited about it in the process. One such moment was when all of our men got together and belted out a hymn during the evening service. Another can bee seen in the planning currently underway for our annual church retreat, which will be held at the Mount Zion Baptist Camp.

Property Purchase Update

In our last prayer letter we were able to announce that God had provided the funds for the purchase of a new, more visible, more accessible piece of property for the church. By the time of the writing of this letter we had hopped to be able to report that we had signed on the dotted line. Unfortunately, this was not to be.

At this writing, we are still involved in negotiations with the current owner. The contract he sent us contained several clauses that were unacceptable. So now we are “back to the drawing board”, hoping to be able to hammer out something that will be amenable to all involved. In this process we have retained the services of a local lawyer, and are consulting with other colleagues who have more experience with purchasing property here in Brazil. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we navigate these waters.

In the meantime, we are trusting in God’s timing, and maintaining our focus on shepherding the spiritual life of the church.

Meanwhile at Camp…

Having a full-time caretaker at camp has been essential to our being able to focus on the needs of the Ebenezer church. We have not concluded any major projects since our last letter, but we have finished a few minor ones, including putting up a new “rolling” gate for the serving window at the kitchen, and building a BBQ pit. We are also actively planning for several activities this fall.

One of the biggest blessing for us most recently was seeing the camp fulfill its purpose as a low-cost option for local pastors who need to get away and spend time with their families.

Work at camp also gives us opportunities to minister to the people we work with.

As we have previously mentioned, we would appreciate your continued prayers for God’s provision for the maintenance and upkeep of our truck, which is an indispensable tool in the camp ministry.

Bible Institute

In June we wrapped up our latest semester at the Bible Institute, with three students finishing the Old Testament Survey course. I am currently preparing for next semester when I will be teaching New Testament Survey. Also in the works is a series on the History of Western Civilization that I will be recording for a growing online Bible Institute headed up by one of our Brazilian pastors.

On the Web

The Life of David: Better Not Call Saul
Best of Brazil: The Water Buffalo Police (yes, you read that right)
The latest snapshots of missionary life.
From my recent OT studies: Babylon at Both Ends
On the Lighter Side: The São Paulo Stewardess Conspiracy
And finally, our son Nathanael turned 17 this month, which occasioned a look back at some of the moments he has brightened our lives.

As always, it is a privilege to serve you by serving Christ here in Brazil. Your prayers and generosity are what sustains this work every single day.

In Christ,

Andrew, Itacyara, Michael, and Nathanael

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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.