On to New Adventures, A Farewell

To New Adventures, A Farewell

Dear Friends &Family,

Tiffany and I have spent the past 13 months doing what we felt called by God to do in ministry with Gospel for Brazil. We witnessed signs and wonders, have felt God move in unimaginable ways and been a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. The past year has been a roller coaster of victories and hard times just the same and God has been with us every step of the way; always faithful. 

We could not have made it through this year without your prayers and financial support. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support and mark on the Kingdom will not go unnoticed and you will be blessed times over for it.

Just as we felt God calling us to be a part GFB, we now feel Him leading us in a new direction. 

I have taken a job as Assistant Wrestling Coach at my alma mater, Forsyth Country Day School in Winston-Salem, NC. Tiffany is job searching and will be going back to teaching. We are excited about our transition and welcome your prayers as we prepare to make the move October 28th. 

If you have been a part of our financial support team since January 2011 you will receive a tax write-off statement in January 2012.

Our time with GFB has now ended so you will no longer need to send monthly financial support for us.  However, this economy has brought hard times upon everyone, and GFB is no exception. The organization has seen a drop in funding in the past few months and is now running a deficit. This has drastically cut the financial assistance we have been able to send to the kids in Seed of Hope. So we ask that you prayerfully consider transferring your support from us to Seed of Hope for the remainder of the year. If you choose to do so, simply make a check out to Gospel for Brazil for the  months of November and December. This would provide much needed relief for kids in Brazil who have so little already.

Once again, Tiffany and I want to thank you so much for being a such an integral part of our lives and the Kingdom of God over the last year. We have been absolutely privileged to partner with you and make an impact for God. 

Please keep up with us in this new chapter by following our blog. 

 Take a Look at What We’ve Done This Year

The opportunity to spend a year with GFB was a milestone in our lives. It allowed us to use our unique, individual gifts and pursue our heart for ministry. Here are the major achievements from our time with GFB.

-Presented to and established partnerships with four churches in NC from the Coast to the Piedmont.

-Restructured Seed of Hope to be more cost effective and reach more children. The new structure provides room for expansion in the future as well.

-Developed all new interactive website with up-to-date information.

-Created all new promotional media including print, graphics, and video. 

-Established and facilitated all new administrative processes and systems in the US office.

-Renovated Wilmington office space.

-Rebranded Seed of Hope. The new look will be released soon.

-Established SOH partnership with Grace Refuge Church in Fortaleza, Brazil. 

-Successfully organized and led a team of thirteen Americans to Brazil for two weeks.

-Spent three weeks observing and assisting GFB church leaders in Brazil with daily ministry. 

-Oversaw humanitarian aid distribution to all children enrolled in Seed of Hope.

Thank You.

Thank you for being an integral part of our ministry. None of it would have been possible without you. We are so very grateful that you stepped out in faith with us and asked God to do big things. He has done just that. We leave Gospel for Brazil knowing that we followed His will and carried out the Great Commision. These are times we’ll never forget and will have a life-long impact on us. Thank you for being a part of it. We love you all and pray God’s infinite blessings on you and your families. 

Sit-Down Restaurant Culture

I like to think of myself as a fairly cultured and well-rounded individual. I have a college degree. I spent a summer in New York City, a summer in Sweden, have  visited central America, and seen a great deal of our own country. But none of that quite prepared me for what awaited in Brazil. My eyes were opened to an entirely new lifestyle and a fresh way of thinking. And my heart broke for a nation.

Tiffany, having already been to Brazil four times prior, knew what to expect.  Her experience this summer has a slightly different twist than mine. I’ll let her tell you more about that in a later post.

  I had no idea of the passion that lives in Brazil. Whether it be eating, conversing, worshiping, singing, or praying they devote themselves to it fully. Whatever the activity of the moment they throw their entire being into it. A fierce and delightful focus that breathed life into every minute of the day. Brazilians have time for you. They have all the time in the world to sit and talk to you. There were times when the breakfast table was cleared and was reset for lunch, all the while we sat there talking. They do not feel it necessary to be in a constant state of motion. Busy holds no real value. There is a relaxation and a desire to savor time rather than trying to pass it in the fast lane. In fact, the family with whom we stayed in Fortaleza could not believe that we would eat drive-thru fast food IN our car. They identify with a nice sit-down restaurant rather than the drive-thru culture that we have created in America.

This whole mentality spills into their spiritual lives as well. They are not concerned with reaching a time limit on a sermon or making it out in time to beat the Baptists to K&W. They are the living example of the church in Acts. They worship and pray corporately multiple times a week. Church happens in their small group Bible studies and Sunday service is a celebration that ends each week. They do not depend on two hours on a Sunday to make them feel holy the rest of the week like so many people in the US. They take they initiative to seek God during the week to charge their batteries. Their passion drives them to be active in their pursuit of God. This passion, in every aspect, is something on which we as Americans should be taking notes.

And that was just the first week.

*Pictured above is Victor, one of the two boys Tiffany and I sponsor through Seed of Hope. *

That Dog Was Half Turtle, The Blind Seeing

One thing about Brazil is that there is no real humane society or animal shelter. So that means there is an abundance of stray dogs and cats – no pure-breeds here. I am almost positive that i saw a dog that was half turtle.

Our week in Ubauna was quite productive and eye-opening. The stories of the people there are nothing short of something you could find in a Lifetime movie. Things that you can only shrug off as fiction in the United States. Cristiane, a leader in the Gospel For Brazil church, has one such story.

Her mother gave birth to her a 11-years-old. Yes, you read that correctly. Her mother left her for dead in the woods outside the town for the dogs to eat. Her great grandfather happened to pass near her along the road on his way to work in the fields and took her in to raise as his own. Years later he grew sick and died, so Cristiane went to visit her mom for a week. Instead of staying for one week she ended up staying for 8 months – her mother had locker her in a 6′x6′ room with only small cups of water and food, and a sheet in the corner with which to sleep. No bath, no toilet – nothing.
She was beaten with a bicycle chain and deprived of all contact with people. She did not leave the room for 8 months. Finally a neighbor heard her screams and called the police. She then moved to Brasilia, the capital city, at 13. It was there that she became addicted to heroin, cocaine, and other substances while living with her 18-year-old boyfriend. At 16 she returned to Ubauna to live with an aunt who happened to live next to a church. One night Cristiane heard the pastor preaching the Gospel. That night she gave her life to Jesus! She renounced her former life and now leads a small group in the church. She shows no signs of her past, only the new life she in Christ.

Today, at 17, she is a joyful and radiant example of the change that takes place with the love of Jesus.

We were also able to get a lot accomplished with Seed of Hope, GFB’s child sponsorship program. Tiffany was instrumental in creating a new class schedule for the kids’ Bible courses, as well as a new filing system. Even more changes are in the works to not only provide better care for the kids in the program, but also facilitate better and faster communication between the child and the sponsor.

That brings us up to this week. We have been in Fortaleza with the rest of the American team. Each night we have had a service at different church. Over the course of this week have ministered to nearly 5000 people at 5 different churches across the city.

Each night the services intensified. After tonight we have witnessed the power of God in inexplainable ways. The lame have walked, the blind have been given sight, the deaf can now hear, cysts and tumors have literally melted away before our eyes, and Jesus was glorified in it all.
It is something marvelous to confidently expect miracles each night – and each night the power of the Holy Spirit has fallen harder and even more mightily.

Pray for us tomorrow as we travel to Ubajara for two days of services and then Ubauna for the final leg of our trip. Join with us as we continue to seek God for who He is.

Below are some pictures from the past two or so weeks if our trip. Enjoy.

Donkeys Not Squirrels, and The Autobahn as a Go-Kart Track.

We’re approaching the end of week two in Brazil, and I just now found the apostrophe on this Portuguese keyboard. Also, this computer does not spellcheck English, so my apologeis.

Since last Wednesday Tiff and I have been in Ubajara, a city nestled atop a mountain, and eight terrifying hours by bus  from Fortaleza – If the X-Games are looking to add a new event it should be “Brazilian Transit.” Car-sized pottholes, roaming suicidal ferrel dogs, meandering motorcyclists, and the frequent cow, make The Autobahn look like a go-kart track. We have yet to see any squirrels, commonplace in our home state of North Carolina, but donkeys seem to roam free just the same.

Once again we are inspired by the passion of the Brazilian people. Whether praying, worshiping, attending 3+ services a week, eating, or conversing, there is no shortage of enthusiasm. I had the privilege of leading worship, and Tiff and I were honored to be asked to pray for each and every child in the church. They brought every child to the front during one service and asked us to lay hands on them and ask for God’s blessing in their lives. Talk about a humbling experience to be considered fit to bless the children of this Church.

Here in Ubajara we are staying with Pastor Danilo and his wife Fatima. Just as our hosts in Fortaleza, they have been incredibly kind and welcoming to us. A year ago they were running two churches in the area; one in Ubajara, and one 20 minutes away in Tiangua. They would go back and forth between the two cities having services of some kind every day. At the time, they lived in Tiangua, but robbery, vandalism, and even threats upon their lives forced them to escape Tiangua for the safer environment of Ubajara.

Now the church in Ubajara is flourishing. People are giving their lives to Jesus on a daily basis and the congregation continues to grow. All week we have been going along with Danilo and Fatima on home visits; praying for people in their homes. Some of our meetings included a family with 13 children in one tiny concrete hut, a new mother living in a house with dirt floors and ceilings so low you could barely stand, a man in such poor health he could not make it to church to take communion, and a woman whose daughter had practiced witchcraft.

Danilo and Fatima minister in this way every day. Sometimes walking several miles across town to make these visits to pray for the people of this city. They are a true representaion of the Great Commision. They go – and they tell people the Good News. Simple as that. It has been an honor to stay with them this past week. And we pray many blessings over them in the coming years.

Tomorrow Tiff and I will travel an hour and some change down the mountain, to the “backwoods” as they call it, to Ubauna. Please pray for our safe travel and for God to prepare our hearts for what He has for us there.

We will upload pictures when we have wireless access again in Fortaleza next Monday.

Joyfully in Christ,

Patrick and Tiffany

On to the next city…

Oi amigos! This past week in Fortaleza has been better than we could have imagined. God has shown us so much about the church here in Brazil, the culture of the people, and we have even managed to learn a little Portuguese.

I know that Patrick would have been way too modest about worshipping on Sunday, so I decided to tell you all how amazing he did. He sang and played wonderfully all while leading 800 Brazilians in worship. It can’t be easy to sing for people in a language that most of them don’t speak, but he did it so well. I am a proud wifey. The service continued with a great message and 15 people surrendering their lives to Christ. It was such an honor to be a part of it.

One of the biggest blessings that we have had this week is spending it with our host family. We reefer to them as our Brazilian angels. Patrick came down with some illness on Monday where he was running a slight fever, had a severe headache, and was achy all over his body. They were so helpful with getting everything we needed and making sure that he recovered quickly. And that he did; by Tuesday morning he was feeling much better.

This family and church truly radiate Jesus in everything that they do. And it was a blessing for them to open up their homes and lives to us.

Now, we are about to take a 6 hour bus ride into the interior of Brazil. We don’t know what to expect except for God to show up in a big way. Pray for us as we travel and as we try to communicate and learn how to reach more people with Gospel for Brazil.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Here are pictures of our wonderful host family, Patrick leading worship, half of the people who were attending (I couldn’t get a picture of the whole crowd), Patrick with the worship band, and one last view of Fortaleza as we say goodbye for now.

Roll Your R’s

Not even a week into our trip, and so much already. Tiffany and I are in Fortaleza, a city with a metro population about half that of New York City, staying with a wonderful family from a local church. The goal of this first week is to get accustomed to the culture, language, and to begin working with the church here in Fortaleza.

The days are hot, but relief comes in the sporadic downpours being the rainy season here. The nights are a balmy 85 degrees with equal humidity and no air conditioning. This is the Brazilian winter. Also known as August in North Carolina.

Every day so far we have had some sort of new experience. Whether it is eating Brazilian foods like meat pie, farofa (akin to couscous), cashew juice, pineapple juice with mint, finding Arabian fast food, or attending passionate worship services in Portuguese, there is always something new and exciting.

One of the things that I anticipated being very difficult was the language barrier. But, in fact, it is not as daunting as I once thought. Our host family speaks English and is very eager and patient to assist us with our Portuguese. At one point during lunch, Dhandara, one of the three daughters in our host family, suggested we take the remainder of the meal to speak only in Portuguese, a suggestion that left Tiff and I a bit apprehensive. But thanks to the patience of our Brazilian family, and nothing short of divine intervention, we were able to converse for nearly 45mins in only Portuguese! No small feat for two Americans just learning the language. Remember to roll your r’s.

Tonight I have the great honor and privilege of leading a few songs at the church here in Fortaleza. When I met their worship leader the night we arrived in Brazil, after hearing that I sometimes lead worship in the US, he told me that “when two soldiers meet they must share the labor.” So it is a true honor to be asked to share in the labor.

The church here is full of life. They are fearless. In the midst of constructing a new building they face multiple setbacks and discouragement, but they remain determined and confident in the power of God. They know His faithfulness is constant and unfailing. Tiff and I were able to join them the other night in walking around the new building, still under construction, praying for God to begin moving and that each and every room would be consecrated unto Him – nothing short of powerful.

The spiritual climate here is so different than in America. During church services men sing loudly and pay no mind to what others think of them. The presence of God is almost palpable. Brazilians are not afraid to call down Heaven because they know their identity as children of the living God. Rather than participating in a spiritual realm that exists on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, they operate in the knowledge that they are perpetually in the spiritual realm. There is no separation of faith everyday life – faith is everyday life.

Please pray for Tiff and me as we leave the city and travel six hours inland to Ubajara on Wednesday. We will have to rely heavily on our Portuguese because we have no translator for next week. Pray that we God gives us the ability to speak and understand far beyond what we know now. Pray for me as I lead worship this evening.

Joyfully in Christ,
Patrick and Tiffany

Here are some pictures of the view from our host home and the church building under construction that we had the privilege of praying over and visiting.

HST 101: Intro to Brazil

Given my love for history and anthropology, I thought it apropos to do a quick Brazil history primer.

Today’s lesson: Colonization and Government.

It was first claimed and colonized by Portugal in the early 16th century. After numerous conlicts with France, Brazil was united as a sovereign kingdom of Portugal in the early 19th century, and in 1822 Prince Pedro de Alcântara declared Brazil’s independence, subsequently becoming the country’s first emperor. War with Portugal ensued resulting in the last Portuguese soldiers surrendering in the spring of 1824 and ultimately the official recognition of Brazilian independence in August of 1824. Periods of political unrest and civil war have plagued Brazil since the mid 19th century with the government changing hands and structures numerous times. Today, Brazil is a democratic republic with a presidential system.

Next week’s lesson: Economy and Biodiversity.

New GFB wristbands on sale now!!

Gospel for Brazil wristbands are now on sale! Each one costs $5 and all proceeds go to Tiffany’s and my ministry in Brazil this summer. As you wear it we ask that you wold lift is up in prayer this summer. Get your hands on one today!

To get one of your own, comment on this blog post or send an email to patrick@gospelforbrazil.org with “Wristband” in the subject line.

Engagement Photo Shoot Video

Here is footage of our engagement photo shoot from last October. The video was shot by my good friend, Nate Rudolph, and edited by yours truly. You can visit Nate’s site here.

Look for the wedding video coming soon. I am about to start editing that in once we return from Brazil.

Bear Grylls would be proud, Counting down.

We’re back from our picture-perfect honeymoon in Mexico, preceded by our storybook wedding. Now we’re getting jacked up for our Brazilian summer!

The region of Brazil in which we’ll be working is called the sertão, or backcountry. I think that Bear Grylls would be proud of our location choice. Ok, maybe it is not quite Man vs. Wild material, but it is rather rustic. The people live in extreme poverty, most trying to survive on less than $1 a day. The literacy rate is a mere 40%, and most have no hope for education. The climate is hot and arid with few natural resources.

And we cannot wait to get there. God would not call us to such a harsh and impoverished region if He did not have big God-sized plans for us, the people, and the region. We expect miracles and signs and wonders. We have the honor and privilege to bring the light of Jesus to this dark and place. How exciting!

Some pictures of the area where we will be doing some of our ministry.

         

We’re less than three weeks away from departure on May 17. Our time this week is being spent making our day-to-day itineraries, coordinating lodging and ground transportation, and prepping for a last minute speaking engagement at The Message Church in Leland, NC. As we are making final preparations for the trip we are continuing to raise money for our costs in the field. Over the past few weeks we have been very blessed to raise a large portion of that working fund, but we still need about $3000 more. This goes to cover all meals, transportation, and lodging for the two of us as we travel to the five different locations inside Brazil. If you would like to further partner with us financially to help us reach our goal you can go to www.gospelforbrazil.org/donate to do so. Our ministry would not at all be possible if it were not for you, our faithful and generous partners. You have as much impact as we do. You are half of this ministry, and we sincerely thank you.

Also, we covet your prayers. Please pray that we would have safe travel everywhere we go, that God would place mighty angels around us and everyone we contact, that our time would be fruitful and productive, that the name of Jesus would be proclaimed wherever our feet touch the ground, that we would bring the peace and love that only exist in Jesus, that the darkness would flee at the sight of the Spirit of the Lord in us, that lives would be forever changed from the power of God, that children would be rescued from poverty, and that Tiff and I would be changed by our time in Brazil.

We are so very excited about this summer and to see all that God has in store for us, as the hands and feet of the ministry ,and you, as the backbone and foundation of the ministry. God will be faithful to pour out His love and blessings on all involved. No backing out now. We’re going no matter what know that God is faithful to provide. An exciting summer awaits!!

We’ll be in Brazil May 17-June 21 so be sure to check back here so you don’t miss anything!!