Tag: Foster

Dear Friends & Family,

“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1,2 )

These familiar verses speak directly to the reason we keep on keeping on. Our close friend and encourager, as well as our pastor of many years, Bro. Jimmy Draper, in his book, Don’t Quit Before You Finish, writes: “We are to be found faithful, no matter what. In doing so, we provide the hope of Christ to…all who live in our depraved and deprived world. Our hope is their only hope — faith in Christ Jesus. And our call is to stay the course for Christ.”

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Dear Friends & Family,

Last year about this time, I wrote: “2019 has been an exciting year for our family/ministry, and the Lord has taught us many things, proving over and over again his love and faithfulness!” The word “exciting” just doesn’t seem appropriate to describe 2020!* Nevertheless, we can still say “the Lord has taught us many things, proving…his love and faithfulness.” Like you, we are especially delighted to now focus on family and the birth of our Savior. We pray that you, too, will have a very Blessed Christmas!!

*2020 is quickly coming to an end. The pandemic caused things that we still don’t understand; we faced challenges, a few of which we have not yet overcome; we made unprecedented adaptations, opening doors for EE-Brazil that we never imagined; and certainly there were victories that we haven’t yet recognized!

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Dear Friends and Family,

We are still healthy and unaware of anyone in our family who has contracted the virus. We are very grateful to the Lord for that blessing!! Please continue to pray for our son, Brian, who was laid-off from his job last month, as a result of the downturn in the economy. He had an interview that went well last week and is waiting to hear from this company.

Our pastor preached a sermon last Sunday from Exodus, which he called, “Finding Purpose in a Plague.” Today I had a video-conference with members of our EE-Brazil team in which I briefly shared some points from the message, beginning with: “God’s ETA is always unknown, but He is always right on time!

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Dear Friends and Family,

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. (Pr. 16:9)

How can it possibly be Easter already? As I begin to write, it seems that I am coming up for air, after a near drowning…my own!! Read below, and I’ll explain. It is Good Friday, and Mary Jo and I pray this Easter will be your most blessed ever! It will certainly seem like the strangest ever, right?! Yet, the essentials of Easter remain unchanged, only our traditions for its observance are being altered. Tetelestai…it is finished/our sin debt is paid!!
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Dear Friends & Family,

Last December, I wrote: “2019 will provide new opportunities for cultivating, sowing, watering and harvesting.” Now, we are at the end of the year and can affirm that 2019 did just that! Throughout the year we have tried to keep you informed and in a position to pray for these new opportunities. Not only were new opportunities seized during 2019, the foundations were set for 2020 to be even more fruitful!! So again this December, we are leaning forward into the new year with expectation, vision and perseverance to see God’s people equipped to explain the Gospel and to train others to explain it, too, resulting in spiritual multiplication. Your involvement…investment in helping us to be prepared to sow in the new planting season remains essential!!
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Dear Friends & Family,

2019 has been an exciting year for our family and ministry, and the Lord has taught us many things, proving over and over again his love and faithfulness to all of us! Now, as the Advent Season is upon us, we are encouraged to prepare our hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus. We pray that you, too, will have a very Merry…Blessed Christmas!!

In early November, I presented to our National Council EE-Brazil’s Action Plan & Budget for 2020. The name of the plan is nEExt. It is a common marketing tactic in Brazil for an English word to be used. So, we have adapted the word “next” into nEExt. Here are some highlights of our vision for next year:

• to bless the Brazilian Church and generate financial resources for the ministry, we will pursue publishing again four books by our founder, Dr. D. James Kennedy;
• the fourth module of our training will be printed and made available to churches in the first semester, AND the fifth module will be translated, edited, published and made available to churches in the second semester;
• a web-based system will be launched for churches to manage their outreach ministries, helping them keep up with those being trained and those being visited, reached with the Gospel and discipled;
• and a project called Local Teams, which will bring together the pastors of implementing churches, in order to provide motivation and encouragement.

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Family and Friends,

While in São Paulo, I noticed again what has become a trend in recent years, i.e., the internationalization of the distinctly US holiday we call Thanksgiving. I see it being referred to in Brazil and other parts of Latin America, where there were no pilgrims and Indians who came together to share/celebrate a harvest meal in the year 1621. It seems to me that Latin Christians are the ones who have picked-up on our tradition and decided it is a good idea to have a day dedicated to thanking our Lord for his bountiful provision!

At EE-Brazil, our vision is to train and equip church members across Brazil to confidently explain the Gospel to family members, friends, and others they come into contact with in their communities, on their jobs and in their schools. Sounds great and really IS a vision 100% in line with God’s Word! But, it is not always an “easy sell,” as many good opportunities, in the form of projects and ministries, compete for the time and attention of pastors and church leaders. Therefore, we are grateful for recent advances in further penetrating existing fields like Rio de Janeiro and entering into new ones like Rondônia in the vast territory known as Brazil!
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Family and Friends,

I read something in Portuguese recently that stopped me in my tracks, and I began to think about it in very personal terms! Maybe it has been around even in English, but I saw it for the very first time. It was a series of statements that begin with: It would be easier to…

• …have a less hectic routine. (I thought of trying to keep up with the challenges of having one foot in the US and the other in Brazil.)
• ...have set hours to work and others to relax.
• …to take time off and not feel guilty or be unable to disengage from the demands the first few days, only to realize the time off was half over.
• …to not have to raise financial support for family & ministry, which sometimes feels like a second full-time job.
• …to not have to write newsletters when other work is piled up around you. (I made that one up on my own! 😎)
• …to just think about me and have as a reference for my life someone who had not emptied themselves of their glory and died on a cross for my sins.
• …etc. etc. There are too many to continue here…another day.

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