Mission Rio Branco

New Blog Mirror

2005-10-28T09:39:00.000-05:00

Do you ever see that tempting button on your blogger dashboard that says CREATE A BLOG? I have been eyeing that button for several months, and finally I decided to bite the bait. I am going to start posting more of my personal daily thoughts at http://brianhailey.blogspot.com

Go on, check it out.

Shari's Poem

2005-10-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

I talked to Shari who gave us the report on Jasper, and she has given me permission to pass on the poem to you guys. She told me that God gave it to her to share. Be blessed...

Katrina & Rita’s Wrath & Aftermath

Winds of the world came . . .
Ravishing the land . . .
Blowing my life away . . .
Storm clouds of hurricanes . . .
Raining torrents . . .
Flooding family and friends . . .
Wind whirled . . .
Rains pounded . . .
Lightning cracked . . .
Mighty oaks crashed,
Power ceased,
People panicked,
Tempers flared,
And darkness descended . . . all around me
In the natural world where winds blow and floods flash.

Evacuated, fleeing for life, homeless, running scared . . .
What to take? What to leave behind? How to know?
Now a new town . . . knowing no one;
Just a trunk-full of treasures to call my own.

“Where is my God?”

Here, He is right here; here with me; He is within me!
He hovers over me and shelters me from all harm.

“I am with you always”
He promises
“And I shall never leave you.”

O, what perfect peace, what refreshing rest for my soul!
Knowing my Lord personally
Sustains me . . .
In the midst of all life’s storms.
Partaking in such an intimate relationship enables me to
Trust the Jesus of Galilee, the man who stills storms
With just a word.
And through this trust He uses me to turn to others –
To speak – To bless – Others who are more afraid,
More in need, more desperate, more without hope
Than I.
We reach out to each other – to hug, to comfort, to share a meal
And in doing so share the love of the Lord.

Rebuilding life . . .
Trying again to gain some normalcy.
But how?

Waiting in lines an entire day . . .
Filling out papers till hands cramp . . .
Staying on hold till you want to scream . . .
Red tape, frustration, red tape, then finally: “You don’t qualify.”
World government tries to help, but falls short.

Suddenly realization dawns: “Where can I go, but to the Lord?”
Yes, stop the hassle, take a breath, and smile . . .
My dependence is on God Almighty;
In Him alone can I trust!

I pray . . .
I ask . . .
I wait . . .
To see Him open Heaven’s gate!
Helping hands, safe shelter, encouraging words, hot meals, fervent prayers,
and the money comes . . . blessings for others and also for us.
Praise the Lord!
God’s bounty pours forth from His Body on earth!
Provision is here. God’s children taking care of one another.
Father smiles . . .
He is pleased . . .

Even though winds of the world come
They cannot blow my life away
For my life is safe and secure,
Hidden in Christ.
And even storm clouds of hurricanes
Cannot flood away my family
For my family is God’s family
And my inheritance is the Kingdom of God
Which endures forever!

So . . . blow winds blow . . .
Flood rains flood . . .
Flash lightning flash . . .
Crash trees crash . . .
Come what may . . .
I shall not fall
I shall endure to the end
With strength from Jesus, my Lord, my friend.

By Shari Gunter 10-4-05

Returning to Life in Jasper

2005-10-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

I have another report from a sister in Christ in Jasper that has gone home since the hurricane's destruction. I'll post it here for you to read:

Check out my current blog
http://brianahiley.blogspot.com

Dear Loved Ones,
Just a note to let you know that we are all back home -- WITH electricity!! Yea!! Everything is hooked up again -- except cable T.V. (______ isn't too happy about that!) But life is trying to resemble normalcy again. We're still waiting on FEMA to decide to reimburse us for some of our out-of-town living expenses for about 3 weeks. Also have lots of clean-up to do, especially in the back yard where several trees are down and will need to be cut up and removed.

I think everyone affected by Rita or Katrina has learned that we take much for granted and you don't really know how blessed you are till you have to do without some luxuries -- like electricity (A/C and heat, lights, T.V., computers, clean running water, ovens and microwaves, etc.) I really missed just sleeping in my own bed and being able to relax in my own Lazy-Boy chair (which is the only place I can rest and my back doesn't hurt!

I am attaching a poem I wrote after our evacuation. We stayed with relatives and friends in several different towns for 3 weeks, but ended up at a Christian Retreat Center in Azle, TX where we used to live. They graciously offered us a fully furnished trailer house to stay in for as long as we needed. While there I finally took the time to get quiet before the Lord and He gave me this poem to share with others. Hope it blesses you.

Much love,
_________

Abstract Autumn Angles

2005-10-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

_______________________
___________________ ____

Ant's-Eye View

2005-10-13T17:18:00.001-05:00

What does the world look like from the view of an ant? This is a fun photographic exercise in imagination standing in someone else's shoes.

Our Home_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tree Trunk Near our Home

Pipeline (waterhose) _ _ _ _ _ Tree-like Flower

More Fall Pics

2005-10-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

Today was a most gorgeous day here in West Texas! I met my brother Joey for lunch, and we took one picture together. We both enjoyed in the bright sunshine and the cool weather. The temperature this afternoon was 22º C/ 75º F. Perfect!

After the wedding I stopped by Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church and took some pictures of their gorgeous building. Take a gander...
http://bdh98a.multiply.com/photos/album/27

I also took some pictures of my house and yard yesterday evening to show the progress of the fall here. There is still not much change, but just you wait...

Nancy Clinard's Wedding

2005-10-08T19:06:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the wedding of the mother of Joshua, one of my former roommates. Nancy had been a widow for 11 years, and she came to ACU to study missions. She has served the Lord in various continents, and now she and her new husband aspire to serve the Lord together for the rest of their lives. It was a beautiful wedding!!!

Follow this link to see more pictures:
http://bdh98a.multiply.com/photos/album/26

Fiesta de la Paloma

2005-10-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday Selvin and I went to a festival in Coleman, Texas where my parents live. It is called the Fiesta de la Paloma, not because they hold doves with reverence, but because there is so much dove hunting. I guess it reflects the Texan fascination for hunting.

This is a great place to learnn about central Texan culture and social interaction.

Looking on from Courthouse_ _ _ _ _Kids sliding on Giant Slide

A Beautiful Butterfly Wing _ _ __ _ _ Walking the dog

Typical Dancing _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Mysterious Selvin

Hurricane Recovery Update

2005-10-03T22:10:00.000-05:00

Just to give you an update on the hurricane hit area, my fellow Jasperites are still without electricity. Texas Governor Perry is proposing to deliver electricity generators to East Texas to help provide energy to the areas living without. Potable running water has been restored to most areas. Please continue to keep our loved-ones in these disaster areas in your prayers.

Can the Holy Spirit Do It?

2005-10-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

We we are evangelizing and planting churches in new cultures, do we have the responsibility to lay down a specific set of ethical standards for the developing community, making all ethical and moral decisions for them? Is that our role as the foreign aposles to the nations? What all is included, and what is included in the task of making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to command all that Jesus commanded his apostles?

Lesslie Newbigin reflects on the writings of the late Roland Allen for partial guidance on this subject. Let's listen to what he has to say...

The central thrust of all Roland Allen's writing is expressed in the title of a posthumously published work, The Ministry of the Spirit. Allen's charge against modern missions was that they had been tempted by their alliance with colonial powers to act as though the mission of the church could be pursued in the style of a cultural and educational campaign, as though the object was to multiply replicas of the sending churches. In contrast to this Allen rightly saw that in the New Testament portrayal of mission the central reality is the active work of the living Holy Spirit himself. It is the Spirit who brings about conversion, the Spirit who equips those who are called with the gifts needed for all the varied forms of ministry, and the Spirit who guides the church into all the truth. The Spirit is not the property of the sending church of the missionary who is sent. It is not part of the missionary's duty to mold the new church into the style of the old. The Spirit is sovereign and free, and the missionary must trust the Spirit to do his own work. Where Christ is confessed, where the word of the gospel is preached and the sacraments of the gospel are administered, and where there is a ministry that links the new community to the wider fellowship of the catholic church, there Allen believed, the Holy Spirit must be trusted to provide all that is needed, and the missionary has done his or her work and can move on.*

What do you guys think?

*Lesslie Newbigin. The Open Secret: an Introduction to the Theology of Mission. William B. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, Mich., 1995, 130.

Pics from Cross-Country

2005-10-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to pictures from a Cross-Country meet that Sarah (my sister) had in early September.

http://bdh98a.multiply.com/photos/album/25

Fall Pics from My Neighborhood

2005-09-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

Fall is just beginning to arrive. Most of the leaves have not started to change colors yet. If I can be lucky enough to get a shot of a monarch, I will post it for you to see.

Papaw's house (and mine) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our driveway

Friday Mentoring Group

2005-09-30T13:25:00.000-05:00

. . . . . . . . . . Our Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris making capuccino

____Graham enjoying a banana___
Today our missions mentoring group met again. We meet every Friday morning to spend time with our mentor Chris Flanders. Althought we get lots of excellent mission training and preparation in our degree here at ACU, there are topics that are not covered in our courses. We also work on spiritual development together. We are accountable to help each other maintain our focus on the heart of God and his mission. These are some pictures from our group today.

Papaw in a Cape

2005-09-29T19:26:00.000-05:00

Today Papaw and I went to get our hair cut in a town near by. I brought my camera along so that I could sneak some pictures here and there. Here is one of Papaw. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of the migration of monarch butterflies. I am disappointed that I didn't think to do that.

The Arrival of Fall

2005-09-29T06:43:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my last morning here at the dorm. Next week Angela will take over for me. Today is such a beautiful day, for autumn has finally arived! God sent us a strong wind from the north last night that brought cooler weather, and hundreds of monarch butterflies. They were all blowing from northeast to southwest in the wind.

It is so cool this morning that I am wearing a long-sleeve shirt. Yesterday the temperature reached above 100, and this morning it got down to 55. Amazing! Times like this remind me that God is in control of the weather.

This morning I am supposed to lead worship in the ISA (International Student Association) chapel. I was going to work on my powerpoint presentation this morning here at the office, but the file did not convert well from my Macintosh to this PC. I am sure we will all still be able to praise God :)

Little Divine Encounter, Changed Life

2005-09-28T08:25:00.000-05:00

You know how sometimes God brings people into your path that change your life...? Sometimes they are small changes over time, and other times those angels effect life altering changes in just a few moments.

Monday morning, one hour with Randy changed my life.

I want to give a little background first...

Two years ago I went to a conference at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. It was a 12 period of intense prayer and fasting together with thousands of believers. I had never experienced anything like it. I was awakened in a new way to the power of the Spirit that day.

Randy was there that day, but he was just a side note in my story. Many college students from FountainGate Fellowship had told me about how Randy had changed there lives when he had pastored the youth in Abilene, and then finally I saw him there on the field of the Cotton Bowl among the thousands of us. But I wasn't so sure about this Randy. In fact, I was judgmental of his Christian walk.

As we prayed and cried out before God, this guy was dancing, hollering, and... speaking in tongues!!! My rational mind began to evaluate, "Can he do this? Nobody is interpreting? Is this scriptural?" Needless to say, I was challenged. I didn't meet Randy that day, but I observed. That same day God's Spirit moved in me, and my life was changed.

Monday I met with Randy at Java City for a cup of milk, and we shared our stories for an hour. Halfway through our conversation, he shared with me the statement that changed the way I see my existence in this world. Randy said that as we had been talking, he had already been in touch with the Spirit numerous times asking for divine guidance that God might give him words to touch my life. He was communing with the Spirit of God as we talked! I didn't know why that conversation was transforming me, sparking a new thirst for communion with my Creator, but that was revealed to me. The eyes of my heart and spirit were opened!!

Since that conversation, I haven't had a perfect cake-walk of uninterrupted, ethereal walking with God, but I have been different. I am beginning to cry out more. I am beginning to pray was I converse with others. I am beginning to desire the things of God more at each moment because someone took a little time to show my how. Randy, thank you. Your little time investment will have eternal results.

"God, thank You for divine appointments like the one you made for Randy and me Monday morning. Draw us near to You each moment. Spirit, fill our hearts, our conversations, our moments of solitude. Open our eyes to the divine appointments You are making for us at each step of the day. Show us how to live in You.

"We want You. We love You! Like our father Moses, we refuse to march forward without You. That would be futility. Lord Jesus, come. Holy Spirit, come. Replinish our dry soul with Your streams of living water!"

Dorm Time Winding Down?

2005-09-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

Well, the saga of early mornings at the dorm office may be ending soon. Last night I invited the other staff to take over my post, and I have already had one offer. That is really exciting because I could be getting back to my normal sleeping schedule soon. I have been sleeping from 3 - 5 hours per night during the week for most of this semester. I have been needing a change, and the Lord is faithful to make a way.

I have to be frank; I will really miss the peaceful bliss of these early morning hours. It is such a beautiful time to be alone with God, but He will not be going away. I will simply have to seek other times to be alone in solitude with Him.

DFW to Pick Up Selvin

2005-09-27T07:10:00.000-05:00

Students Shared Desk at Morris Hall early in the morning.

View from my desk at work in Morris Hall

It sounds like Jasper got hit pretty extensively. Many people have not returned to the city because there are no services or utilities. I saw a report on ABC News yesterday morning of an older lady's house that had 2 pine trees drop right in on her bed. She had just arisen a few minutes earlier, praise God! In nearby Kirbyville, a house with seven people was lifted off of its foundation and just floated away as if it were a boat. This weekend my friend Jackie Gipson and her mother will return to Jasper from Abilene to assess the damage to their own house.

Yesterday was an exciting day for me. I went to Dallas to pick up my former roommate Selvin Monterroso who has come to defend his thesis for his Master of Theology. I moved to Florida at the end of 2002 which is when we ceased to be roommates. He has since returned to Honduras. I remember beautiful times we had together, like singing and playing the guitar, shivering in the freezing house, and eating salads made of cilantro and radishes. haha. Those were the days!

I really appreciate my prayer partner, Rolando, who traveled with me to help me make the trip safely without falling asleep. He carried his iPod with an FM transmitter and he was the DJ of our own little FM radio station. ;) We made it home safely, Praise God!

Last night I got home at 1:00am and then I got up for work this morning at 4:00am. There is not much energy left for me to make it through work and then class. May the Lord give me strength.

"Lord, thank you for the strength you have given me to arise and praise you this morning. Thank you for being here with me this morning. That is my desire, to be with you! To walk with you, talk with you, become just like you. May my soul be completely satisfied in your presence."

The Eyewall Over Jasper

2005-09-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

I just arose here on Saturday morning for my weekend class. The national news said that the eyewall of Rita is passing over Jasper at the moment dropping a wall of 12 inches of rain. The sustained winds are still at 100 mph. Jasper is the city I grew up in. The city had a mandatory evacuation yesterday, even though it sits 70 miles inland, and I pray that the residents did get to safety.

Sh'mah Yisra'el. Adonai Eloheinu. Adonai Echad.

My Home Getting Hit

2005-09-24T00:13:00.000-05:00

As we wait for the eye to move ashore, we pray. I talked with my cousin Mike in Houston, and he said that yesterday morning they were not able to leave Houston because the traffic was at a standstill. I thank God that the storm is not headed straight toward Houston any longer, but the bad news is that it is headed straight to the region where I grew up. The Piney Woods of Texas is getting inundated with torrents of rain and wind. I pray that God will keep many of our friends and family there safe.

My home Abilene (more than a six hour trip from Houston), is filled with evacuees. Every hotel in town is full. Many churches are full, and every shelter in town is filling to capacity. The State of Texas has been very gracious to receive and help evacuees from areas hit by the two hurricanes. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Presos no Metrópolis de Houston

2005-09-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

Sarah, Mike, and Me in Galveston, Texas

Recebi notícias do meu primo, Mike, e eu soube que eles nem tinham conseguido sair da cidade de Houston por causa do tráfego. Até começar a viagem se tornou impossível, então eles decidiram ficar lá. Agradeço a Deus que parece que o furacão não vai passar diretamente sobre eles.

O que me dá pena que eh está entrando diretamente sobre a região da cidade onde eu fui criado. Continuemos orando por todos eles. Eu sei que num momento assim, a maioria de nós nem temos palavras para orar, mas clamemos as Ele! mesmo sem palavras.

Talvez a coisa principal que Deus quer seja que nós clamemos a Ele. Talvez Ele esteja apenas querendo restaurar um relacionamento conosco.

Deus único e soberano, nosso bom Pai, fica com todas as pessoas do mundo que estão sofrendo.

Sarah, Me and Mike in Houston

A Vinda do Furacão

2005-09-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Ontem eu falei ao telefone com meu primo Mike em Houston. Ele e o pai dele (Steve), estão viajando hoje para fugir do monstro Rita. Meus avós também viajaram. Por favor, estejam em oração por todos aqueles que moram na beira do Golfo do México. Que Deus os proteja e conforte, e que nós possamos estar dispostos a ajudar como for apropriado.

What Happened to Home?

2005-09-22T08:20:00.000-05:00

5:40 in the morning here in the office, and I sit. Time almost stands still. Yesterday's newspaper spread out to my left, a dimly lit lamp breaking up the pre-dawn darkness to my right. I sit here alone. At least if you were to look in here, that's the way it would seem, but I am not alone. The presence of the Lord is heavy here is I cry out.

Millions! Millions of people have fled their homes at this time. Some will return home to comfort as normal. Thousands will return to repair extensive damage. Tens of thousands will never return home... or home will not return to them. Rita lurks off the coastal shores of Texas: 175 mph/282 kph sustained winds.

Some of us will go home after work today thankful we have our homes. Others of us will receive evacuees into our homes. But does that make us heroes? Are these people just helpless victims? Do they have nothing to offer us? Maybe their lives are speaking volumes to us. Maybe they will teach us if we will just listen.

Reflection
We live in a transient society. Many children move countless times before they reach maturity. Where is home? Houses are destroyed every year by earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, wars. Where is home? Our neighborhoods change. People different from us move in. We no longer feel the sense of comfort and safety we used to when we approach the driveway after a long day in the world. The tempestuous world seems to be coming to our doorstep. Where is home?

Ever since the very beginning, our ancestors in the faith have been searching for home. "A wandering Aramean was my father..." Every Hebrew identifies with this not-so-fairytale beginning of the Israelite story in Deuteronomy. The Israelites recited this when presenting their tithes before the Lord. They were delivered and given a promised land, but they were to always remember that their destination was not Egypt, Jerusalem, or Babylon, but the Creator God himself! He is our ultimate destination. We will always have a since of longing and homelessness until we are delivered to our final destination.

When the Messiah came, he lived as a wanderer, a pilgrim: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head" (Luke 9:58). He came from God, and to God he was going. Jesus was not complaining, but stating his reality. He understands our feeling of homelessness. All of our shelters in life or just temporary places to park and rest for a while: our houses, our offices, our beautiful church buildings. But these places do not define us.

"On any given night, however comfortable we may be and however secure our futures may seem, we remain vulnerable to a certain heaviness of heart that can come upon us for no apparent reason at all. It may begin as a flutter in the chest or as a full-blown ache--a sudden hollowness inside, a peculiar melancholy, an inexplicable homesickness. Have you felt it? The sense that there is a place you belong that you have somehow gotten separated from, a place that misses you as much as you miss it and that is calling you to return, only you do not know where, or how to get there. All you know is that you are not there yet, and that your life will not be complete until you are" --B.B. Taylor, The Preaching Life, 158.

A Blessing in Homelessness?
Maybe this feeling is more a blessing than a curse. Maybe it is God's gentle tugging at our heart. God is helping us not to become too settle so that we remember we are not home yet.

For those of us helping the homeless, "We cling to the illusion that some of us are blessed and some of us are not, and that it is our job as those who are blessed to rescue those who are not. We labor under the illusion that our work involves "us" and "them," with us--the caregivers, the helpers, the lucky--on one side of the counter and them--the clients, the supplicants, the unlucky--on the other. We succomb to the illusion that they can all be saved if only we will work enough hours, find enough money, get enough publicity" --Taylor, 160.

Our father Abraham was a wanderer, Jesus had no bed to lay his head, and God reminds us that it is by his grace alone that we live as we make our way home--back to Him. There is no "us" and "them." We "us" are all line up on the same side of God's counter: asking, waiting, longing, groaning. Not home, but headed there.

God, we cry out to you!

Save those who are suffering the storm!
Intervene in your divine mercy!
Walk with us in this devastation!

Remind us that even though we are not home,
You have promised us a home.
Your promise never fails.
Thank you, God.
Thank you for your everlasting promise.

Refreshing

2005-09-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

What a pleasure it is to live under the daily transformative work of the Spirit of God! His breath blows through us daily, restoring our souls and giving us new life.

This morning I have been reading about some of the work of the Spirit in Norway. It is really exciting to read testimonies about what the Lord is doing there! I have been reading Anne Maria's blog, and everything she says is seasoned with the salt of Christ. May God bless the disciples of Christ in Norway as they seek to follow the leading of the Spirit and obey God's word.

Yesterday I was reading from Barbara Brown Taylor's book, The Preaching Life. She has a beautiful article about the story of the widow's mite from Mark 12:41-42 called, "The One to Watch".

I need to leave work in the next few minutes, but I hope to come back later in the day to comment about this article. Perhaps it will have to wait.

Go with God.

Early Morning Inspiration

2005-09-20T07:37:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was walking to the office, I was overtaken by the beauty of the pre-dawn hours: the cool air, the bright stars above, the quietness of being awake while everyone else around is asleep. It was really an amazing experience. My heart was exploding with worship to the Father.

Now the challenge is to continue to have a heart of worship and gratitude throughout the day, to see the ways in which God is revealing himself to us in the ordinary. Every leaf connected to a tree through its branches is a wellspring of life. The rich sap from the tree flows through its veins, and the leaf gives life to all around by the oxygen it produces and the nutrients that abound in its very being.

So is the person who is connected to the Creator through the Messiah. He is a spring of life to all around him. People are attracted to the tree that sustains him because it is the fount from whence life proceeds. Apart from that sustaining flow, life quickly fades into death. May we remain connected to the Creator.

Family Decision Making

2005-09-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

Eu gostaria de saber como é que a sua família toma decisões:

Quais são os membros da sua família nuclear (que moram na sua casa)?
Quais membros têm o direito de oferecer a sua opinião quanto às grandes decisões da família?
Quem tem mais influência nas conversas familiares?
Quem toma a decisão oficial no final das contas?

Podem deixar uma resposta ou escrever pro meu email: bdh98a@gmail.com

Our Response to the Philippian Christ Hymn

2005-09-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

How crazy is it to want to share in someone's sufferings, and in their death?!

I want to know Christ,
and the power of his rising;
share in his suffering,
conform to his death.

When I poor out my life
to be filled with his Spirit,
joy follows suffering,
and life follows death!

Sometimes we lose things that are very dear to us. Sometimes God let's us suffer for the honor of his name. Why would he do this? Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom were two Christians who went to a concentration camp in Holland for harbouring Jews.

They suffered greatly consequences that were not their own. They new that the apparent reality, those things that were tangible and palpable, were not the ultimate reality. They were placed in the camp at Ravensbruck to share in the Messiah's suffering and give many Jewish new glasses.

They shared with them the reality of the Kingdom of God. The God who came to earth, suffered and died for their deliverence was right there in the midst of their suffering. The holy scriptures sustained them when bread was lacking and their strength had failed. The Nazis could take their lives, but yet they couldn't. They now knew that their sufferings were a part of sharing in Christ's death, and ultimately by faith they would share in his resurrection!!!!

Many women were saved because of the Ten Boom sister's sufferings in a concentration camp not design for them. God's reign came to that camp!

Christ did suffer and die out of humble obedience before he was exalted. We, his followers, are not exempt! We are called to the same path. And it is a glorious path, though not in the eyes of this world. It is a glory that can only be seen with eyes opened by the Spirit of God.

Pauls says, "Yes, I gave it all up in order to know him, that is, to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings as I am being conformed to his death, so that somehow I might arrive at being resurrected from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11

This is Paul's life response to the Christ hymn that had been passed on to him:
"Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:

Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.

And when he appeared as a human being,
he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death --
death on a stake as a criminal!
Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;

that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow --
in heaven, on earth and under the earth --
and every tongue will acknowledge
that Yeshua the Messiah is Yahweh --
to the glory of God the Father.

-- Philippians 2:5-11

May we do the same...

I'm Back

2005-08-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

The trip to New Mexico was marvellous! I cousins Marc and Carolyn are awesome folks, and I enjoyed staying in their home in the mountains. Carolyn has created an enchanting, mountainside herb and flower garden that is a delite for the senses. Deer, antelope, puma, and thousands of birds roam wild and free through the hills, and neighbors have buffalo, llamas, horses, goats, chickens, and much more.

In the garden you find a lucious variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Marigolds come in oranges, yellows and vivacious reds. Gladiolas petals feel like smooth silk.

Their dog, Blue, catches balls and other thrown objects in the air. She hardly ever misses!

Melissa is always ready to pose for a picture. After all, what would my photos be without an interesting subject?

Well, I had to get my piece of stardom too.

Click here to see my album of pictures from the New Mexico trip at this site.

Off to New Mexico

2005-07-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

I will be traveling this weekend. My grandfather and I are going to New Mexico to visit one of his nephews. It is exciting because we will be traveling through some of the places where my great-great grandfather traveled and settled when he was headed out west across this enormous country. He lived in the place where Roswell is before it was ever a settled city. I look forward to sharing pictures with everyone when we get back next week. We don't plan to be back until late Monday night.

It is Marc's house to which we are going. Marc lives in a trailer home at about 8,000 ft. elevation in the mountains. Summer lows are in the 50's F, and highs don't usually make it above the low 80's F. It should be a nice break from the extreme summer heat here.

Please pray for our safety because my 92-year-old grandfather insists on driving most of the way. I ask the Lord to give us safety so that we may both make it back safely without hurting anyone else along the way.

Have a blessed weekend!
Brian

Minha Família

2005-07-25T01:39:00.000-05:00

Mais um dia de louvor ao nosso Bom Criador. Glória ao seu santo nome!

Eu queria escrever em português hoje, mas já é muito tarde aqui, e estou meio sonulento. Hummm...

Que tal umas fotos da minha família?

Meu pai (Joe) é evangelista numa igreja numa cidade perto de Abilene. Ele, minha mãe (Debbie), e minha irmãzinha (Sarah) moram lá há quatro anos já. Eu nunca morei em Coleman; em verdade, eles mudaram para lá enquanto eu estava no Brasil. Agora que voltei para Abilene, tem sido muito bom ficar perto deles. Também meu irmão (Joey) mora aqui na mesma cidade que eu.

Agradeço muito a Deus por ainda ter uma família unida. Eu sei que é uma bênção muito especial. Joey é mais velho que eu. Ele tem 28 anos, e é garçom num restaurante aqui (Red Lobster). E ele faz um serviço muito bom! Todo mundo gosta dele lá.

Sarah é a mais nova, e está com apenas 13 anos. Fez 13 o dia quinze de julho, e acredita... Foi a primeira vez que estive junto com ela no aniversário dela, inclusive o dia que ela nasceu. Foi muito especial finalmente estar com ela nesse dia tão celebrado.

Espero que algum dia vocês tenham a oportunidade de conhecer a minha familia. Ela é muito querida. Quero agradecer meus pais por me criar ensinando a palavra de Deus. Isso faz uma base fundamental no meu caráter hoje em dia.

Glória a Deus, pois Ele é bom, e suas misericórdias duram para sempre!

Ah sim... Meu pai também eh fotógrafo :P

The Rest of the Story

2005-07-22T18:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I know you guys were waiting anxiously to hear the outcome of the story. When I arrived in Rio Branco for the 2nd time in June of 2004, Diana and I went to First Baptist to talk with the pastor and ask about Jocivan. He had not seen him for a while, and he wasn't able to give me any leads, so we felt like our likelihood of find him was growing slimmer.

Sunday morning we returned there for the worship service, and lo and behold, there was Jocivan seated near the back of the sactuary! I was shocked, and so thankful! The one Sunday that he choose to visit there again was the day that I showed up again after two years! I believe that God brought us back together.

Jocivan was a huge help to use during our two-week stay. He helped us meet important people, and he took us to important places. We interviewed several hundred people while we were there, and I have response sheets from almost every one. We inquired them about local culture, faith, and the city in general. I also want to thank my friend and trip companion, Diana. She helped me think of creative ways of researching that were invaluable.

Our Friend Jocivan

2005-07-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

When I was in Rio Branco for my first two-week stay, I went to the First Baptist Church downtown to meet other followers of Christ and to see how other disciples do things in this region. There I met Jocivan, a young man about my age. He invited me to pick up some lunch and go out to the Seminary for Sunday after noon. I saw where he lived, and we sat and sang praises together while he played the guitar. It is amazing how in another world they know some of the same songs (old and new). I favorite was "I Just Want to Be Where You Are." He taught it to me in Portuguese "Eu Só Quero Estar Onde Tu Estás." Foi O Máximo.

Jocivan helped me a lot during the rest of that trip. We even saw a Futebol game together. Can you believe that that is one of the few soccer games that I have been to in Brazil? Well, I lost contact with Jocivan after I left. I was really bumbed, because I didn't know if I would ever find him again. He is actually a university student living in Rio Branco, but originated in another small city in Acre.

After two long years of only imagining and dreaming of being in Acre, I finally was given the opportunity to go back to Rio Branco. The first chance I got, I went to First Baptist and asked about Jocivan, but no one could locate him for me. He had been out of touch. Would Diana and I find him? (Diana Sanchez came along to help me on this trip.) Come back to find out . . .

This is a shot taken from devotional before classes at the Baptist Seminary.

What Is It Like Up There?

2005-07-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

Before I left the highly developed Southeast of Brazil to go to the distant North, I had a few Brazilians give me their opinions about what the state of Acre would be like. It's funny how their perceptions are much like ours. "You can't go up there, Brian. You're gonna die! They have jaguars and monkeys in the street." Others told me it was like the Old West, quite lawless and underdeveloped.

There was some truth in what they told me. The state of Acre is still rather underdeveloped in comparison with the coastal metropolises. I did see some Amazon wildlife: parrots, monkeys, and the have sloths, but I never saw them crossing the road. You can pick star fruit right off the trees, and that is delicious!

The capital Rio Branco doesn't have Mc Donalds, but it does have many modern conveniences that you might not expect. I even found a place to access the internet there in 2002. Here is a common place to stop and have a snack on your way home from work.

Tacacá is a leaf that is boiled in water with spices and shrimp. It makes your tongue quiver!!! Strange stuff.

This is a major road heading out of the small interior town of Acrelândia.

Rio Branco, The City

2005-07-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

Rio Branco is the capital of the state of Acre (pronounced ah-cree) in the northwestern section of Brazil. The census in 2000 registered just under 253,000. The city is situated in the Amazon rainforest and the climate is tropical all the way. The most intense rains are from November to April, but it is rainy all year. During the rainy season, bus travel to the rest of the country is impossible. The city was founded in 1904, altought that region had already been active in rubber extraction for many years. The city is cut in two by the Acre River, and the river is a primary means of transportation.

This is a view of some typical riverside dwellings near downtown.

The Governor's Palace:
Inside the palace you'll find beautiful art and history of the development of the territory of Acre.

Praça Eurico Gaspar Dutra: a newly renovated plaza in front of the Governor's Palace. This plaza was reopened in the summer of 2002 while I was in Rio Branco. It is a beautiful site to see in the downtown area.

Legislative Palace:
You can guess what they do here.

The First Trip

2005-07-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

In 2002, I made my first trip to Rio Branco to get to know the people and the city. Two robbers held me up with a knife the night before, and unfortunately, my subsequent trip to Rio Branco was made alone. I was ready to back out and not fly up to the Amazon. I asked the Lord to cancel the trip, but he didn't. He had plans . . .

The Lord was with me, and during the two weeks I spent in Rio Branco, the Lord was with me in incredible ways! On my last of a series of flights from São Paulo, I met a young lady who was returning home to Acre from her studies in Rio de Janeiro. When we got to the airport at 2:00 am, her grandmother delivered me safely to a safe hotel.

I spent a couple of days in seclusion with the Lord, leaving only to eat and get the essentials. I was afraid of being assaulted again. God reassured me as I prayed and read his word, and he opened up the city to me.

This bed became my prayer bench.