Brazilian Jewells

2012-02-02T07:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday our church met at the Hendersons' at 10:00 a.m. We had a few new people in the mix--Maria's mother is visiting from Brazil, our new sister Joanne was there, and a couple who left the church years ago joined us. We read some of the Bible and discussed what was going on in our lives. Afterwards, we had lunch together and talked while the kids played. We didn't go back for an evening service because we never left.

Late in the afternoon we enjoyed a cup of coffee and shared our stories with each other. Joanne looked around the table at her new family and said, "Who wouldn't want this?" Apparently the visiting couple agreed, because they invited us to meet in their home to start a Portuguese study with their friends.

The Parable of Companion Planting

2012-01-30T08:37:00.000-05:00

Jesus often uses agricultural terms to aid in his teaching about spiritual matters. As long as there is life on earth we will be dependent on farming, and the parables involving planting, growing and harvest will offer insight into the nature of the kingdom of God. The analogies may be easily lost on those not paying attention--those, for example, who think the grocery store is where food originates. As my seven year old asked last year, "Just how do the cows make cheeseburgers?" But to those who understand that everything we have can be traced back to the raw materials God gave us to use in the first place, there is much to be learned from this type of teaching.

The Bible doesn't exhaust the use of agricultural language to explain the spirit world. In fact, it seems likely that God expects Jesus' parables to whet our appetites for more. I started square foot gardening last year and have discovered that, even in a small, urban back yard a person can learn a lot about God. I've been educating myself about companion planting. If you've never heard of it, it's the idea that certain crops planted in proximity either assist or discourage each other in productivity. For example, beets and pole beans planted side by side will stunt each other's growth, and cabbage and lettuce, as alike as they seem, are not good for each other as the flavor of lettuce will be greatly compromised. On the other hand, many plants are great company for each other. A native American technique known as The Three Sisters combines corn, squash and beans. As they grow, the bean plant climbs the corn stalk, using it as a sort of stake, and the squash leaves spread out at the base, serving as mulch. The three essentially work together to produce a more bountiful harvest.

With as many plants as there are, this can all become quite confusing, so I have drawn up a grid of every square foot in my garden. On it I have assigned a place to each plant. With most of them, it's as simple as determining which ones get along well and which ones don't. Then there are plants like the marigold which has the potential to serve many purposes. It's beautiful, edible, and a formidable opponent for many garden pests. For that reason, I have marigolds planted everywhere.

Now, whether you're intrigued by all of this or you're not really into gardening, you must admit there's much to be learned from God's chosen method for feeding mankind. Companion planting has helped me understand that God has a big picture for his garden and a purpose for each one of us. It also helps make sense of why some of us work well together and some of us don't. Have you ever worked alongside a person who brought out the worst in you? It's not necessarily an indictment on any individual but a clue to the mystery that is the body of Christ and the fact that we each possess unique abilities and gifts. God knows best how to combine those.

Some plants he seems to stick in the ground to remain and produce fruit until the day they die. You know, the folks who have lived in the same house their entire lives? Others, like the marigold, he continues to transplant to serve different purposes at different times. I have often felt like a marigold, wanting a single defined purpose in a single defined square foot of the garden, but I find myself instead being used sometimes as pest control and sometimes as food. If you've ever been chewed up and spit out by ministry, you know what I mean. God in his infinite wisdom has chosen to pull my family up by the roots time and time again to transplant us about, knowing that in the end, we will have served our purpose as laid out in his perfect plan.

Our New Sister Joanne

2012-01-23T08:44:00.000-05:00

Though our small church is exploding with personal and spiritual growth, we haven't seen much in the way of numeric growth for a while. We've invited neighbors and acquaintances to our house for meals and Bible studies, but that's as far as the relationship goes. We recently ramped up our prayers on behalf of the many people who have been invited to or participated in a Bible study. Friday we got a little pushy with God almost demanding that He follow through on the promise that He'll give us anything we ask in His name. What qualifies more than having someone to teach about His Son? "Where are they?" we asked. "Send us even one person who is ready to meet Jesus."

If you are a praying person, you know how much work it can be and how utterly disappointing to feel like your prayers aren't being answered. We've been exhausted and discouraged lately and needed a time of refreshing, so Terry and Maria kept the boys Saturday night so John and I could go out on a date. On the way home, I got a phone call from Joanne, a lady who works at the YMCA child care center. She was one of the first people I met when we moved here, and she has been to our house on a few occasions. She even started coming to a Mark study but quit after just two meetings. She asked if she could join us Sunday morning. I told her we have breakfast at 10:00 am, and she was the first one here.

Joanne told us she's been very confused and has been searching for something for a long time but wasn't sure what. Like the Plumb song says, there's a God-shaped hole in all of us. Joanne was becoming aware of hers and looking for a way to fill it. In fact, she went to a spiritual advisor just two days ago. She said the place was adorned with images of many gods, including Jesus, and the woman assured her they were all the same in the end. This was just weeks after she went forward for an altar call at the biggest and best-known community church in the city. They assured her she was saved, although she didn't understand how or why. Thankfully, the counsel she received didn't sit well with her, and she continued searching. She said she was drawn back to us and ready to hear what we had to say.

We spent all afternoon yesterday untangling the web of misinformation she's been carrying around for years. Her face went from one of intent listening to almost blushing joy as the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ unfolded. Somewhere around 6:00 pm, she said, "This makes sense and I believe it. What should I do?" Terry and Maria opened up their home and pool, and Hayley met us there to witness Joanne's baptism.

Now I present our most recent church family photo. (Joanne's standing next to me.)

The Greatest Show on Earth

2012-01-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

A friend gave us tickets to the circus last week, so we spent the evening being entertained by what's been called the Greatest Show on Earth. As we enjoyed the generosity of our friend, I noticed something. The performers were a bit sloppy. We've been to the circus before, and I didn't remember it being so relaxed. The dancers fell out of line and the jugglers dropped the occasional bowling pin. Trying to deny my naturally critical nature, I watched on. It was fun, and the kids were enthralled, so I soon became lost in the flashy production and stopped noticing flaws. Then I realized there were no mistakes because I was watching the tight rope walkers. They couldn't make a mistake. Even with a safety net, falling from sitting atop a bike rider on a high wire is still dangerous at best. Also, the tiger tamer was on his game. Again, one mistake and he could be catnip.

The acts involving life or death situations were much more precise than the others. It made me think of the church. We're told in Scripture that we're in a spiritual war, yet we tend to live with a peacetime mentality. If we recognized the dangers that surround us on a daily basis, would we act differently? Would we be more motivated to read and understand our Bibles and spend more time in prayer? Would we be willing to sacrifice a bit more of our creature comforts to aid those trapped in the enemy's camp? Would we be more precise and less relaxed with our faith?

I also observed the clowns attracting attention as the sets changed in the shadows. That brought another analogy to mind. It seems we sometimes take our attention off the real changes (like the transformation in Maria I talked about in my last post) to focus on winning the approval of others in order to get them into our assemblies. Thinking about that made me glad I have invested in my Christian sister over and above the skeptical and the disinterested who have darkened our door. Those people would still be sitting with us each Sunday, consuming time and resources if we had put our energy into entertaining them instead of investing in the real changes taking place among the faithful. Granted, we still pray for them, but we don't humor their lack of faith on a weekly basis. Jesus purposely ran off the crowds who sought entertainment and fringe benefits.

I share this, not to call into question anyone's sincerity, but to encourage all of us to take a look at ourselves and the community we call church. Are we aware of the life and death nature of our calling? Are we focusing on entertaining the masses through programs and exciting worship more than investing in the real changes taking place in the shadows like the healing of a marriage or the spiritual growth of an individual? Are we the church that Jesus established, or are we ourselves The Greatest Show on Earth?

Reinforcing the Foundation

2012-01-18T14:22:00.001-05:00

You may remember Maria, but you probably don't remember her like this.

She's due to have her second child--another boy--in March. I helped her host a baby shower to celebrate.

You may be able to tell from the pictures that many of the ladies who attended are Brazilian. There are lots of Brazilians who live in south Florida--several hundreds of thousands, in fact. We came here on the premise of starting a Portuguese-speaking church among them. Maria was especially hopeful for it to be a success, because that's been her dream for years.

If you've been keeping up with us at all, you know that dream has not come true. Of everyone who meets with us on a regular basis, Maria is the only Brazilian, and of the four people who John has baptized here, none is Brazilian. It seems God has something else in mind, and it would be dishonest of me to say we haven't been impatient for Him to reveal what that something else might be.

We sometimes get caught up in the idea that missional success means a large group of people that meet on Sunday. I mean, it does look good on a report, but it's not the ultimate goal. To be clear, the goal is to introduce people to Jesus. We've considered giving in to the idea of creating a large gathering by renting a building in an effort to look more like the traditional model of church that most people expect from an evangelistic mission. We even revisited the Brazilian church plant idea with Maria and her husband Terry. Knowing Maria's desire to be surrounded by like-minded Brazilians during worship, I expected her to jump at the idea. Instead, I was encouraged to realize that her focus has shifted over the past two years. She's now much more concerned with putting God's will above her own. Do you know what He can do with a woman like that? Ruth and Esther come to mind.

I realized during our conversation that all the hours I might have spent organizing, planning, and executing programs necessary to keep a traditional church running smoothly have been freed up for me to spend simply reading the Bible with the ladies of our little house church. God has used that time and investment to transform Maria in a way that is undeniably His work, and we are blessed to have been an integral part of it.

So, what does God have in mind for our ministry in south Florida? I can never be sure what His plans for the future are, but it seems Maria's transformation has been a big part of the plan these past two years--maybe a reinforcement of a foundation for things to come. Her husband and sons are blessed to have her and will themselves be strengthened through her dedication to God.

South Florida Ministry in Pictures

2012-01-10T19:42:00.000-05:00

As we launch into a new year, we thought you might enjoy a snapshot of what's happened around here so far:

Our New Fishing Pole

2011-12-26T12:49:00.000-05:00

In my last post I told you I would share the details of our updated fishing rod--a shiny new tool for evangelism. John and I had the opportunity this year to make several visits to a parenting program in Jacksonville in north Florida. At one point we even thought God might be calling us to move there and work with them in some capacity. Much to our relief, it has recently become apparent that's not the case. Instead we plan to start the same type of program here in southern Florida where it's also very much needed.

John spent a week in California this fall learning to teach the very curriculum that spawned the Jacksonville program over ten years ago. Without modifying any of the pillars that make it the time-tested and effective course that it is, we have molded it to fit our personalities by drawing from experiences with our own children and the work we've done with other parents. We are almost ready to unveil the finished product--our detailed plans to serve the community by strengthening parenting skills. In the meantime, we're praying for success. To our knowledge, there is nothing like it in our area. For that matter in most states, help for parents of wayward kids is generally limited to those whose children have already committed crimes. We want to intervene before that happens.

So how is this a tool for evangelism? It usually takes months or even years for people to warm up to us enough to really trust that we're not selling anything. Then we can invite them into a Bible study, but that's a lot of time invested only to find out that most of them aren't at all interested in spiritual matters. John discovered that the parents at the meetings in Jacksonville were much more open to the discussion of God's existence and involvement in this world. They know they're in need and are open to help on any level. That's why medical missions are so successful. Those missionary/doctors meet a perceived need before they introduce Jesus who is what's really needed. We're not doctors, but we can offer healing to broken families.

John has been talking to the schools and law enforcement agencies while I have been putting together a Web site for information and registration purposes. I'll share that address with you after a few final touches, then I would love your feedback.

We're going to need your prayers and support, because, while we see our new approach like the fishing rod at the top of this post, we understand that in reality it's probably more like this:

When we give God our best effort, isn't it a bit like a six year old making a drawing for his dad? It's not valuable in and of itself but to that dad, it's priceless. Should he decide to, he could frame it with pure gold.

Gone Fishing

2011-12-06T14:46:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted, and some of you have been asking what's going on. We've been out fishing. It's not that I haven't had the time to report on the details. Oh sure, I'm busy like the rest of you, but I do limit my schedule to a manageable pace and can't really use that as an excuse. It's also not that we haven't had anything to report. The things we are experiencing here have me bursting at the seams to share over a cup of coffee with anyone who will listen. The problem is, the Internet is not a cup of coffee, and sharing the intimate details of a person's life on a blog doesn't seem like a good idea, especially if those people are your friends.

You see, if we were ministers at a mainstream church, like we have been in the past, we might report something like attendance numbers and event schedules. Instead, when we're reporting on a small house church, the details are too personal to share. You may not know who we're talking about but our members do and they also read this blog--an issue we didn't face to the same degree doing mission work in Brazil. Suffice it to say that we meet with these people, not only on a weekly basis, but often on a daily basis. Our goal is to teach and disciple them into a deeper relationship with each other and ultimately with Jesus. We are seeing stronger marriages, better relationships with kids, and even healthier lifestyles. We celebrate together, grieve with each other, and often just hang out with one another. This is the family that God intended his church to be.

Now that you're beginning to see my dilemma, I will assure you that the reporting doesn't end here. In fact, you may be in for some more regular communication if we can come up with a new approach. I say "we" because I need your help. Feedback from you is going to help me not only deliver information that you find interesting, but it will also keep us encouraged--a commodity that is scarce to people who do what we do for a living, endeavor to introduce Jesus to a largely narcissistic society. We do thank those of you who comment in person or through e-mail. We would appreciate all of you getting involved in the discussion on some level.

We're not much on reporting numbers, as relationships are hard to quantify, but there is one number I would like to report. It's fifty, and it's where I lost count when I tried to remember the individuals we have invested in over the past two years. We don't knock on doors and we don't pass out flyers, so it takes some time to actually get to know a person well enough to share the gospel with or at least to invite into a discussion/study of the gospel. This stint of our missionary journeys has me wondering if there's been a study done on this sort of thing. I mean, our experience has shown that four out of fifty people in south Florida who are invited to hear the gospel actually listen and respond by following Jesus.

Don't worry, as discouraging as these statistics are, we don't plan to give up. We're looking for the next fifty and we're not going to forget the forty-seven who have said no. Sure, there's something to shaking the dust off your feet and moving on as Jesus told his disciples to do, but we're not burning any bridges. We care about these people and hope they one day take an interest in a relationship with God and in living the life they were created to live. It wasn't that long ago--about sixteen years--that we were in the dark about the meaning of life, muddling through, trying to make our own way. We thought Christians were stupid, crazy people recruiting for a cult. Knowing what we know now, we're willing to look like stupid, crazy cult members in order to offer the treasure we know as Jesus to anyone who has ears to hear and a heart to accept.

Lately, we've been evaluating our effectiveness. Could we catch more fish if we moved to another pond or used a different fishing rod? We're not too keen on moving... again. And we don't necessarily feel like we need to... yet. So we're switching to a different rod. I'll tell you more about that in my next post.

Camp Consequence

2011-08-21T15:48:00.000-04:00

As missionaries, we know we must often meet a person's immediate earthly need before he will have any openness to the gospel. For example, a hungry person will only think about food until you give him some. Only then will he be able to focus on something other than his growling stomach and be in a position to digest the concept of God's love along with his sandwich. Likewise, a person whose house is in foreclosure--something we come across quite often now--will be much more likely to hear us if we offer him money to catch up on his bills. When he is able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we can more effectively share the light of Christ and give him real hope.

We've had a surprising revelation since returning to the United States just over a year and a half ago. In attempting to do here just what we've been doing as missionaries overseas, we've become aware that the immediate earthly need of almost every family we meet is simply learning how to be a family. Marriages are falling apart everywhere we turn, and children are largely disobedient with no respect for authority. We recently read an article in the paper depicting marriage as an archaic institution which is quickly going out of style--and the columnist was happy about that!

We have been praying for help in addressing this dire situation, asking God to show us how we can be most effective in meeting the needs of these broken families. Recently a fellow homeschool dad told John about a program a bit to our north in which a former marine and professional football player whips not only kids but also their parents into shape. This dad believes in the program so much that he left his ministry position to pursue a job with the program. Since then John went twice on his own--once to witness the information conference which is a prerequisite to all the other programs and once to participate in Camp Consequence, a weekend spent on prison property where both the kids and their parents rough it in a boot camp environment. Most families are sufficiently healed after that and need only to continue weekly support with the rest of the group. Those who aren't may go on to send their boys to the program's boarding school. (There are plans for a girl's school in the near future.)

We all went as a family to the support groups last week and witnessed a roomful of people who had been brought to their knees and are healing from devastating family struggles. We stayed on the property where the boy's school is located. Here's the school:

And this is part of the 25-acre farm that houses the school:
Here's the truck they use to advertise the program (along with my boys reenacting the scene so common in households across the country):
Here are the teens doing work detail after breakfast:
And here's where they use the bathroom when they misbehave and get stuck out in the woods in a tent:
We stayed in this pop-up trailer as we observed the program over the weekend:
And this is what we drove around the farm:
I was proud to allow my well-behaved boys to enjoy the benefits of farm life for a couple days:

And did they ever enjoy it!:
But something tells us it wasn't enough just to visit and give our fruitless approval. We are intrigued by what's going on in this remote part of Florida to help families. We believe that God is answering our prayers by putting us in touch with this program and the godly people who run it. Now we will continue to pray with a new emphasis on how we might be connected.

4th of July Block Party

2011-07-06T07:33:00.000-04:00

We decided to have a 4th of July party so we passed out flyers to all the houses on our block, rented an inflatable water slide, and bought 200 hamburgers and hot dogs. Then we left the rest up to our neighborhood and ultimately God. Seventy-two people showed up. Yay, neighbors! And it was the first day in over a week that it didn't rain. Yay, God!

As we were assembling to start the parade a neighbor we hadn't met pulled up in a beautiful, classic red mustang to lead us around the block. He popped a patriotic CD into his radio and off we went.Some folks decided to document the event rather than take part in it. We'll have to meet this patriotic fellow and get a copy of his video.

As soon as we reached our house again, the kiddos shed their parade wear and jumped on the main attraction.

We hired two homeschool kids to be slide monitors for the day. Ben was especially happy with this one.

Later we passed out prizes to the best paraders, as determined by some impartial judges. These three from the same family won second, third, and most spirited.

Jonah won first place - movie tickets - for the great job he did on his bike decoration.

It was nice to be able to reward our guests for the effort they put into making this party a success. Next year, though, we really should have a prize for the cutest.One little girl took it upon herself to set up a face-painting station on our patio. She drew quite a crowd.

And don't forget the food. Most people brought something to contribute to the cookout so there was plenty of that. The goody table was never empty, even with Ben's perpetual desire for just one more cupcake.

Most of the day was spent simply hanging out with friends and neighbors.Some folks cooled off inside.And others in the pool.

The party wrapped up around sundown but some of our neighbors came back later to shoot off fireworks.

At the end of the day, we had met twenty new people and John invited some of the men into a leadership class to begin soon.

Here's a quick video of the day's events:

Our House the Concert Hall

2011-06-22T07:20:00.000-04:00

How do you fit forty people into a living room that seats seven? Like this:

Patrick and Erin, our friends from Nashville came to town and performed at our house Monday night. It was an honor to have talent like theirs under our roof. In 1996 Patrick's band won a Youtube Underground contest for best song. Since then his music has only gotten better. It would be worth your while to check out Patrick's Facebook page and listen to a few of his original songs. After that knocks your socks off, you can see some of the most beautiful artwork ever on Erin's Web site. You can support them by purchasing a CD or, if you can afford it, one of Erin's paintings. I'm convinced that one day it will be like having a Van Gogh hanging over your fireplace.

We gave our grill a workout and enjoyed some of this Florida summer in the back yard.

Then our kids finished up the evening with some boy-girl arm wrestling.

Sometimes we forget that we've only been here a little over a year. The community that regularly meets in our living room feels like it's existed forever.

Waiting for My Friend

2011-06-18T06:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder what God is waiting for. How much worse is it going to get before Jesus returns and makes it all right? Very often when people learn what we do for a living they mock us or ostracize us. Those who don't are usually not shy about warning us not to "preach" to them. When we do have occasion to sit down with people to share what the Bible says, they are almost always impressed but don't necessarily respond well. So I wonder why - if nobody cares anyway - hasn't He returned.

I recently read through five chapters of Mark with seven women - six after one dropped out. The mother of one lady came from England for a visit and sat in during the last two sessions, making it seven again. We got to the part where Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" so I asked the girls the same question. My friend Hayley wasn't the most outspoken in the group but she made it clear that she believed in Jesus' claim to be the Messiah. Later that week she came to me and told me that, not only did she want to be baptized, but her mother did also. Her mother Wendy has been a Christian for over thirty years but never knew the importance of baptism.

Here's Hayley being baptized:

And her mother Wendy:

And here I am with my two new sisters:

This morning I can confidently say that God was waiting for my friend and her mother. I have a new-found patience and a stronger trust in His perfect plan. I am also asking Him to continue to send to us those who are ready to hear what wonderful things He has done for us and care enough to respond in love, just like my friend Hayley and her mother Wendy did last night.

Fifteen Years

2011-06-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

Fifteen years ago a couple of foolish lovers decided to try life God's way. They were married and baptized the same day, committing themselves to each other and to their creator. Here they were then:

And here we are now:

I barely recognize that young couple in the wedding photo. Though our marriage hasn't been without challenges, I can honestly say that we have been blessed beyond what we ever hoped or imagined when we decided to step out in faith. When we say, "in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer," aren't we banking on the fact that the negative side of the equation isn't ever going to darken our door? Well, I am thankful for those things because I believe they have strengthened us and made us the people we are today. While I hope for the good times, health and prosperity, I am learning to embrace whatever situation God sends our way because in all things the presence of God is where we find true joy.

Now we spend our days teaching our kids what we wish we had known when we were their ages and sharing our abundance with others. I pray that you would have the faith to really trust God and allow Him to shower you with the blessings he has stored up for your life.

Why We Need Missionaries in Southern Florida

2011-06-04T17:52:00.000-04:00

A Christian homeschool mom recently asked me why we need missionaries in southern Florida. She seemed sincere so I sincerely answered her with, "Because most biblically literate people like you assume others know what you know and don't think we need missionaries in southern Florida." We went on to talk about what mission work in the United States entails. Allow me to share some of it with you.

In order to introduce Jesus to people who probably have only ever heard the name as an exclamation or in a cussing tirade, the book of Mark is a good place to start. Currently a group of women meets every Friday in our living room to read it together. I told them in the beginning that they were about to embark on a study of the basis for all Christianity - the biography of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I assured them that by chapter eight they would know everything they need to know to make an informed decision about whether they want to be Christians.

When we began the study, three out of the group of seven didn't own a Bible nor had they ever opened one, so we bought them each a copy. None of the seven had ever read more than small excerpts. One woman says she's Jewish and goes to Temple but didn't know where to find the Old Testament in the Bible. She has skipped Temple for the past month to be a part of this study that she says "is more interesting than Temple." Other comments and questions include:

"It keeps me up at night."

"I never knew Jesus was a real person. I always thought He was like Santa Claus."

"If Jesus came to earth once, do you suppose He'll come again?"

"I want to have the Holy Spirit but I don't know how to get it."

"I feel like I'm being sewn into this Book. Like I've always known it somehow but have never actually heard it."

"I'm being enlightened."

"What does it mean to follow Jesus?"

If someone were to invite me to a study of The Iliad I would certainly make comments that would seem foolish to scholars of classic literature. What we, as Christians, need to understand is that ignorance of classic literature may keep me out of the great conversation to some extent but it won't keep me out of heaven. Basic knowledge of the Bible is critical to understanding why we exist.

Our study group had a very sad but helpful object lesson on the parable of the sower when the woman who was most excited to begin the study told me just three weeks into it, "I won't be there. My heart's not in it any more." The night we initially read the parable in chapter four, I was met with seven blank stares. After this lady left the group, we revisited the parable and I'm sure I saw a few hovering light bulbs. It's always encouraging to see God's word come to life, even when it means disappointment on an earthly level.

Our family must have the best job in the world - not to convince people to become Christians but to share God's love and truth with them and let them decide what to do with it. If everyone in the United States already knew what the Bible said, as that good-intentioned mom clearly assumed, I would agree that we should move on to other unreached parts of the world, but it seems that is not the case. I'll let you judge the need for local missionaries by the feedback we've gotten in this study.

Skipping Stones

2011-05-31T07:12:00.000-04:00

At our last barbecue I invited seven women to read the book of Mark with me. Sunday afternoon was the third of those studies and, I must say, I am enjoying it. Questions and comments from people who have never read the Bible are very refreshing. The first two studies were at our house but we decided to have a barbecue after this week's class with all the families, so Terry and Maria graciously hosted the event. Their place is bigger and more conducive to large gatherings.

You've seen their patio before:

And you've seen the kids playing at their house:

But here's something you haven't seen:

This is a picture of the guys repairing a sprinkler pump that was damaged when the kids threw rocks into the pond behind Terry and Maria's house. Skipping stones is normally a great activity for kids but the water had receded and the pipes were unusually exposed. As a result, these guys spent a good portion of the evening appeasing an upset neighbor.

In a house church environment with this many children (seventeen at this event), there are relatively few gatherings that don't result in some material damage. At times it's been a challenge to stay focused on what's really at stake here - not just material goods but living, breathing people. In a world that largely values money and stuff above human beings, we strive to offer a refuge where God's priorities and values are paramount. In doing so, we hope to introduce our friends to what life is really about and to share it with them the way it has always been intended to be - in relationship with each other and with God.

Homeschool Convention

2011-05-31T06:11:00.000-04:00

John's mom has been visiting this week. We call her Colorado Grandma for obvious reasons but we wish we could call her Florida Grandma. She's a wonderful person to have around. My mom has been known, until recently, as Naked Grandma for not such obvious reasons. She likes to strip the babies down and let them romp without clothes. As Jonah has gotten older he has taken issue with her title and we agree it seems less appropriate for a nine year old, so now we call her Texas Grandma. She will be visiting soon too.

We haven't had a lot of time to entertain Colorado Grandma but we did take her to the beach:

We also treated her to a stay at the Gaylord Palms resort in Orlando:

This year's home school convention was there so we had a good excuse.

It was refreshing to be around hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have chosen to put their families first and really sacrifice to invest in our most precious resource - our children. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once said, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." We recognize that teaching others about Jesus is critical but teaching our children is of utmost importance. We're very thankful to have the opportunities we have to spend time learning as a family and sharing what we have with others.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T19:50:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day started out with getting up early to make breakfast for the church, prepare for the children's class, and clean the house. That may not sound like a good day to you but there was nothing I would rather have been doing. My entire family works together to invite people into our home on a weekly and sometimes daily basis to share what God has given us.

As a special treat, Maria taught the class that day. Jonah was a bit apprehensive because I'm the only teacher he has for every subject, but he later admitted she was "a really good teacher".

After having the pleasure of sitting in on the class that John teaches for the adults, I gave each child a rose to give to his/her mom. Ben misunderstood and gave his to this guy:

I took it back.Here are all the moms with their well-deserved roses and their beautiful kids:

And here's my favorite part of Mother's Day:

2011-05-05T09:43:00.000-04:00

Suddenly we're too large of a group again to meet in our living room so we had a barbecue at Terry and Maria's house last Saturday. We invited thirty-six people and thirty-six people showed up. The kids were especially happy about that:

To introduce our guests to each other, we started off with a mixer. Not everyone was thrilled about the idea but afterwards all agreed that it was a lot of fun.

We passed out a paper with little known facts about our guests such as "I killed a wild animal in Africa" and "I just got into law school". Each person had to find out to whom the statement applied and have him sign it. The first to collect all the signatures won. There was plenty of laughing and conversation. The winner walked away with ten bucks and second and third got some candy.

Then we ate possibly the best food we've had to date: Brazilian barbecue (churrasco), black beans and rice, salad, and yummy desserts.

One woman whom I met at the YMCA a year ago thanked me for inviting her and said she can't believe what's happening in her life. She said she has been praying and that we are offering her what she has been asking for. When I told her I started praying for her when I met her, she teared up and said, "Prayer really works!"

I invited the women to study the Bible and all ten of them accepted. Now I just have to figure out how to get them all together and find childcare for those who don't have it. John also talked to two men who are interested. We are excited to sit down with our friends and share with them why we do what we do and introduce them to the One who makes it all possible. We want them to know why "prayer works". They couldn't possibly know how blessed they are going to be when they tap into the power of God's word.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-28T13:08:00.000-04:00

What did you do for Easter? Here's how our day started out:

Then we met our friends and neighbors at the park for a barbecue...

and egg hunt.

It wasn't a traditional Easter Sunday service. Nobody even dressed up, except this pretty little girl who insisted on wearing her best.

Some of the kids found eggs that were not ours, and I told them someone else must have hosted an egg hunt in the same park the day before. One mother asked why anyone would have an Easter egg hunt on the day before Easter. When I told her that many people go to church on Sunday morning she said she was glad to be with us at the park instead. Then she asked me why we didn't go to church, and I was pleased to point out to her that we are the church. John spoke to the group about what that means. "Well, I like this church and I want to go wherever you are next week too," she said.

Who wouldn't want to be part of a group like this? God is shaping lives before our very eyes.

Taking Flight

2011-03-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

This family lived on our street less than 24 hours ago. Chris and Jenna and their three wonderful kids have been a vital part of our five-family house church for much of the past year. John baptized the couple in November and then married them in December. We have watched them make changes that will bless their family for generations to come.

We have grown to love them as our own family and our kids have been the best of friends. It was very sad to see them leave as they drove away Monday for their new home a bit north of here. Chris has been working in pool construction and was away from home quite often. Now he will be doing something that allows him more time with his family - something worth all the stress of moving. We hope they will not only find success with his new job but, more importantly, that they will find a church that will encourage them to continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Our small church will strongly feel their absence. We pray rich blessings on their lives and the lives of those they touch. God knows they have touched ours.

Against All Odds

2011-03-28T07:47:00.000-04:00

Last week our church began planning a Saturday barbecue for our friends and neighbors. Then midweek one of the five families in our church informed us of their decision to move out of town in a matter of days. We knew about the move but expected to have weeks or months to help them pack and to say goodbye. We were shocked and saddened and thought about canceling the cookout. Instead, we decided to press on.

Our kitchen flooded on Thursday even though it hadn't rained for days. We still haven't identified the source but are waiting for the plumber and insurance adjuster to find it. The wood has absorbed too much water to salvage, so it appears we are facing a major renovation in the near future. We considered canceling the barbecue but decided to press on. The water drained off the kitchen floor that evening.

On Friday the boys and I took a walk around the block and invited many of our neighbors to the cookout. Chris and Jenna, the couple who are moving, were busy packing and weren't sure they could even make it. We also couldn't get in touch with one other family in our small, five-family church. Again, we thought about canceling but decided to press on.

Saturday morning Ben woke up like a bear and was inconsolable. His bad mood progressed into a fever just after lunchtime. Of course, we considered canceling but again we decided to press on. By that time we had invested too much prayer, time, and energy into planning, and seeing it through had become something of a challenge.

Our church members arrived at 4:00 pm - all except the one family we never reached and Chris who was preparing for the move. Also, the girls who live one street over wanted to be here for church and not just the barbecue. We were thrilled to have them. We had a quick meeting then the guests began arriving at 5:30 pm. Among those who showed up were a Jewish couple, a family with six kids, a British fitness instructor and her daughter, and a single mom and her son. It was quite a sampling of our culture and made for an exciting afternoon. The last guests left at 10:45 pm, and by all accounts it was the best barbecue we've hosted to date.

enjoying the beautiful weather with our friends

applying temporary tattoos in the kitchen

enjoying good food and friends

Teaching Over the Fence

2011-03-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been wondering why God hasn't seen fit to bless our plans to enclose the back patio. My next door neighbor was over for coffee several weeks ago and told me, "I hear you teaching the kids outside sometimes. The first time I heard it, I thought how great it would have been to have had a neighbor like you when I was a little girl." Wow, what a compliment! See, God, even the neighbor recognizes what a worthy cause this little Sunday school class is. We sure could use an air conditioned space before the hot Florida summer arrives.

Then this past weekend we took our kids to their friend's birthday party one street over. I was talking to a couple of women who live caddy corner behind our house and one of them said she has been searching for an affirming church. When I told her we have a house church and they are welcome to come check it out, her partner said, "Ya, I hear you teaching the kids in your back yard." Then it hit me. Of course you do because the class where I teach the kids about Jesus is outside where everybody can hear it.

The kids have been learning through vegetable gardening that rain helps the plants grow before returning to the sky to form clouds. Isaiah 55:11 says, "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (New Living Translation) Each Sunday morning I'm aware of at least two other neighbors doing yard work in their back yards who can evidently hear us too. So I'll just keep on teaching out in the open and hope that God will soon bring these people into our living room.

Small House, Big God

2011-02-09T21:05:00.001-05:00

We have a house full of people at least three days a week and usually closer to five. I reported earlier that the walls sometimes seem to be closing in and we were considering some renovations to make better use of our space. One afternoon John and I prayed that God would give us a clear answer whether to pursue such a costly and time-consuming process. That same day a friend called, asked what our most pressing need was, and gave us the money to enclose our back patio. We were very encouraged and thankful to God. It turns out, however, that we were quoted a price without the proper permit. The actual cost for the project is three times what we were originally quoted so we won't be getting that extra space after all.

Instead of giving in to our disappointment, we had a barbecue this weekend with everyone in our house church and three first-time families. One of the newcomers was a young, single mom and her seven-year-old son. They were guests of our members. The other two new families live in our neighborhood. One is a homeschooling couple with six children. They are Jewish but three of their kids are here for Sunday school just about every weekend. The other family is a couple of ladies who are raising a ten-year-old daughter. Most of us sat on the floor to eat and some stayed outside but, in the end, everyone found a corner to enjoy himself. Our time in Brazil taught us that true fellowship can take place under any conditions. We don't need the luxury of climate control, a nursery for little ones, or even lots of room for God to do great things. So, we're back to finding ourselves encouraged and thankful to God for everything He has already provided.

Study Buddies

2011-01-20T07:22:00.000-05:00

Maria, me, Callie, Jenna, Daphne

These are the girls I study the Bible with every Friday night. We are halfway through Mark and have already seen God do some wonderful things. You already know that Jenna was baptized and married. Also, Daphne has begun homeschooling her son and has three weeks off work to get started - quite a miracle for a single mom. Maria confided in us information she swore she would never share with another person. As a result she said she feels free and wants to use her experience to help others. Callie has become a close friend and, though she and her husband are Catholic and don't participate in our Sunday meetings, she is always at the Bible study. She is due to deliver a baby girl in February and we can't wait to meet her.

When I asked them what they thought about the study so far, one said she has been part of a church for years and has never understood the Bible as much as she does now. Another asked why they don't teach this stuff at other churches. Please don't hear me bragging by sharing these comments with you. On the contrary, I have nothing to do with the wealth of knowledge God is bestowing on these women. I simply facilitate their reading of the Scripture, explaining the context and answering questions. I have no curriculum or fancy study guide. God is faithful in revealing himself and his truths to those who seek.

Our Little Church Christmas Party

2010-12-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

A week before Christmas our church had a party. Since our house is the church building it made sense to have it here. We had lots of great food. Each family brought a traditional holiday dish.

We had a devotional for the families.

Then we played white elephant gift exchange.

Finally, the kids decorated cookies while the adults discussed some things they had learned this year.

It was a great party, not unlike some others I've been to in the past. There was, however, something different about it. As I was cleaning up after the last guest left, I was thinking about how much the whole evening felt just like every other Sunday in our home. I thought about how we eat together every week, discuss something from the Bible, pray together, teach the children...

Then it dawned on me that this party with people I just met less than a year ago was like a family get together. We have all grown together over the past year and whether we are having church or a meal or a party, there is a sense of family when we are all together. We are so blessed to be part of a church like this and are excited to see what God will do through us in 2011.

A House Church Wedding

2010-12-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

My last post was about Chris and Jenna, who were baptized last month. They have been meeting with our house church since September and have become more than friends. Their children (who are just about the same ages as ours) call us Aunt and Uncle and are fast becoming three of our kids' best friends. Our families live on the same street and we feel sure God had our meeting planned all along. They were eager to hear what God expected of them, and they have responded to His call. We find great encouragement in that.

John had the pleasure of marrying them last Sunday at Chris's sister's house in a town a couple hours north of here. We made a day of it. We enjoyed spending time with their relatives while we witnessed this family become united under God. We are very thankful for their good choices and are sure He has many blessings in store for their future.

Our New Siblings in Christ

2010-11-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I quoted Acts 2:42-46 because it was relevant to my blog post. Today, I have the pleasure of quoting the very next verse of the Bible, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." because, again, it's what we are living.

Chris and Jenna were baptized today. We met at Terry and Maria's house so we could use their pool. It was cold but they didn't mind. Now they are new creations and children of God. We rejoiced as their new family. Wedding plans are underway for December.

Everything in Common

2010-11-13T21:37:00.000-05:00

Acts 2:44-46 says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts."

Today we hosted a yard sale to benefit the single mom in our house church who struggles financially. Many people donated items that were sold to put money in her pocket. This afternoon the family down the street who is also a part of our house church came down to spend the second half of the day with us, and the single mom made a wonderful dinner for all of us while our kids played together. It was a good day.

Renovations

2010-11-11T07:55:00.000-05:00

We've been discussing the possibility of renovating our house. There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, we really like it just the way it is, but we're not going to be able to fit many more people in here before we outgrow the place. As it is, the whole church meets here on Sunday morning and every other Wednesday night. Friday night is Bible study night for the women. We started out saying it was just for grown ups but the kids like to play together so much that the whole clan is here every Friday night too. On any given weekday we usually have at least one of those families here just to talk or visit. So, we're feeling the wonderful yet stressful dilemma of not enough space.We rented a building for a while in the beginning but that proved to be expensive and very undesirable to most people. So we're trying to keep it at home in hopes that it will not always be in our home, but that someone will step up and offer to take a group into their own living room. We recognize that may take some time so we are looking for an answer to how to fit them into our space until that happens.

Because we ran out of room indoors, the kids' class meets on the back patio. We talked about enclosing that because it will eventually get too hot to meet there. For that matter, it may get too cold if last winter is any indication. We also entertained the idea of taking out the wall between the living room and Andy's room to make a larger area for the adults to congregate. If we did that we would also convert the garage so Andy would get his room back. We don't have the money to do all this but we know God does so we have been praying about it.

Last week Ben's carpet was wet. We thought the boys had spilled something, but day after day it wouldn't dry and turned out to be a leak from the bathroom. It must have been there for a while because the plumber found black mold. The operation to remove that is much more extensive than we had realized - like a crime scene cleanup. There went the money we didn't have for renovations. Maybe that's God's way of telling us not to worry about taking down walls or enclosing porches but it doesn't yet address the problem of limited space.

Celebrating Nine Years

2010-10-19T06:09:00.000-04:00

Saturday was Jonah's ninth birthday. When I asked him a couple weeks ago about which kids to invite to his party, he listed the nine others that make up our church. He knows kids at the YMCA and he goes twice a week to an athletics program where kids abound. We also have some neighborhood kids he plays with, but he chose the kids at church. So, our six-family church met at the park on Sunday.

John spoke to the group about the importance of raising our children in a godly manner, with specific regard to the dangerous media that floods our society. Then we had a barbecue and some good old-fashioned horseplay. Jonah said it was the best birthday ever. Of course, he says that every year, but it still makes me feel pretty good.

Drawing Closer to God

2010-09-29T12:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a woman at our house church told me she has been trying to make some changes in her life but doesn’t seem to be making any headway on her own. I told her that’s because God never intended for us to do it alone. This led to a discussion about the importance of Christian community and the fact that this church is exactly that. I encouraged her to tap in to all God has in store for her right here in this group. She called me, excited, the next morning to tell me that she printed an online Bible study she had randomly chosen, only to find it was about the importance of Christian community in our lives. “I want you to know that you are exactly where God wants you to be right now,” she said. “He is speaking to me through you and I want to encourage you with that.” She said she wants to know more of what’s written in the Bible so she can live in a way that would glorify God. It did encourage me and I want to encourage you by sharing not only this but a few other things that are happening right now.

The single Brazilian mom among us who recently lost her husband is also facing possible deportation. Her husband was Austrian so her United States visa is not secure. They were in the application process as a family when he passed away. She can go to Austria or Brazil at any time but wants to stay here to raise her now five-year-old daughter. She told me that despite all the pain she is going through she can see that God is blessing her with this church family and she wants to give something back to Him. I shared with her that the best thing she can do for God is to study His word and live accordingly. She wants to do that.

One of the couples that has been a mainstay in this ministry from the very beginning has been struggling in their marriage since we met them. John has spent time counseling them and we have all spent time praying for them but nothing has seemed to change. Recently, the wife confessed she doesn’t know anything about the Bible and isn’t sure why she even became a Christian. She asked me Sunday to study the Bible with her so she can understand God better. In doing so, we know she is about to be introduced to the one who can save not only her marriage but also her soul. Needless to say, we are very excited to be a part of that introduction.

Another family came to us with a broken marriage and two small children - one of which has tested on the autistic spectrum. He has been oblivious to social cues and is generally inappropriate in group settings. Sunday he looked me in the eye - highly unusual for him - and asked if I had a new hairstyle. I had in fact just had my hair cut the day before and he was the only one who noticed. His mother said it gave her goosebumps to hear him ask that question. She believes God is healing him. He and his sister will be staying at our house this weekend while their parents go out on their first date in two and a half years.

Daphne and Jake, her nine-year-old son, have become so much a part of our family that he has started calling us “Uncle John” and “Aunt Sam”. He asked me one night when he was sleeping over, “Is it true that we are family if we all believe in Jesus?” I told him yes but he still didn’t seem satisfied, so I asked if something was bothering him. He said, “I already have a mom so I guess I can’t call you that. But what can I call you?” We settled on Aunt Sam and that made him very happy. When John told him he could call him Uncle John it seemed as if something very wrong had been put right in his world. That’s what we hope to see with every single person God sends our way.

Bursting at the Seams

2010-09-23T22:27:00.000-04:00

Last week we had eleven children at church. That may not seem like many to those of you who attend a big church in a big church building with a big church staff ,but to us it is significant. I teach Sunday school in Ben’s room. We push his train table into the closet and set up a utility table in the middle of the room with folding chairs around it. One poor kid was practically flush against Ben’s crib, and the child at the other end was touching the edge of the train table that stuck out of the closet. There wasn’t a clear path around the room, so the kids down one side had to crane their necks just to see the pictures in the story I was reading. Nobody complained. In fact, it was great. I’m just not sure what we’re going to do when the kids bring the friends they promised to bring next week.

The adults were in the living room. It’s a little bigger than Ben’s room but it’s on the small side, considering a church meets there. John and I talked about having the grown ups meet in Ben’s room and the children in the living room next time. That arrangement might buy us a few weeks but, at the rate we’re growing, not much more.

Since the beginning of this ministry in March, we went from thinking we were going to be a Brazilian church in a church building to being a home church with a focus on strengthening families. God has brought many broken families to us and together we are praying to restore them to what God intended for His people. You read in my last entry about Daphne and Jake. The changes in both of them are phenomenal and they are a testimony to God’s ability to transform a life. A Brazilian woman I met at the YMCA lost her husband eight months ago to a massive stroke. She has a daughter who just turned five and they call us family now. She brought her friends who have been struggling to keep their marriage together. They have a four-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son with special needs. He has been consuming every ounce of attention in their family and they are paying a huge price. After much prayer and counseling they are headed in the right direction. We’ve used our experiences raising a special needs child to help them learn better ways to cope and discipline their son. He recently made it through his first Sunday school hour without being called out for bad behavior, which brought tears to his mother’s eyes. The stories don’t end here, but this is enough to give you a sampling of the flavor of ministry God has chosen for us in south Florida.

John is currently on a circuit to visit each of the five families’ homes to discuss the basics of Christianity. These people have come to us with differing levels of understanding of the Bible, as is evident in our prayer meetings and Sunday fellowship. In order to establish a strong and true foundation for this church, we’re going to get down to the brass tacks and make sure that each individual has a good relationship with God. We trust that investing in each person on the front end is going to unlock a sea of potential for God to bring about a revival in this part of the world. I’m ready to be a part of that.

Daphne and Jake

2010-08-22T16:07:00.001-04:00

During the boys' baseball season kickoff at the YMCA, I was standing in line at one of those huge, inflatable toys waiting for Jonah to have a turn when I started talking to the girl behind me. It came up that she was looking for a church so I invited her to join our developing group. She (a single mom) and her eight-year-old son were the first ones to arrive that next Sunday morning. They have been meeting with us ever since.

I was bold in inquiring about her son's behavior because he reminded us so much of Jonah just a few years ago. Her son was hyperactive and impulsive among other things. Daphne told us about an abusive husband who is no longer part of their lives. From there she and Jake moved into another abusive relationship with family members. Not surprisingly, she told us Jake didn't have any friends and got into trouble at school. After spending just a matter of hours with him, John and I were impressed at how remarkable the similarities between our sons were. We told her about our experience and she said she was open to any suggestions. It quickly became apparent that God had orchestrated our meeting and Sunday morning meetings turned into lunches and dinners. Now we don't know what we ever did without them.

Daphne had just moved into her own place when we met her and she and Jake had begun to heal. Because she works full time as a manager in a medical records facility, she had enrolled Jake in a summer camp program. We offered to take him for a week at our house for a "behavior boot camp". Each day we set a strict schedule with clear boundaries for chore time, play time, and meal time. We demanded good manners and respect for people and property. In short, we were very hard on him. He was pretty hard on us too, and Jonah and Andy were less than thrilled to have him back the second and third day. They fought all day every day until about day four. Finally, we made a breakthrough and, by the end of the week, Jake wanted to stay and our boys wanted him to stay too.

School has started and Jake is doing better than ever. We don't presume that it's because of us, but we know that God has answered Daphne's many prayers for her son. We are so honored that she has entrusted her precious son to our care even for a short time and are thrilled to see what God has worked through it. Daphne tells us tearfully that she had searched for years for a church home and for a Christian family, and now she has both. She is a prayerful person who has remained faithful throughout years of isolation from the Christian community. On different occasions she visited local congregations only to end up feeling like a burden when she requested financial help or practical help with things like moving furniture.

Daphne is an aspiring writer who would like to be able to stay at home with Jake. We believe God can do that for her and ask you to join us in prayer for this beautiful woman and her son, that God will honor her request to be able to live out her passion for writing and spend more time with Jake. We also ask for prayers that she and Jake would heal completely from years of physical and emotional abuse. We are so impressed by the love and determination of this family, and we believe God will do great things through them.

Building a Community

2010-07-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

To say the current economic crisis has affected many people would be a gross understatement that I dare say any rational individual would agree with. It didn't just happen, though. At its root is our moral decline, which has affected, not just many people, but everyone. Many have become so comfortable with a personalized, self-serve lifestyle that we have precious little community with each other and even less with God. Generation after generation has inched farther and farther from what our lives have been intended to be from the beginning of time - a relationship with our Creator and with each other. We've become comfortable but not satisfied. People are still seeking that community as we found out at a recent neighborhood barbecue we hosted. We invited some friends and neighbors we had just met. One of the men thanked us for getting everyone together and said he has lived here for twenty-eight years without knowing his neighbors. Another couple stayed well into the evening talking with us. These aren't people who don't care about community. They crave it.

Still, we had a much easier time finding interest in God among the people of Brazil. Based on the fact that we had travelled so far just to share the gospel won us the favor of many willing ears. In the U.S., however, most people have already heard some perverted version of the story of the life of Jesus and the chances are good they have also experienced some toxic religion. For this reason, being a minister of the gospel in the United States can be a daunting task. There is practically a church on every corner and people don't seem to be busting the doors down to get in. God knows this and has chosen us to expand the kingdom walls anyway. We submit to the fact that this is not possible for us and, to be successful, we must make ourselves wholly available to His will and remove ourselves from the equation as much as possible. It's very freeing to realize that our job is not to pursue anyone - that's God's job - but to love them with a selfless love that they won't find anywhere else and to create the potential for a community where people are otherwise segregated.

Since moving to Boca Raton in January, we now have a solid group of three families that meets several times a week in our home. One of the families that was part of the original group that called us here has moved on to a larger, more traditional church. We are sorry to see them go but understand that we have different callings and wish them well. At our last meeting together, the children recited the scriptures they had learned for their family.

A family who meets with us faithfully is a single mother and her nine-year-old son. I met her at the YMCA during the kids' baseball season. They have come out of a very dysfunctional background and her son is troubled and acting out. He is staying at our house this week for a tough-love boot camp. Another single mom that I recently met in the YMCA parking lot lost her husband just six months ago and is raising a four-year-old daughter alone. She has been attending a local church but said a few days ago she believes she has found her true family and wants to begin meeting with us on a regular basis. Brick by brick Jesus is building his foundation for a revival in this part of the world. We pray that He will bring about a movement of people who wish to return to a simpler, better way of life and an eternal relationship with Him.

"Not My Will But Yours Be Done."

2010-06-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

Adding that little phrase to the end of a prayer can be like inviting chaos to rule your life. John and I are good at dreaming up grand ideas about what our lives should be but, ultimately, we want to know that we are useful to God in whatever way He sees fit. For example, we believe God has brought us to this part of the world for a reason, but we're beginning to realize that it may not be the reason we first thought it to be. What began as a mission to grow a congregation among the Brazilian people of southern Florida has become a house church among a group of people who don't all speak Portuguese.

We've been meeting every Sunday with a group of about fifteen people -not all Christians. My job on Sundays has been to teach the children who, I'm proud to say, have learned eight key Scriptures by heart. There have been some occasional attendees but the core group has obviously been long established. They invited us here to act as full time ministers and continue what they have had going for many years. They also want their congregation to grow. We were immediately concerned about those among their group who have not made a decision to follow Christ and thought it necessary to address them before looking outward for new converts. For this reason, John has done his best to encourage a fresh perspective among the members through intense Bible study. He also has begun facilitating individual Bible studies among the non Christians to encourage an intentional decision to follow Christ and make that decision public through baptism. I think it's fair to say that there has been little interest on that front but that God is showing His faithfulness in other areas.

Some in the church are having financial difficulties so we decided to save the rent we were paying and meet in our own living room instead. There are also some serious familial and marital issues that we have been addressing through one on one counseling. On a happier note, the parents in the group get our children together for playdates, the women get together for afternoons of crafting, and we have all gotten together for barbecues and bowling at different times. Some in the church have even been so kind as to babysit our boys so we could have a much needed night out. In short, we are getting to know each other and the direction for this church is becoming clearer.

While the members grow in maturity and relationship with Christ, John and I have been putting out feelers for other Brazilians to invite into our midst. John met the owner of the Brazilian bakery and got his permission to advertise free English classes using the Bible. A recent sting on illegal immigrants, however, has put a serious damper on an outreach like that being effective. We've gone out of our way to meet other Brazilians by, for example, seeing a Brazilian doctor and dentist. All this has been at the expense of potential relationships with English speakers even though two of the husbands in our church are American and don't even speak Portuguese. We have been holding all of our studies, worship services, and other meetings in English while projecting that one day it would all be in Portuguese. That has been the collective idea of this church for years but, by their own confession, it hasn't been working.

When I met a single mom at the ballpark before the kids' baseball games one Saturday, I knew she didn't speak Portuguese but invited her to our church anyway. That day I didn't see someone who was not Brazilian. I only saw a lady who was raising her son alone and searching for some support. I offered it to her by inviting her into our group. I'm happy to report that she was well received and that it may well have shifted our focus from Brazilian people to just people. She's a new Christian who quickly became disenchanted with the church when her requests for practical help were denied by several churches. Now she and her son spend lots of time with our family and she has even begun to encourage other single moms she knows to come be a part of our times together and get to know Jesus.

We recognize that our living room won't hold even one more family comfortably so we have begun to talk about the near future. It makes sense to start meeting in two groups on a weekly basis and come together as one group less frequently to worship together on a larger scale. We hope that freeing up some physical space in our homes will also free up some space in our hearts and minds for a greater desire to receive whatever people God puts in our paths. John and I have six families in mind that we plan to invite to our house for dinner over the coming weeks. Though this is not what we had envisioned and at times seems a bit chaotic, we trust God to work a better plan than we could have ever imagined and are anxious to see it unfold.

Update From the Boca Church

2010-05-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

Since I last reported to you about the church meeting in our home, we have rented a room in the local middle school each Sunday.

Space wise, it's been a great move, but it's been a lot less intimate and, at the tune of $800 per month, maybe a bit unnecessary. We have about the same number each week - kind of crowded in our living room but not enough to warrant the financial burden on our small group. Besides, there is a family among us who is struggling financially and may be facing foreclosure. We would like to be in a position to help rather than cut it close each month on our budget.

For now, we're back at home for Sunday morning worship and Friday night Bible study. We rotate weekly among the houses that are large enough to host the entire group.

Perhaps the most important meetings we hold are the spontaneous ones where we simply get together and have some fun. The girls have come over twice to drink cappuccino and scrapbook.

And the kids don't really care where we meet. They can enjoy themselves in any setting.

The Kickoff

2010-03-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

Today we had our first Portuguese worship service in our new home. We scheduled it to begin at 10:00 am but, in true Brazilian fashion, it didn't actually start until 11:20. We packed our living room with sixteen adults and six children. We sang some Brazilian worship songs then John preached a sermon about the purpose of the church while I peeled off with the kids for Sunday school.

Just after the service we ate lunch together. Everyone brought a little something to add up to a Brazilian feast. We were happy to have the group linger until after 6:30 pm.
It was a great day and we hope to have many more like it in the weeks and months to come. Next Sunday we will be meeting in a building we have rented for the church. We anticipate that as time goes on our numbers will increase and our small house will not accommodate our group. We want to be ready for the great things God has in store for us.

Gearing Up for Success

2010-02-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

We did finally get into the house we showed you in our last entry. After spending December with John's family in Colorado and half of January with our more-than-gracious hosts here in Florida (one of the couples that invited us to be part of this ministry), we moved in. We've spent the better part of our first days and weeks shopping Craigslist and thrift stores for furniture and household items. It's finally beginning to feel a bit more like home, and now we are setting our sights on the ministry.

We were asked to come here by a small group of Christians (pictured below)

who have been trying for years to get a Brazilian church established. It's a mixed group - some Brazilian, some Hispanic, and some American. Due in part to lack of resources, i.e., workers, it has yet to get off the ground. They have not had a full-time minister until now. What once was a group of about 30 Brazilians has dwindled to about ten. The group has been meeting with a Hispanic church for some time, but, because Brazilian culture is different, that hasn't been an ideal situation. Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish, and they have different traditions and customs. It is an independent culture that deserves its own congregation. The Spanish-speaking church has been very generous and hospitable towards the Brazilians - even singing some songs in Portuguese during worship. John has become friends with their minister, Carlos. There is not a hint of jealously as we suggest that the two cultures may be better suited to separate from one another. On the contrary, Carlos is eager to see the Brazilians become independent and strong in their own right.

There is no Brazilian Church of Christ anywhere south of Orlando that we know of. There are also very few Churches of Christ of any persuasion in the area. After being here for this short time, we can already see that this is not like any part of the United States we have ever known. It is much more ethnic and international - like Brazil and the US wrapped up in one package. There is no local church support for what we are about to do - plant a Brazilian church. That means that your role - to pray, encourage, and generally support in any way possible - is the same where this ministry is concerned as when we were overseas, even though we are technically on the same continent now. We need your help to see that this forgotten group of Brazilians may be reached with the good news of Christ so that they may grow and expand the borders of the Kingdom.

We plan to meet in our house this Sunday for a church service involving the Brazilians who have remained part of the group which has met with the Hispanic church and those that have stopped coming to those services. We hope to re-energize the base that has been holding this group together and encourage them to work with us in once and for all establishing Christ's church among their people here in southern Florida. It's been estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of Brazilians in southern Florida and we know that we will need all the manpower we can get to reach even a portion of them. Please pray for success in this mission.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

2010-01-09T11:32:00.000-05:00

"I have some money I wanna give but I don't know who to give it to." That's what someone told my sister-in-law in Colorado while she was working her customer service job in the grocery store. It made me think, "I bet there are people all over the country who feel that way." Then I started to wonder how many people sit down to pray and realize they don't know what to pray for. You're probably used to missionaries soliciting money, but I would like to solicit some of your prayer time instead.

We spent December in Colorado with John's family and are now back in Florida where we were scheduled to close on a house (the one in the picture) on the seventh of this month. Everything was going as planned until the underwriter decided on the morning of closing to call our church in Texas for verbal confirmation of our employment. She didn't like the words she heard to describe the missionary/sponsoring church relationship so she denied the loan on the spot. Our agent is still working on our behalf to somehow close the deal, whether it be with a different mortgage lender or to convince the current one to reconsider. Our dilemma is in the facts that the seller has refused an extension of the contract, we are currently staying in someone else's house, we stand to lose several thousand dollars in earnest money, and we may not be able to afford to rent an apartment in this part of the country.

We are beginning to understand why God may have felt it necessary to reassure us with the skywriting before we left for Colorado. We also recognize that the focus of the disciples' biblical accounts never centers around homes and possessions but always around expanding the kingdom borders. We have not forgotten why we came here or what we are about - to introduce Jesus to those who don't know him. Please join us in praying for God to use us to that end. If that means more time being uprooted, so be it. If it means settling into a home here so that we can become members of the community, even better.

God Is a Sky Writer

2009-12-10T12:58:00.000-05:00

We are currently in Colorado, spending the holidays with John's family. In less than a month, we went from stifling heat in Natal to bitter cold in Golden. The kids have especially enjoyed the snow. While we're here, we're facilitating a long-distance closing on a house in Boca Raton, Florida.

We spent our first two weeks in the States searching for a house to be our new home. We found an excellent real estate agent through the Dave Ramsey Web site who began showing us properties that matched our criteria. After much fruitless searching, she informed us that our expectations might be a bit too high. On one level we had to agree with her, but on another we were sure our expectations were very reasonable. You see, we had been praying fervently for God to lead us to just the right house. We were sure that if He were calling us to Florida, He knew right where He wanted us. So we continued our search.

Just days before we left for Colorado and just when we had decided that a temporary apartment might be in our future, a promising new listing came onto the market. Our agent took us to see it but the owners weren't home and we ended up standing in the driveway while she spoke with their visiting relative. As she set up an appointment for our return, we felt a little disappointed and prayed that God would make Himself clear to us and help us to know what to do. Then something amazing happened.

Jonah pointed up towards the sky and yelled, "Look, it's a J." A skywriter was just starting the first letter of what became "JESUS LOVES U". As he was finishing the U our agent informed us that we would have to wait a day to see the house. On our way out of the neighborhood, we stopped by a Brazilian bakery where John ran in for some bread. In the time it took him to make the purchase, the kids and I watched the skywriter spell out "TRUST GOD".

The next day we saw the house and fell in love with it; it suited us perfectly. Though we had been avoiding foreclosures and short sales because they have been averaging several months to close, we made an offer on this short sale property. Despite our agents justified warnings that we might be facing a long and tedious process, we received notice from the bank that we could close during the first week in January.

I can't predict what will happen next and I don't know the mind of God, but I do have a hunch that we will soon be blogging to you from our new home in Boca Raton, Florida.

Packed and Ready

2009-10-28T18:57:00.000-04:00

We're getting packed to leave this country again. We're excited because of the potential for ministry in a dual culture environment. The kids are excited because they know we'll be living closer to Disney World.

We plan to arrive in Miami during the third week in November, at which time we will begin looking for a home among the Brazilian population in southern Florida. It's a happy time and a sad time all at the same time. We're going to miss Natal and our friends here, but we know they will be just fine without us. We do plan to come back regularly to encourage the Christians here and to help where we can. We also plan to continue regular visits to Currais Novos until a solid church is established there.

Our Next Missionary Journey

2009-09-21T14:38:00.000-04:00

Over the past eighteen months, we have witnessed seventeen people choose to follow Jesus and have seen changes only God could effect in their lives. With such a thriving ministry it would only seem fitting that we should stay put and continue this work indefinitely. But God's ways are not our ways. We have received an invitation to work with a small group of Christians who are trying to reach the hundreds of thousands of Brazilians living in southern Florida. Through much prayer John and I have discovered that God is opening the way for us to move there in order, we believe, to evangelize.

John and I became Christians and were married a little over thirteen years ago. Since then John received a Bible degree in Tennessee, we trained in Texas for mission work, and we worked with a team to plant a church in southern Brazil. We then moved back to the US and were involved in various Stateside ministries until the spring of 2008. That's when we came here to northern Brazil to work with a small church in the area of evangelism. Throughout all of our travels the same two churches in Tennessee and Texas have sponsored and supported us, and for that we are grateful.

What we are leaving here is a small but thriving congregation. The ground has also been worked for a church plant in a town about three hours outside of the city of Natal. We plan to make regular visits to Natal to encourage the church here and to travel to Currais Novos to continue the work there.

Please continue to read our blog and subscribe to it if you haven't already. We hope to encourage you in your life and ministry. We covet your comments and prayers.

John's Weekend Adventure

2009-09-13T09:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend was John's second trip to a town called Currais Novos, about three hours outside of Natal. His first trip was in December with Mike and Jerry Hall from our sponsoring church in Springtown, Texas. They traveled there because Geraldo, the second man John baptized in Natal, told them about his hometown where there are no churches.

Upon their arrival, the men discovered a rustic town where there were indeed no churches and, more importantly, no Biblical teaching. Geraldo introduced them to his family and friends and John taught them from the Bible. At the end of their stay, they invited John back to hear more.

Since then, we have had Ben, spent two months in the States on furlough, and battled the swine flu for about a month. This weekend was John's first opportunity to revisit Currais Novos. He and Geraldo drove there on Friday morning and returned on Saturday morning. They decided to take Geraldo's jeep to handle the dilapidated road conditions. Here's Geraldo driving in the rain without windshield wipers:

Here's John afraid for his life:

Here's Geraldo's bumper sticker reminding John "I'm following the footsteps of Jesus":
And here's the broken-down jeep reminding them both that the footsteps of Jesus are not easy to follow:

They made it as far as Santa Cruz or Holy Cross, where they ditched the jeep and caught a ride to make the rest of the trip. A statue of Mary holding a cross and a sword overlooks this little town:

When they finally arrived in Currais Novos six hours later, they were greeted by Geraldo's in laws:

You may remember that Socorro is Geraldo's wife. These are her parents. Her dad offered John a fresh coconut:

Then they spent some time hanging out together while Geraldo walked around town inviting people to a Bible study that evening:

Socorro's dad had no interest in what John was there to teach during his first visit, but when John was leaving he promised to come to a study if John would return. During this visit he was hospitable to John and even gave him a hammock to sleep in on his porch but he didn't go to the study. Again, he said maybe next time.

These guys did show up:

As did these women:

And these kids:

In all, about thirty people were present for the study that evening:

John offered this DVD on the Gospel of John to anyone who would agree to share it with others in town. This lady was clearly thrilled to accept the offer:

John read and commented on John 3 where Jesus discusses with Nicodemus what it means to be born again. He spoke for almost thirty minutes without any participation from the group. When he asked them why nobody was answering his questions, one man revealed that the group had never heard these Scriptures and had no idea what they meant or how to comment on them. John then read 1 Corintians 2 and explained that nobody can understand the things of God without the Holy Spirit. It seemed that they had enough information to chew on so he called it a night. Again they invited him back.

The next morning, Geraldo and John caught a ride with Geraldo's cousin (the guy in pink) who is employed taking the kids of the neighborhood to school - a thirty-minute drive. The kids were on their way to extra-curricular, Saturday activities so the guys took advantage and jumped on board.

They ended up on the side of the road halfway back to Natal, where the truck ride ended, and caught another ride home.

Friday morning, which should have been a three-hour drive, turned out to be a six-hour ordeal of heavy rain and a broken-down car. Friday night was a sleepless one spent in a hammock where giant mosquitos snacked on exposed flesh. John was tired and had caught a cold by the time he made it home. I asked him if all the travel, rain, mosquitos, poor sleep, and sickness were worth it. He said without a doubt, and he plans to return to Currais Novos in the future to water the spiritual seeds that have been planted.

The Untold Stories

2009-09-10T15:27:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been following the progress of this mission, I'm sure you have been impressed with what God has done in the short time we've been in Natal. We want you to know that it is not because of us that so many people have been baptized during the mission here but because of God's mercy to the lost.

Before we even left the States, John baptized his dad and nephew Anthony in Colorado. Since we've been living in Natal, we've experienced the baptisms of Francisco, Geraldo, Socorro, Rosendo, Ingrid, Talis, Jefferson, Tiago, Heloisa, and Noemia. During our recent furlough, John baptized his sister's friend John in Colorado and my mom in Texas. What an incredible eighteen months this has been!

I trust some of you have been praying for these new Christians since you first heard about their conversions. For that reason, I want to be sure you also know about three new Christians who were baptized while we were not here. Back in March when I was in the hospital with Ben, Joilderson became a new Christian:

Then while we were in the States on furlough, Relter and Monica were baptized:

Please continue to pray for these young Christians - not only that God will bless their lives but that he may also use them to spread the good news about Jesus and the eternal salvation he offers to anyone who will accept it.

We Survived the Swine Flu

2009-09-01T22:59:00.000-04:00

Here we are, relatively unscathed by the H1N1 virus. It was a long battle but we are finally well. We all have a bit of residual "gunk" in our heads so each of us is temporarily hard of hearing. That's been less than amusing, but I'm sure it will pass.

Thank you so much for your prayers, and please don't forget to continue to pray for the ministry that we're involved in together - reaching the lost for Christ.

Swine Flu Update

2009-08-11T19:51:00.001-04:00

The good news is that the kids are doing a lot better. There's still a lot of coughing, sneezing, and whining but they are on the downhill slide.

The bad news is that John and I have this virus full force. We went to the public hospital to get Tamiflu, which is supposed to minimize the symptoms and shorten the duration of the flu. I have been taking it for four days and feel less like I have the flu and more like I have a terrible cold. John just got a fever last night so we picked up his medicine today. I hope it does at least the same for him if not more than it has done for me.

It's difficult for healthy parents to take care of three sick kids but even more difficult for sick parents to take care of any kids at all. Please keep us in your prayers and do your best to avoid this nasty virus until the vaccine is available.

Week Two in the Pigpen

2009-08-07T08:22:00.001-04:00

Today marks the beginning of the second week that we've been battling the swine flu virus in our home. Andy has been the hardest hit and is taking an antibiotic for pneumonia. He has been responding well to the medication but woke up this morning with a fever, so we'll be taking him to see his doctor a little later this morning.

Ben and I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. We thought we had both recovered and were on the mend. I've been advised to go to the public hospital to receive Tamiflu in case this is just the beginning of this particular virus for me. I was the first one sick but it may have been with a different illness, as this is the first time I've had a fever. The kids' doctor wants to see Ben as well this morning.

Jonah still has a cough but is impressive in his ability to ignore the virus and continue to function well. John has still not been affected and has been playing nurse to the rest of us.

This is an aggressive but erratic illness and we continue to ask for your prayers that our family will recover soon.

Our Ongoing Battle With H1N1

2009-08-05T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today is the sixth day we've had the nasty H1N1 virus in our home. Jonah is much better and Ben is on the mend. I have only a cough remaining and John's health has not been affected.

Andy, however, is still very sick. He had a chest x-ray today that showed the beginning signs of pneumonia. The doctor started him on an antibiotic and will monitor him daily. They did not want to admit him into the hospital due to the aggressive nature of the way this virus spreads. We know he will be more comfortable at home and trust that he will heal from this but we do ask for your continued prayers.

Swine Flu

2009-08-04T21:15:00.001-04:00

About a week after we got back to Brazil, I got hit so hard with a flu bug that it had me unable to lift my head for about an hour. I was fine after that as long as I was sitting or lying down. That evening, just as I was feeling better, Andy started to run a fever. The next day he was very sick with body aches and an upset stomach. Then Jonah caught it. Jonah started to feel better about the time Ben started running a fever.

We took Andy to the doctor today because he has run a steady fever of about 102º for over three days. After evaluating Andy and asking us some questions, the doctor sent us to the hospital to test for swine flu. He said it was standard procedure for anyone with Andy's symptoms who had travelled to the United States within the past week or two.

After leaving the hospital, we are officially under house quarantine for at least the next seven days. Ben will be seen by the doctor tomorrow and we may have more news after that.

For now, we ask you to pray for Andy because he is in quite a bit of pain and has trouble getting any sleep. Ben is doing a little better but is also having trouble sleeping and has a constant fever that Tylenol and ibuprofen don't control.

I will keep you posted on any new developments.

Another Birth in the Family

2009-07-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

On June 26 we witnessed a birth. It was the birth of my mother into the family of God. She made the decision to become a child of God and, because the Bible says that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and wants to follow him should be baptized, she did so. On that Friday she started a new life.

John, Andy (4), my brother Mike, me holding Ben, My mom (after her baptism), Jonah (7), and Bill, my mom's boyfriend

Usually we include a photo or two of a baptism, but this time I am posting several. One reason is selfish, because each picture elates my soul. Another reason is because it dawned on me that many of you may never have witnessed a baptism.

Here are most of the people who were present:

(my brother, my three kids, and Jerry, one of the elders of the church in Springtown, Texas. He came to open the building for us because it was Friday.)

John and my mom changed into some robes that the church provides for convenience, then they stepped into the water. John shared a few Bible verses with us:Then he asked my mom if she believes that Jesus is the son of God. After she confirmed that statement, he baptized her in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit:

Though it's a mystery as to how he does it we believe that God added her to his family for her faith in him:

Now my mom and I can be certain that we will not only spend this lifetime together but also the next. And, I must admit, I can't think of anything that makes me happier.

Sunday in Colorado

2009-06-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

John invited his family over for church on Sunday. You may remember that before we left for Brazil he baptized his dad and our niece's boyfriend, whom he later married to our niece. Since then, his dad's wife has been baptized and is attending a local church. His dad is now in better spirits than we've ever seen him, and our niece and her husband are happy together and being great parents to their two year old. We couldn't be prouder.

It was great to see how the family is growing together since our last visit. John reminded them that together we are the church and suggested that they meet together regularly to worship God and encourage one another.

John's sister Gina invited her friend, who was baptized in the bathtub that same morning. It turned out to be the best day of our furlough yet.

If you want to see some more photos of our travels so far, go to "Furlough Photos"

Our Temporary Phone Number

2009-06-09T17:24:00.000-04:00

You can reach us at this number until July 25th, while we're in the States: (615) 584-8810.

Our 2009 Furlough Schedule

2009-04-03T12:55:00.000-04:00

The Jewell family will be on furlough for two months. Part of the time will be used to visit our families and friends and part will be to report to our sponsors, with a little vacation time thrown in. If you're going to be in the same place at the same time, please let us know. We are trying to work out the details of our stay in each place.

Here's our travel schedule:

May 25

from Recife, Brazil to Miami, Florida

May 30

from Miami, Florida to Denver, Colorado

June 12

from Denver, Colorado to Dallas, Texas

June 28

from Dallas, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee

July 12

from Nashville, Tennessee to Dallas, Texas

July 24

from Dallas, Texas to Miami, Florida

July 25

from Miami, Florida to Recife, Brazil

Youth Impact III

2009-03-22T12:11:00.000-04:00

Last Night was a special night at the Comunidade de Cristo. It was the third annual Youth Impact. The young adults invite their friends to see a theatrical presentation and hear a biblical message about what they just saw.

They did an excellent job presenting a piece in which three armed men enter the church and force members at gunpoint to admit their sins in front of the congregation. The leader of the three insists that there is no such thing as true conversion, and tells the congregation that everyone who claims to be a Christian is only wearing a mask. He says that they only act Christian at church but have secret lives outside of church. For the first several hostages this is true. But the last one the gunmen force to confess is a true Christian who has been genuinely converted. This drives the gunman mad. He cannot accept that it is possible because he doesn't believe in the power of Christ. In the end, he turns the gun on himself.

John had the honor of following the play with a message about wearing masks in church. He talked about the fact that the world loves us because of something we have to offer but that God loves us in spite of the fact that we have nothing to offer. He said God is not impressed with our masks and loves us just as we are.

There were over sixty people at the event last night. Over thirty of those were visitors. We were very impressed with the great job the young adults did to prepare the evening and we were very happy that they managed to get so many of their friends to attend. If just one of them is reached for Christ, the whole evening will have been worth the effort.

Our Return to the Hospital

2009-03-13T17:08:00.000-04:00

What looks like "Baby's First Tanning Booth" is actually a special bassinet to treat jaundice.

Just two days out of the hospital, we took Ben to the pediatrician to see about treating acid reflux. Jonah and Andy both had it and we saw signs of it in Ben. We just needed to confirm the dosage of medicine to give him since he's smaller than either of them were. The doctor took one look at him and said we would have to deal with acid reflux later. She said his color didn't look good and she ordered an urgent blood test. Two hours later we discovered that his bilirubin level, which was supposed to be between .8 and 12, was 21. He was severely jaundiced. We immediately took him to the hospital to be admitted for phototherapy.

When we arrived they said they didn't have any vacancies. They called the only other hospital in town that takes infants, and they also said they didn't have any vacancies. John put out an a.p.b. for prayer and within fifteen minutes we had a room. Ben spent three days and nights in the light bed that simulates sunlight. I stayed next to him the whole time. It was my job to make sure he stayed in the bassinet when he wasn't nursing or getting his diaper changed. A canvas mask was taped over his eyes the whole time.

His levels have returned to within the normal range and we were released yesterday afternoon. I've heard it said that babies don't smile this young but I know Ben smiled at me when the nurse took his mask off. Monday we will have his blood tested one more time to be sure his bilirubin levels aren't rising again. Then he'll finally be free of all the poking and prodding until his next vaccines are due.

Welcome, Baby Ben

2009-03-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

We just got home with this little bundle of joy:

He was born Tuesday night, March 3 (one year to the day that we left the States for Brazil). His name is Ben Marshall Jewell and he weighed in at six pounds and four ounces. I was induced a couple weeks early due to complications involving gestational diabetes and an unexplained intense itch. After a ten-hour day, Ben arrived at 9:44 pm. He and mom are doing great. Jonah and Andy are thrilled, and Dad is on cloud nine with boy number three. Thank you all for your prayers and your concerns during the difficult pregnancy. I knew the minute I saw baby Ben that it was all worth it.

Noémia

2009-02-28T19:12:00.000-05:00

Jaqueline (wearing green) has been studying the Bible with Marta, one of the Brazilian missionaries, for some time. She feels like she needs more information before she makes a decision whether or not to follow Jesus. She recently started bringing her mother, Noémia, to church with her. Noémia has been frequenting another church where she studied the Bible and decided to be baptized to begin her life as a Christian. They told her there that she would not be allowed because she has lived with a man for eight years without every legally marrying him. She asked to speak with Marta and explained her situation. She said she understood that she needed to make some changes in her life and was ready to do so, and she felt that Jesus was just the one to help her with that. She said she has wasted enough of her life and wants to start living for Christ. Marta agreed and her husband, Osmildo (far right), baptized Noémia.

Thursday Evenings at the Jewell House

2009-02-24T19:02:00.000-05:00

Recently John and I were talking about what to do with all these new converts. It's not our goal to just baptize them and then leave them out to dry (no pun intended). John started out meeting with each one on a weekly basis, but that has become logistically impossible, so we had to come up with a better plan. We decided to start having them over as a group on Thursday evenings for discipleship. We don't really know what that should entail other than sharing with them what we have learned over our twelve short years of Christianity. The idea is that we know at least a little more than they do and want to share it with them. We talk about everything from relationships to integrity and are currently studying the book of Ephesians. The group is composed of various walks of life from the highly educated to those who struggle to read. Some have dark skin and others light. It makes for interesting discussions and everyone agrees it's how the church should be.

Thirty Days of Prayer

2009-02-02T18:21:00.000-05:00

Before the new year began, John posed a challenge to the congregation here. He asked each member to find a partner to pray with every day in January. Throughout the month we have heard stories of what God has been doing in people's lives. Perhaps the most obvious result of all this prayer has been the four baptisms we were blessed with. But it didn't stop there. Heloisa was just baptized on the first day in February.She has been coming to the church for several years and has studied the Bible for most of that time with Marta, Osmildo's wife. (Osmildo is baptizing Heloisa.) She has wanted to be baptized before but her mother, who is a spiritist, has not allowed it. Her mother demanded that she not be baptized until she turned eighteen so that she would have plenty of time to decide between Christianity and spiritism. Heloisa's grandmother is Catholic and her aunt belongs to the Universal Church, known here for taking advantage of the poor. They all live together.

Heloisa just turned fifteen and insisted she knows what she wants. She promised her family that she wouldn't preach to them but said she was ready to become a part of the church with or without her family's blessing. They actually did come to her baptism but asked to not be introduced. Luke 14:26 says "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes even his own life-he cannot be my disciple." Heloisa's story is a great illustration of this difficult passage.

Triple Dip

2009-01-28T06:21:00.000-05:00

John baptized these three people on Sunday.

Socorro (far left) is Geraldo's wife. She was actually very happy but she never smiles in photos. The boy standing next to her is Rosendo, their son. He's fourteen and helps with the family business of selling popcorn. John has continued to meet weekly with Geraldo since he was baptized and Socorro and Rosendo began to study with them. They were all ready to change the way they've been living for the better and to become a part of God's family. Geraldo still brings more people to church in the back of his truck than any other church member.

On the other side of John is Ingrid. She's twelve and one of our boys' best friends. Andy might marry her if it weren't for a little girl named Hannah Beth in Texas. Ingrid asked us to study the Bible and said she wanted to be a Christian. When John asked her what she planned to do after her baptism she said, "Sin less and tell my friends about Jesus."

Tiago

2009-01-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

Tiago is the guy in the middle of this photo and he was just baptized at the end of December. He's standing next to his girlfriend Kelly, who is one of the original church members at Comunidade de Cristo. Kelly is a lovely girl who came to the congregation through a ministry outreach feeding neighborhood children many years ago.

She started dating Tiago in September and invited him to church. He began a Bible study with Osmildo (standing on Tiago's left side) and ended up asking to be baptized.

Tiago recently passed the very rigorous college entrance exam known as the vestibular and plans to study physics. He lives on his own and currently works for an energy company in Natal. Tiago's only 25, which makes him exceptional because most people his age still live at home and are dependent on their parents. Since his baptism he has plugged into almost every activity available to the young adults at the congregation. He and Kelly have also made it known that they are considering marriage.

John and I especially like this good-spirited couple and hope for the best possible future for both of them.

Christmas in Christmas City

2008-12-26T11:47:00.000-05:00

Natal means "Christmas" so it seems appropriate that I would tell you about what we did here in Christmas city over the holiday. On Christmas eve we took the kids to Geraldo's house with a bag full of toys and a plate full of home made cookies. Jonah and Andy chose some very nice toys from their room to share with four children who, otherwise, wouldn't get any toys for Christmas.

They were very happy to receive us and to play with the kids for a while. They were all headed out to sell popcorn in town for the rest of the day.Then we returned home to get ready for the Christmas party at our house. It was the least stressful Christmas party I've ever thrown because several church members showed up early to prepare all the food. We ate, played games, and exchanged gifts. Normally, Brazilians eat Christmas dinner at midnight on Christmas eve but they were very respectful of the fact that we have small children, who would be looking for traces of Santa at sunrise, and left just after midnight.On Christmas morning, the kids opened their gifts and played with their toys as John and I sat and drank coffee in front of the fan, assembling and inserting batteries into each toy they unwrapped.Then we did something really fun. We defrosted the freezer. (I'm not being facetious. You have to remember that it's extremely hot here at Christmas time.) Defrosting the freezer meant having a snowball ball fight in the summer and it was fun.Then Santa brought John and me the best gift of all - peace and quiet. This crew showed up to take our kids to the beach for the afternoon:

It was a nice surprise and a very thoughtful present for the whole family.

Gestational Diabetes

2008-12-13T17:28:00.000-05:00

My mom raised pure breed dogs throughout my childhood. To save time and money she always gave them the necessary vaccines. When John and I got married we adopted one of the puppies and I assumed I would learn how to vaccinate her. I loaded the syringe, pulled up the skin on the back of her neck, and... could not bring myself to put the needle in. No matter how I tried to convince myself that it was no big deal I just couldn't do it. So when my doctor told me a couple weeks ago that I have gestational diabetes and that I would have to prick my finger to check my glucose levels, I thought about that dog from twelve years ago and thought there was no way I could do that. I did it though and I've done it six times a day for two weeks.

At least I don't have to give myself a shot, I thought. That was until several days ago when she told me that, despite my strict diet, my morning levels were too high. Yesterday I went to the diabetic pharmacy where they taught me how to give myself an injection. I told myself all the way home that I was going to walk in the door and just do it. That's what I did and I'm proud to say that I am now ready to vaccinate that dog.

I will have to inject myself with insulin every morning until the baby is born. As unhappy as I am about the whole thing, I am thankful for modern medicine allowing me and my baby to have a healthy pregnancy.

Carnatal

2008-12-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

It seems Brazilians can't get enough carnival. Many of the major cities celebrate carnival and have their own off-season version as well. Natal is no exception. The city just hosted its eighteenth annual "Carnatal" during the first weekend in December. It draws about a million people to this city of 800,000. The party spans about fifteen blocks and drastically changes traffic patterns for about four days.

In order to be in the action, you have to order a special t-shirt that will ensure your place inside the ropes. There, a large truck with a popular musical artist performing on top slowly drives through the sea of people . Drinks are served and bathrooms are available to those wearing the shirts. People outside the ropes and without the t-shirts don't have access to a bathroom or much-needed security but are welcome to follow the music along. These people are nicknamed "popcorn".

Here's an areal view of this year's event:

We're not in this crowd. We stayed home as much as possible.

Friends Becoming Brothers

2008-12-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

Tális began coming to the Let's Start Talking (LST) English classes about six months ago. Because most of the LST workers only stay for weeks at a time, he ended up reading through parts of the English Bible with about four different people. After some time he began to show interest in the Bible itself over and above English alone. So he began a Bible study in Portuguese. After a couple months of that and with what he had already learned from reading through the Bible in English, Tális was ready to take what he had learned seriously. He's the one that came to our house on Thanksgiving day to speak with John; he's the one that said he wanted to be one of us - a member of our church family.

Tális brought a friend to church once and then brought that same friend back to our Halloween party. Jefferson decided to return to the monthly English worship soon after. John preached a message on the futility of trying to be a Christian on your own. He said everyone who claims Christ as his leader must also claim the church family and be a part of it. He made the point that you can't have one without the other. Jefferson was intrigued by this idea and asked for further study with John. After only about five studies, Jefferson was ready to be baptized. He had already been studying on his own and had a very good grasp of basic Bible knowledge. He had just never been exposed to a church where he thought he fit in.

When Tális (in the water with John) heard about Jefferson's decision, they decided to take the step together. It was a beautiful day at the Comunidade de Cristo when two friends became brothers.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T17:04:00.000-05:00

On Thanksgiving day we had about twenty people at our house - the church leaders and their families and five Americans. The star guest was a guy who asked John at church on Wednesday if he could come over to confess his sins. John told him to come over and celebrate Thanksgiving with us and spend the day at our house.

We had turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, salad, deviled eggs, peas, mashed potatoes, cookies, and pies. It wasn't exactly like home because the ingredients here are so different. The sweet potato casserole looked like it was topped with chocolate because the brown sugar here is so dark. I'm not complaining because it was the first time I've ever seen sweet potatoes here and that was a real treat. I found one small container of pecans too - another miracle. We can't buy cream of mushroom soup so I had to make that before I could make the green bean casserole. Then I topped it with onion flavored chips because there aren't any French fried onions around. Forget the corn; it's tough and not something we eat very often. What I personally missed most were the pumpkin pie and cranberries. Despite all the substitutions, the group was very gracious and seemed to enjoy the meal.

The highlight of the day had nothing to do with all the food, however. We sat in a circle and took turns sharing something for which each of us was grateful. When it got to Tális, the guy John invited over at the last minute, he said he was touched by the way we were all like a family and said he wanted to be one of us.

Saturday afternoon we celebrated another Thanksgiving at the church. All of the English students were invited to experience an authentic Thanksgiving feast. Someone said "American food is great" and was disappointed when we told him we only eat like that once a year.

What a treat to have two Thanksgivings and with such a wonderful group of people. One of the Americans got a care package with canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce just in time for the feast. That was a nice touch.Everyone was invited to write something for which he was thankful on a paper leaf and tie it to a little tree. Jonah wrote that he was thankful that the baby would be here soon, and Andy drew a picture of someone and told me it was God. He said "I'm thankful for God. Will you write that under my picture and put it on the tree?"
I too am thankful for God and thankful for children who are thankful. I am thankful for a good marriage. I am thankful for a church family who love each other and who reach out to those around them who don't yet know the blessings of being part of a church family. I am thankful for the opportunities and challenges that have presented themselves to us over this past year. I am thankful for you who read this blog and for you who support us financially and in prayer. I hope your Thanksgiving was as special as ours.

Andy's Fourth Birthday

2008-11-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

Andy turned four on November 26, less than a week after we moved into our new house. Because his birthday fell on a Wednesday, we took advantage of the fact that we would be at the church to have his party there after the evening class. A lady from church made his favorite cake - chocolate with chocolate icing. I bought some balloons and hot dogs. When we arrived at church for the study, there were several people waiting to help me put everything together for his party. Because I was exhausted and it was about ninety degrees, I was only prepared to blow up some balloons. They assured me that balloons alone would never do, and they broke out all the party decorations from the church closet and arranged a very festive room. They also cooked the hot dogs and prepared the drinks.

We expected about twenty people to stay after the lesson for his party. Not only did everyone from the church stay, but we had several visitors celebrate with us as well. In the end, it was closer to fifty. Fortunately, we had enough hot dogs, drinks, and cake for everyone - all of which was served to our guests by other church members.Then came the presents. They showered Andy with gift upon gift.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, especially Andy.

I was very grateful for all the help I received from the diligent church members who were as interested as I was in seeing Andy have a great birthday celebration. Because I was so hot and tired from the relentless heat and recent move, they took it upon themselves to run the whole show. I was able to take a few pictures and sit under the fan for most of the time. Despite my pitiful state and thanks to our church family in Natal, Andy had (in his words) "a weally gweat pawty."

2008-11-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to Geraldo's house. He lives about twenty minutes outside of town in a very humble neighborhood. Since his baptism a couple months ago, he has been trying to get all his neighbors to come to church with him. Some of them have come but others are afraid of church because of past emotional or financial abuses they've witnessed in organized religion. Others simply can't afford to take off work or pay the bus fare it would require for their families to make it into town. So John had the idea to take church to them.

We scheduled to meet at five o'clock. We picked up some bread, ham, cheese, and drinks and made it there at about 5:30. The rest of the crew showed up at about six. We actually got started closer to seven. That's par for the course around here.

There were about ten adults present, including Geraldo's wife Socorro and Francisco, who now lives with them. John talked about the importance of community. He explained to them that God comes to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He also made the point that we can best understand the Bible if we learn it as part of a community and not try to understand it all by ourselves. He introduced the idea for a weekly study, in which we will read together through the book of Mark, that will start next Saturday. The group seemed very receptive and welcomed us back.
The kids, who numbered about the same as the adults, played together in the house and watched a video while we talked on the porch. Jonah and Andy had lots of Portuguese practice.
Afterwards, Geraldo fired up his popcorn machine and we all hung around talking for a while. We're very excited at the prospect of sharing the hope we have in Jesus with people of Geraldo's neighborhood - people who, as he tells us - need the hope and purpose he now has.

Halloween Party

2008-11-01T10:49:00.000-04:00

The kids love Halloween, but Brazilians don't celebrate it. So we took advantage of the fact that LST throws American themed parties for their English students and put together a Halloween party that was fun for the Americans and educational for the Brazilians.

Jonah and Andy were Power Rangers:

Mom and Dad got in on the action too. With a little creativity and some simple materials we became a butterfly and a butterfly catcher:

Which worked out well with Cris's flower costume:

Whoa, it looks like that butterfly has had one too many flowers already.

Here's the rest of the gang making some last minute costume adjustments before the party:

We started the evening out with a mummy wrapping contest. Each team had about two minutes to make a mummy with toilet paper:

The judges chose this this scary mummy as the winner:

The prize? Well, chocolate of course.

Then we had a parade of costumes to show off our creativity and to judge the best costumes:

The woman at the well took second:
And this hillbilly family won first place:

The prizes were chocolate and more chocolate. We wanted the Brazilians to get a feel for what Halloween is all about.

Andy gets it. His favorite part was definitely all the sugar:

Jonah's favorite part seemed to be this Jedi costume. He followed this guy around like a stalker, asking him about every detail of his outfit. I know what the boys will be next year.

Towards the end of the evening, we served hot dogs, popcorn balls, and other sugary goodies. Then everyone went trick-or-treating at the classroom doors of the church.

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

2008-10-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

We're having another one. I must admit, I was looking forward to the possibility of pink lace and ribbons around here but I am absolutely thrilled that we're having another boy. John threw his arms up in the air and let out a whoop like his team had just won the Superbowl, so I guess I don't have to tell you how he feels about it.

Now we just need a name. Andy is sticking with Jack, which we kind of like, and Jonah has suggested Skippy, which we kind of don't. The floor is open to suggestions.

Jonah's Birthday Party

2008-10-11T20:44:00.000-04:00

Jonah turns seven on October 16th, but we had his party today so all his friends could come. He wanted a Ben 10 party so I made this cake:

Here's the birthday boy, wearing his first present of the day - a Ben 10 Speedo:

Jonah was very excited to run down the road and greet his first guests at the bus stop:

Plenty of friends showed up and it was a great party. I wanted to have a record of all the kids present so I asked John to help me round them up and make them smile. Notice the only two kids who aren't cracking up at John's antics:

We had churrasco (Brazilian barbecue), beans, rice, corn bread, and salad:

Jonah opened some presents:

We sang the lively Portuguese version of "Happy Birthday" and ate cake:

Jonah clowned around:

While Andy hung out with his girlfriends:

The kids enjoyed the pool all day:

And last, but not least, we popped the candy balloon, which is like a Brazilian piñata. First, you spin it:

Then you pop it:
And the kids go wild, falling all over each other to gather candy. Well, most of them. Notice Andy standing behind the chair on the far left while Marisa hands him candy under the tree:

In the end, Jonah was exhausted, a little sunburned, and extremely happy:

He said he had a great party, and he's apparently already planning for the next festivity, because he asked if tomorrow was the day to go trick-or-treating.

Our Weekend Cookout

2008-09-29T17:42:00.000-04:00

We had some people over this weekend for food and fun at our community pool.

Geraldo showed up with his entire family and his popcorn cart.

It was free popcorn all day long.

And some of us were especially happy about that.

The kids enjoyed the pool. This is João and Irvaine (dancing), Jonah's best Brazilian buddy:

Jonah also likes Irvaine's sisters, Isabel:

and Ingrid:

While Andy prefers to hang out with the older women (Catherine and Andressa):

There was also some playground fun.

And food and conversation. This is Osmildo and Marta with John:

and Catherine, Carol, Jonathan, and Edvan:

This is Meyre:

Andressa, Lacy (an LST reader from the US), and Catherine:

Cindy and Greg (also from the States):

John and Roberto:

Tális and Renata:

And Andy's new friend Carlos (also 3):

This boy and his dog Peanut gave the day two thumbs up:

Your Upcoming Visit

2008-09-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

American Airlines just announced that beginning November 2, they will fly between Miami and Recife, a city just a few hours away from us by car. To give you an idea of what this means, let me put it this way: It shaves about seven hours off the previously grueling trip. Also, American is giving double miles for travel on this route through February 15. According to an e-mail we just received, the tickets are going for about $425 each way between Miami and Recife (yes, that's a good deal) if booked by December 2. Of course, you would still have to get to Miami and then find a way to Natal once you reach Recife, but Miami is a lovely place to spend the day and we've been looking for a reason to drive to Recife. So, check out the AA Web site and let us know when to expect you.

I'm a New Creation! I'm a Child of God!

2008-09-16T07:57:00.000-04:00

After Francisco's baptism last month, he told his friend, Geraldo, everything he knew about the Bible. Apparently, it was enough, because Geraldo came to the church eager to study more with John. Francisco and Geraldo are in the same line of work - selling peanuts and popcorn on the street. Geraldo has five locations that he manages and does quite well. He is married with four children and has a house and a car.

Geraldo says he has always wanted a better life for his family and has been sending his kids to church, even though he doesn't go. Shortly after beginning his studies with John he realized that it isn't just his kids that need church, he does too. He said he's always believed in God but nobody has ever sat down with him to explain what God tells us about himself in the Bible. When he started to see that God wasn't just something out there to believe in, but someone he could actually relate with, he confessed his sins to John and wanted to "start over".

John baptized him Sunday night. "I'm a new creation! I'm a child of God!" he said upon coming up out of the water.

Geraldo's family was present and, though they couldn't possibly realize the impact this will have on their future, they were very happy for him.
Shortly after his baptism, Francisco served him his first Lord's supper as a member of God's family.

Geraldo's family has taken Francisco in off the street. We pray that they will encourage each other in their new lives as Christian brothers and continue to reach out to those around them every day.

Sick Days

2008-09-09T18:52:00.000-04:00

We have a baby that looks about like this:

Because of that, I have been very sick and haven't done much blogging. Today marks the last day of the first trimester.

Jonah and Andy are very excited. Jonah wants another brother but says he would name a girl Shirla, while Andy's rooting for a sister but would name a boy Jack. When I showed them how big the baby is now (about two inches), Jonah asked why it makes me tired and sick to carry something so small. He didn't think he would have any problem with it at all.

We plan to find out the sex and welcome suggestions for names.

A Brand New Man

2008-08-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

Francisco has been studying the Bible at our church for almost two months. He saw the sign for Let's Start Talking (LST) on the building and signed up for Bible classes taught in English. He began studying with Bob, one of the LST workers who was here for six weeks. Then, when Bob left, he continued with Ryan, another worker who has been here for several weeks and is about to leave. In the midst of his English study Francisco was eager to learn more about the Bible than his limited English afforded. That's where John came in. He and Francisco have had weekly studies in Portuguese at the same time Francisco studies English. John's silent partner, Fernanda (see my last post), has been present for most of those classes.

Francisco lives on the street. He makes less than most of us would consider a decent living by selling popcorn and peanuts on the street. At night he locks his few possessions - a change of clothes, the Bible John gave him, and a magnifying glass to read it - in the cart he pushes around all day. On more than one occasion he skipped a study because it had rained and his "clothes were stinking". Someone stole his magnifying glass so he can't read his Bible any more.

He became homeless when he was twenty-five. He lived with his family as most Brazilians do well into young adulthood. He had a friend who was keeping bad company, and one of the shady characters showed up to Francisco's house with a gun. He shot Francisco's friend, killing him. Then he turned the gun on Francisco. Instead of shooting him, though, he shot Francisco's mother. She survived but the family blamed Francisco. They ran him out of his home and far away from where they all lived. He has been trying to get back on his feet ever since.

Francisco has had three failed common law marriages and one child with whom he has no contact. He has done desperate things, which need not be mentioned, just to feed himself. He says he's been told that he needs to turn to God and has gone into may churches seeking the meaning of that suggestion, but to no avail. Until he showed up at our congregation's door, he says, nobody ever took the time to sit down with him and explain who Jesus is and how he saves lives. Francisco told John he believes what the Bible says and wants to follow God's ways. He was baptized Wednesday night.

We just found out that he turned fifty on August first. He says he hasn't celebrated his birthday in many, many years because he hasn't had any friends or family with whom to celebrate. We're planning a belated birthday party for Francisco. We look forward to presenting him with a birthday cake, a Bible, an eye exam, and glasses.

Study Buddies

2008-07-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

John currently has three weekly studies with individuals interested in learning the Bible. Rodrigo (left) has been studying with John for about a month. Fernanda, a member of the congregation, is one of two silent partners who is in training to do Bible studies on her own.

They all seem to enjoy each other's company and the material being covered.

Fire at the Jewell House

2008-06-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

Two nights ago I was awakened by the ceiling fan. The steady hum of the motor was interrupted as the fan spun faster then slower out of rhythm. "Oh great," I thought, "the fan is broken," and went back to sleep. The next morning the lights were shining at half capacity. Life here is very different so we didn't think much of it. A little later I told John I thought something was burning and wasn't sure if it was coming from outside or inside the house. Our windows stay open all night and all day so it's hard to tell.

We searched the house and couldn't find the source so we decided it must be coming from outside. Just as John was coming down the stairs from checking our bedroom there was a loud bang and sparks rained down the stairs and onto the back of his neck. The light fixture on the wall had exploded into fire and a long flame was licking the ceiling (entirely made of wood). John threw a towel over the burning heap on the stairs and I fetched flour to douse the base of the flame. This is what you do when you don't have a fire extinguisher.

John shut down the main breaker and called the electrician who helped us when we moved in. While we were waiting for him to arrive our neighbor called to ask if we were having any electrical problems. He said he tested his outlets and the voltage - which is normally 220 volts in northern Brazil - had reached 380 volts. No wonder our light blew up. The electrician confirmed what our neighbor told us and said the city would have to fix the problem.

We lost an alarm clock, our radio, our cable box, and our washing machine but, thankfully, no one and nothing else was harmed. Between the sunrise at 5:00am and the large rooster population, we can live without the alarm clock. Though we would like to keep up with Fox news election coverage, we can read the local paper. The radio is a bummer but we can listen to music in the car, and since we got our boxes from the States recently, we have a lot more clothes to go through before we absolutely have to do laundry.

Now may be a good time to invest in some smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. We're also thinking about surge protectors but our neighbor assures us they wouldn't hold up against a surge that great. The good news, they say, is that it only happens once in a while. Hearing that makes me glad we didn't buy top-of-the-line appliances.

Thanks to all of you who pray for us regularly. We are very aware that this could have been much worse. Had we been away from home, we might have lost everything. Had we been asleep, we might have lost everyone.

Baseball Party

2008-06-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

Each Thursday the church hosts a party for its LST students (people studying English using the Bible). Last week's theme was baseball. Here's Jonah checking in at the name tag station by the front door:

Here are the students and some folks from church, ready to learn how to play baseball:

We separated into teams:

and showed them how to man the field:

Then we played home run derby:

This guy wanted to claim the American boys for his team:

And he was right to do so. They knocked it out of the park:

Of course, we had to teach them the wave:

and how to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game":

which they were happy to practice in front of everyone:

And what would a ball game be without hot dogs?

Jonah and Andy were especially proud to share their whiffle balls and plastic bat with people who have never played the game.

Brazilian Valentine's Day

2008-06-24T08:55:00.000-04:00

Brazilians celebrate Valentine's Day in June on Saint Anthony of Padua's Day because he is considered the patron of those who are seeking a romantic relationship. They call it Dia dos Namorados, which means Day of Lovers. In our experience, Dia dos Namorados has about as much to do with St. Anthony as Valentine's Day has to do with Saint Valentine. Instead, it's a time for husbands and wives and boyfriends and girlfriends to exchange gifts and celebrate their love for each other.

The church hosted a dinner for couples to celebrate this unofficial holiday. We had seventeen visitors. That number is odd because one of the visitors was the husband of a church member. John and I sat at their table. It was nice to get to know Alex because we spend so much time with his wife and daughter. He seemed reserved at first but warmed up to us as the evening went on.

We played a game where each couple was tied together and had to figure out how to separate without untying the strings that held them together.

Dinner was delicious and it seemed like everyone had a great time. We hope to make it an annual event.

Discovering Health Care in Natal

2008-06-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

We were racing into town at 5:00am with both of our groggy children to find a hospital emergency room to treat Andy. He had been up all night complaining about pain in his ears. Not wanting to overreact, we gave him Tylenol every four hours and decided to ride it out. By sunrise, his pain had not subsided and he was vomiting. We loaded up the car and went on the hunt for a hospital - any hospital other than the one we had been to for my asthma attack.

Among the first things we did when we arrived in Natal was sign up for medical insurance, because we knew we would have to wait a month before we could use it. It seemed as soon as the month was up we needed it, and "finding doctors" was pushed to the top of the list which, as we soon found out, can be very difficult in a foreign country.

I have asthma but haven't had any major episodes for over a year. I carry an emergency inhaler but have not taken daily medicine for some time - mostly because it costs almost $200 each month. Last month while my brother was visiting, I started having trouble breathing. (A buggy ride through the sand dunes isn't the best thing for an asthmatic.) I used my inhaler three times but to no avail. We went to the nearest emergency room at a hospital called Promater to seek help. I waited in a packed waiting room for almost two hours to see a doctor. When I was finally admitted, John and I walked into a small room where a young man was sitting behind a desk. I say "man" because I'm not at all convinced he was a real doctor.

When I told him my problem he looked baffled, so I helped him out by telling him about the medicines I have taken in the past. He had never heard of them so he looked them up in a medical catalog of sorts. He pointed to something and asked if I thought that was what I had taken. I wasn't sure but he wrote me two prescriptions anyway. Then he sent me across the hall to a room lined with chairs and spigots. A nurse entered and mixed the medicine that was written on the order I handed her. She attached a mask and hose to one of the spigots and handed it to me on her way out the door. "Wait a minute," I said. "How long should I do this?" She told me about fifteen minutes and asked if I had a watch. I didn't but John took out his cell phone and timed what seemed to be a nebulizer treatment on that.

I did not fill the prescriptions because my intuition told me otherwise but, thanks to God and good insurance, was able to seek out a competent pulmonologist who took a chest x-ray and a breathing test the very next day. She assured me that I am healthy and, if I can avoid certain irritants like chemicals, mildew, and sand dunes, I probably won't need daily medicine because the air quality is so good in Natal. She said it was a wise decision not to take the medicines the Promater doctor prescribed and gave me others to fill instead to get through the crisis. She gave me her cell phone number and said to call with any concerns. She also suggested that we avoid that hospital in the future. I am breathing fine now and Andy, who also has asthma, has not had any problems breathing.

His problem that morning was something else. We pulled into the parking lot at the hospital where I visited the pulmonologist. They told us at the reception desk that they don't see children. They recommended Promater - the one I swore never to visit again. We drove through the city and found another ER. John ran in and right back out. Bad news. They only see adults here. By that time Andy was throwing up again and we headed straight back to Promater.

We waited for about forty-five minutes. The "pediatrician" mumbled something about a green thing in his ear. I told her it was tubes we had put there because he had so many ear infections. She was visibly relieved to know what it was. The fact that she had never seen tubes in a kid's ears didn't earn my confidence. Then she said he had a double ear infection and started to write him a prescription. She stopped short and said she should probably know how much he weighed. She sat there and waited for us to go find a scale. Before we finally walked out of her office with the suspicious prescription in hand, she stopped us saying she forgot to listen to his heart and that would probably be a good idea.

We gave him the medicine only because we knew what it was. The next day we found a reputable pediatrician for a second opinion. He changed the dosage of the antibiotic, saying it was a bit much for a three year old. As it turns out, Andy had the beginnings of a respiratory infection with a lot of congestion. The medicine cleared it right up and he is well. We were both very thankful that this was not a grave emergency and have since done much research to find competent pediatricians and hospitals for our family.

Amazonian Giant Centipede

2008-05-18T11:00:00.001-04:00

This is what I'm going to tell you about in this post:

It's called an Amazonian Giant Centipede and if this photo makes you queasy, you certainly don't want to watch the links to the videos I've posted.

If you read Jonah and Andy's page you've already seen this and know that it was in our bed. The reason I'm putting it on our main blog page is because it has become something of an issue in our lives this week. One of these centipedes climbed out from under Jonah's bed and right up his leg on Saturday. They move fast and we had to turn the room upside down to locate and finally kill it.

I saved it in a container and took it to church to see if anyone knew what it was. Someone told me it's a lacraia (Portuguese for centipede). I did some research on the Internet and was happy to find no confirmed cases of death by giant centipede. I will allow you to watch the videos if you would like to know more about some of the creatures living around and apparently in our house - if you would like to know how to more specifically pray for our protection. We would sure appreciate it.

I will tell you that these centipedes are carnivorous - eating birds, bats, lizards, tarantulas, and mice - and highly toxic. See for yourself:

video of a centipede eating a tarantula

video of centipede eating a mouse

I even found a discussion forum for people who own these as pets (I kid you not) and handle them on a regular basis.

Party for English Students

2008-05-11T10:21:00.000-04:00

Last night the church celebrated its Let's Start Talking (LST) students by throwing them a party. It was also a birthday party for our LST girl Cris Carpenter, whose full-time job it is to read the Bible with these eager language students . Many of them regularly attend a Wednesday morning Bible class that John teaches as well as a monthly English church service. Take a look at the party photo album here.

And Then There Were Four

2008-05-09T13:53:00.000-04:00

Grandma left for the States this weekend. We sure do miss her. She has been with us through this entire transition and it has made it much easier on us all - especially the grandsons. We hope she will have a good visit with the family in Colorado and return to us very soon.

My Brother's Visit

2008-05-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

My brother came to visit and he just left on Saturday. He was only here for a week but we packed a lot into those seven days. If you're thinking about coming to visit or you're just curious how we treat our visitors, you can check out my brother's vacation photos here.

A Warm Welcome

2008-04-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

The church gave us a nice surprise when we got here. Someone just sent me a photo of the event, so now I can share it with you. While we were still in the States they had asked us for a family photo. They blew it up and hung it on the wall so they would all remember to pray for us. During the first Sunday service we attended, they introduced us to the congregation and presented us with the photo and a hammock (over my shoulder).

The kids were especially excited. As you can see, Jonah held the photo up and Andy danced.

The people in the photo (from left to right) are: Marisa Signoretti, Joanne (John's mom), us, Osmildo Braga, his wife Marta, their kids Jonathan and Catherine, Marisa'a daughter Andressa, and Marisa's husband Roberto.

Youth Reaching Out to Youth

2008-04-25T13:06:00.000-04:00

Remember when I told you that the young adults were planning an outreach program? Well, it was a big success. They ambitiously reproduced a play that has had a powerful impact on youth across the world. If you haven't seen the Lifehouse drama that was performed in Knoxville at Winterfest 2006, it's well worth the download time. These were some of the players in our congregation's version:

I taped it, but unless someone can tell me how to get a video from a tape-based camcorder onto my computer, I can't share it with you. If you watched the YouTube video, you may recognize this scene:

They had twenty-eight visitors and plan to do more of the same in the future. It's a very impressive youth group.

Preaching Debut

2008-04-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

Since we stepped off the plane here in Natal, the church has been asking John to preach. There are two families leading the congregation as full-time ministers. The fact that those two men were in desperate need of a break coupled with John's good reputation as a preacher had them anxious to open the pulpit to him.

This past Sunday was the day. He delivered a moving message - in Portuguese - on love. The congregation responded warmly and the leaders have asked John to consider working into the preaching rotation. For now, he has agreed to give them a break from time to time - at least until we are a bit more settled and have a better understanding of our roles here.

Please, Come In

2008-04-16T08:21:00.000-04:00

I do read your comments and I have not forgotten that you want to see what the inside of our house looks like. Let's take it from the top. This is what the ceiling of our round house looks like:

The door in the middle is the door to the master bedroom. The door on the right is to the boys' room. The "window" on the left is really just for ventilation. There is no air conditioning.

This is Jonah and Andy's room:

We are still waiting for our furniture to be delivered. The kids will be getting a bunk bed.

This is their bathroom:

This is our bedroom:

The windows face the east and the sun rises here at 4:30am. Our first purchase was blackout shades.

Here's our bathroom:There is no door on the bathroom and no door on the shower. Using this bathroom is a family affair.

This is the staircase between the main floor and the upstairs:

The window is actually open to the outside. It cannot be closed. The geckos love that.

This overlooks the kitchen:

The vertical slats are also open to the outside, which make the bats feel welcome.

Next time I'll show you what's on the main floor.

Dani's Baptism

2008-04-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

I was so excited about this story that I just had to steal some photos from Sascha and Jennifer's blog.This is a photo of Alexandre, Dani, and their daughter Ana Luisa:

Dani was our team's Portuguese teacher when we first arrived in Porto Alegre in June 2002. She married Alexandre while we were there then had her baby while we were in the States. We have been thrilled that Alexandre and Dani have maintained friendships with the team and have even been involved in church activities. Now we are very happy to introduce her, not just as a friend, but also as a sister. She asked Sascha to baptize her last week.

We are so encouraged by this news and want to share it with you. We wish the richest blessings on Dani's family and know God will grant them because of her faith.

Cooking Class

2008-04-11T07:20:00.000-04:00

This is Claudet:

She teaches a cooking class at the church every Tuesday afternoon at 2:00.

This is the class:

As you can see, some are listening and some are not. That's because the cooking class is as much of a fellowship time as anything else. I did learn how to make a pretty interesting casserole. It's about time. My recipes page hasn't been updated since Thanksgiving. As we settle in here, I plan to give you some good Brazilian recipes to make at home.

Remember, you can subscribe to any of our pages by entering your e-mail address in the top, right corner of the blog. If you haven't been keeping up with Jonah and Andy's page or my photo page, you're missing out on some good stuff. And please, leave comments so we know what you think.

The Rainy Season

2008-04-09T11:17:00.000-04:00

This is the dryer section of our yard in the rain:

The washing machine takes about 45 minutes to do a load of laundry then we get to hang it out on the line to dry. As you can imagine, it's a lot of fun.

This isn't officially the rainy season yet but it rains every day so I'm not sure what to expect. Our clothes seldom dry efficiently and end up smelling pretty musty. We went shopping and found a good dryer. Then we came home to measure the space and sleep on it. Dryers are quite a bit more expensive here and not something you want to impulse buy. Anyway, we took out a cabinet to make room and went back to the store. They informed us that they had sold the dryer and didn't have any more. We have spent the last week looking around for another one. It seems the only other dryer in the city at this time is a machine the size of a small bucket that washes and dries the clothes for about $2,500. Wow!

The First English Service

2008-04-07T07:47:00.000-04:00

I call this the first English service because, despite the fact that this was not planned, we have already decided to have more just like it. We decided as a family to have English worship together before the service on Sunday evening. (The church doesn't meet in the morning - only evening.) We invited the other Americans (LST teachers) to join us and they invited their students.

We sang songs in English and John gave a message. It was very good for some of us to worship God in our heart language and for others to have an opportunity for more exposure to English.
We plan to hold these services once a month. The group has agreed to invite their English-speaking friends to the next one.

Lost in Cyberspace

2008-04-01T11:37:00.000-04:00

We are trying to buy a car. We have been trying to buy a car for over two weeks now, and for over two weeks now we have been renting a car like this (which would cost about $18,000 to buy):

for about fifty-five dollars per day. Watching us all get in and out is a little like watching the clowns rehearse getting in and out of their tiny circus car. It has been difficult to find a car. We did a lot of research and had quite a time finding something affordable. Keep in mind that we are looking for something 2002 0r newer that can fit John, his mom, me, Jonah, and Andy. Our friends here have warned us that anything older may already be deteriorating from the salty air and rough roads. Here are some of the cars on the market and their prices:

2008 Toyota Camry = 165,000Reais or about $96,000

1996 Toyota Camry = 21,000Reis or about $12,500

2005 Toyota Corolla = 42,000Reais or about $25,000

2005 Chevy Corsa = 32,000Reais or about $19,000

2008 Fiat Doblo = 55,000Reais or about $32,500

2008 Ford Ranger extended cab = 120,000Reais or about $71,000

This may give you an idea of what's available here. I know it doesn't look very promising, but that's not even the problem. We have actually found a few cars that we can pay cash for. The problem is that we can't get to our cash. It seems to be stuck in cyberspace and no one around here knows where that is.

John ordered a transfer from our account in Texas to Brazil about sixteen days ago. The bank here said it should take three days, so when it wasn't here in five, he did some investigating. They told him the problem was that our CPF cards (that's the equivalent of a social security card) needed to be renewed every year (something we have never done.) We did that, which took two days, then John went back for our money.

They told him that the sending account, which happens to have his name on it, needed to be in his name. We decided to cancel the transfer and start over. That was about a week ago. The money has still not shown up in our Texas account. It seems our money is lost in cyberspace and can't be touched. What this means to us is that we have to continue renting the clown car until we can get our hands on our money. Even when it does get back into our Texas account, we still aren't quite sure how to get it to Brazil. We do, however, have someone who works at the Brazilian bank on the case. He assures us that our money will be returned and that he will help us to work this out.

The Youth of the Church

2008-03-27T09:58:00.001-04:00

These are some of the young adults of the church. Gabrieli (far left) and Andre (far right) are brother and sister. Gabrieli and her father live in our neighborhood. This is the community pool where they spent the day Saturday.

Jonah was excited to see them. They are very good with the kids.The church has been fasting and praying all week for this Saturday evening. The young adults have invited all their friends to a program designed to introduce them to Jesus. We pray that it will be a success and that many will return after Saturday.

A Few Photos of Our New Church

2008-03-25T18:09:00.000-04:00

Here are a few photos of our new church. This is the women's class:

The men's class:
Here are some of the kids playing after their class:
And this is during the service:

Class starts at 5:00pm on Sunday evening and the service is 6:00 - 7:30pm.

We went to a plant nursery today and I chatted with one of the guys that works there. I asked him the names of several plants and when I didn't understand one, I asked him to spell it. He said the letters in English so I asked him if he spoke English. He said he is learning and would like to know it better. I told him that we just moved here to work with a church that teaches English. LST (Let's Start Talking) is very active here. When I told him the classes are free, he looked perplexed and asked why. I shot straight with him and explained that we think it's very important for a person to have a relationship with God. I told him we know that people want to learn English so we teach the Bible in English, hoping they will become more interested in the Bible than the language. Ironically, he asked me what the catch was.

We invited him to the church and to the language classes and we invite you to pray for him. His name is Paulo.

Uninvited House Guest

2008-03-23T13:32:00.001-04:00

Remember when I said we were evicting the lizards from the house? Well, that didn't go so well and we still have lots of these running around:

I would say they average about a foot in length. However, after experiencing the bug population around here for a week now, each lizard is less of a nuisance and more of a welcome guest. It's a beautiful sight to see one run around scooping up bugs. Besides, the kids love to chase them.

Two days ago John's mom came running into the house yelling, "Crocodile! I just saw a baby crocodile! It went under the stairs!" She was convinced it was not related to the other lizards that run up and down the garden wall. We remembered a friend saying he had spotted the largest lizard he had ever seen in our yard. We called him to ask more about it. From Mom's description and that of our friend's, we deduced that they both must have seen the same thing. Our friend assured us that the lizard was harmless.

John saw him yesterday and described something I knew I had to see first hand. Finally I caught a glimpse of him today and took his picture from the upstairs balcony. I included part of our rental car in the background to give you an idea of his size. Each block in the pavement is 20" by 20". From head to tail that makes our house guest well over two feet.

Oh, and one more thing. We have no idea what he is. If you do, please give us a clue.

Our Contact Information

2008-03-21T18:15:00.000-04:00

We have spent a few nights in our house and even have cell phones. The country code is 55, our area code is 84, and John's number is 8809-0224. Mine is 8808-0224. If you download SKYPE at www.skype.com, you can call our cell phones from your computer at any time for pennies per minute. (Make sure you have a microphone connected to your computer.) If you happen to catch us on line you can call computer to computer for free. (If you have a Webcam we can talk to each other with video.) It's very neat. You should try it.

We will not be using our physical address for mail, but instead will use the church's address. We live in the country and hear the mail is not dependable out here. The road in front of our house is red, sandy dirt with lots of little gullies that deepen with each rain shower. This guy was out there yesterday leveling the road by hand:

The address we will be using is

Comunidade de Cristo

John and Samantha Jewell

Rua da Aurora, 58, esquina Av. Antonio Basilio

Bairro Lagoa Nova - Natal

RN - CEP: 59054 680

We also hear that we are not allowed to receive anything used or over $50 in value through the postal service here. I'm sure it has something to do with protecting the economy but we have yet to confirm the details.

Greetings from Brazil

2008-03-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

We are in Natal and doing well. We have very limited Internet access so please bear with us. We've been to our new house and are in the process of buying appliances and furniture and evicting the many bats, lizards, and frogs that live there. John's mom is less than thrilled but the kids love it. In the meantime, we are staying at a hotel with lots of European guests. Apparently, very few Americans visit here. It's hot, humid, and windy but very beautiful. I promise to post lots of photos as soon as possible.

One Step Closer to the Goal

2008-03-04T19:56:00.000-05:00

We're in Miami today. The kids were happy to make it to the hotel:

We chose to spend the night to break up the long, long trip a bit. Here we are in the La Quinta lobby, waiting for our taxi:
We spent the afternoon walking down Ocean Drive:
and feeding seagulls on the beach:

Our plane leaves tomorrow at 8:00 am. It's an 8-hour flight to Sao Paolo, then a 4-hour layover, and another 3-hour flight to Natal. You'll see us there soon.