Brazil Mission Trip 2007

Just last night I received a check in the mail from the ChristianChurch of Jacksonville, Arkansas, designated for the Brazil MissionTrip. This is the church that ordained me, and it is verygratifying to have this local fellowship joining with us ininternational mission.

We've deducted the amount they donated from the total need indicated on the ChipIn widget.

THANK YOU Jacksonville!

Today a check came in the mail from the First Christian Church ofMurfreesboro, Arkansas, making this the first congregation tocontribute to our fund for a 2007 mission trip to Brazil. I'vereduced the needed amount shown on the widget accordingly.

Thank you Murfreesboro!

All contributions received through ChipIn will go into a secure, separate savings account set aside specifically for this mission trip. Funds will not go into the general mission account so as to avoid any possible confusion, and to make accounting easier.

It is very unlikely that congregations will be donating via this method, but rather will be sending checks. Since that is most likely the case, but what we need is a total of $5000. So, if a church sends a check for $500, we'll deduct that from the total needed shown on ChipIn. Thus the goal will change from $5000 to $4500, and we will tell you here in these messages about the contribution.

Otherwise, we really hope that interested people will help us reach this goal. We want this to be our first big step back to the mission field. We need to be in Brazil.

A while back Marcelo collected some photos of baptisms that took place in 2006 in or near Uberlandia, Brazil. The church is really growing, which is remarkable for a congregation that has only been around for a few years and which for most of that time has been served by only one bi-vocational minister and his wife.

Click here to see the photos. More links to pictures from Uberlandia will be made available soon!

There is a mission blog that I update from time to time. It's called Northeast Evangelist. Click the title and check it out.

Christiane and I hope and plan to take the kids and visit Uberlandia, Brazil this coming summer. Uberlandia is the city where Cris was born and raised, and where we did mission work for nearly three years. My brother-in-law Marcelo and his wife work with the Church in Pacaembu there, and we would like to help them conduct a Vacation Bible School and evangelistic outreach in the neighborhood. Also, Cris and I need to get a feel for what job and ministry skills we should be developing here to prepare for our return to mission service.

Your help would make a big difference!