How An O-Ring Can Make You Tired

Traveling to Brazil was a great experience but we were all ready to come home when we reached the Sao Paulo airport Tuesday night. It was there that we found out a scheduling mix up meant there was no plane to take us home. American Airlines did help locate us in a hotel for the night. We returned to the airport Wednesday night for our scheduled flight very ready to be home. An hour into the flight the pilot alerted us there was a hydraulic fluid leak and we would have to return to Sao Paulo. At sometime after 4:00 in the morning we were delivered to another hotel (very nice but at 4:00 in the morning it didn't really matter). At this point, we were all very, very, very tired. We were delivered back to the airport Thursday night and arrived at DFW Friday morning at 6:00 in the morning. On the flight, we found out that a simple O-ring had cracked and caused the leak costing the airlines thousands of dollars and making us extremely weary.

There were many challenges during the trip but all were handled with grace and ease. We prayed as a group before we left for a number of specific hopes and concerns and God faithfully answered all of our prayers. I have returned from Brazil with a new perspective on my life and my faith, I have returned with a great appreciation of the servant hearts possessed by members of our group and I have returned knowing God is more awesome than I can describe. I am overwhelmed by the heart and commitment of Randy and of other missionaries we met while in Aracaju. They have given up a life of convenience for a life of service in sharing the Gospel.

I cannot speak highly enough of our youth that went on the trip. I know them better and am blessed to have spent this time with them. If they represent the future of the what God has called us to be, I am confident they will do a better job of spreading His word than many of my generation have. They are bold in their faith and I am confident what they experienced will only help shape them into stronger Christians.

I hope our church will realize the blessing God gave us when he brought Jacob and Heather to Decatur. Jacob is a servant leader to his core. He models what Christ would have us be and is an example for all of us to follow. Heather is also a servant leader who quietly does whatever is needed. They model the fruit of the Spirit in all they do and I am thankful to God that I have come to know them.

Everett is a blessing also. His desire to serve God, to teach and to lead people to knowing the Gospel is evident. His experience traveling and in missions made this trip easier than I could have imagined. He builds me up and challenges me to know God better and I am thankful for him.

Thank you for all your prayers. Even with a few hiccups, God provided all we needed and brought us home safely. It is good to be home among family.

The Journey Home Is At Hand

We will meet in about 2 hours to catch the bus to begin our journey home. I dread the flights but look forward with great anticipation to seeing my family, my home and my friends. It has been an awesome experience - eye opening, encouraging and faith building. I've eaten food that is different, tried to communicate with people who couldn't understand me and slept in conditions I wouldn't imagine at home yet none of it is was unbearable and I think my perspective on life, on people and the world will be forever changed in positive ways.

I am thankful to God allowing us to be here, for blessing us with safety and showing us the love that is possible between those who believe in Him no matter their language, culture or any other differences. I am thankful for people willing to take the good news to all parts of the world. I am thankful for brothers and sisters willing to encourage others and share the joy of Christ. I am thankful for a church family who supported this trip through prayer, encouragement and money. I am thankful to a wife and family who supported me to go and see all that I have.

I pray that we will return home safely and that the lives of all of us who have made this trip will be used to push our desire to share Christ and His salvation at home and abroad.

Reflections on Aracaju

One night left in Aracaju before beginning the long journey home. Today was spent going to some markets and seeing both cheap trinkets and handmade goods. We also visited a food market which was quite different than our grocery stores. Everything is open for inspection from both people and flies. I'm constantly struck by the differences of life from America. As would be expected, the pace of life is much slower here and what might be considered on time here is not what we are used to. Our bus driver has been good about being where he was needed and that has been a blessing.

I'm still struck by the love and joy in our Aracaju brothers and sisters. Today we ate at a restaurant owned by a family in the church here. They are so happy and loving and it was good to see them again before we left. Romeo (pronounced home-a-o) did a great deal of work getting food for our retreat and it was good to visit his business. We went to an ice cream store afterwards for a nice treat on a warm, humid day. This afternoon, some of our kids went to the beach and we will return tonight to eat and look around.

I have loved this opportunity and am thankful for those who have played a part in making it happen. The Decatur church has been blessed by Jacob and Heather. He has done an outstanding job in planning with Randy and making sure everything goes well here. He is such a servant as is Heather. Everett has been essential in getting us around being the world traveler. I am thankful for him and his bits of wisdom. Randy took on an uncomfortable role in planning the trip but has come out it well.

Pray for our safe return and pray that the church here continues to grow in knowledge and wisdom of what God wants for them. Pray that servant leadership will be learned and exhibited in the church. Give God thanks that men and women are remaining faithful to the great commission given us.

Return to Civilization

My title is somewhat tongue in cheek but returning to hot water, air conditioning and being able to flush toilet paper instead of throwing it in a trash basket seems like a return to civilization. We stayed at an encampment that was nice but sub-standard to places most Americans would stay. I was surprised to see the broken glass bottles lining the wall around the camp to keep the bad guys out but a brief venture into the village found people who only regarded us as an oddity.

The time we spent with our Brazilian brothers and sisters was enlightening and uplifting in many ways. The one thing I walked away with was their genuine passion for God and for doing His will. The emotion that came through in their talks and in their singing was evident and their love for one another and us was also evident. They love to hug and they love to laugh. They have little in material things but they have huge hearts.

I'm growing weary of beans and corn meal but it is giving me an appreciation for what we need and what our focus should be about. Being here makes it easier to understand why other countries look down on America. I brought more for spending money than most people in the church earn in a month. What we expect as far as comfort, most Brazilians can't even fathom. All the while, with language separating us, we sang songs in Brazilian and they listened to us sing songs in English. While campaigning over 1 1/2 days, we gave out 10,000 flyers on the school of the Bible and the school received several calls wondering about the school and who these people were out singing. Our kids played futbal together, our ladies and teens taught Bible classes and the adults were edified from teaching from both Brazilians and Americans because our language was the same in spirit.

I've seen so much I can't begin to describe it here but I will leave with lessons that shall never leave me. I will leave closer to God because He has used this opportunity to teach me. I will leave with more compassion for people and with more passion for our mission efforts.

I do miss home. I have very tired physically and long to be with those I love so dearly. All the while, I thank God for this time and this place to know Him and His children better.

The First Day of the Campaign

Today was our first full day for what we came to Aracaju for. It was an early start for a group that went to the church to put on a VBS for 53...yes, 53...kids. All reports were that it was awesome and the kids were thrilled. There were also a number of comments about how well-behaved they were when compared with our own VBS in Decatur. It was truly a blessing for those children. The rest of us went to the dowtown area which is filled with little shops and people walking up and down the streets. We went to a couple of different areas battling the wind and stereos blasting from one of the stores to sing songs primarily in English (one in Portugese) while several of our Brazilian brothers and sisters handed out flyers and talked to people walking by. The Brazilians seem to enjoy singing as many stopped and listened often clapping or giving a thumbs-up after the songs. It was hot and very humid so we battled that along with tired feet and backs before going back to the hotel and mall for lunch and a short rest. All of us headed back to the downtown area after lunch to sing more. It seemed we found more receptive souls in the afternoon and our Brazilian bretheren were excited about the response they got. When we arrived at church tonight, Idalicio told us they had already received several calls from people wanting more information on the School of the Bible program. Hallelujah.
Church was fun. All the songs were sang in Portugese and most were songs we sing. Once we picked up on the tune, we sang along in Portugese. I spoke on Servant Leadership. It was my first time speaking with a translator and it was challenging. I had to speak one sentence or one brief thought at a time and it was hard to keep my train of thought. Another opportunity to work out of my comfort zone for God! It was an awesome hour of worship and I'm looking forward to more over the weekend.
Tomorrow we leave for the retreat. We will be staying at a camp compound for the next 3 nights - no air conditioning, no putting toilet paper down the toilet (yuck), no creature comforts but there will be plenty of bonding with our hosts and glorifying God. I know it will be a wonderful and uplifting encounter.
This will be my last blog for a few days. Hopefully I'll be able to post again on Sunday night or Monday before embarking on our return journey late Tuesday into Wednesday. Please keep us in your prayers.

Arrival in Aracaju

Wow...what a journey it has been. I left my house at 8 a.m. Monday morning and arrived at the hotel in Aracaju around 12:30 p.m. Texas time on Tuesday. 5 towns and 5 planes finally delivered 30 of us safely to Aracaju where we were greeted by a band of our brothers and sisters from the church here including Randy and some others from Lubbock/Sunset also. I'm not sure you ever enjoy a shower more than after going more than 24 hours without one. I was blessed that my fear of being cramped in a plane was relieved at the last second before boarding and some good brothers and sisters were kind enough to give up better seating on some of the flights in Brazil. It was an answer to prayer. Sleep was short and not often usually existing in 20-30 minute naps totaling less than 3 hours. I'm now hit with the fact that it will be more than a week before I see my precious family again and that is hard to think about. Enough of the whining.
Aracaju is in the dead of winter meaning it is 85-90 degrees and very humid. The hotel is nice and a mall is nearby where we ate tonight. Being winter, it gets dark between 5:30 and 6:00. Aracaju is an interesting town filled with high rises in some areas, poorer housing in others.
What has struck me the most so far is the joy the Aracaju brothers and sisters showed when we arrived. Each of them came around to all ofus introducing themselves and giving us hugs. They quickly helped with luggage and many rode on the bus to the hotel with us singing songs that sounded familiar in tune and sung in Portugese. It is quickly evident that this will be a tiring but uplifting and exciting week. Tonight we met and were given t-shirts we will wear while singing or at VBS advertising the School of the Bible, sang and prayed for a successful time evangelizing and glorifying God.
I thank God for safe passage to Aracaju and continue to pray for our safety here and our journey back home. I also pray, and ask you to join me, that hearts will be touched and hearts will be changed - that Jesus and His majesty will be made known and that more souls will be added to the kingdom through our efforts. May God bless us and the people we can touch in Aracaju this week.

Happy Father's Day

I am blessed. I've grown up having a great dad who has supported me, taught me, encouraged me, molded me and challenged me. I've grown up have a dad who loved me and sacrificed for me. One conversation my dad had with me in our backyard changed my perspective on him and has continued to have a profound impact on me now that I'm a father. As we sat in the backyard, I asked why he didn't make us much money as another man in the same business. His answer was simple and direct when he said, "I could but it would require me to work a lot more. Instead, I rather be available to you whenever you need me." I, like many kids, think money is the key to a happy life. My dad taught me that day that a personal relationship was the key to life. Thank you dad. God blessed me richly.

I am blessed more by having a second father. I married into a wonderful family and have been blessed to also have a father by marriage who is a great example of patience, of love and of servant leadership. I've seen him go through tough times and he always handles it with grace and dignity. I've seen him in good times and he remains ever humble.

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This is my last night at home for awhile and likely my last day to post a blog for a while. We leave the church building at 9:30 tomorrow morning to begin our trek to Aracaju, Brazil. It is with a sense of excitement and anxiety that I prepare for this trip. My prayer is that lives will be changed to the glory of God through this trip. I'm thankful to the many people who have made this trip possible, both for me and for our entire group. I ask for your prayers for our safety and for success in sharing the Good News with the people of Brazil.

Happy Birthday!

June is birthday month around our house. Two of the family have June birthdays and today is one of those. My wife was born on this day and what a blessing she has been to so many people in her (short) life. Through her life, she has had a positive impact on many people and I, thankfully, am one of those. I know I join with her parents, her siblings, her children and a host of others when I say we are blessed and thankful to have you in our lives. Happy Birthday!

Next week, my son turns 10. It seems like yesterday that he was causing us some alarm in the delivery room and now 10 years have flown by. I, like many parents, wish I could capture the time in a bottle to open and enjoy from time to time but life doesn't work that way. I'm thankful for so many wonderful memories but more so, I'm thankful for a beautiful and wonderful child who blesses my life each and every day.

Time Crunch

I'm living in a time crunch. It's those moments where there is much to do and time is running short to do it all. A couple of birthdays, lots of work, planning and packing for a trip. At times, it is hard to get it all done and even harder to stay focused on what must be done. Losing focus for me is the worst part of the problem. If I can stay true to what I need to do, I can usually get it done but at times, all the demands run together and I'm paralyzed by trying to think of all of them at one time instead of dealing with each demand on it's own.

I know this is one way the Devil gets to me. I lose focus of the one important thing (Jesus) and get turned around thinking about a bunch of other issues. My focus becomes blurry and I start reaching out in many different directions, flailing about at all the things coming towards me instead of staying focused on what I need to get me over each obstacle. I pray that my focus will remain constant on my Savior and knowing that as long as I am focused on Him, I will have the strength to take on whatever else comes my way.

Frustration

I'm pretty sure I've already written a blog today and posted it but when I checked a moment ago, it was no where to be seen. The Internet is supposed to make my life easier, isn't it?

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One week and counting. At about this time next week, I'll be sitting on a plane that is preparing to take a number of people from our church to Aracaju, Brazil (technically, we'll be on 3 different planes but you get the idea). It is exciting and a bit scary too. Overall, I'm excited about the opportunity to meet my brothers and sisters in Christ that I have prayed for, sent financial support to and heard many thrilling stories about their path to God. I am excited to study with them, worship with them and glorify God together in two languages. I started preparing one of my lessons last night with wonder of what I will say that they may not understand because of differences in culture or language. I wonder what challenges we will find once we get there. I wonder what we will eat and many other of those type issues but know and trust that it will work out in the end. We aren't the first travelers to make this trip...just a bunch of inexperienced travelers. Yet, my mind returns to the images I have of all of us with Bibles open, singing together and the time of fellowship. I think I'm mentally ready, just not physically ready.

Keep us in your prayers.

Saying Goodbye

I said goodbye to my grandmother today. Saying goodbye is never easy but it is comforting to know that she chose to live as a child of God and that her home now is the one that is promised to those who accept His salvation.
As we said goodbye and I listened to the preacher talk about her Christian qualities, I couldn't help but think that even with tears flowing froms sadness how wonderful it was to know she had a home in Heaven. I also thought about what it must be like to be at the funeral of someone who is not a child of God. What is there to rejoice about? Where is the hope?
My grandmother feels no more pain and only knows joy. What a blessing to know that awaits me too.
As we finished the service, I was blessed to listen to Psalm 23 read. As David finishes saying "...surely I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" I hear the promise that my grandmother had, that I have. What comfort and peace comes from those words. I hope somehow, everyone can come to know that peace.
Goodbye Grandmom. Thank you for the life you led, the example you set and the knowledge of our Savior that you taught and shared.

A Day Closer

The trip is one day closer. It's going to be hard to be away from my family for 9 days. I'm not a good solo traveler. I like to be home and when I'm not at home, I like to be with my family. Maybe it's the routine or the security of having them around but I'm never completely happy when I am not with them.
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My grandmother passed away this morning. She has lived many, many years and her body finally gave out. She saw so many changes in her life and lived through some memorable parts of history. The last few years have been hard ones and I am confident she was ready to move on.
I remember helping her quilt. Her quilts were prize winning and cherished by those who got them. It was truly one of her talents and I recall so many years of watching them being made, playing with her equipment and being her "helper". I remember her strawberry shortcake. If you've had it, you know what I mean. I remember reciting the 23rd Psalm to her when I stayed at her house. I assume it was one of her favorites and because of her, it is mine too. I remember a lot of yardwork at her house. I pulled weeds in the yard (to my children, yes, I do know what it's like to have to pull weeds), trimmed trees and mowed. I like to mow because she had a riding mower, not something we had at our house. I vividly remember going to mow once, taking the gas can out of the mower seat, sitting down and starting to mow when it felt like a fire had erupted under me. It turned out the gas can had a leak and I was sitting in gasoline while mowing in the heat of the summer...not a good combination. I remember she loved basketball. It's been a passion in our family for many years.

It's good to have memories. We can keep them and cherish them. One thing I will remember is that Grandmom was dedicated to God. I know she has gone to a much, much better home and all the problems she experienced are gone. I'm thankful for the legacy she and all my grandparents left me with their Christian walk. Their love for God is the living memory that I will carry with me daily.

Two Weeks and Counting

At this time in two weeks, I'll be preparing to board an airplane headed for Miami and then to Aracaju, Brazil. It will be at this point that I've finally given up worrying about what I forgot to pack and will be diligently praying that the airlines gives me a seat with plenty of leg room. :)

Thirty people from our church in Decatur will be headed to Aracaju to visit a church that we have supported for the past 3 years and a missionary we have supported for almost 4 years. We are going to help with some evangelizing and some teaching while there but mostly this trip will be about building relationships with brothers and sisters we don't know but already love, brothers and sisters who are different in many ways but share a common bond with each of us. We will be foreigners, a concept that is new to many of us. We will be in a land that speaks a different language, eats different foods and has a different culture. All the while, we will revel in the joy and knowledge that we are all looking forward to the same home in Heaven one day.

I'll post more about the trip in the next few weeks and, hopefully, will blog some while I'm there. In the meantime, I ask for your prayers. I ask that you pray for a safe journey and a good experience and most of all, I ask that you pray that God will work in us to encourage, love and lift each other up and that we all come to know Him in a deeper and more intimate relationship.

Let the Paint Fly

I spent the morning playing paintball with some 10 year olds and the "chickens" and now I'm feeling it. It was fun and tiring and I've got a couple of good welps to remind me of the fun we had. It was my son's idea for a birthday party and except for getting shot in the head once, I'm pretty sure he had a great time.

It's fun being with kids. They run and play and worry very little, if at all, about what the world holds for them. Their innocence can be contagious. They see the world simply as a place to go and do what they want to do. They haven't developed the thought process of looking for all the things that can hold them back - they simply see what they want to do and set about to do it. Of course, we older, wiser, more mature adults are always handy to warn them off and pull them back so that one day they can be like us and get caught up in the problems of everything we want or need to do and forget to see the joy in doing it.

Our Wednesday night classes have reminded me that we need to be people who are bold and courageous; that setbacks are only obstacles to help us see a better path and failure is simply a tool to help us see we are going the wrong way. A stop sign doesn't mean we can't keep going. It only means we must stop, look and observe and make sure our path is clear. Too often in life, we come to a stop and we stop never going further.

I pray that I have the faith to go and do God's will and that I realize the hurdles and the stop signs are only there to challenge me to focus, to see what I need to see and to move forward still trusting in God's hand to guide me.