Theresa's Takeaways from Brazil
Last year when Bruce and Rhonda came back from Brazil, I heard all the stories, saw the pictures, listened to how God answered prayers, and tallied up the number of people that got saved. I even got the flip-flops with the Brazil flag on them. But it was still their mission trip with their ties to the people and the country. It was not until I watched the video clip that Aaron and Tiffany Epps (the missionaries we have partnered with in Brazil) had made over Christmas that I began to have a tug at my heart that maybe, just maybe, this was the mission trip that I needed to partner with.
Joe and I worked nonstop for several weeks/months before we left to make sure that our “affairs” were in order before we departed the country. By the way, what do you do when one of your emergency contact persons is also one of the ones going with you on the plane? Answer: You Trust God.
When we landed in country, we were given a copy of “The Daily”, a devotion guide that was compiled specifically for the EBC Acre, Brazil team by people from EBC and by folks that had a special connection to the different ones on the team. For example, our son and daughter-Michael and Audra wrote one of the devotionals.
Let me tell you about a God who majors in perfect timing. The last morning that we were in Tarauaca, the devotion was written by Kim Harris and Sherri McNeil--Emily Petoskey’s fuel cell leaders. It came from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8—agape love. That same night while we were modeling the life group concept, the young man who had agreed to be the prayer champion got up and spoke about how as a group they needed to be showing their love for each other. He then asked for the group to show that love by praying for the person on their right and their left. To top it all off, that night’s lesson was on “Love God-Love People”. God moved across two continents--took lesson material that had been written months earlier in the United States, a devotion that had been penned weeks previously at home, and a prayer request time in Brazil that was spontaneous and put it together as only He can do.
Last year’s team had done backyard Bible clubs and a lot of door-to-door witnessing in one area. I will always have a picture in my mind’s eye of the afternoon that this year’s team went back to that site. The surprise and joy on those kids and adults’ faces when they recognized Rhonda, Bruce, and Andy was unbelievable. And then the rest of us got to reap the benefit of their work from last year and the work that had been continued on by Alcinea and Abud (a Brazilian couple that also served as one of our means of transportation – talk about servants!). We got to be in on the harvesting—kids and adults alike were saved that afternoon!
As many of you know, our plans for going into the interior continued to shift and change even after we got to Brazil because of the condition of the roads. The Sunday afternoon before we were to leave for Tarauaca, I was still undecided about whether I needed to be going. You see, I kept looking at the physical aspects of the trip—imagine traveling in country for 22 hours (at the time we had no idea it would take that long), with seven men in a 5-passenger Toyota truck, with my week’s worth of clothes in a backpack (by the way, I did take my blow dryer-it was my comfort food), no restrooms to speak of, and the food and water for the day was what we were taking with us (in other words, granola bars, beef jerky, and crackers). To be honest, I was concerned about my back staying in alignment, my sensitive stomach, and having some space from all those guys.
When we crossed the ferry leaving Tarauaca later that week, I had one of those “moments” while thinking about what I almost missed. You see, I got to join God where He had already been at work, saw and experienced God answer prayers (some that I prayed and some that were made on our behalf from the folks in Brazil and here at home), met and bonded with some precious believers in the congregation at 1 Igreja Batista de Tarauaca who were reaching out to their families and friends in the community, and saw countless possibilities for future work in the interior. I am so thankful that I did not miss out on the road to Tarauaca.
Aaron and Tiffany Epps are just like any other typical American couple. They are young, in the early years of their marriage, have two small children-Emma and Ethan, with all the joys and struggles that being a young married couple with children entails. They are extremely devoted to passing on their love of Christ and His forgiveness and restoration not only to their children but also to the people of Brazil. The only difference is that they are in a country/culture that is not their own, far from family and life-long friends.
I had another “moment” the last Sunday we were in Brazil. We had been invited to Alcinea and Abud’s home for lunch. Sometime after we ate, Alcinea put on a Portuguese CD of Christian children’s songs. Emma danced to the music. Alcinea stood there and held Ethan–swaying and rocking him to the music. Of course, my thoughts went to my own children and grandchildren. I am most fortunate to have my family within close traveling time. That “moment” was a reassurance to me that the God who gives us our family and friends here in the United States is the same God who gives family and friends to us wherever we are. God is our provider.
Many of you partnered with us through financial support, writing encouraging notes, keeping track of our children, shouldering some of our responsibilities while we were gone, and holding the ropes for us in prayer. And for that, I am deeply grateful.
I want to close with this scripture that was on a card from my prayer partner, “Your request has been heard in heaven and was answered the very first day you began to…pray…”
Daniel 10:12.
Theresa
Details of my pictures:
1. Joe sharing the evangecube w/a group of boys @ last year's site.
2. The road to Tarauaca.
3. Ferry landing @ Tarauaca.
4. Team leaving for Tarauaca.
5. Worship service @ 1 Igreja Batista de Tarauaca.
6. Tarauaca team w/Pastor Edinaldo's family.
7. Alcinea & Ethan
8. Sunrise on our departure from Tarauaca.
Joe and I worked nonstop for several weeks/months before we left to make sure that our “affairs” were in order before we departed the country. By the way, what do you do when one of your emergency contact persons is also one of the ones going with you on the plane? Answer: You Trust God.
When we landed in country, we were given a copy of “The Daily”, a devotion guide that was compiled specifically for the EBC Acre, Brazil team by people from EBC and by folks that had a special connection to the different ones on the team. For example, our son and daughter-Michael and Audra wrote one of the devotionals.
Let me tell you about a God who majors in perfect timing. The last morning that we were in Tarauaca, the devotion was written by Kim Harris and Sherri McNeil--Emily Petoskey’s fuel cell leaders. It came from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8—agape love. That same night while we were modeling the life group concept, the young man who had agreed to be the prayer champion got up and spoke about how as a group they needed to be showing their love for each other. He then asked for the group to show that love by praying for the person on their right and their left. To top it all off, that night’s lesson was on “Love God-Love People”. God moved across two continents--took lesson material that had been written months earlier in the United States, a devotion that had been penned weeks previously at home, and a prayer request time in Brazil that was spontaneous and put it together as only He can do.
Last year’s team had done backyard Bible clubs and a lot of door-to-door witnessing in one area. I will always have a picture in my mind’s eye of the afternoon that this year’s team went back to that site. The surprise and joy on those kids and adults’ faces when they recognized Rhonda, Bruce, and Andy was unbelievable. And then the rest of us got to reap the benefit of their work from last year and the work that had been continued on by Alcinea and Abud (a Brazilian couple that also served as one of our means of transportation – talk about servants!). We got to be in on the harvesting—kids and adults alike were saved that afternoon!
As many of you know, our plans for going into the interior continued to shift and change even after we got to Brazil because of the condition of the roads. The Sunday afternoon before we were to leave for Tarauaca, I was still undecided about whether I needed to be going. You see, I kept looking at the physical aspects of the trip—imagine traveling in country for 22 hours (at the time we had no idea it would take that long), with seven men in a 5-passenger Toyota truck, with my week’s worth of clothes in a backpack (by the way, I did take my blow dryer-it was my comfort food), no restrooms to speak of, and the food and water for the day was what we were taking with us (in other words, granola bars, beef jerky, and crackers). To be honest, I was concerned about my back staying in alignment, my sensitive stomach, and having some space from all those guys.
When we crossed the ferry leaving Tarauaca later that week, I had one of those “moments” while thinking about what I almost missed. You see, I got to join God where He had already been at work, saw and experienced God answer prayers (some that I prayed and some that were made on our behalf from the folks in Brazil and here at home), met and bonded with some precious believers in the congregation at 1 Igreja Batista de Tarauaca who were reaching out to their families and friends in the community, and saw countless possibilities for future work in the interior. I am so thankful that I did not miss out on the road to Tarauaca.
Aaron and Tiffany Epps are just like any other typical American couple. They are young, in the early years of their marriage, have two small children-Emma and Ethan, with all the joys and struggles that being a young married couple with children entails. They are extremely devoted to passing on their love of Christ and His forgiveness and restoration not only to their children but also to the people of Brazil. The only difference is that they are in a country/culture that is not their own, far from family and life-long friends.
I had another “moment” the last Sunday we were in Brazil. We had been invited to Alcinea and Abud’s home for lunch. Sometime after we ate, Alcinea put on a Portuguese CD of Christian children’s songs. Emma danced to the music. Alcinea stood there and held Ethan–swaying and rocking him to the music. Of course, my thoughts went to my own children and grandchildren. I am most fortunate to have my family within close traveling time. That “moment” was a reassurance to me that the God who gives us our family and friends here in the United States is the same God who gives family and friends to us wherever we are. God is our provider.
Many of you partnered with us through financial support, writing encouraging notes, keeping track of our children, shouldering some of our responsibilities while we were gone, and holding the ropes for us in prayer. And for that, I am deeply grateful.
I want to close with this scripture that was on a card from my prayer partner, “Your request has been heard in heaven and was answered the very first day you began to…pray…”
Daniel 10:12.
Theresa
Details of my pictures:
1. Joe sharing the evangecube w/a group of boys @ last year's site.
2. The road to Tarauaca.
3. Ferry landing @ Tarauaca.
4. Team leaving for Tarauaca.
5. Worship service @ 1 Igreja Batista de Tarauaca.
6. Tarauaca team w/Pastor Edinaldo's family.
7. Alcinea & Ethan
8. Sunrise on our departure from Tarauaca.
posted by "Deus esta conosco" at 9:29 AM
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