Most of you know that my plans to apply for a permanent visa were radically altered in October after a visit to the Federal Police revealed that a new law had been passed altering the requirements to transfer a Type V visa into a permanent one. I did not fulfill the requirements; therefore, I could not apply.  God’s grace, however, is sufficient, and He has used this difficulty to prove His faithfulness, His greatness and His sovereignty.

The Fortaleza Academy’s urgent need for an English teacher persists as the current one is scheduled to leave in just a few weeks at the end of the first semester.  I believe the Lord has equipped and prepared me for “such a time as this”; so Lord willing, I will to return to Brazil temporarily on a tourist visa to teach English for the spring semester.  This will also enable me to continue my church and discipleship work at Igreja Batista Bíblica Maranata in Edson Queiroz, an economically depressed neighborhood of Fortaleza; I also desire to begin work on my biblical counseling certification.  

Then in July, I will return to the States for an important wedding – mine.  Yes, the rumors are all true, and I am engaged to Frederico Augusto Rodrigues after accepting his proposal of marraige to me on a moonlit beach in Taiba, Brazil, on October 26.

Fred (prounounced FREH-GEE) and I met at Igreja Batista Bíblica Maranata.  Fred is the youth leader (so you may recognize or remember his name from my prayer letters or updates), and I was often called upon to help him organize activities.  Our time together revealed our complimentary strengths and weaknesses, our passion for ministry and our committment to Lord; while our prayers together confirmed His will for our lives.  Thus, Lord enabling, we will be married next summer here in the U.S.; after which which we will return to Brazil and continue with the work in Edson Queiroz.

Then after God has done abundantly more than I ever thought or asked, according to His perfect will, I will finally be qualified to apply for my permanent visa!

 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us, TO HIM BE THE GLORY 
in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21

First, lest this be as far as you read today, let me ask you to pray for the Mark Lounsbrough family.  They are in transit to the States as I type due to a sudden lapse in Mark’s mother’s health.  In addition to emotional hardship, there are many logostic details that need to be addressed, both now and in the future.  Mark is a professor at SBC; others will now have to assume his responsibilities.  David, Becky and Mark’s third child, is a junior at the Fortaleza Academy; as a teacher, I can confirm that “make up work” is neither fun for the student nor the teacher.  The list continues, as I hope your prayers will for this family and others affected by this recent development.

Please also be in prayer about my visa.  I have visited the Federal Police several times in past months to prepare my application for my permanent visa.; however, I was suddenly informed during a recent visit that I was NOT allowed to transfer my visa into a permanent one.  Apparently, in addition to types of visas, there are additional categories within those types; and my category disqualifies me for application.  Of course.  So once again, I find myself in limbo due to my Brazil visa.

This, of course, has had a dramatic and direct affect on my current situation.  Most significantly, it was necessary to cut my time short at SBC and move back to Fortaleza to facilitate visits to the Federal Police in attempt to resolve this situation.  Please pray for wisdom and clear direction.  I have many significant decisions to be made over the next several weeks.

In the meantime, I continue to learn other lessons.  One of the things with which I have struggled most during my missionary journey is luggage - it’s not the weight, but the wait.  I do not enjoy living out of a suitcase.  I dislike having my belongings packed up in boxes and stored all over the world (well, okay, only in two different countries).  When I say that, I’m referring to more than just decorations or furniture.  I miss having resources and materials that would be useful to me, especially my books.  Now, just when I had planned to become “permanent” and finally unpack those boxes, I find myself packing new ones.

And it’s not just packing up things.  It’s hard to pack up my ministries as well.  A month or so ago, I wrote about a formal counseling opportunity with a young mom from SBC.  During our last session together, while I was encouraged by the dramatic change in her attitude, I struggled entrusting her to the Lord’s care knowing that she would no longer have the weekly encouragement, teaching and accountability provided by our time together.  God, however, gave me a special blessing the following evening to remind me of the changing power of His Holy Spirit.

But that story will have to wait for another time.  Until then…

Unless there is a drastic rise in the dollar, a good friend and fellow BMM missionary who was on deputation when the dollar was high will have to raise more support on furlough next year before she will be allowed to return due to the drop.  Another family I know had to sell their second car (their truck is necessary for their ministry) because of they could not afford to keep up the two.  And the list goes on; I could tell of many other families who have been affected by this.  In truth, all Brazilian missionaries have felt the crunch.

But in the end, it is not the dollar that is important.  My experience during the past year has served to strengthen my confidence and trust in God as He has faithfully supplied my need.  I have marveled on more than one occasion at the fantastic way He has provided.  May His name be glorified for that!

 
Swing Low, Sweet Dollar

You may or may not be aware that the dollar is taking a beating internationally.  Nowhere is this more evident than here in Brazil.  When we arrived here in October of 2005, the dollar was hovering at around 2.20 in the local currency (the real).  That following summer, it even got up to around 2.40.  Since then, however, it has been in a virtually uninterrupted free fall.  As of this writing, it as showing up as 1.97 per dollar. 

In layman’s terms, this means that every $1,000 that comes from donors in the US is now only worth R$1970, as opposed to the R$2200 it was worth in late 2005–a loss of R$230 (roughly 10%). 

Meanwhile, prices continue to rise here in Brazil.  For example, while I could buy diesel for my truck for R$1,80 a liter in October of 2005, now it costs about R$1,97–an increase of about 10%.  The same applies to the cost of other things as well. 

If you are keeping track, this means that your missionaries in Brazil have suffered a financial hit of about 20% since October of 2005.

So how does this play out in the day-to-day life of the missionaries?  In some very interesting ways.

The Good

The Economic Difference Between Brazilians and Americans Diminishes. 

An example: My (Brazilian) pastor goes every year to a large conference in São Paulo–similar to the Shepherd’s Conference in the US.  He pays his own way.  I have wanted to go, but have lacked the funds.  Please understand that I am not complaining.  I think this is a good thing.  It is now easier for Brazilians to see missionaries as co-workers, and not cash cows.  Not too long ago a Brazilian friend of mine asked why I did not visit him in João Pessoa.  I told him I didn’t have funds to be traveling that far very often.  He smiled and said “Now that’s contextualization!”

Brazilians Step Up to Support Brazilian Ministries. 

I was encouraged at a recent pastor’s meeting to here the area pastors discussing ideas on how they could support missions and send more missionaries.  The ideas did not include trying to get funds from the US.  This did not happen overnight–but the weak dollar is certainly contributing.  We are trying to take advantage of this at the camp by encouraging churches to take up various repair projects.  Of course, contributions from the US are still quite welcome, and put to good use.  But seeing the Brazilian churches take up the reins is very gratifying.

The Bad

Missionaries are tightening their belts. 

Itacyara and I have done some serious re-evaluating of financial priorities–especially with a new baby on the way.  As a result, we have decided to move out of our house.  For eight months we will stay in the home of a missionary who is on furlough, during which time we will look for something smaller and cheaper. I am also selling things.  My projector was the first to go–to be followed up shortly by my Palm Pilot.  We are not the only ones in this situation.  One of our colleagues just sold his house!

Projects Languish. 

Many of our larger projects – such as the new chapel on our campus – are funded by large donations from the US.  A donation made a year ago to cover all the expenses of a construction project now covers 20% less of that new project.

The Ugly

Everybody Wants to Buy Electronics in the US. 

It works like this: The strong real against the dollar makes electronic items from the US (laptops, projectors) cheaper for Brazilians.  They are not cheaper here in Brazil because of exorbitant taxes.  E-bay makes it quite easy for Brazilians to buy goods in the US.  The only problem is getting the merchandise here once it has been purchased.  Here is where the missionaries come in, for while we have less buying power, we still have access to the US.  The result is that at least twice a week I have someone approach me asking if I could help them get a digital camera/laptop/pen drive.

The history of the church and the stories of the men and women who have served in its ministry paralleled the evening’s message perfectly.  Pr. Jenuan, a guest speaker from Fortaleza and former pastor of the church, used the story of Christ feeding the five thousand (Matt. 14 and John 6) to challenge the church to imitate the mission-oriented view of her forefathers and continue to reach the lost.  Below are the points from his message (although they don’t translate as “prettily” into English):

PERCEPÇÃO - Christ’s perception.  Christ saw the multitude, and this was no chance glance. The passage in John says, “He lifted His eyes” (v.5).  Christ did not close His eyes to the lost; He looked for them.

Too often, we do the exact opposite.  Instead of seeking the lost, we hide from the world. Some hide because they feel they are inadequate for God’s service, that their contribution would be insignificant; but such feelings are self-centered and put the focus on self. God wants the focus to be on Him.  It is, in fact, through our inadequacy and insignificance that God’s power is magnified as He accomplishes great things with unworthy vessels. Other times, we hide out of selfishness.  We enjoy our life just as it is and don’t want to give up conveniences, comforts, securities, etc.  What a change (and challenge!) to hear a Brazilian pastor speak to his own people about becoming too comfortable in life!

People have told me that as an American I am accustomed to living at a certain standard of living; and that it would be very difficult for me to live below that level. On one hand, they’re right. On the other hand, was not Christ accustomed to living in heaven, a pure and holy environment in which He was rightly worshiped, honored and glorified? I have sometimes imagined the shock of that first breath of cold air outside of the womb, but the fact is that He was incarnate for nine long months before then! How very different to be confined to human form; and yet He, “who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God (meaning something to be held on to, to be grasped), but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6,7). The verse preceding these admonishes us as Christians to “let this mind be in [us] which was also in Christ Jesus.” If Christ laid aside His glory out of love for the lost, it is a small thing, a very small thing, for me to lay aside temporary, material comforts of this world.

And should I suffer “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,” the marvelous truth is that nothing, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rm. 8:35, 38-9). In reality, the solemn truth is “to this [we Christians] were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that [we] should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

PREOCUPÇÃO – The disciples’ preoccupation (worry). In reality, the disciples did see the multitude, and what they saw terrified them, thousands of men, women and children with empty hands and empty stomachs. Christ looked at the same multitude; however, His heavenly vision saw beyond their physical hunger to see their true need, and “He was moved with compassion for them” (Matt. 14:14). The disciples, as they worried about providing bread for a multitude, failed to recognize the Bread of Life who stood among them.

PROVAÇÃO – Christ’s provocation (test).  In the midst of this, Christ turns to Philip and says, “Okay, Philip, what now? What should we do? ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ (v.5)” Did you every stop to consider why Christ asked Philip? Why not Peter or Luke or another one of the twelve? The following verse tells us that Christ did this “to test [Philip]; for [Christ] Himself knew what He was intending to do.” Consider Philip’s response. Philip was the mathematician in the group. He was into stats and knew how to crunch numbers. His final analysis? “Look, Christ, I think it’s great what you want to do, but numbers don’t lie.  Two hundred denarii isn’t enough to give everyone even just a little piece!”  But that was according to man’s calculations; God’s economy functions very differently.  His economy – praise the Lord! – is never limited or lacking.  Very often, the only thing lacking is our faith and expectation of what God will do, which brings us to the next point.

PRONTIDÃO – The disciples’ readiness.  In the midst of the crisis, Andrew appears and says, “There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many?” (John 6:9). In other words, what is this little bit of food in comparison to that great multitude?!?  Just where have these guys been?  Haven’t the disciples seen Christ make the lame to walk, the blind to see, and raise the dead to life? Haven’t they see Christ walk on water and still a raging tempest? Haven’t they seen Christ cast out demons and dominate the supernatural? Yet in one moment, all of this is forgotten. The multitude spread out before them, the one they didn’t want to see, is a harsh reality and presents a problem, a BIG one; but where the disciples saw an unsurpassable difficulty, Christ envisioned a tremendous opportunity. Imagine the difference, the joy the Master would have felt if one of His men had approached Him with expectation instead of reservation. “Lord, there are thousands of men and women here, and their all asking for food! Can You blieve this, Lord? What an opportunity! Andrew found a boy with a small lunch of bread and fish, but I told him we didn’t need it. I mean, you can use if you want to, but I know you don’t need it what great miracle are you going to work today, Lord?  And what can I do to be a part of Your plan?”

PROVISÃO – Christ’s provision. Christ took a small lunch of five pieces of bread and two fish, and turned it into an abundance that left twelve baskets extra! “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20, 21)

It really is marvelous to see how God continues to put the pieces into place – perhaps not in the order nor in the time scheme that I would perfer, but inevitably in the best way possible.  Of course now, with a definite direction for the future, I feel like a high schooler with senioritis.  This semester, I’m really going to have to discipline myself to stay attentive to the task at hand, namely finishing out the school year.  Speaking of, I still have some lessons to prepare for tomorrow…