Did someone say food? A buffet? Wow!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
AVA Reunion & Family visitors
Did someone say food? A buffet? Wow!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Mother's Day
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Creative works
Moving?
Jer. 29:11 God has a good plan for us!
Isa. 43:18-19 I WILL DO SOMETHING NEW!
Her advice; Cherish, don’t cling Cherish means to hold in mind, to treasure, to hold dear, to value highly. Cherish distant family and friends, past memories, your heritage, the job you left behind, the house you loved, your roots, the city/town you left, etc.. To cling to means to clutch, to cleave to, to hold onto, to grab hold of. Her advice is to cling to God, the Bible, your faith, prayer, God’s promises, the positive, values, and each other. Real security comes from trusting God. Spiritual maturity comes in learning to depend on God to meet my needs. I will never grow if I always stay in my comfort zone. Things should not be held too tightly. They can keep me from embracing what God has planned for me.
Transition challenges our sense of personal purpose and meaning. We search for significance, desire to make a difference, and long to leave a legacy. Quote from Os Guinness in The Call
"All the Way My Saviour Leads Me"
All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
This is the first hymn in a devotional book that I rediscovered thus week. It was just what I needed. All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy Who through life has been my Guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, There by faith in Him to dwell! For I know whate’er befalls me, Jesus doeth all things well. . All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
Cheers each winding path I tread. Gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the living bread. Though my weary steps may falter, and my soul athirst may be, Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see. All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
Oh, the fullness of His love! Perfect rest to me is promised in my Fathers house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way. Then I read Psalm 31:1-3: 1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
The devotional comment reads: “Those of us who know Jesus Christ as Saviour should never allow fear to have any part in our lives. God, the Creator, has taken on the responsibility of guiding us in every step that we take. And more than that, the One who said that He would always lead us has also promised to cheer us when we are sad, give us grace for every trial that we face, feed us spiritually through His living bread, supply water from His own everlasting fountain. What else can we need? We must remember, however, that whether the steps seem good or bad to us – He is leading. He leads when there is an increase in pay or when there is no job at all. He is there when a tiny new member arrives in the family or when death takes a dear one. He is there to lead when a wayward child breaks the heart or when we feel desperately alone and forgotten. Our Saviour has promised to lead when we go to the uttermost parts of the world, when we work in that small, struggling church, when business fails, when there is accident or sickness. Yes, all the way our Saviour leads. Devotional Thoughts with the hymnbook No. 2 by Ruth I. Johnson c. 1971 Back to the Bible Broadcast
He leads and is with us ALL the way - even when we are being investigated by the Brazilian government regarding our 2003 declaration, when Robert is sick with an uncomfortable infection, and when we do not clearly understand our way! On Sunday Ingrid read Isa. 40: 25 - 31, and that was a special blessing to me. Then she chose a hymn that I taught to the congregation some years ago - always a good reminder, too - "O segredo do viver, o segredo do vencer, eh em Cristo confiar, nunca, nunca duvidar." (The secret of living and of being vistorious is to trust in Christ and never, never doubt.)Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Trustin' Heart
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:9-10 (New International Version)
Last week I was encouraged as I read again these verses. We face an uncertain future; if we make the proposed major change in ministry. location, etc. we know that we are going to incur a lot of expense. The appliances used here are all 110 V and there they need to be 220 V. Our old car is wearing out and needs repair. Should we change the engine and plan to keep it? Or should we look for a different vehicle? It is good to be reminded that God is faithful; if He is leading us, He is responsible to provide. He has been faithful to do that for almost 35 years now, so why question Him in the final years of our ministry? Please pray for confirmation from God of His will in this decision.On Saturday I attended a ladies' time out , a brunch at Word of Life.
We sang, among other songs,
Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know - This saith the Lord!
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er.
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus,
O for grace to trust Him more!"
Thursday, April 3, 2008
My Sister's Visit
Feb. 2008 will remain a special memory for us. It has been many, many years since we had a relative visit on the field!


I saw in the local paper that it was named as one of the Seven Wonders of Brazil!
She was especially anxious to see the river!
We even found this sign in English, on a tour company's boat!A visit to the pottery factories in Icoaraci,


a visit to the night Bible school at the mission's headquarters,
where France, our congregation's lay leader is studying,

the site of our former home and mission office, on Av. Magalhaes Barata,
to see the huge apartment building going up where Gladys used to teach language school!
The remains of our office building, on the left, are supposed to be kept and rebuilt
as the social activities center of the residents.

a day trip to Abaetetuba, where we lived for two years at the mission campground,
and a fish dinner with our missionary colleague at her favorite restaurant over the river,

visiting the new work with people who live near the Benevides dump,
who live by manually recycling garbage. Some ladies are learning to sew,
to have another means to earn a living.










