Tag: Foster

Dear Friends & Family,

Last month, we asked you to pray for both a national online workshop and a training clinic. Now we have received the results. Response had been very encouraging with 134 pre-registered for the 2-evening workshop and 28 for the more in-depth training clinic that ran through Saturday. The teaching originated from Rio de Janeiro. Participation from as far away as the state of Amazonas was possible via Zoom.

In all, eight churches were involved. A large number of people, representing smaller congregations in other Amazonian cities, met together in the auditorium of their mother church where the Zoom transmission was projected on a big screen. The participants from the other seven churches in different states of Brazil connected from their own homes, using their smartphones, tablets and laptops. Connection issues had been an early concern for both the Zoom classes and the WhatsApp video-calls to be made to people who needed to hear an explanation of the Gospel, However, the Lord heard your prayers, and these did not pose significant challenges. The final report on participation was 133 and 28, respectively, for the workshop and clinic. Praise the Lord!

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Dear Friends & Family,

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

We have been busy recently making further adaptations to how we conduct our ministry and do training in this fear-filled world. Worldwide, there are crises on every hand, and Brazil is no exception, with daily reactions by politicians and the media to the pandemic continuing, the country’s economic woes worsening, politics spilling-over into their Supreme Court (sound familiar?), etc.

But, there is good news, too! This week we are offering both a national workshop and training clinic. Please pray this week for these two events in Brazil that will begin Tuesday evening. Response has been encouraging, and we have 134 registered for the 2-evening workshop and 28 for the training clinic that will run through Saturday. The teaching will originate from Rio de Janeiro. Participation from as far away as the Amazon will be via Zoom. Eight churches are involved.

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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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