"God with us"

Prayer Requests from Brazil Presentation

2007-10-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

The following are prayer requests raised during the Brazil Presentation on Sunday October 21:

1) Edinaldo - Balance between ministry, family (five children in school), and business (he and his wife own a luncheonette); pray for his leadership of the work in the interior of Acre

2) Cooperation between the three pastors in Tarauaca and Feijo (Edinaldo, Francima, New pastor coming from Sena Madureira

3) EBC's invitation from the IMB to become the Strategy Coordinating Church for Acre, Brazil (strategy coordinating church is the only IMB representation to an unreached people group)

4) Couple to work with children and train children's workers during next mission trip

5) Youth involvement in Brazil mission work

Monday thru Thursday, (Oct 1-4)

2007-10-21T09:08:00.001-07:00

Earlier in our stay, the ProLink Hotel owners had asked if we would be willing to dedicate their hotel. So, Monday morning found us up early asking God to bless the owners in all of their business dealings; that their hotel would have a reputation for hospitality, service, and integrity; and that those who stayed inside their walls would find rest and peace. In this family, the wife of the owner is churched. To our knowledge, the other members are not.

After a quick trip by Edinaldo’s home for one last goodbye, we were on the road to Rio Branco. Instead of prayer-walking, we began prayer-driving areas as we returned. One area that had captured our attention was the small community that was forming across the river from Tarauaca. To our knowledge “Tarauaca-East” [our naming] has no church so we have begun to pray for a new work there. We were able to enjoy “pothole pavement” until we were east of Feijo where we immediately encountered muddy roads due to the rains Sunday evening. The mud was sufficient to cause numerous trucks to slide into the ditch and force us to run in 4wd--indicaters that travel on BR 364 would soon be challenging--we were heading back at the right time. Later in the morning, we traveled beyond the effects of the recent rain and the mud turned to dust, which wasn’t a problem for the five folks in the cab but a nuisance to the rider in the rear. This was pretty much the same as last year except we had brought along a “poofy” [pear shaped bean bag] to serve as a body cushion and allow one to stretch out. Between the poofy and Theresa’s pillow, the guy in the rear was in good shape, especially when all passengers became airborne on the sudden dips/bumps in the road. Road conditions this year were much better and the group even reminisced over our adventure last year being a thing of the past, as the current road improvements will eventually make the way for year-round travel. We arrived in Rio Branco without incident after 7 hours or so of travel…not too bad.

The afternoon was spent completing last minute shopping and packing for our 2am flight to Manaus. As in the past, we left lots of clothes and medicines to be distributed to those in need. Good thing too or else we would have had to pay extra to transport all those havaianas [flip flops] back to the states. Numerous friends came by Monday night to say goodbye and wish us well. Soon it was too late for guests and we finished our final preparations and departed for the airport. Even though Bruce is doing well in communicating in Portuguese, we all appreciated Aaron being involved to ensure there was no confusion as we checked in and secured our ticket changes. After a final prayer, we said our goodbyes to Aaron and entered security to begin our trip home. Much to our relief, the flight to Manaus departed on time, as we only had about an hour to arrive/process/check-in for our flight to Miami.

We arrived Manaus a few minutes late but with a plan, Bruce would go secure our tickets and wait for Joe/Theresa at security while they secured the luggage. Things were going great for Theresa and Joe until they got to the ticket counter and Bruce conveyed they wouldn’t let us board and it attributed to timing—control of luggage going through customs???.

After the reality of our situation settled, we made contact with local IMB missionaries and Ken agreed to come to the airport and help us get rebooked for the same flight on Wednesday. It was a blessing to have Ken come to our aid. Soon all travel arrangements were made, including van transportation to the airport the next morning. He took us to the Hotel Brazil, pointed out a couple of eating options, as well as internet cafes, a few notable sights, and a list of contacts if we needed further assistance. Ken had a network of Brazilian associates that assisted him with mission teams visiting Brazil. We were receiving “standard” treatment and it was much appreciated.

After a short rest, we hit the streets of Manaus. First an internet café to catch up on news and then a sit down meal at a restaurant. Traveling days usually consist of granola bars and crackers and we still had several days to go so a good meal was in order. Oh yea, on our first trip out a man walking along side of me said, “you’re a missionary aren’t you?”. This wasn’t the first time I had been surprised by someone speaking English but this encounter was a little startling. After a short pause, I admitted as much and shared that we were only in Manaus overnight waiting for a flight and were currently looking for an internet café. He helped us and then went on his way. After some internet time, dinner, an ice cream break, and more internet time the evening was over.

Wednesday morning we enjoyed a breakfast at the hotel being careful about the food and beverages that we consumed. This would be our last meal in Brazil this year. Every meal presented opportunities to eat something new often without full knowledge/appreciation of how our systems would respond. This year found all of us eating more items than in the past but we refrained from being too adventurous because we knew too well that the reaction could bring a significant disruption to our plans. Other than Joe’s two afternoons of the “Pepto-prance” all had done very well.

Miguel Bruce, our van transportation, arrived on time at the hotel and we were soon at the airport saying goodbye to another critical contact for our future unassisted trips into Brazil. After getting past the disruption/delay to our travel home on Tuesday, we began to look at this time in Manaus as an opportunity to learn. We took away many insights about the numerous differences with the interior due to its size and business base.

We arrived early at the airport to ensure we had some flexibililty in case issues surfaced regarding our ticketing/departure, there were none. We again spent time on the internet contacting family, life groups, and other who were praying for us and our travels. It is amazing that we can communicate almost instantly to share and receive information across huge distances to different countries/cultures. We plan to make the internet a part of our mission to Brazil by beginning and sustaining communication with our partners in country. We have a long way to go in this area but expect it to be a valuable tool.

The flight to Miami was not without significance. Theresa was seated by a young Brazilian lady that spoke English and was soon deep in conversation with Francesca. Joe added a comment from time to time but it remained a conversation between two Christian women. Theresa learned of Francesca living in the US as a student for several years (age 15-17) with a Christian family and that that was her current destination. She would arrive in Houston just a few hours after the funeral of her “American” father and stay for several weeks to help her “American” mother, Jo, with personal matters and to pack for relocation. It was obvious that this was a Christian family that had been a huge influence on her own salvation and current growing in Christ. The conversation covered both personal life and corporate life in their different cultures. Francesca was a child psychiatrist and had recently relocated to Portalera in northern Brazil. The long flight to Miami was consumed in conversation and was soon over but not the relationship with Francesca. It was her first time traveling internationally alone so we moved through customs, baggage claim, and check-in with her to ensure no problems on the last leg of her flight. We even shared a first American meal together before her departure, a hamburger at Burger King. This encounter was one of many that God orchestrated and we will have to wait to see how it fits in to His plans for Brazil.

Our arrival time in Miami prevented us from flying to Pensacola so we spent the night and resumed travel on Thursday morning but not without additional weather delays. Regardless we were in Pensacola around lunch time and was greeted by Rhonda, our team member and chief interface officer stateside this year.

Saturday (Feijo) and Sunday (Tarauaca) Activities

2007-10-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

We did the paint talk Friday night for a large group of students/adults and had five persons trust Christ and conversations with several more. These folks were given Bibles, told to begin reading in John, and to return on Saturday night for followup. We retired to our hotel and two rooms, Joe and Theresa in one, and the rest of the guys having a “Walton” evening.

Saturday morning was used to prayer walk more of Feijo. Bruce, Ashbel, and Wilson had the opportunity to share with a grandmother and two grandsons, one of which had been one of the first people we talked to when we entered Feijo on Friday. Both of these boys made decisions to trust Jesus. Also as Ashbel shared the gospel, Wilson was using scripture to share with the grandmother about how to raise her grandsons. This was just one of many instances where Wilson displayed a missionary heart. One other thing before moving on. Last year the team stopped in Feijo to pray for God’s work and our role the next year [2007]…we had stopped in front of the home of the grandmother.

Before their departure that morning, Theresa, Joe, and Aaron spent time with the wife/owner of our hotel to learn more of the area, of her faith, and build a relationship. Later while prayer walking, they started a conversation with a group of young girls and learned of a cult religion they were involved in which had a church in their neighborhood. This church was the only one in the immediate area and may be the reason for the lack of evangelical churches in this part of town. This was not the first time the Vegetal religion was encountered in Feijo and it warrants further research to understand its teachings.

Late afternoon, we checked out of our motel and made our way back to town to find the pastor of 1st Ingreja Batista and to meet the youth that made a profession of faith during the paint talk Friday night. We found pastor Francisma???? busy at the church and with plans for an evening service. We spent a few minutes telling him of our activities in Feijo and arranged a meeting for Monday at the home of Pastor Edinaldo. We then went to the park to wait. It wasn’t long before Bruce had engaged a group of youth and was sharing about Jesus. After listening to the gospel, all decided to wait before making a decision to accept Jesus. Regrettably, none of the youth from Friday night came back also. Our last task before departing Feijo was to find Pastor Gutierrez and provide him with some pre-addressed envelopes, stationery, and postage to facilitate communication with him. We located him at his Bible Baptist church, left the material, and began our trip home with Ashbel in the back of the truck and Wilson shouting “onsa [panther]” out the window…the bond between these two continues to build. We arrived at the ferry and joined a large transport truck and a pickup full of people. Turns out the pickup/driver was the same one we unsuccessfully tried to get out of a mud hole last year. Additionally, our basic ferry ride became a challenge because we were too heavy due to the transport truck and so got stuck on the river bottom. After numerous maneuvers with the ferry, the transport truck, and other boats coming to our rescue, we were able to get across and unloaded without further incident.

Sunday morning we arrived at the church early to lead the children’s program. Bruce and Ashbel took the younger ones and shared a Bible story. Theresa, Joe, and Aaron used the Evangacube to share the story of Jesus with the older ones and had two boys pray to trust Jesus. We also brought all of the children together, shared about the “salvation bracelets”. These were made by EBC students for various missions and were a big hit among the children. The bracelets were presented as a means of considering their own journey with God and as a tool to share what God had done in their life with others.

We spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon participating in the church cookout. It was a rich time interacting and watching their church family. We participated in one game which required you to list your name, another person’s name, and then a set of instructions to be accomplished by the other person…all in fun of course. After going through many requests and much laughter, they chose to reverse the game and apply the instructions to the requester and they pulled all of our names out of the hat to get things started. Bruce had to call for the ferry master (still asleep at 430 am) – Balsero!!!…in the same bass voice as Edinaldo. Theresa had to recite the alphabet in English, and Joe had to imitate the sounds of a boat motor…that was a big hit! After lunch they had a scavenger hunt and Bruce was elected captain of one of the teams with Aaron translating the clues and Bruce for the most part clueless…but they won and were rewarded a box of chocolates at the evening service (you never know what your gonna get)! Edinaldo’s church know very well how to worship, pray, and fellowship. They are eager to learn more about missions (evangelism) and ministry. What a treasure God has planted in the heart of His work in the interior. Pray for Edinaldo, his development of small group leaders, his encouragement of the other pastors in the area, and finally his development of other pastors for new churches in the interior. Pray for him and his family. He is a key person in the kingdom work in the interior—HE NEEDS OUR PRAYERS.

We returned to the hotel during the afternoon; a few hours later news of Joe’s Dad’s hospitalization and health situation reached us. After prayer, talking, and phone calls, it was decided we would return to the US early and depart Tarauaca early the next morning. We returned to church Sunday night for Aaron to do paint talk (present the gospel) and say goodbye to our friends. It was an anointed service as the church worshiped, prayed for the team and Joe’s Dad, and also said goodbye to Aaron as their IMB missionary…very special for all of us!

Update

2007-10-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

All,

Know our inputs to the blog have been lacking for several days now. Saturday found us fully occupied finishing our efforts in Feijo and traveling back to Tarauaca. Got back late, then up early Sunday to lead childrens program at 1st Igreja Batista, which was followed by worship/lunch at a members home. We returned mid-afternoon and learned that my Dad had been hospitalized. Further inquiries indicated his condition was serious with significant uncertainty about the outcome. Because of the uncertainty and knowing that further diagnosis was perhaps days away the team decided to return to Rio Branco on Monday with plans to depart for the US early Tuesday morning/arrival Pensacola Wednesday morning. We encountered problems in Manaus which prevented further travel and required us to spend the night. If all goes well we depart Manaus today, will arrive Miami Wednesday evening, and Pensacola Thursday morning. Will take steps to fill in the details of other days soon after our return.

We appreciate your prayers for our travel over the next few days, for Laura's travel Friday-Sunday, and for my family as we await diagnosis of my Dads condition. Thanks for continuing to stand in the gap for our Brazil mission endeavor and for my family.

Joe

Feijo Today

2007-09-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Arrived Feijo this morning, secured rooms in a new hotel, entered the city, and had a short visit w/the Vice Mayor to explain our presence and pray for him and the area. Prayer walked an area back to the river where Wilson encountered an acquaintance who told him of a new pastor in the area working down the street. We were able to locate Pastor Gutierrel and arranged a meeting after he finished work for the day. We have just completed 2 hours of sharing w/him and learned of his passion to return to the interior and restore a previous church that has been abandoned/ravaged and do ministry among the indians. He has recently returned to Feijo after completing seminary, is working locally in a shop to support himself, and serving as the interim pastor of a local Bible church. He also is planning to marry in January.

At this time we believe him to be God sent and expect over time his role to become more clear. It was evident from our discussions that house churches can play a critical role in bringing salvation to the interior of Acre but it will require a model influenced by the local culture and us leaving much room for God to work the details in His way and on His schedule. It is incomprehensible how to overcome the isolation common in the interior...but not to our God.

We have plans to do paint talk tonight outside the local school when it concludes classes at 930pm. Last night we did a paint talk on a side street during the Festival of Saint Francis (annual, week-long Tarauaca celebration...which just happens [yea right!] to overlap w/our visit). Twelve people accepted Christ and Pastor Edinaldo is excited about doing it again early next week upon our return. We talked w/him earlier in the week about 1st Ingreja Batista doing something w/in the festival but that was all new thinking for him...no longer.

Planning for more prayerwalking tomorrow and then returning to Tarauaca for Sunday.

Continue to pray for Tiffany, Emma, Ethan, and Evan during this time as Aaron will not return to Rio Branco until Wednesday evening. His support to us is critical and not w/out significant personal sacrifice.

All for now. Joe and Theresa sends.

2007-09-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

It is Thursday afternoon and most of the team is resting.

Wednesday afternoon was spent prayerwalking in a neighborhood that should soon be hosting a small group from 1st Ingreja Batista. We also went to the host home and prayed with the young lady who will play a key role in this work. She has been a believer for 5 months. We also spent time sharing with her mother and praying for her health needs. Returned to the church in time to join in their prayer time before the evening service. Pastor Edinaldo is currently teaching from Acts about the early church and they are opening the church for prayer most days in the mornings and early evenings. The evening service included worship through song, testimonies, a prayer for the visiting EBC team, and then preaching (provided by our on-site missionary...Aaron)...very special time seeing many of our friends from last year and making new friends.

We spent this morning visiting in the home which will be hosting the 1st Ingreja Batista lunch gathering this Sunday. Seems the church is practicing a weekly time of fellowship meal at someone´s home after Sunday service. They called the church together after the service last night to determine where it would be...interesting planning process. This home experienced the murder of the husband/father in December. The younger daughter is a member of the congregation, the family has a Catholic background. We spent time with her mother and met her brother, there is also an older sister. We had an opportunity to share the gospel with the mother and pray for God´s peace for the home. As you can imagine they are struggling with their loss and dealing with moving on. We anticipate our time there on Sunday and further opportunities to minister.

We plan to depart via our truck for Feijo early tomorrow. First order of business is to find a motel for Friday night as they don´t accept advance reservations. We will spend Friday and Saturday prayerwalking, sharing the gospel, and seeking a man of peace to partner with in beginning a house church/small group in Feijo. This endeavor and everything we are doing depends upon God. We are striving to be obedient and seeking to join Him at work in Feijo. We will return to Tarauacá Saturday evening to join in Sunday activities.
We covet your prayers for our families during this time, for our team, the local churches we are trying to support, and the new works that are needed. Also pray for Pastor Edinaldo as he learned this morning of Aaron´s plans to reside in Manuas after their fulow. Aaron´s new responsibilities will probably not include trips like our current endeavor which is why we are working to team with the locals in Rio Branco and Tarauacá to support God´s use of EBC in the future. We remain tremendously grateful for your partnership in this mission endeavor. Joe sends.

A Few Pictures

2007-09-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

Comunide Batistia Zoe--service and members

Comunide Batistia Zoe (Church that EBC planted
in our first trip)

Project Rescue class

Loading bus to Tarauaca

Visiting and opening gifts at Edinaldo´s home

The World Grows Smaller

2007-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have internet in Taruaca. The world grows smaller. Everyone is fine. Our travel yesterday was great. Joe, Theresa, Ashbel (our interpreter) and I rode the bus from Rio Branco to Taruaca. They have made tremendous progress on the road improvements. The hotel we are staying at this year is brand new and very similar to the Guapindai in Rio Branco.It was wonderful to renew friendships with Edinaldo and his family and others we know. We sat, ate, and had fellowship at Edinaldo´s Luncheonette last night. They are having a festival to celebrate the Patron Saint of Taruaca Sao Francisco. People have come in from all over the interior. We find that very interesting and are meeting this morning to pray and ensure our plans are consistent with what God would want to do to take advantage of this unique opportunity. (Aaron and I were talking last night, it reminds us of the gathering of people from all over the world in the early part of Acts--a special opportunity to spread the Gospel over the entire area God has given us to work in). Please be in prayer with us. I will go for now.
We love you guys -- from Taruaca
Bruce

Deus e bom

2007-09-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

We are in Tarauacá. Trip took 11hrs, 10 on the bus and last hour w/Aaron. A large tractor/trailer truck damaged the large ferry at Feijo preventing the bus from crossing. We arrived at Feijo bus stop, learned that they were sending another bus, called Aaron on his cell and found him crossing the river on a small ferry. When the bus arrived at the river we departed w/our gear, caught a small ferry across and joined Aaron. Deus e bom! (God is good). More tomorrow, check back. Please remember us as the work begins tomorrow here in Tarauacá.

Interior Trip begins today

2007-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

7:00 am begins the bus ride to the Interior. Bruce, Joe, Theresa and Ashbel will head out this morning on the bus. Aaron will follow a few hours behind them with the road man Wilson. It is important for the team to go on the bus this year so that in the future they have had this experience minus our missionary Aaron.

Ashbel, is a 15 year old that we met on our first trip 3 years ago. We were able to see him again last year and he loves for the Americans to come visit. He lived in Washington DC for 2 or 3 years when he was around 10. He went to American schools so he learned our language well and has continued his training at the Wizard School.

Please pray today for the team as they take most of the day (around 12 hours) to get to Tarauacá. It rained yesterday so the roads will be a little muddy but the bus is running.

First correspondence from Rio Branco

2007-09-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Correspondence from Rio Branco slightly hindered due to a broken PC at our motel (www.hotelmaju.com.br). Sending this email from Epps home. Learned last night that we should be able to use an internet café in Tarauaca…an answer to prayer about being able to regular correspond w/our interior network.

Enjoyed dinner w/Aaron, Tiffany, and family last night, all are in good spirits. Glad to be home with Evan and anticipating their one-year furlough and transition to Manuas. Had a rich time discussing our perspective of God’s movement in Acre’s interior and our role…food was good too.

Joined the Epps family at Ingreja Batista Da Colina (church of the hill). Enjoyed Sunday School and fellowship w/their local church family. Greeting Wilson (our road man) after 16 months of separation was a little emotional.

The worship service had two aspects that were very personal. First, Bruce shared about our desire for “worship of God” to move from EBC and Rio Branco to the interior of Acre. A key point was issuing an invitation for them to join us in the interior work…plans for next year? The pastor has a heart for missions and his church recently traveled w/a worship team to Manuel Urbano…a movement begins! Aaron spent time sharing about their upcoming move to Manaus to assume responsibility for the northern region of Brazil. He has been sharing this on a one-on-one basis w/his closest associates/friends, this was new news to his church family and was received with bittersweet emotion.

Currently in the Epps home for lunch. Will be joined by Abud and Alcieneia. Anticipating lots of celebration. Will be in their church tonight(at Mario Sergio)…a church that birthed as an outgrowth of EBC’s initial mission trip to Rio Branco.

Tomorrow we will we visit Project Rescue, Wizard School, and possibly House of Indians. We also must finalize our plans/acquire supplies/pack for traveling to Tarauaca to join Pastor Edinaldo and begin our seven days of being in Tarauaca and Feijo (travel 25th and 3rd). Appears the recent rains may cause the bus line to stop transits into the interior and impacting plans for a personal bus experience. Pray that we can at least get bus transportation in on Tuesday as we need this experience for future plans into the interior. Most likely the team of six will travel back to Rio Branco by truck (5 passenger)…yes that means there will be shared tailgate time for most of the team.

These first few days have been deeply ponderous for me and I believe for the team also as we consider God’s plans for the interior and our role. Please pray for our discernment, wisdom, and clarity of mission in the days ahead.

Love you guys and much appreciate your prayers on our behalf. Thanks for standing in the gap for us and God’s work in Acre. Joe sends.

Above photos are of the team leaving Pensacola heading to Brazil (they met up with Laura in Atlanta) and Alcieneia and Abud holding the Epps new baby boy Evan.

Arrived on Time

2007-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

The team arrived in Rio Branco, Brazil, yesterday around noon. They enjoyed dinner and visiting with the Epps. Please continue to pray as they prepare to go to the interior on Tuesday. Tomorrow they will be visiting the Wizard School (English speaking school) and also with the Project Rescue where they will be getting names of Brazilian children that we (EBC families) can support through monetary gifts. Check back later for more updates.

60 hours until we depart

2007-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Thought it might be good to ensure we could post a blog from home before trying from Acre.

Hope we have made my last trip to Walmart to round out our essentials. Wanted to share that Bruce has already packed his luggage which immediately increased our stress level about being prepared.

Tonight we finalize what goes/stays. Since Joe is so "P-R-E-C-I-S-E", the designated quantity of each article of clothing has been computed based upon estimated need. However, this was done without regard for the capacity of our luggage, so the challenge will be to make it all fit. Of course Theresa will have no problem fitting all of her items in our luggage since she can authorize overflow into Joe's luggage.

On a serious note, wanted to share that all of our financial needs for this trip have been met through the generousity of numerous folks. Thanks so much for taking this trip personal and partnering with the Church Plant Movement.

Love you all. Thanks so much for "standing in the gap" for this endeavor. Joe and Theresa

September 21, Is fast approching

2007-09-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

That's right September 21 is fast approching and we have a team of 4 making their way back to Acre, Brazil. You will find prayer request in this post and check back for more as the time approches. This year the team is made up of Bruce, Joe and Theresa, and Tiffany's sister from Austin, TX. She will be taking care of Tiffany while we are in the interior.

A critical aspect of our CPM (Church Planting Movement) is that someone must pray and expect God to do a supernatural work before those who oppose the gospel (Acts 19:11-17). This is where you as our circle of family and friends have a role. If we could impose, we would deeply appreciate your prayers for us and our mission trip. Specifically, we would request that you pray for:
-Continued healing and recovery for Tiffany. She is just a few weeks past her C-section for Evan.
-Welfare of our personal families.
-Protection as we travel to, within, and return from Acre.
-New "house churches" in Tarauaca.
-Locating a "man of peace" in Feijo with a receptive heart for church plants.
-Opportunity to find God at work and join Him.
-Clarity of our mission and role in Brazil for the remainder of our commitment and beyond.

Check back often as Bruce, Joe and Theres post updates and prayer request.

News From the Epps

2007-05-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

God Answers Prayer
-The English class using the Jesus Film is going well and has attracted many unsaved from the neighborhood.
-God blessed immensely in Aaron's vision trip many doors for a new work in Jordao, as well as blessing our whole family with good health during this time.

Please Pray
-For God to raise up a worker/missionary from the town of Tarauca to go and train others, in Jordao to start a new church.
-For a mission team from Hickman Baptist Church in Kentucky preparing to come June 14-22 to help strengthen Igreja Batista Monte Gerezim in one of our interior towns Manoel Urbano. They will do training, Bible studies, evangelism and children's ministry.
-For Tiffany and baby Boy that they will be healthy.

Ministry in Acre

On April 10th Aaron set out on a small plane to Tarauaca. There, he met the local Baptist pastor, Edinaldo. He, another believer from the church(Irlean) and Aaron set out on a 4 day boat trip up river to Jordao. Jordao is a relatively new county in Acre that borders Peru with a total population of more than 5,000. It is only accessible by small plane or the River Tarauaca. There is no Baptist work but an Assembly of God Church.

While on the boat, they prayed along with each of you for God to open the doors for a new church start in this town, and they were able to do some much needed church planting training and planning. The first day they arrived, they met a man on the street who asked them what they were doing there. When they told him that they were there to start a Baptist church, he exclaimed that he had moved to Jordao to be a teacher and was a founding member of the Baptist church in Tarauaca and wants to be a part of this new work. The next day they met a lady who has lived in Jordao for more than 50 years and was influenced by a couple of The New Tribes Missionaries who had a base camp there while working with local tribes. The couples were Baptist and worked some with the Brazilians until things did not work out in the tribes and they left. She too is open to the new work. Then, they met the head commander of the military police whom Edinaldo knows that is an evangelical. He too is interested in being a part of this new church. One of the ladies whom they lead to Christ also wants to be apart. The mayor also welcomed them to start a church. They were able to witness to many people on the river and in the town. Each night that they stopped to sleep, they would tie up in front of a home and walk up to share the love of Jesus with them. Each home had at least 10-12 children which gave them an audience of at least 15 each night. During one witnessing opportunity in Jordao, Edinaldo, Irlean, and Aaron were standing on a wooden elevated walk way to a lady's house. While they were sharing the gospel with her, the walk way broke on one side, and they fell into the mud/sewer and weeds. It was definitley and experience to remember for them especially because they got back up , apologized, witnessed to her, and she prayed to receive Christ.

Because of your prayers, God has opened the door for a new church to be planted. God has placed a desire inside of Pastor Edinaldo (who is very dear to the hearts of our EBC Brazil team) to see a church planted in Jordao. We are praying that very soon Pastor Edinaldo's church will send a church planter to start the work and disciple local leadership to grow and plant new churches on the river. Thank you for praying for Aaron while on this trip and for the ministry that he and Tiffany have in Acre.

EBC Brazil Mission Team

This past month a new church was commissioned in Rio Branco. It is where we did our first backyard Bible club on our 2005 trip. We visited the area last year and saw that the work is still going on and then this year they have rented a building and are having Bible study for Adults and Children there. It is so amazing to for us to know that the seeds were planted and how God has blessed them and they are growing.

Our 2007 trip is scheduled for September - October . We will be going back to Tarauaca to Pastor Edinaldo' s church and witnessing first hand the growth there and then we will go to another interior village to start Home Church there. Please be in prayer for a "Man of Peace" to help lead that ministry.

Due to Tiffany having the baby in August and us arriving in Rio Branco a month later only, Bruce, Joe and Theresa will be going this year. We are also carrying Tiffany's sister to stay with her and the children while we are in the interior. It has been such a blessing to be able to minister to Tiffany by her sister going with us. Please continue to pray for our team as we prepare to go.

Christmas Newsletter

2006-12-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Gracious Answers to Prayer

We are so thankful for your part in this ministry: love, prayers, and support! God has worked in many wonderful ways. Aaron made three successful trips into the interior. We had the joy and privilege of working with two mission teams from the states. A house group was started in the interior town of Tarauacá. It has plans to start others this coming year. Our flood relief projects opened doors in the neighborhoods.

Continuing in Prayer

Your partnership with us is vital to God’s work in this ministry. Pray for opportunities and boldness to share the love of Christ with kid’s at the Children’s Hospital as we share “gently used” toys this Christmas. Pray for an evangelistic event with the new church plant in Taquari. Your partnership with us is vital to God’s work in this ministry.

From our Family to Yours

We hope and pray that each of you is having a delightful Christmas holiday season. Even here in Brazil it can be easy to get caught up in the hussle and bussle of Christmas. May we all remember that Jesus wonderful birth is the reason for this season!
Aaron has just finished up another great semester on discipleship at the seminary. He continues to make trips to the near by interior towns. He has been able to do the Paint Talk a few times and has been blessed by those who want to follow Jesus! He has also made a little make shift garden for us in the backyard. So far our lettuce, green onions, and tomatoes are doing great. I (Tiffany) have been blessed tremendously as I continue caring for my family. We are making good friends with our neighbors and hoping to invite them to an evangelistic Bible Study in our home some time in January. I have recently enjoyed singing in our church and participating in the Christmas Cantata.
We have also been blessed by the friendship of a new American missionary family who just moved to Rio Branco. The Doolittle’s are working with Macedonia Missions. We are so excited to have them here and look forward to furthering the Kingdom in Rio Branco along side one another!

Emma, Ethan and New Addition

Emma and Ethan are doing well. Emma is now 3 years and 9 months old. Ethan is now 1 year and 6 months old. They have been enjoying their new puppy dog Ali. Emma helped to paint Ali’s dog house earlier this year, but I think Emma and Ethan like the dog house better than Ali does. J Emma has really enjoyed participating in Ballet and has made many new friends as well as practicing her Portuguese. This past Sunday she sang in the Children’s Christmas musical.
Ethan is growing tall and thin. His handsome blue eyes and blond hair continually catch the attention of the Brazilians. He is trying many new English and Portuguese words. He has a very sweet nature. If he goes missing I can almost always be sure that he is out side giving himself and the dog a bath in the water hose. Bless his heart, right now he has 8 teeth making their way in at the same time. So, he has been a little under the weather lately.

And yes, you heard me right! We are excited to announce a new addition to our family. We are expecting a new baby sometime in August!!

October Newsletter from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

2006-10-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

God Answers Prayer
-Aaron had a great trip into the interior where he shared the endvision with the pastors and they had the rare opportunity to spend time together, supporting one another and sharing their hearts.
-Amongst the heat, our rainy season has returned and with it some nice cool breezes.
-God protected Tiffany and the kids while Aaron was gone despite a strong wind and rain storm that sent many roof tiles crashing all around the house. We were blessed with peace and good health too.
Please Pray
-Aaron’s Grandfather, Jimmie Garrison began radiation treatment for the cancer, but was just placed into the hospital for dehydration. Please pray for God’s comfort and healing.
-Aaron and Wilson left today to make one more trip into the interior. Please pray as they meet individually with pastors about future plans, deliver supplies, and show the JESUS film along with the “Paint Talk”. Please pray for safety, good roads, and God to move in people’s hearts as they hear and see the gospel shared.
-Once again for safety, good health and peace for Tiffany, Emma and Ethan as we have remained at home while Aaron travels.
-For Pastor Edinaldo of Tarauaca and his 16yr. old daughter who are here in Rio Branco. She is having many tests run for some severe headaches that are causing her much pain and discomfort.
-For Aaron as he trains pastors and lay leaders through a discipleship course at the seminary on Thursday nights.
-Please pray for Ethan as has been fighting a cold, fever, and new teeth.
-Please pray for us as we plan to participate in an outreach with our church to hold evangelistic Bible studies in our home for 6 weeks. And for our neighbors and others whom God may lead to participate.

Life & Ministry in Rio Branco

CASTING THE VISION TO OUR PARTNERS
IN THE INTERIOR
Aaron had a great trip at the end of August. The roads were grated this time and fairly dry. He and Wilson, a man from our church here, went with the intent to cast the vision to the Pastors in the interior for reaching the lost of Acre. All but one pastor, whom was sick, were able to come together. These men were excited about the vision for reaching the lost in the interior of Acre and having others come along side them to help. Without planning for it the trip was somewhat like a retreat for these men. Tears were shed as they began sharing their hearts, encouraging one another and praying together. Many of them are alone in the sense of having no other churches around and not much outside support. Aaron felt that the trip was very blessed and we look forward to all that God has.
Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”

Final trip to the interior
this year (by car)
Aaron and Wilson left this morning about 4:40am to begin their last trip into the interior for this year. Wilson is a man from our church who is originally from the interior and has gone on each trip with Aaron. They will return this following Sunday. The rains have returned and the roads will soon be impassable, but please pray with us that there will be no problems do to rain, bad roads, or closed roads. They plan to meet with each pastor individually this time and make some more solid plans for future ministry. Aaron is also delivering some supplies such as Bibles to these pastors and will do the “Paint Talk”, along with the Jesus film, a few times along the way. I pray they will have a great report to share with us of all God is doing upon their return.

Emma Grace & Ethan
Emma is a big helper to me and learning many new things like how to make her own bed. She also is doing well with her writing. She wrote her name for the very first time on her Aunt Lollies birthday card! Ethan continues to talk more, some understandable words and others not so much. J Our Brazilian friends all think he is speaking English, he he. He is really giving a good effort to say some of the words in his ABC book and he still likes to sing, “ . . ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” He has some stubborn teeth coming in and is fighting a lingering cough so he has had some rough days.

To the Interior and Back

2006-09-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Aaron returned from the Interior week before last and Life Groups were going strong and one has even changed locations to better serve the people. It was a blessing to see how they have grasp the concept and kept it going and growing. It was a good time of fellowship with the other pastors along the way and encouraging to them to have Aaron visit with them and pray and plan for future happenings.
Thank you so much for the prayers about the roof damage due to strong storms while Aaron was away. The roofer came and repaired some of the roof but there is still some damage of broken tiles that have been there awhile that still need to be repaired. Please pray that they can get this fixed soon.
Aaron, Tiffany, Emma and Ethan have gone to try to get their permanant VISA's worked out. Please pray that this is a smooth process and that they can get it taken care of quickly. They then are coming home and heading out to the Interior. Tiffany and the children are going for the first time with Aaron. Thank you EBC for the dual DVD player for the truck, I'm sure that it will be used on this trip. This will be the only trip they will be able to make before the rains start again and the roads are closed. That is why this trip is important so they can plan for our trip next summer. Aaron will be able to meet with Pastors and leaders to help plan for what needs to be taught next summer. Please pray that he is able to make connections with everyone that needs to be involved for planning. Also pray that Tiffany will be able to be involved in the planning process also.
Many times we have mentioned our Brazilian friend and home missionary Alcinea. Tiffany told me this week that as they were preparing for a Ladies Conference that Alcinea picked up a pot of boiling water and spilled it on her arm and was burned very badly. Please pray for healing and comfort to her. Abud is doctoring her and taking good care of her. Alcinea believes that it is Satan trying to come in the way of her witness and she is very determined to not allow him to stop her so she is continuing to minister and teach even though she is in much pain. She is such a blessing to Bruce and I and also to everyone that has met her. She is also a new Grandmother to baby Nathan. Please pray for her and her family.
Thanks for your prayers for the Epps our missionaries in Brazil. Continue to remember them and if you are interested in sending a care package let me know and I will send you their address. They love getting loved on by EBC and they especially love getting those goodies that we take for grated.

2006-09-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS
FROM THE EPPS FAMILY
RIO BRANCO, AC, BRASIL
September, 2006 Volume 3, Number 5
“We have not ceased to pray for
you and to ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of
His will in all spiritual wisdom
and understanding, so that you
will walk in a manner worthy
of the Lord, to please Him in all
respects, bearing fruit in every
good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God;”
Colossians 1:9-10
God Answers Prayer
*We have completed our Endvision which is an important
step in our Critical Path and Master Plan.

*The burning and smoke is much less this year – PRAISE THE
LORD!!!!!!!!

Please Pray
*Aaron’s Grandfather, Jimmie Garrison has been
diagnosed with cancer in his neck, jaw and sinus cavity.
Please pray for him as he begins radiation.

*For Aaron and Brazilian Believers as they head into the
interior together (Aug.28th–Sept.1st) and as Aaron meets up
with other pastors and leaders to cast a vision before
them for reaching the lost of Acre.

*Safety, good health and peace for Tiffany, Emma and
Ethan as they will remain at home while Aaron travels.

*Please pray as we are in need of a stateside prayer
advocate.

Life & Ministry in Rio Branco

CASTING THE VISION TO OUR PARTNERS
IN THE INTERIOR
I will be leaving on Monday (Aug. 28) from Rio Branco to pick
up Pastor Joaquim in Sena Madureira, Pastor Julius Caesar in
Manuel Urbano, and Pastor Edinaldo in Tarauaca. We will sleep
in Tarauaca Monday night and head to Cruzeiro do Sul on
Tuesday morning to meet with Pastor Jorge. We should make it
to Cruzeiro do Sul by the afternoon/evening. Wednesday and
Thursday, we will discuss the current work in the interior, and I
will cast our vision for planting multiplying churches in the
interior. We believe that these pastors will be key men that God
already has in place to see this vision become a reality. On
Friday, we will begin the trip back; and depending upon the road
conditions, I should be home by Saturday. Below is our
“endvision” for the rural/interior people of the Western Amazon.
An endvision is simply a vision of the end. In our case, the end
is when our people are fully evangelized. What will it look like?
The following paragraphs describe what we would like to see
happen among our people. With an endvision, we can back up
from there and make plans to reach it. We pray that this will
give you (our prayer partner/coworker) more specifics on how to
pray for the work here.
Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and
teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present
every man complete in Christ.”
ENDVISION
Western Amazon Rural People
Pop. Centers 20,000 and under
The endvision is to see a church planting movement (CPM) among
the Western Amazon Rural People. A CPM of healthy churches that
plant healthy churches that plant healthy churches on a wide scale until
ultimately; there is a healthy body of believers (church) in every
community in the interior. Every person will have access to hear and
see the gospel of Jesus Christ, an opportunity to accept Him, and a
connection to a local body of believers. They in turn will grow in the
faith and perpetuate the cycle of church planting (fulfilling the Great
Commission). The number of necessary CPM churches will depend
upon the number of rural communities and the degree of their
isolation.
Each church in this wave will be a healthy church that ministers to
the community. Thus, the gospel is preached and lived out in a clear
and effective way through biblical relationships within the church and
community. Each church will define and evaluate itself using the Bible
as its primary authority and the local culture as its secondary authority.
A simple church model approach of collective worship, adoration,
prayer, study of God’s word, accountability, and fellowship will be the
components of its celebration meetings. Each church will fellowship
with other churches depending upon the distance, time, and form of
travel. Also, each will be connected with the local and/or state
association. The churches will meet in or around houses, under trees,
in schools or wherever they decide to meet that is practical and meets
the needs of the group within the local culture. Money, land, or
construction needs will not affect the health or reproduction of any. They will meet at least twice a week or more but will be
decided by the group.
The goal of each church is to help the members be complete in
Christ and actively participate in evangelistic church multiplication.
Members will be discipled one-on-one and collectively depending on
the amount of people and the methods adopted by the group. Also
each member will develop and use their spiritual gifts. The basis of
training will be done though storying the Word of God and
mentoring. Local leadership, mainly lay-leadership, will be trained by
mature leaders within the churches and surrounding urban centers.
The leaders will be qualified people according to I Timothy, raised up
by the Holy Spirit and recognized by the local church.
Each church will be reproducing itself to reach and expand the
kingdom of God among the Western Amazon Interior Peoples, the
rest of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and the world. This will be done by
relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and being intentional by
teaching reproduction to the next generation of churches as an
essential element of a healthy church. All churches will connect by
whatever means necessary to team together and mobilize other
churches to pray, contribute, and physically participate in the
continuance of the wave to the ends of the earth.

Emma Grace & Ethan
Emma and Ethan love to pieces the newest member of our
family. Her name is Ali and she is a 2 month old chocolate
Labrador. They are getting along well together. Emma is very
much in charge of the crew and trying to keep everyone in line.
Emma made her first letter “A” all on her own. Ethan has begun
saying a few words. The 1st word, other than mama and dada,
was “good” and the next time we heard and understood what he
was saying he chimed into a song Emma was singing,
“ . . ashes, ashes, we all fall down!”

2006-08-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Good news
FROM THE Epps Family
Rio Branco, Acre, BraSil
July 27, 2006
Volume 3, Number 4

“We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Colossians 1:9-10

God Answers Prayer
Praise the Lord for all that He did through our work with the mission team from Crestview, FL. They had safe trip to and from Brazil, as well as surviving the treacherous muddy roads into the interior, saw many people pray to receive Christ, encouraged believers, and trained them in a “Life Group” model of simple church.
Worship services have begun in a school in the neighborhood of Taquari.
We experienced a very refreshing vacation just before joining our fellow missionaries for an encouraging time at our annual mission meeting. Afterward we received helpful training in the area of strategy coordinating.
Please Pray
Pray as we begin to make a Master Plan and Critical Path for reaching the Rural Peoples of the Western Amazon.
For the leading of the Holy Spirit as we seek out Brazilians to serve as strategy coordinators and church planters in the efforts to reach the Rural Peoples of the Western Amazon, Acre and Rondonia.
Please pray that God would send out more harvesters into these harvest fields of Acre and Rondonia.
Please pray as we are more aware of our isolation and the need for our family to find truly close Brazilian friends here in Rio Branco and be able to connect in some way with American friends/ missionaries with whom we can share issues of the heart.
Please pray as we are in need of a stateside prayer advocate.

Life & Ministry in Rio Branco
MISSION TRIP
to RIO BRANCO and THE INTERIOR
The team arrived on the morning of the 15th and was able to rest and attend Ethan’s 1st birthday party. We were planning on leaving out the next day to the interior; but due to some heavy rain, the only road into the interior west became nearly impassable. So, we decided to wait a few days to let it dry out as much as possible and shuffled around the team’s schedule. During these few days, we were able to work with a new church start in Rio Branco by serving soup and giving a gospel presentation, do some witnessing and teach simple church by modeling “life groups” in a home, and taught a children’s bible class in the same neighborhood. Then, Monday morning at 4:30 am we set out for Tarauacá. After much winching, sweating, bug bites, waiting for stuck vehicles to be unstuck, towing by 4x4 tractors, and praying, we finally made it around 3 am the next morning. (For those mud enthusiasts, talk with Bruce, Andy, Joe, Theresa or Aaron for some great stories, and maybe they will email you some pictures!!!) After finally making it, God did bless. We were able to share Jesus in the schools, homes, and park areas using kites and beach balls as drawing cards for children, youth, and even some adults. At night, we were able to show the Jesus film during the Wednesday night service, did a “life group” training with the church leader, and modeled it for two nights in two different neighborhoods. During the day, we prayer walked in town, shared the gospel, and bought & delivered food to a needy family with 12 kids. We believe the seeds that were planted and the life groups that were modeled will bring forth kingdom fruit not only in Tarauacá or its region but in Acre, Brazil, and the whole world. Soon, we believe that we will see churches multiplying out from Tarauacá up and down the Tarauacá River. The other 4 team members stayed at our home here in Rio Branco helping Tiffany with the children, sharing the gospel in English language schools where they saw many pray to receive Christ, playing with special needs children, playing soccer with neighborhood kids then leading them in a Bible study, and doing some clean up around the Epps house.

JULY TRAVELS
We enjoyed a much needed vacation at the Beach where the Weaver family (missionaries) joined us for part of the time. We were truly refreshed! We then joined all of our fellow missionaries from Brazil for the Annual General Meeting. We were encouraged as we spent time worshiping, hearing God’s word preached - in English J, and fellowshipping with our missionary friends. Time with our mission family was very welcomed as we are one of the more isolated families in Brazil. The 3rd and final week of our travels was spent in Strategy Coordinators Training. Once again we enjoyed worship with our fellow missionaries as we practiced the techniques of Storying and Simple Church. We were also encouraged in our ministry as we learned more about having a Master Plan and the Critical Path to getting us there. By the end of this week we were worn out and battling illness, we were ready for home again!

Emma Grace & Ethan
They are both a little run down from the long trip and fighting colds, but still in the mood to play! Thank you for praying for Emma as she continues learning about salvation and shows a real sensitivity as I know the Holy Spirit is at work in her heart. Emma was hard to keep up with as she was reunited with her missionary friends. The first beach vacations were not so fun for Emma as she did not want any part of her body touching the sand, BUT she was running, playing, and digging in the sand this time. J Her brother on the other hand could not wait to get his hands into the sand for the first time. He wanted to walk straight into the ocean and eat the sand by the fistfuls. J He had a wonderful 1st birthday bash with several Brazilian and American friends. He took about 7 steps on his birthday and is moving a little faster each day. He is climbing anything where he can get two feet off the ground. A 7th and maybe 8th tooth is making its way in now.

Aaron, Tiffany, Emma and Ethan

Emily's Experience

2006-08-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

I found this blog to be extremely difficult to write, hence the extreme tardiness for which I apologize. How do you sum up two whole weeks of life changing experiences? Everyone else seemed to find the task easy, so I suppose I ought to just give it my best shot. Here are a few of my recollections and impressions, just a brief glimpse of what I experienced.

It all started last year at Student Life camp. I had been questioning my role in the church, and I had wondered where God wanted me to serve. God told me I was to go. I didn't know when, where or how, but that didn't matter. I had somewhere to start. I announced my desire for missions in one of the last church group times at camp. Then I returned to the work/school routine until the Babers approached me about the Brazil trip. I am so grateful that God placed me on their minds and put in a position to go. I had never been out of the eastern US. I spoke hardly a word of Portuguese. (God revealed his sense of humor to me in this- I studied Spanish for two years for him to send me to one of the few South American countries where Spanish isn't the primary language). I was leaving my family behind for two weeks to travel alone as a minor. So many obstacles just melted away and didn't seem to matter.

The Daily, the devotional that Theresa mentioned, was a blessing and comfort to me. June 23 was written by my leaders at church, Mrs Harris and Mrs McNeil. By that time, tensions had built as we spent 24/7 with each other. As an introvert, I appreciate solitude, and I hadn't gotten enough and was starting to get somewhat unpleasant. Then I read "If God is calling you to love a very difficult person with Agape, rejoice that your obedience will never be in vain!." I needed to hear that. The people around me weren't necessarily difficult, but I was having difficulty dealing with them all the time. I was reminded to love them. and in loving everyone around me, I enjoyed the experience so much more.

A major moment on the trip for me was the night we went to Pastor Marcus' Church after the team had reunited. One of the songs that they sang was "Quero te ver," or as we would say, "I want to see you." As we sang in English and everyone else in Portuguese, I had to pause and consider what I was seeing and hearing. I realized this is a tiny glimpse of the future, when every tribe, tongue, nation and people will stand together and praise the Lord. We will see him! Even now, thinking of this fills my heart with joy. Their churches seemed so alive. Dancers in church were becoming more popular in the area. While people were singing, a group of girls stood at the front of the church dancing to the music, and while I was impressed by their grace, I enjoyed watching Justin and Ben attempt to dance even more!

Going into the schools for the third time was one of the best days, even though it didn't start so well. Mrs. Baber didn't want to go back at all because she saw no progress being made. But we agreed to a time of prayer so that we could prepare our hearts and find direction. When we met again later that morning, the unanimous decision of the teenagers was to go, despite her hesitancy. So we returned to Wizard with newfound purpose and focus, and what an amazing day. When the first class we were to go into was in the middle of test preparations, Mrs Baber wanted to leave on the spot, but with reassurances from Carlos we went to the next class, which was busy also. By this time we were doubting whether we had made the right decision. But God wanted us in the last class, where we found the encouragement we needed. When Ben shared, this time without focusing on the evangecube, which we had been dependent on, the response was powerful. The class of six and teacher accepted Christ! The next class was composed of younger students, whom I had shared with previously using the evangecube. I shared again using a tract with pictures while Carlos translated to ensure understanding. Though I recieved no response, Carlos assured me that they tended to be quieter and more shy, but also that in their culture children weren't expected to understand and wouldn't make any decisions without their parents. When Justin shared in the last class, even though the whole class stood up, I believe only a few were sincere. But that is still a few more for the kingdom of God!

I hope that someday I will be able to serve again, perhaps in Brazil, probably in another country. I am so grateful to everyone else who went on mission with us when they contributed their prayers and money for this trip. Thank you, Emily

2006-07-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

What a great joy to get to do Mission work with your husband, but what a greater joy to get to see your son join you in sharing God's Word. This year Bruce and I got to experience Brazil with Ben. He has told us since he was 9 years old that he wanted to go to a foreign country to be a missionary, well this summer he experienced his calling to that country. Almost as soon as Bruce and I committed last year to going to Brazil, Ben starting asking to go with us. It was amazing to see him working and playing soccer with other students and sharing Jesus with them. He was also a great help to at Aaron and Tiffany's house, playing with Emma and Ethan. One day as Tiffany and I walked down to where Ben was playing soccer with boys and men from the neighborhood, Tiffany commented that he had crossed the cultural barrier and was playing as a Brazilian, barefoot in the sand lot. This was huge to me because Ben doesn't like to be barefooted and he sure hasn't ever played soccer that way. I thanked God that he felt comfortable enought to shed those shoes. Please pray for Ben as he continues praying about where God will lead him.

Last year God placed Alcinea and Abud in my life and everyday since I met them I have thanked God for them and their ministry in Rio Branco. They are Home Missionaries from Brazil. They have the most incrediable servants heart. Alcinea found out shortly after we were in Brazil last year that she has Fibromyalgia. She hurts most of the time but this does not stop her from doing ministry. She and Abud go every week to Maram Serigo (a neighborhood that we lead Backyard Bible Club in last year and Alcinea and Abud were introduced too) and do home Bible studies and work with the children in that neighborhood. As we entered the neighborhood this year and the children heard Abud honk the horn on his Volkswagon Van that provided as our transportation while there, they all came running. You see the children know that when they hear that horn every week that he and Alcinea are there to invest in their lives and share more about Jesus with them and also with their parents and grandparents. They have been doing ministry in a lumber yard next to a hardware store because it has a cover to provide shade. They each week carry chairs for the kids and also a snack. This year they are going to be renting a building to have church. This a such a blessing and Emmanuel you help start this church in Rio Branco, Brazil.

Ben, Justin, Emily and I stayed in Rio Branco with Tiffany while the rest of the team were in the interior. This was to be a week of doing somethings for Tiffany and Aaron that they needed done around their house and also in going to the English speaking schools and sharing Jesus. We went to a school called the Wizard School. At the school the first class that I shared with the teacher told me that no one had ever told her about Jesus. On the last day that I was at the school I had the oppportunity to share with her and she prayed to receive Christ and went home and shared the tract with her husband and he also prayed to receive Christ. This was a highlight of my week. Her name is Lucy and her husband is Eric. On the day I carried her a Bible, Alcinea went with me and she set up a time to do Bible Study with her. It was so amazing to see the difference in Lucy. She even said "I feel so different." God was so good to us at the Wizard School and many seeds were planted and now there are teachers there that can not only teach the students English but also God's Word. Please pray for this school, the students and the teachers as they grow in Christ.

We spent another day cleaning and working around Tiffany and Aaron's house. It was hot and it took us all day to do the job but when we were finished it was so rewarding to see how happy Tiffany was that the job was complete. Aaron and Tiffany are so precious and we have developed a special relationship with them over the past year and a half. This trip I really realized how much they need our prayers and our support through emails and phone calls. It is very hard living away from family and friends and things that you are use too. They do an excellent job of balancing things but they are working so hard to grow Christians in their area. Pick a day out of the week and devote it to praying for Aaron, Tiffany, Emma and Ethan all day that day.

I really can't list final thoughts about our trip because my thoughts of Brazil are never final. I long for the smells, the food, but most of all its Brazilian people that I love. Everyday I wake up with a prayer on my heart for the unreached people of Acre and for the many servants of Christ that are everyday pouring out for these people. God has not yet given me the knowledge of the language and most of the time I really mess up the words that I do know but God speaks in every language and He is speaking through the people that do know the language and I can pray for them and support them in their ministry, it's partnership.

Coming home is a hard time to reconnect with our lives, mine has never reconnected from last years trip and this year only made the attachment greater. Thank you for encouraging words, prayer and support financially to make this trip. Also, thank you to those of you that called to check on Betsy and my Momma while we were gone.

We will be using this blog to keep you informed of our upcoming trip in August 2007. We will also use it for prayer request from Aaron and Tiffany. Check back from time to time to see what is happening in our (Emmanuel) partnership with Acre, Brazil.

-Rhonda

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1 3-6

Joe's Final Thots

2006-07-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years, Theresa and I have been making lifestyle changes which serve to posture us for ministry during our retirement years. Our journey to Brazil was an opportunity for us to personally experience foreign missions. We made this journey fully expecting God to provide life-defining moments and for it to serve as a spiritual marker for what God has planned for us. Additionally, I had several prayer requests that were related to the “success” of the trip from my perspective. First, I wanted to see God at work in Acre, Brazil, and I wanted opportunities to join Him at work. Secondly and related to our small group/home church strategy, I anticipated the need for a network of people who would be critical to fostering this strategy in partnership with the Epps and EBC. So I found myself asking God for clarity about our strategy and recognition of those persons who would serve critical roles in what He wanted to do through us in Acre.

God was fully faithful! My earlier blog entries (www.ebcbrazil.blogspot.com) provide insight into what we encountered and the take-aways from those experiences. Overall, this trip was a rich time for me spiritually as we planned, executed, responded to circumstances, and experienced God at work in us and others. The significance of this journey continues to unfold in my daily life but I wanted to share one personal experience as an example.

My return home was quickly greeted with the normal challenges of life and from all appearances me and my life look very much like we did before this trip. But in my soul things are different. This became very apparent as I was trying to return initial greetings from friends and co-workers. My response to the normal “good to see you home” or “glad you are back” came with a hesitancy that surprised me and may have even been apparent to my greeter. I found that, in all honesty, I couldn’t casually say that it was “good to be back” because I was being strongly influenced by what I had left behind in Acre. As I pondered my feelings I realized that I had not spent my time in Brazil in anticipation of returning home but rather I had a “time flies” experience through personal relationships and activities that were tremendously meaningful. The difference is black and white for me…thriving versus surviving. You see, I didn’t survive the trip to Brazil, God had placed me in an environment where I thrived…and the difference is awesome! It is what God desires for us on a daily basis as we make ourselves available to Him and surrender all situations to Him.

In closing, I want to express a heartfelt thanks to all who partnered in this endeavor. Only through your financial support, encouragement, and prayer support was this work possible. I believe we were a part of an immeasurable work that will have an impact across eternity in the lives of many peoples. I remain in awe that God would choose to use me on another continent, in another culture, through the efforts of various enablers, to have a role in changing the eternal destiny of others. I remain indebted to Him for His goodness.

Theresa's Takeaways from Brazil

2006-07-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

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's Overview of Tarauaca

2006-07-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

The following is Joe’s overview of his time in Tarauaca and is a continuation to Joe’s 6/26 email from Rio Branco.

Day 1/Tuesday, 20 June
Since we arrived in Tarauaca in the early morning hours on Tuesday, we started our day with a lunch at Goi’s. Previous arrangements had been made for our food and utensils to receive special attention to protect our systems from the dreaded “bug” and for us to enjoy this special service for both the lunch and dinner meals for the rest of the week. This was just one of numerous details that had to be considered for our welfare.

Beginning on Tuesday, we followed the local custom of taking a short break after the mid-day meal. I am sure the main reason was to ensure we were sensitive to the local culture but it soon became a practice that was much appreciated by all as the week progressed.

Tuesday afternoon provided our first opportunity to meet Pastor Edinaldo’s family, walk the streets of Tarauaca, and begin to learn about the man and the city God had led us to. Conversation required translation, first the statement/question and then the response…this made listening to others all the more important. This time together only served to deepen my interest in what God was doing and how we could join Him.

We conducted our first small group teaching session Tuesday evening. The session opened with their praise band leading us through several worship songs (sound familiar?). With a good crowd of folks in attendance, Andy was in his element as he shared about small groups and fielded the many questions that followed. I was most impressed with their level of inquiry. It was exciting to hear their questions and realize that they were processing what had been shared and were trying to apply it to their situation. I left this session affirmed that God was at work in the hearts of these people.

Day 2/Wednesday, 21 June
Breakfast at the hotel Wednesday morning was under Aaron’s direct supervision, again to protect our systems from the dreaded “bug”…so far so good. Later we met Pastor Edinaldo and made our way to the waterfront area of town. The streets became lanes and included a mixture of homes and storefront businesses selling a variety of items. These lanes soon became an elevated boardwalk as we moved to the neighborhoods of the people living “above” the river’s flood zone. It appeared that most of the time, the river was under these neighborhoods...there were few personal items on the ground. Homes along the boardwalks were constructed of wood with metal roofs and connected to the boardwalk via walkways. Basic utilities such as water and electricity varied, however, numerous TV satellite dishes were present. It was explained that this is at best a transition area for those that move from “the interior’s interior” to the city. It is doubtful that all make the transition to dry land.

Pastor Edinaldo took us to the end of the boardwalk and then between some homes to a small thatched roof shelter...numerous signs of poverty. This was the home of a family their fellowship had been ministering to but neither of the parents had accepted Christ. It was also the home of the family from whom Pastor Edinaldo and his wife, Carol, had adopted their youngest child. We found the mother at home, and with permission, Bruce shared the Good News of Jesus using the EvangeCube. The mother made a decision to believe in Jesus. It was thrilling to ponder that this woman’s eternal destiny was changed as a result of God using us and FBC Tarauaca in her life. Before leaving, we learned that someone had been helping them with food but at that time they were out. Later that afternoon we returned with bags of rice, beans, noodles and powdered milk that would feed them for several weeks.

Our morning also included several opportunities to share the Good News and as soon as we would start using the EvangeCube, folks would gather. We had one occurrence where Theresa was sharing the Good News through a translator and I was behind her showing the EvangeCube to a crowd of children that could hear but could not see what was going on.

We spent the afternoon visiting with the family of a man that Andy had met during the morning. He requested we come and pray with his family and witness to several members who were without Christ. Several family members arrived after we did and after all were assembled our host indicated who in the family were saved and who were lost. I shared the story of Jesus and had a “Joe-moment” where I had to pause to keep my emotions in check. One lady accepted Jesus and the others did not. It was a challenging time as I welcomed one into the family of God and shared about God’s love and His plan with the others. After we departed, Aaron spoke to me about the significance of male emotion in their culture and his perception that my “moment” had a powerful effect on the family as I shared. I found myself reminded of how God at times uses those things that we are ashamed of/embarrassed about to bring glory to Himself. Very sobering to realize how different our perspective is from God’s.

Late Wednesday afternoon we visited the park with kites and beach balls. However there was as much or more excitement over the slap game (hosted by Andy) and Red Light-Green Light (hosted by Theresa). Overall, our presence and some simple games was a big hit and our availability afforded us additional opportunities for personal contact with children and youth (and served to keep Anderson and Aaron busy between the numerous conversations).

We attended FBC Tarauaca Wednesday evening and hosted a showing of the Jesus Film. It was a special time as people from two very different cultures gathered to worship God. It provided me with another opportunity to see God at work in the hearts of these people.

Day 3/Thursday, 22 June
Note: On Thursday morning Theresa awoke with the “bug”. Prayers were made on her behalf all day as many inquired about her absence. Praise God that by Friday morning she was able to resume our planned activities.

With the approval of the Catholic school’s administration, Thursday morning provided us an opportunity to visit classrooms as Americans and to share the gospel. We shared a little about ourselves, America, and then moved to telling the students about Jesus. The classrooms I visited had almost all students and their teachers indicating that they wanted to accept Jesus and praying to receive Him. The classroom setting didn’t allow the exchanges necessary to clarify individual decisions. However we were able to record the names of all who wanted to accept Jesus and provided these to FBC Tarauca for follow-up. I ended that morning very conscious that what I had done would not be allowed in America and may not be allowed at a later date in that school. Regardless, God had favored us with an opportunity and as a result many had both heard the Truth and accepted Jesus.

Thursday afternoon started with Brazil playing in the World Cup. Most of our team gathered at the home of Pastor Edinaldo for a time of food and fellowship with our new friends. After the game we went back to the park to find a larger crowd interested in kites, beach balls and games. Our presence provided Bruce an opportunity to share about Jesus with a young man and his friends. As he was sharing, I was walking around the crowd praying for the Holy Spirit to draw these young people to God. One of the young men who accepted Jesus that day was also a local radio program host and invited Bruce to come and be interviewed in the next few minutes. Suspect Bruce will convey more about this but the timing meant I had to get back to the hotel on my own. Wilson finally arranged for a young man to take me to the hotel on the back of a bicycle. The rear tire being low on air and the stone roadway quickly reminded me of the truck tailgate and BR 364…my “bunda” was still tender!

Thursday evening was our first opportunity to model small group. We walked from the church to a member’s home and met with a gathering of approximately 20 folks. Bruce and Aaron were outside with the children while Andy, Anderson, and myself facilitated the small group. Our format was similar to our local approach but at the suggestion of Pastor Edinaldo, put the fellowship time at the end. Seems “eating and fellowship” in Brazil is followed by going home. The only rough spot was trying to model a “prayer and praise” sharing time. We learned that they practiced prayer requests and then all prayed simultaneously along with a prayer leader. Acts 2:42-47 served as our scripture text and provided the opportunity to address several of the important aspects of small group. It was very exciting to see those in attendance enthusiastically respond to questions about their gifts and abilities. Our session ended with God’s presence among us as we worshiped in song and fellowshipped together. I left the home realizing that FBC Tarauaca could immediately start 3-4 small groups with the people I had just encountered and that God was allowing us to join Him already at work.

Day 4/Friday 23, June
Friday morning I arose early and spent time on the hotel balcony pondering all that God was doing while observing the people of Tarauaca beginning their day. I had done this most mornings and wanted to make the most of my last day. My time alone was eventually interrupted by a greeting from a young man and after a few minutes of broken conversation I learned that “Antonio” was a new doctor to Tarauaca and that he would be there for two years. It is hard to describe my inner excitement as I talked with him and pondered his “future” role as a key contact. You see, praying for key contacts had been my last journal entry that morning and I found myself considering Antonio an answer to that prayer. Our time together was short that morning and we never addressed spiritual matters but I still consider it a notable event that was just a glimpse into something epic.

Our team later had breakfast with Pastor Edinaldo and family and then divided. Bruce, Theresa, and Anderson went back to the school to visit several unvisited classrooms. The rest of us met with Pastor Edinaldo to further discuss small group strategy for his fellowship. It was a blessed time of sharing about what we all believe God wants to do through small groups at FBC Tarauaca.

Friday afternoon was spent in the home of a family who had requested we visit. We met Joshua and Cassaca (sp?) and learned that this young family was new to Tarauaca. She was a government employed dentist and he was a recently graduated lawyer (more key contacts!). I had the opportunity to share the gospel with the husband, share my testimony, and pray for this young family. I left convinced that God had used our visit to establish a closer relationship between this family and Pastor Edinaldo and FBC Tarauaca. This became even more evident when Joshua approached Aaron about riding back to Rio Branco with us so he could bring back more of their belongings. I suspected our ride back would serve to establish a long term relationship with this family and I think it did…hard to share a tailgate on Br364 and not become close.

Sometime late Friday I learned that our small group session would be in the home of a couple that had been previously living together and had been married that very day. I don’t fully understand all that is involved but learned that government taxation of married couples is a notable deterrent to marriage. Upon arriving at their home Friday evening we encountered a crowd of 30 or so and Aaron pulled me aside to convey our time together would be a combined “model small group+celebrate with the newlyweds” session. With the children outside and the adults spread across the living room+dining room+kitchen we began my first ever small group+marriage session. Many of those who were in the Thursday night session were in attendance and we had folks ready and willing to lead prayer, read scripture, and lead worship. It was a time where God’s presence was very evident. In addition to good food (selection supervised by Aaron), our fellowship time was filled with signing Bibles, taking photographs, and beginning our good byes to our numerous new friends.

After our session we stopped by Pastor Edinaldo’s home and shared a time of goodbyes that was a mixture of sadness and joy. Sad because we had reached the end of our time together for this trip; joyful because we knew we had experienced and joined God at work.

Saturday, 24 June
We started our day early on Saturday because of our uncertainty over the road conditions. We had similar seating and conducted a similar rotation of men between the back seat of the cab and the tailgate. At Feijo we stopped and gathered to pray about God’s work in that city, the contacts that would need to be identified, and for clarity about what God would want us to do there in 2007. We soon found BR364 with less mud but much more dust. We did encounter about an hour delay as a government worker w/bulldozer towed several trucks up a muddy hill and then made temporary repairs on the road. This delay allowed the chance(?) meeting between Aaron and the son of the ex-state governor. This young man was also the nephew of a missionary couple Aaron knew in Rio Branco. Seems his aunt had told him about our planned journey to Tarauaca and he approached Aaron to introduce himself and to inquire about our trip.

Overall it was a good travel day requiring approximately 16 hours and that included the 1-hour delay. The day ended with the team together in Rio Branco with all excited about what God had done through our separate adventures.

Pics to go with Justin's Experience

2006-06-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

A few pictures to go with Justin's experience.

1. Justin and Ben learning to dance with a Brazilian girl at church.
2. Justin with the teachers of the Wizard School. Lucy made Justin a Birthday cake.
3. Justin reading a story to children at Childrens Church.
4. Justin sharing his testimony at Pastor Rogerio's church.
5. One of the English classes at the Wizard School with Justin.

Justin's Experience

2006-06-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

I look back on our journey to Brazil and wonder where to start. So many awesome things happened in the time we spent there. As I reflect upon our activities, there are a few events the continually stick out in my mind. Most, I believe, have been mentioned in other blogs, but for me, they are the most memorable events of the trip.
One event was during my first experience of street witnessing. Andy has written about the two boys he shared with, that, when another boy came up later, took the evangecube and went through it with the new boy, and later a girl, who all prayed to accept Jesus. It was amazing to see him do something that so many Christians, new and old, have a very hard time doing, openly sharing their faith. Not just to strangers, but to friends, and they can be the hardest people to share with.
Another event that will always stick with me is the third day at the school when the whole class of students, teacher included, prayed to accept Jesus. That was probably the best day of the whole trip. That morning was the first time I was able to witness to a person. It was a man that was going house to house asking for food because he was in Rio Branco for medical problems and had nothing. We gave him food and talked to him. I shared with him and with Tiffany translating, he prayed to accept Jesus. That should have told us it was going to be an awesome day. We went into the school, completely focused on what we were there for. Which unfortunately, is something we had lacked the previous days. It was incredible to see what God can do through us when we focus on him. Ben spoke in the class and later admitted he had no idea what he said, it just flowed out. It was incredible. We had success in other classes, but that was the coolest class I experienced.
And the teacher that Rhonda witnessed to, was the most sincere person I met the whole time about her new faith, it was incredible. But I'll let Mrs. Rhonda share that one.
The third was when Alan accepted Jesus. He was the neighbors son we had met and hung out with. After finding out his family weren't believers, Ben and I decided that it was our calling to share with Alan. When the chance arose, we took advantage of it, and once again with Tiffany's help, he prayed and even asked to go to church with us.
Which, on Sunday night, he did. He told me he enjoyed himself, even though he had an initial problem with how hot it was in the building.
We also had many opportunities to play futbol (regular soccer) and futsol (indoor soccer). Both were fun, and me and Ben were able to, for the most part, hang with the Brazilians. The coolest part is that we were able to take playing soccer and turn it into a ministry one night.
Emily read a Bible story and Ben shared the evangecube. We believe there were kids present who were sincere when the prayed to accept Jesus.
One other cool thing was going to the Portuguese speaking churches, not having a clue what they were saying and yet knowing what they were saying. You could feel the presence of God in the church. It was powerful. We were talking to a missionary lady in the airport on our way home. She was talking about the teenage Christians in Brazil, her son is thirteen. She said exactly what I saw in the churches, "In Brazil you are either fully ablaze as a Christian or you are engulfed in the world, there is no real in between. There aren't passive Christians." That seemed so true. During the worship at one service they had songs that said dance, sing, jump in praise, and nearly the whole congregation did it, even Pastor Rogerio, and he's a big guy.
They didn't are if they looked stupid. The passion in the churches there was awesome. I enjoyed being there immensely, especially when they played "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and we were able to sing in English while they all sang in Portuguese.
I was also glad that we were able to help Tiffany around the house.
Granted Mrs. Rhonda did most of the work, there's no denying that, but the youth were able to help with cleaning the yard, sheds, and other things. Some of which have very funny stories of "giant killer ants with pincers that could slice your fingers off." But that needs to be told in person for the full effect.
Thank you all for praying for and supporting us.
Justin

Home from Tarauaca

2006-06-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are back on American soil again but due to limited access to the internet and computers equipped to handle picture files (and a fair amount of physical exhaustion) I have not shared what God is/was up to in Tarauaca. It was an amazing experience watching God's spirit move among His people and through them to touch others. We saw God change lives right before us. We were used by Him as instruments of His love and grace message. And we are shaped and changed as a result.
After a good night's rest (that began at 4:30am after a cold shower to remove the mud of BR364) we spent our first day in Tarauaca adjusting to the culture. It is not like Rio Branco. Busy city streets are replaced by cobblestone and raised wooden and/or concrete sidewalks. The congestion and noise of tens of thousands of motorcycles, cars, and trucks is now a quiet and picturesque scene from a small town in any southern US state. Most people are walking or riding bicycles from place to place. Motorcycles, cars, and trucks are only an ocassional sight and commerce is moved by ox and carts throughout the city. Mainstreet was once a landing strip for airplanes and is now a beautiful wide boulevard with a mall of grass and trees down its center. People gather here throughout the day and especially in the evenings to share life together... a life of much slower pace and deep community.
Completely cut off from the outside world (deep in the rain forest - one road in and out - mail delivery by plane only a few days a week), anything in Tarauaca has been brought in from somewhere else. It is a peaceful city of local trade and services. And God is at work here in a wonderful way.
After a full day of adjusting to this wonderful new environment, we began the work God had called us to ... planting the methods and concepts of small group ministry in the hearts and minds of an excited and eager group of young leaders in the church that Edinaldo pastors - FBC Tarauaca. Our first training was attended by no less than 30 such leaders who asked exactly the same questions I have experienced from churches in the US that are launching a new small group approach to church growth and planting. God has been preparing them for this day.
I will not try to include everything God has done through our journey in just one blog so check back for more later but I must tell one story of His amazing work in individual lives.
As the team was making its way to the river to visit a family in need of salvation, love, prayer, food (among other very practical things) we were witnessing along the streets. Anderson, our interpreter, and I stopped to talk with a group of men and boys standing outside the sawmill. There were about 15 in this group. We shared the gospel using the evangecube (a cube of pictures depicting the life, sacrifice, and salvation invitation of Jesus). I began by asking - what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven when he dies? They all answered the same - do good, obey God, and hope for the best. After sharing and praying together I asked each man and boy the same question again and without fail each one answered - only by faith in Jesus and yes, I put my faith and trust in Him today! It was awesome but it was not complete. God had even more in store for our little group of new believers. I asked them what they wanted to know about America and began to answer their questions about life, traffic, vacation spots, movie stars, church, and anything else you can imagine. This drew an even larger crowd as about 20 more men and boys joined in the questioning.
One man in the crowd finally asked me - why have you come to Tarauaca? That was my chance so I held up the evangecube to the original 15 (now new believers) and said - Should I tell them? They responded with a very excited - Yes! Tell them about Jesus!
After asking the same question and sharing the same beautiful message of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice, the group of 20 all prayed together. I once again went one by one through the group asking about their personal belief and salvation. It was true! God had added to the number of believers in Tarauaca 35 men and boys in less than an hour and a half. I will never forget the experience and pastor Edinaldo will begin the process of discipleship that will last a lifetime.
There is so much more to tell you - ministry in the park, worship with our new family, salvation in the schools and families, and amazing connections with key members of the community for future work.
But those are stories for another day. Thank you for going with us in your prayers. God blessed in every detail. I spoke with my father last night and he said that he had asked friends of his from Auburn, Alabama to Alaska to pray for us while we were gone and they reponde in mass. The prayer support was huge and we thank each of you for going (praying).
You have made a difference!

Home Sweet Home

2006-06-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived home today about 1:40pm. It was great to see family and friends with smiling faces and warm hugs greet us. We will be posting pictures and experiences later in the week when we have all had time to settle back in home. There is so much to share and everyone has a something special to share with you about the wonderful things that happened. Thank you Emmanuel for your prayers, support and comments while we were away. We are already planning for next summer. Please continue to pray for our partnership with Acre, Brazil and especially for Aaron, Tiffany, Emma and Ethan as they do God's work in Acre. Also pray for the new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ that we met these last couple of weeks. Check back later for post from the team and for pictures.

An Incredible E Mail from Joe Posted 6/26

2006-06-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hello from Rio Branco,Trust this finds all of you well. All here are well and in good spirits.Too much to tell in one email but wanted to give you some insight into what we encountered during our visit to Tarauca.Pastor Edinaldo traveled from Tarauca to Rio Bronco to meet us and accompany us back. The team making the trip included Bruce, Andy, Aaron, Wilson, Enderson, Edinaldo, Joe, and Theresa. Wilson is a multi-talented individual and served as our guide on BR364, the Federal highway/road/trail across Acre, Brazil. It was amazing to see how many people he knew along the way. Enderson is an English teacher and served as one of our translators. His interest in verbal expressions (y'all) was always entertaining. Both were critical enablers within the team.Count them, eight people in a Toyota truck (crew cab w/bed cover) plus clothing/personal items, road food, 16/8pks of water, Bibles, tracks, projector, DVD player, tools, and the hammer, hoe, and nail. We traveled with 5 persons in the cab and 3 in the bed; rotating all men through turns on the tailgate! Seating consisted of approximately 2ft inside the bed plus tailgate, on a thin piece of foam that got thinner with every mile. Visualize three men, sitting side-by-side facing rearward with a rope tied across the tailgate as a stirrup to keep them from sliding out. Our trip to Tarauca on Monday took approximately 22 hours along BR 364, which consisted of 400km of asphalt w/serious potholes/bulges, one-lane dirt road/trail w/butt jarring holes, and countless mud pits (approx 150km paved+250km dirt). We crossed three major rivers via ferry, dodged ranging cows/goats, passed out candy to roadside children w/ a "Jesus loves you", helped stranded vehicles, navigated around/through countless mud pits, and received a government tractor escort through the worst stretch late Monday night. The Warn winch on the front of the truck was invaluable because at times the truck was high-centered in the ruts of larger tractor trucks or just buried too deep in the mud to push out. Trees were rarely close enough or strong enough to serve as an anchor. We then resorted to driving the nail in the road ahead to give us the anchor we required. The nail was a 3 inch diameter/3 ft long steel rod with a large gear welded on one end. The hammer was a similar piece of pipe w/gears welded on one end to create a sledge (getting it back out of the ground is another story). I trust this sounds entertaining and it was at times. There were numerous times we just trusted God and pressed ahead, realizing that safe passage was totally in His hands. God was soverign over all we encountered! We arrived around 2am Tuesday in Tarauca, found our hotel, took a cold shower, and got a few hours of sleep before beginning our first day in the city.Details of Tarauca and the trip home (only 14 hours with better roads and lots of on-coming traffic) will have to wait until a little later but I want to share that God overwhelmingly answered two of my prayer requests...the ability to find and join Him at work...and the ability to make meet key people that are or will be critical to His plans for Rio Bronco, Feijo, and Tarauca.Look for a blog entry from Rio Branco later this afternoon (www.ebcbrazil.blogspot.com). Pics ( yes we have pics!) will have to wait until we get home because this PC will not support camera downloads.We travel to Manaus then Miami tonight (11pm departure), overnight in Miami, then home on Wednesday (4pm). Please pray for our health/safety and for God's work in Rio Branco, Tarauca, and Feijo. Love you guys and much appreciate the love you show us. Teary-eyed Joe

Quick E Mail Posted from Joe Gordon

2006-06-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

All arrived safely in Rio Branco just a short time ago. Need a meal and some rest.God has been faithful! Please continue to pray for us. Your partnership has and continues to be critical.More tomorrow. Joe

Update

2006-06-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated in a while but wanted to let you know what is going on here in Brazil.

On Thursday, we worked around Aaron and Tiffany's house. We cleaned out their storage rooms and made more room for storage and for their ministry things. We also watched USA get beat in the World Cup and we watched Brazil win again. This has been really fun with the World Cup going on while we are here. It is so amazing at their pride for their nation. We could stand to learn alot from them about that.

Yesterday, we went back to Pastor Rogerio's neighborhood and did door to door again and just as the night before shared with many people and saw many lives changed because our students from EBC were bold in sharing Christ with them. We also went back to the school and carried Bibles to the two teachers that accepted Christ and the one that cried with me told me she had taken the tract home and read it with her husband and he too accepted Christ. They had never been told anything about Jesus. She also ask where she should start reading in her Bible. That was such an encouragement to me. Alcienea is going to go and do a Bible study with the two teachers and get them involved in a church. In the afternoon we went down to a soccer park in Tiffany's neighborhood and the boys played soccer. After a few minutes we ask the kids to gather around and Emily read a Bible story to them and ask them questions and then Ben shared the evangecube and a couple of kids prayed to receive Christ. It was so amazing. We then walked down to a place called SOS Burgers and experienced Brazilian hamburgers. They eat them with eggs, bacon, cheese. and ham, and many other things. We did not eat the eggs but the ham and bacon on them was very good.

Today the students went to a end of the semester party with the Wizard kids and played soccer and Emily got to talk to some students that she had not talked to earlier. They enjoyed it. This afternoon we are going to "The House of Indians" where we will meet Brazilian Indians that are here from their reservations for medical health. We each will be sharing our testimony. The students are looking forward to this. Then we are going to teach kids at Alcinea's childrens church again.

I think that this has been a very good experience for our students. We have learned a lot about sharing with the Brazilians and they have for sure stepped out of the boat many times on this trip. We have learned that being out of our comfort zones is ok.

Now about the team in the interior. They have had amazing results with home churches, sharing in schools, and Bruce was even interviewed on the radio station owned by a man that he shared and prayed with to receive Christ. The man was so excited that he ask if he could interview Bruce on the radio. That was for sure a life changing experience for the man. Andy was able to share with like 35 people on a street corner and Joe and Theresa have shared with people all over as well. I am not sure of numbers but today it doesn't matter they are all new brothers and sisters in Christ. They are on the long hard road or maybe I should say muddy road back to Rio Branco. Please pray for Aaron as he drives and for Wilson as he navigates them throught the mud. We are praying for a faster trip back than what it took to go. Also pray that everything stays working well with the truck. Bruce said that everyone had great stories to tell and so I don't want to steal their experience thunder and I will wait and let them blog it later.

Sorry I have not posted more pictures but we will when we get home because it takes along time to download them here. That is why we have only posted a few. Please continue to pray for us and we look forward to sharing all the other things with you later.

We saw fruit

2006-06-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today was an incrediable day. We heard from the team last night in the interior. They are doing well. Today they were going to be flying kites with the school children after school and then tonight they were going to going door to door and sharing at church. Tomorrow and Friday they will be in the school sharing with children and then starting the home church tomorrow night. They said that the trip was very hard but that God had been with them the whole way and that they felt He had pulled them throught the mud at times because others were stuck and they were cruising right on through. I believe that Bruce put it that they enjoyed the challenge and gave God the succuss. The church is full of young people, much like Emmanuel and they are looking forward to serving there this week. This area has been a prayer for Aaron almost since he got here, so thankfully we are able to help him. Please pray for the bites that they got while driving out and for the itching that is going on.

Today in Rio Branco I woke up feeling like we needed to not go to the Wizard school and go some where else because I didn't feel like we were making a difference. Tiffany and I talked to Justin, Emily and Ben about it and they wanted to go back and say bye. So we spent the morning praying and reading our quite time by Dr. Mark Seagle and when we were finished they all came back to me and said "Go" (sound familiar Mark?) So we went and they shared in one room and 6 students became believers and also the teacher. In another room there was 3 and then I shared with a teacher that said no one had ever told her about Jesus. She prayed also to recieve Christ. When she finished praying she had tears rolling down her checks and said she felt like a new person. It was a great day at the school. We then went to do door to door evangelism with Pastor Rogerio in his church neighborhood. There we prayed with 6 to recieve Christ and 1 rededicated her life. Justin, Emily and Ben were so excited. Tonight we worshiped with Pastor Rogerio in his church and even though we did not understand a word we felt the presence of the Lord.

Tomorrow our students are going to be doing some work (world changers type stuff) around Aaron and Tiffany's house and of course watching the USA soccer and the Brazil soccer game. Like everyone else in Rio Brance. The schools and businesses are closed for the game (Brazil game) It is amazing at the Brazilian pride shown here for their country during the World Cup. What is so amazing is that most Americans don't even know the World Cup is on. They (our students )also plan to hang out with the boys next door and they are praying that the Lord will give them an opportunity to share with them. They both speak some English but Tiffany will translate for them. On Friday we will be going back to the neighborhood of Pastor Rogerio's church. Pray for boldness and that God will use us in powerful way there.

Thank you for your comments and for praying and lifting the team up. Please don't stop.

Happy 18th Birthday Justin

2006-06-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today was Justin's Birthday and we celebrated at a Pizza place with the Abud Family and Tiffany, Emma and Ethan. Justin had birthday cake and the Abud Family gave him a birthday gift. It was a Brazil Christian Tshirt. There was a soccer field by the resturant and Justin and Ben enjoyed watching the teams play while we waited on our food. We celebrated the way Brazilians do by going around the table and talking about the Birthday Boy. Everybody share really nice things about Justin and then Abud prayed for him. It was a fun night for all.

Also today the team going into the interior made it there safetly. It took them about 23 hours by 4 wheel drive truck. They only had to use the winch 6 times and one of them they had to be pulled out by tractor. I'm sure that when they come back in we will have some good pictures of that. Aaron told Tiffany that Joe was really enjoying it. I'm not sure that we will hear from them again until Saturday.

Justin, Ben and Emily have been going to the English speaking school called "Wizard" The coordinator is a Christian man that is really enthusiatic. Emily enjoys talking to the kids and the question and answer sessions about the US culture. She is also learning some portuguese from the classes. She has shared the "cube" a few times. She also says "hi" to her Mommy and Daddy and of course you too Mitchell. Ben enjoys the talking to the students and the teachers are very nice to him. One of them thought he was Harry from the Royal Family. LOL We got a kick out of it. They think he talks very slow and calls him a cowboy. He too has shared the "cube" a few times. Justin has loved going to the school and sharing with the older students about the American culture. They have ask many questions about music and what he does for entertainment. He has had a great chance to share the "cube" during the questions. I (Rhonda) shared with a teacher and she said that she had never been told anything about God. She wants to be in a Bible study and learn more. Tiffany is going to go with us to meet her and we hope that she is able to share with her again. Tomorrow we will be going back and sharing with the adult classes. Please pray for us to be bold and to have clarity of what the students ask. We are planting seeds but our students would love to see some fruit. The students of the school are from a different social class than we have worked with here before and they are harder to reach.

Continue to pray for us and especially for the team in the interior as they start new Life Groups there. We love you Emmanuel Family.

An E Mail from Joe to his LIFE Group

2006-06-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

From the Amazon basin to the hearts of EBC.... Friday, June 16, 2006

All are well. Spent most of yesterday getting some basic orientation on Rio Branco and catching up on needed rest. Motel accomodations are sparse but fine. Food safe for us to eat has been good. Celebrated Ethan's 1yr BD and got to meet many families that are a part of Aaron's and Tiffany's ministry. Met many of the Christian leaders who are a part of this local work.Got up today ready to go. Ladies/youth went to market area;guys spent the morning making plans for planned teaching sessions and trip to Taracua on Monday. Planning to be a part of planned soup/paint talk/Jesus film ministry tonight in an area of Rio Branco that contains indiginous people seeking a better life in the city. Area is in poverty and was flooded earlier this year. Leadership teaching and modeling home church are the main functions for tomorrow, church on Sunday with more modeling, and then comes Monday.Trip to Taracua will be rough due to late rains--4wd extreme! Will be taking a team of seven to meet with local leaders for training and modeling of home church. Important for us to enable and transfer the home church transfer to locals who can take ownership of sharing this strategy. Will stop in Feijo to prayer walk the city before returning to Rio Branco on Saturday/Sunday.Those remaining in Rio Branco will minister to the Epps and spend time in local schools being "celebrities" because they are American. Opportunities to share abound.Prayer needs abound from remaining healthy to communication to avoiding offending those in a culture different from our own but who need the Jesus we embrace. We are joing God "already at work" and anticipate Him using us far beyond what we can anticipate.Thanks so much for "standing in the gap" for us with your prayers. I deliberately strived to pray over every detail of our travel during the trip, only to find that there was some unexpected item I hadn't considered. I began to be amazed that God's favor was upon us even when I had not prayed and then realized it was the prayers of our family and friends that was sustaining us in ways I could not even imagine. Thank you all for your partnership in this endeavor.Miss home but am much enjoying this time we have set aside to join God in Acre, Brazil. Love you guys. Thanks for being with us. Joe

2006-06-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

An E mail from Theresa Gordon.... News from the frontlines Sunday, June 18, 2006

As you already know, we made it in to Brazil safely with just one delay in Miami. That was really to our advantage because our wait time was in the US versus in Manaus. Hotel accommodations are fine. We are transported by Alsenie and her husband Abujji in the VW Cumvee (of course, Aaron helps out also). The cumvee could be compared to an adventure ride considering that there are pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicles all over the road-I have not figured out the right of way yet. The cumvee is really quite comfortable. We don't need air conditioning because we go fast enough to keep the air circulated.The first night here was spent at Ethan's birthday party. The theme was Pooh. As we told you, it is a really big celebration. Met many of Aaron and Tiffany's friends from church and in the community. Aaron took the opportunity to share the gospel with the people there. One cultural difference concerning birthday parties-you do not open the gifts in front of the guests-you wait and take them home with you to open, and you do not put your name on the present-so you don't know who gave what. Other than that, it was pretty much the same.Our second day was spent with the guys meeting/planning/and working out the last minute details of our sojourn here and then lunch at Aaron and Tiffany's. New treat-pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, wrapped in tinfoil heated on the grill. During our running around that afternoon, Rhonda had an opportunity to witness to a man who was involved in spiritism. That evening we went to an area in Rio that had undergone major flooding to help serve soup. One of the local pastors had put this together. This pastor, Ivan, has a desire to plant a purpose driven church in this area. It is amazing how God prompts and places similar desires in multiple people to confirm His will. Aaron has had that same vision for the area. Aaron showed part of the Jesus film and then did a presentation called "paint talk"- a presentation of the gospel. Many responded. At the end of the evening, Ben and Justin took "lessons" in expressive dance from some of the dance team that had performed during worshipped. You will have to ask them about their ability. It's interesting, language can sometimes be a barrier, and then again, sometimes it is not. The streets of Rio are decorated with streamers and flags in green and gold in celebration of the World Cup. In fact, things will pretty much shut down on Sunday for the game.Saturday morning the team divided and those going to Taraccua met with area leaders and Andy led the training for small groups. The folks here are already acquainted with the idea to some extent. They had excellent input. This also gave us practice in using our translators. By the way, we met in a frame building beside Alsenie's and Abujji's home. Tin roof with plank floors and open windows. It served the purpose. Alsenie and Abujji use thisbuilding for meetings and church services just like this.I met a lady at this meeting with a sad story to tell. She told it to me in Portuguese, I listened in English and somehow we communicated. I checked with Aaron later. Somehow or another I had understood her.Saturday afternoon and evening we went back to the area that the team had been in last year. It was amazing to see the children recognize Rhonda. We then went door to door (or yard to yard) and visited with the folks. We had two kids accept Christ at the first stop. A man and his wife accepted Christ at the next one. And that was just on our team--not counting the decisions on Andy's or Aaron's.Remember the saying about the planting and harvesting. The group last year did a lot of planting and we got to harvest right off the bat this year.We had our first small group last night. It went well. There was laughter and a lot of testimony concerning scripture. Our translator, Marcus, hung right in there with us. I don't think we messed him up too bad. We ended that small group getting to witness to the couple that hosted us. They are not saved. Know all the details, they are just waiting until they have some things in order. Their names are Marcus (not the translator) and Dora.This morning we went back down to the same area. Alsenie and Abujji have a weekly Bible study for the children. Emily and Justin led out in the games and story time. Aaron and Tiffany were invited by their neighbors to come watch Braz/Aust soccer game with them. So, of course, we all went too. The food here is good-a little different, but good. Interesting, it didn't matter what language you spoke when you were excited about the score or a play. It sounds the same in any language. We leave tomorrow morning for Taraccua. The 300+miles trip will take 1-2 days w/8 persons in and on a Toyota quad cab 4wd truck. We are taking in our own bottled water as limited transportation into the area makes availability an issue. Cooked food will be safe but unsure of costs...last week a tomatoe cost about $3.50US. We will also be taking minimum supplies and will depend on buying what we need as we need it. Please pray for God's provision of what we require and success in sharing the home church strategy.All for now. More upon our return. Theresa

Field Update from Andy

2006-06-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

All is well in Brazil!
Why? Because Brazil has just beaten Australia in World Cup Soccer! It may not be a big deal to you but, let me tell you, it is huge here. Streets are painted with the colors of the team, everyone is dressed in soccer shirts, huge parties are everywhere, and the entire country is shut down...really! You cannot find a store, gas station, restaurant, or anything open right now. We just left a party where we ate some amazing food and watched the game with the Epp's neighbors. It is really fun.

Hope all is well with you! Happy Father's Day Dads! I received a wonderful surprise this morning when Bruce, our team leader, handed me a package from Lee, Drew, and Sydney filled with wonderful handmade cards from the kids, a beautiful card from Lee, and gifts ... CD's of two of my favorite country artists (Brooks and Dunn and Rascal Flats). Thank you so much family and I love you too! I haven't been able to listen to the CD's just yet because we began our day leading a children's Bible study in the neighborhood we worked with last year. It was great to see old friends and to make some new ones. The kids are bigger but most remembered us. About 50 gathered for Bible study and games. The work continues!!

One of the highlights of our work has been the street witnessing. We go up and down streets sharing the evangecube. I worked with Justin and Anderson (interpreter) and we lead 7 to faith in Jesus. I was sharing with 2 boys when a third walked up. One of the boys, who is about 14, wanted the third boy to hear what was being shared so he stopped me and said, "start over." Instead of starting over, I simply handed the evangecube to the boy, Mizea, and told him to begin at the first picture to tell his friend the whole truth. He did with just a little help from me and all three boys prayed together to accept Jesus! It was amazing ... but there is more! As I was sharing with a girl down the street about 20 minutes later Mizea walked up again and so I handed him the evangecube again and he lead her to Jesus! She prayed too! I was in complete amazement. There is no telling how many others he will tell. I think that is what the Great Commission is all about.

We are all in great health and are probably even a little heavier than when we arrived. The food is great! It is hot here now that the clouds have moved out. Travel to Tarauaca will begin around 5am tomorrow (Monday) and it will be very difficult but we are ready for the adventure. Please pray for us as we go across some very rough terrain. It will take us at least a day to make the journey and could be even longer. We will need to ferry across three rivers. And we will most likely need to dig out of the mud several times along the way. We are carrying a man with us who has made the journey many times in case we need to spend the night on the highway. He knows the safe places. We are in God's hands and no one seems nervous at all.

Rhonda will remain in Rio Branco with the student half of our team to witness in several schools (English Classes). The schools are wide open and they have been invited to visit more every day. The team is very excited about the work. Justin and Ben are also going to visit a soccer club and I'm sure God will use them in that evironment as well. Opportunities abound!

I love you all and thank God for the blessing you are to me. I will be thinking about you and praying for you. Prayer partners please know that all is well here and keep praying as we move into the second phase of our work... the interior.
All my love,
Andy

We are here

2006-06-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

We are here!!! We made it great and had no problems just a flight delay. Met some missionaries from Florida in the Manaus airport on the way and even saw one that we met last year on our way home.

After traveling all night and very little sleep we got to celebrate with Ethan Epps on his 1rst Birthday. It was a wonderful celebration and even got to see a lot of people that we met last year. We made many new friends and locals that will be helping us over the next couple of weeks. The whole city is decorated in yellow and green and has Brazilian flags flying everywhere for the World Cup. We even got a offer to go watch it at someones house.

More tomorrow when we can think a little more clearly. We love you EBC family and thank you for your prayers, cards of encouragement and please continue to pray for us.

Thank you Emmanuel

2006-06-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

We are on our way!!! Thank you so much Emmanuel Family for making this day possible. We are so excited to be sharing "Home" churches in Brazil. So many people have donated things for Aaron and Tiffany and finiancial support to make this trip happen. "Thank you" from all the team. Pray for us and we will be praying for the Emmanuel family. We love ya'll and we will post when we arrive.

More recent picture

2006-06-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a more recent picture of the Epps Family with little Ethan in it. We will get to celebrate his 1rst birthday with them on June 15.
1rst and 15th Birthdays are big celebrations and we are so excited to be part of their family for this celebration.

Pray for our Team

2006-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Want to pray for the EBC Brazil Mission team?
Pray for Rhonda, Theresa, Emily, Ben, Joe, Bruce, Justin, and Andy.

You can also pray for Aaron, Tiffany, Emma, and Ethan - our missionaries in the field. (pictured here)

And don't forget our interpreters and area pastors who will be joining us in ministry and making communication possible.

We love you and appreciate your desire to join us in this mission by praying. Our prayer for you is that God will touch your heart in a very special way for the people of Brazil. Teaching them the 'House Church' approach to church planting and growth is awesome in itself...but...watching God spread the gospel across lives and down vast rivers of the Amazon basin into hundreds of remote villages is to observe His kingdom on earth. Let's pray like that!

More pictures to come as we move across the nations carrying the gospel of Christ and expanding His worship.

Final Preparations / The Team

2006-06-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Brazil mission team met tonight (Monday the 12th) to finish packing, weigh bags, and continue in prayer for their upcoming trip to Acre and the Epps family missionaries. As they gathered, team leader Bruce Baber contacted Aaron in Brazil only to find out that it is still raining and travel across Acre is quite a challenge. Plans for ministry may change a little. It is certainly possible that God would allow for safe passage on the highway just in time for the first leg of the trip. If He does not the team is convinced that God has other plans and have already considered several wonderful options for introducing the Acts 2:42 House Church approach to church planting in Rio Branco among area pastors and lay leaders. The second leg of the trip into the rain forest is certainly possible as drier weather is expected to set in as early as Tuesday the 13th.
Since many of you would like to track the team as they travel and pray for them I am including a tentative schedule.
14 Jun EBC to Pensacola ~ Pensacola to Atlanta ~ Atlanta to Miama
15 Jun Miami to Manaus, Brazil ~ Manaus to Rio Branco
__________________

26-27 Jun Rio Branco to Manaus ~ Manaus to Miami
28 Jun Miami to Atlanta ~ Atlanta to Pensacola ~ Pensacola to EBC (3pm)

In country schedule: (Subject to change)
Friday 16 Jun Travel to Taruaca
Wed 21 Jun Travel to Feijo
Sunday 25 Jun Travel to Rio Branco
Tuesday 27 Jun Arrive Miami (1 night layover)
Wednesday 28 Jun Arrive home

Prayer needs:
- God's plans for ministry - clearly revealed as weather changes
- Aaron & Tiffany Epps - concerned about ministry plans and weather - peace
- Travel safety and good health for travel team
- Comfort and safety for families back home (and little ones)
- Transformed lives everywhere we go - they will know us by our love

Matthew 1:23

2006-06-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Emmanuel means, "God with us", "Deus esta conosco" in Portuguese. On June 14, 2006, a team from Emmanuel Baptist Church will embark upon Acre, Brazil, to share Jesus to one of the last unreached areas of the country. Bruce, Ben, Joe, Theresa, Andy and Justin along with the IMB missionary, Aaron will be teaching Brazilians in Tarauca and Feijo how to lead group Bible studies in their homes. Rhonda and Emily will be staying Rio Branco with Aaron's wife Tiffany and their children and going into the English speaking schools and having conversation (sharing Jesus) with teenages and adults.

Our team prayer requests are:
Travel into the country
Effective translators that travel into the interior with the team
Aaron, Tiffany and their children
Our families that we leave in the states
Hearts open to the word of God
People that want to open their homes for a home study (church) especially in Feijo because we have no contact with a Baptist in this city
Health for the team and missionaries and also for the family members at home
Safety

I will post pictures as often as possible, check back.

Thank you for praying with us and for us.