Fresh Paint

We have “saudades” for you! To have saudades has a meaning close to “I miss you” with a little stronger connotation. We pray that all is going well and hope to hear some news about the ministries there soon. It is amazing the connections that the God provides his children through His Holy Spirit. We feel it when we hear news of other churches both at home and here in Brazil.

Our main goals these first nine months are: to learn Portuguese as best we can, support our teammates through culture shock and get settled ourselves, befriend Brazilians in our neighborhood (keeping a list of all evangelistic contacts), do cultural research, and build relationships with the existing Churches of Christ in our city. The last goal is what I am writing to you about now…

On Friday the whole team went to a very small and very poor congregation, the Itinga Church of Christ, on the other side of the city (about an hour bus ride). They have needed their small church building painted for a long time, as much of the walls were black from dirt and mold. And they as a church spiritually said that they were trying to make a fresh start and wanted something to remind themselves of this. So, our mission team, seeing the need and wanting to minister to our brothers and sisters there, took time to paint their building together.

It was as much a team building project for us as it was a project on their building. We broke out in song while we painted and worshipped together during our service to the Itinga Church. We sang some in Portuguese but mostly still in English. Two of our Brazilian brothers who came to mix the paint for us (in an odd Brazilian way I might add) would break out in the Portuguese versions of the songs we were singing and vice versa. God truly blessed us by being there together serving and singing to Him. So, we ask that as you watch the improvements on the Riverchase building taking place, think to pray for the Itinga Church. May we all remember our connection in Christ to our brothers and sisters all over the world – no matter in what language our hearts sing.

P.S. To see pictures of the Itinga church and of the pet monkey of one of the families there, click here.