HARVEST BRAZIL

Changing Sites

2007-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

New Blog Site

I am switching from blogger to wordpress. It seems that wordpress is much more reliable. I know change is hard.

“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” —John F. Kennedy

Let me know which you think is easier or better. I took the picture of the lightening storm in Sao Paulo a few months ago. I like the fact that I can change the photo in the header and switch things up if I want to.

Click below for the new site.
New Blog Site

Women's Bible Study

2007-07-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Bernice leads a Bible study with Pastora Silsa here in Pinda at the Pastors house. They have anywhere from 5-10 ladies every Tuesday. I can't wait till I am advanced in Portuguese like Bernice. She is preaching and translating for others while I still shuffle through my flash cards on using verbs.

WInter Break

2007-07-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our seasons are opposite this side of the equator. Tommy and Nicky are on winter break. They have had a month off from school. Their vacation ends next week. We have gone to the zoo and to the movies during their break. Most of their days have been spent playing video games. Here are a few pics of them on break and playing video games with our neighbor Joao Lucas. They have also spent a lot of time with Starbucks (Bucky) their Basset Hound.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-07-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Excellence is not an accomplishment. It is a spirit, a never-ending process.
-Lawrence M. Miller

Growing like bamboo!

2007-07-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

We have been in Brazil for 15 months. I often post pictures of Tommy and Nicky. The most common reaction is about how much they have grown since we have moved here. I wish I would have measured and weighed them so I could post before and after figures...oh well. I compare them to bamboo chutes. They are growing nearly as fast and are definetely as strong! I found out that they make baseball bats from bamboo as well. Useless information:

BAMBOO IS:

The fastest growing woody plant on this planet. It grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species can grow up to 1 meter per day. One can almost "watch it grow". This growth pattern makes it easily accessible in a minimal amount of time. Size ranges from miniatures to towering culms of 60 meters.

TAM Flight 3054

2007-07-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

The tragedy of TAM Flight 3054 has been dominating the local media. Here is a link from International Herald Tribune. Please remember the family and friends of the victims in prayer.

Tommy's 1st Sermon

2007-07-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

Tommy spoke at last nights family devotion. He prepared a sermon on children being secret weapons. His text was Matthew 19:13-15,21:16 and Colossians 3:20. Nicky joined in with choosing the worship song Open the Eyes of My Heart.

A Day in Sao Paulo

2007-07-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

We had to go to the US Embassy in Sao Paulo to pick up Bernice's passport. We decided to spend the night and let the boys enjoy the city. We went to Starbucks, Applebee's, Blue Tree Towers, the cinema and to an authorized Apple service center to drop off the Mac mini. Our neighbor below us also complained that our dog was walking too loud. We had to put slippers on Bucky...he is not crazy about the new kicks. Here are a few pics.

Parabens (Congratulations!)

2007-07-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Nicholas's report card. Tommy received great marks too...unfortunately he lost his report card. We are proud of them both. The scoring system is different here than it is in the USA. Ten is the highest mark one can receive and zero is the lowest. It is very rare to receive a 10. Tommy and Nicky co-teach their english class and both received the score of 9. Nicholas broke the scoring barrier with achieving a TEN in Physical Education...way to go Nicky!

QUICK QUOTE

2007-07-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

“We’re alive for one reason—the outpouring of the Spirit of God on everything He’s given our hands to touch—family, city, my nation and the nations of the world,” he says. “We’ve not been assigned to hang out until He returns—we’ve been given a message and a power that completely revolutionizes life. Why would anyone want to get up in the morning and not shape the course of world history?”

--Bill Johnson

Found this in Charisma Magazine article.

HCC in Manaus

2007-07-05T07:46:00.001-07:00

Here are some more photos of Harvest Christian Center's trip to Manaus. These pics were sent to me from Jennifer Fagan. I will be able to post more pics as the team sends thems.

Festa Junina!

2007-06-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Brazil celebrates the Festival of June. The schools put together a big "country" festival with games, costumes, dances and Brazilian BBQ. The kids do not go to school the day of the big event. Here are a few pics of the festivities.

River Trip

2007-06-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

The team went on a day trip to see the merging of the waters. This is where the two great rivers, the Rio Negro from the north and the Solimões from the west, come together to form the mighty Amazon.
.

HCC

2007-06-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

HCC in Manaus

2007-06-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Harvest Christian Center-Turlock, Ca. spent eight days ministering in the city of Manaus. They planted their sixth church in Brazil. Thousands heard the Gospel from Pastor Ron Eivaz during evening services and thousands received physical healings and the fire of God. The team ministered on the beaches of the Rio del Negro and prophesied into the lives of many. Thank you HCC for a great week. Manaus will be forever changed! I will be posting random pics from their trip during the next two weeks or so.

For video footage please visit the Video Blog

Psuii!!!

2007-06-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Leon enjoys Brazilian BBQ

Harvest Christian Center in Manaus

2007-06-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Harvest Christian Center is tearing it up in Manaus! Fire tunnel's, signs, wonders, healings and salvations! Here is the link where you can find the video blog

Click Harvest in Manaus to see the footage.

Dinner at the Pastors house

2007-06-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

We had dinner at Pastor Marcos and Silsa's home a few nights before the Threshers went back to the good 'ol USA.

We had acai with chocolate sauce and Italian espresso for dessert. I forgot what the dinner was called, but it was good too.

Buck the Basset Hound

2007-06-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is just one long, bad dream!

Buck is 4 months old now and really needs to be disciplined. He eats my plants, digs in the pots and "shee-shees" everywhere! He is supposed to be between 50-60 lbs full grown...I am working towards the century mark.

We Miss You Already!

2007-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Missionary Associates Thresher and Hammond Families

Picture of Keri at Applebees-the menu promo says it all "Perfect Finish"

Patrick, Angi and Keri at the skate park

Patrick enjoys dinner at our house

Patrick pondering the future

Blake and Patrick overlooking the valley where we live

Blake teaching Tommy about archery

Blake, Tommy and Nicky eating chocolate covered strawberries on a skewer

Keri, Blake, Tommy and Nicky at Starbucks in Sao Paulo

Pat Raps and Angi Yaps

Angi at Applebees

We drove 2 1/2 hours to the nearest Starbucks and Applebees to celebrate Blakes birthday..thank you for turning 16 Blockie!

Here some pictures of the Thresher famiy. They returned home to Oklahoma yesterday after spending more than a year on the field. We are confident the Lord will continue to open doors for them as the walk in Divine favor. Thank you Patrick, Angi, Blake and Keri for your investment...job well done! Here are some random photos from our year spent with the Threshers in Brazil.

Courage to Dream

2007-05-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

DREAMING REQUIRES COURAGE. For on the heels of every dream is the demon of doubt. No sooner have we latched on to a preferred future than our minds are suddenly filled with all the reasons it won't work. We find ourselves wondering if we are really up to the task. And if we are courageous (or foolish) enough to share the dream with others, they are generally quick to confirm our suspicions.

IN SPITE of all that, we must forge ahead and dream. Otherwise we will simply spend our lives facilitating the dreams of others. If you allow fear to overshadow your dreams, you will never try anything new or create anything new. Worst of all, if fear causes you to retreat from your dreams, you will never give the world anything new.

Andy Stanley- The Next Generation Leader

Pope was here

2007-05-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Pope was here last week. He visited the Basilica in the city of Aparecida. He blessed 150 thousand people on Sunday. This occured at the basilica that is about 25 km from our city. Many of you have visited this basilica while visiting Pindamonhangaba. They were expecting 300.000 and about half of that number was in attendance. It shows how the influence has shifted in our region.

DISPLAYING ABSTRACT - Pope Benedict XVI hopes to stanch steady loss of followers with visit to Brazil, but some wonder whether he can speak to their needs; only two-thirds of Brazilians now consider themselves Catholics; number has been in steady decline since 1980 when 90 percent described themselves as Catholic; much of that ground has been lost to surge in Pentecostalism; losing Latin America would be substantial loss and trend is worrying to church officials; challenge from Pentacostalism is likely to be one of most important challenges of Benedict's papacy

This excerpt was from the New York Times

This is from the Brazilian News Media site Brazzil Magazine:

And he didn't spare other Christian denominations calling them sects: "Among the problems that strain your pastoral solicitude is, without a doubt, the matter of Catholics who abandon the Church... "The baptized are not sufficiently evangelized," he said, and therefore are unable to resist "the sects' aggressive proselytism" in a reference to the growth of evangelical churches in Brazil.

Interesting.

Praise Report

2007-05-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who have been praying for our friend Ananias. He was diagnosed with malaria for the fifth time in March while we were church planting down the Amazon. He is fully recovered and feeling great. Ananias leads exploratory trips down the river and assists in choosing the sites for new church plants. He is in charge of making sure the materials are shipped in time for the arrival of the teams coming to build. He is an integral part of this church planting ministry. Please continue to pray for his protection and strength.

More Amazon Photos: New Life Christian Center-Turlock, Ca

2007-05-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

More Amazon Photos: New Life Christian Center-Turlock, Ca

2007-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

More Amazon Photos: New Life Christian Center-Turlock, Ca

2007-05-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

More Amazon Photos: New Life Christian Center-Turlock, Ca

2007-05-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

8 Church Plants in 1 Year!

2007-05-12T03:25:00.000-07:00

New Life Christian Center have returned home after a two week stay here in Brazil. They planted two churches in the Amazon basin. They also spent a week in the Pinda area and visited Rio. Thank you Pastor Dave Larson and the entire team for a great two weeks. That brings the total to 8 church plants in 1 year!

Faces of the Amazon

2007-05-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

These are some of the children I met on the Amazon. Please pray and release hope for the children of the Amazon.

Church Planting Next Week

2007-04-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

We will be hosting a team from Turlock, CA next week. We will be building two churches in 1 week. The team will be ministering in Pinda the second week. Please pray for safety, protection, and salvation for the people of the Amazonas. I will be making this trip without Tommy, Nicky and Bernice. Pray they will not miss me too much:) Here are some photos of previous trips...and yes, that is me welding for the first time.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-04-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -- but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Freedom Reigns in This Place

2007-04-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for freedom in our valley in Brazil. Freedom that can only come from a true relationship with Jesus Christ. I was saddened to see the thousands of people celebrate Good Friday here in our area without hardly a mention of His resurrction three days later. The church in our area relates so much with a dead savior instead of a risen Lord. The legalistic, controlling and religious spirit wants people to relate to the death and not the One who is alive and wants His people to live in freedom. I found this excerpt from Dick Nicholson and it describes our Easter weekend to a tee.

But they only have half the gospel—the other half is the Easter half. If by His death I am saved from sin, then by His life I am
saved from sinning! There is pardon, but unlike the Catholic who feels condemned to repeat the cycle of sin, confession, and forgiveness, there is good news—Jesus lives, and because He lives, we can have new life which overcomes our sinful inclination and tendencies! There is pardon, but there is also power. There is forgiveness, but there is also freedom.

And the sociological implications of the gospel are powerful when it comes to defining the male and female roles for those who live in our region. In the machismo role, man is forever the philanderer, weak, and vulnerable. Why? Because his role model, the Jesus he knows, is weak, dying, lying, if you will, in the lap of his mother in a death swoon. The female’s marianismo model is Mary, mother of Jesus—strong, faithful, true, loving, caring, the one to whom they go for help. Thus the female is considered the strong and faithful one, while the male is weak and vulnerable.

Then one day a new message is heard across the land of the conquistadores—He is Risen! Jesus is no longer the weak and dying one, but He is the Conqueror of death, the Risen One, the Overcoming and Triumphant One! Now the male has a new model—one who is strong, who does not need to sink to the low and beggarly elements. Because Jesus lives, we live also! And we see the New Man, filled with resurrection life, take his place in the home and in society—strong, Spirit-filled, an overcomer—because Christ lives in his heart by faith!

The Pope Cometh

2007-04-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI is coming to Brazil May 9-14. Please pray for evangelistic fruit. We will send teams to the area he will be at to spread the Good News about having a relationship with Jesus Christ!

More Amazon Pics

2007-04-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Tommy serving drinks to the locals.

I anchored the team! Just doing my part.

Nicky preparing to take a courtesy drink at the work site.....his face is priceless!

Tommy and Nicky found a monkey skull in the village. This is TOmmy and Chuck and the Monkey named Chester.

NIcky and Bernice doing homework on the boat.

I have about 3,000 pics from the Amazon trip we were on about three weeks ago. Just when I think enough is enough, I find a few more. Hope it is not too much for you to handle.

Good Friday

2007-04-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken from our balcony. They are photos of the migration. These people travel on foot to the city Aparecida. The trek is about 40 minutes by automobile. The large parades of people are followed by an ambulance in case of emergencies. Rain or shine their commitment is incredible as they march forward to pay homage to the idol.

Our Lady of Aparecida (also written as Our Lady Aparecida) is the patron saint of Brazil, represented by a statue of the Virgin Mary located in the Basilica of Aparecida, in the city of Aparecida in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In Portuguese the name is Nossa Senhora de Conceição Aparecida (Our Lady of the Conception who Appeared).

This shrine is the most visited in Brazil and one of the most visited in the Catholic world. As the patron saint of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida is also remembered by a national holiday on 12 October.

Aparecida is considered the most important religious city in Brazil; the Basilica of Aparecida, the National Sanctuary, is the second largest Basilica in the world.

The Pope will visit Brazil in May 2007, and will celebrate a mass in Aparecida; this will be a major event for the Catholic community.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-04-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Been plan'in it for years.
-Squints

Hurry up, Smalls! My clothes are goin' outta style!
-Squints

For-ev-ver! For-ev-ver! For-ev-ver! For-ev-ver!
-Squints

If you'da been thinkin you wouldn't 'a thought that.
-Squints

You're kill'in me Smalls!
-Ham

Guaranaraholic LQ

2007-04-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

As many teams who visit Brasil, LQ has walked away with a heavy addiction to Gauranar. He is hoarding his last 3 liter bottle. Thanks for all the fun LQ...your team set the standard for excellence.

The team used the phrase "get 'er done" the entire trip. I found out that it is actually biblical...Luke 19:13- Jesus says- "So he called 10 of his servants, delivered to them 10 minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come'" Paraphrase-"Get 'er Done"

Eagle Training

2007-04-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

I am speaking in Chapel Service tomorrow morning. I plan on challenging the students to think like leaders. I will use tidbits about eagles to introduce leadership principles. For example:

2) Eagles Never Eat Dead Meat - You will never see an eagle eating meat that it did not kill. An eagle is not a scavenger. It hunts for and kills its own food. It hunts for the prey while it's warm and alive. You as a leader must go where the action is. You must go hunt down and find lively people to grow God’s Kingdom.

3) Looks For & Flies Into Storms - As storms approach, lesser birds head for cover, but the might eagle spreads its wings and with a great cry mounts upon the powerful updrafts, soaring to heights of glory. Eagles use the storm to lift him to these great heights. Leaders use storms (challenges); we don't run from them. To leaders, storms are tools used for their development.

On the 8th day God created Starbucks and Applebee's

2007-04-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday we celebrated Blake Thresher's 16th birthday. To honor him we traveled 2 hours and 45 minutes to our nearest Starbucks and Applebee's. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you who have a Starbucks on every corner and are able to frequent places like Applebee's often, but to us...8 people who eat beans and rice 5-7 days a week..this was a slice of heaven!

QUICK QUOTE

2007-04-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

"Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

-Jesus

Faces of the Amazon

2007-04-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Opening Day..Play Ball!

2007-04-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Baseball is vastly better in person than on TV. Only when you're in the ballpark can the eye grasp and interconnect the game's great distances. Will the wind blow that long fly just over the fence? Will the relay throw nail the runner trying to score from second on a double in the alley? Who's warming up in the bullpen? Where is the defense shading this hitter? Did the base stealer get a good jump? The eye flicks back and forth and captures everything that is necessary.

Why Is Baseball So Much Better Than Football?

On January 18, 1987, baseball columnist Thomas Boswell wrote a superb article for the Washington Post giving ninety-nine reasons why baseball is so much better than football.

"Quarterbacks have to ask the crowd to quiet down. Pitchers never do." - Thomas Boswell in 'Why is Baseball So Much Better Than Football' (1987, The Post)

Pirahna Time!

2007-03-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

After a fierce fight, notice my right leg, the pirahna was caught and landed

Pastor Chuck with Tommy and Nicky

Caught this 3 lb. pirahna with the assistance of Nicky. We used a 10' bamboo pole with about 12' of line...Mayberry Style. Chuck Hargrove also gave Nicky a fishing pole with a bunch of lures for his birthday. We celebrated Nicky's birthday the same day he was baptized in the Amazon.

Prayer Request

2007-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

(L-R) Anderson and Actila (Ananias's two sons) Ananias and me

Please join me in prayer for my friend Ananias. Many of the readers of this blog (all 3 of them) know him. He is in charge of all the welding of the church plants. He also takes many preparatory trips down the Amazon to make sure supplies and materials are ready for incoming teams. He tested positive for malaria on our last trip a few weeks ago. Please remember him in your prayers.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-03-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

"It is amazing how maturing brings out the immaturity in you."

~me

Caapiranga, Amazonas Brasil

2007-03-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bernice and the Pastors wife after service

Tom and the interpreter Paul preach as the wind ripped down the curtain behind them

Nicky pets some sort of a rodent/dog in the village we planted the church.

Nicky shaking hands with a native

Tommy making new friends

Nicky and the Queen on the way to the village of Caapiranga. It was about 10 hours in the interior.

2007-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Praying over and imparting to the Pastor and his wife

The Elk City team "Gettin' 'er done"

Bernice translates for LQ...It was Bernice's first time. She did great...I think. I couldn't understand a word she said!

Richard aka Pedro, Tommy, Steve and Nicky throw soccer balls to the children on the shores of the Solomones River

Youngest beer vendor I have ever seen. This young boy was standing behind the beer pile in Manacapuru

Thank You Elk City--Get 'er Done!!

2007-03-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

2 days
2 churches

Incredible. This team from Elk City, Oklahoma built their first church in about 4 hours. The second church went up in about 6 hours...they must have been getting tired. Thank you LQ, Steve, Richard (Pedro), Chuck and Todd...job well done!

2007-03-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

We met this man on the side of the river. He wanted to give us these coconut looking things. They are called coodesoo..or something like that.

Nicky and the team pray for Mimi. She was born deaf.

Amazon Baptismal Service

2007-03-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

This was truly one of the highlights of my life. Baptizing Tommy and Nicky was an honor. I didn't think I would be so emotional about it, but it was very touching. The gentleman in the canoe is a deacon of the church. He was in charge of protecting us against stingrays. He would use his stick to scare off the rays if they were bedding in the area we were using.

2007-03-24T21:11:00.001-07:00

Our flag on the back of our boat

This is a school bus being shipped down the Solomones River.

A house on the bank of the Amazon

Me and Grace!

A boy watches as the team builds a church in the village of Jacarei

More Amazon Photos

2007-03-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Amazon Trip

2007-03-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our church planting trip down the Amazon. It was a great time. We hosted a team from Elk City, Okl. They built two churches in two days! We were able to minister to the children and had evening services that were amazing. I was honored to be able to baptize Tommy and Nicky on Nicky's Birthday. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support...you are an integral part of our team!

Church Planting Down the Amazon

2007-03-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Today we will fly out to Manaus. Straight from the airport we will head to the boat and travel 8 hours into the Amazon Basin interior. A team from Elk City, Okl. will be building a church that seats 250 people. Please pray for safety, protection and the Holy Spirit Fire to fall. Joining us on the trip will be the Thresher family. We are anticipating a great trip. This Sunday I will have the honor and opportunity to baptize Tommy and Nicky in the Amazon River. I get chills just thinking of it! God is good! I will be back to blogging after the 24th.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-03-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

"When obstacles rise, you change your direction to reach your goal;
you do not change your decision to get there."

ZIG ZIGLAR

Courtesy of Mark Hammond
Tee Moran

Dave at the All You Can Eat BBQ in Taubate, Brazil

2007-03-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

Our new friend Dave from United Faith in North Carolina. Red means stop and Green means Keep it coming! Here is a great picture of a cloud I found in the sky this morning....just for you Dave!

Great team from North Carolina

2007-03-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

We want to thank Pastor Mark and his team from United Faith in Charlotte, North Carolina for coming and imparting to the students of the Bible School. They conducted a marriage conference, spoke in chapel on vision, and preached at the mother church for the welcoming service of the new students of IBAD (the Bible School). This was a team that had a great sense of humor and was always finding ways to brighten everybodies day. Thank you Mark, Mark, Mark and Dave!! We pray we will see you again!

BLOGVERTISEMENT

2007-03-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Please do not forget to check out Tommy's new blog! We are very proud of him and Nicky.

Crawling in Pindamonhangaba

2007-03-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

Boy do I miss the Jeep. I hope Leon is showing you the right way Jimmy! They have a rock crawling event this weekend in our town...it isn't the Sierras, but if this is all you have it is fantastic. Here is a link to the google translated story from our local paper.

TOOTHLESS IN PINDAMONHANGABA

2007-03-07T08:54:00.001-08:00

Nicky lost his other front tooth today while he was at school. He was washing the tooth and it slipped out of his hand and down the drain. Tooth fairy saves R$ 10.00!!!!!

Return of the Pirahna Beetle

2007-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today I drove to Sao Paulo to bring a team to the Bible school in Pindamonhangaba. They are nice people from North Carolina. As with all the teams, I have issued the warning to be aware of the Pirahna Beetles. I let them know that within the last week we have had a minor outbreak and that our little friends like to hide in dark, cool places...especialy pillow cases and bed sheets! Mark Lemos has shown his scar..so the game is on!

Creative Loafing

2007-03-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Just dreaming of the nations and God's great plan.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-03-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

"A catcher and his body are like the outlaw and his horse. He's got to ride that nag till it drops."
Johnny Bench

QUICK QUOTE

2007-03-03T05:11:00.000-08:00

A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement.

-Bo Bennett

Rebuild, Raise Up, Renew...Many Generations

2007-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday night was a great night! We were invited to minister in a local AG church. Tommy and Nicky were able to pray for people at the altars for healing and freedom...it was one of my finest moments in Brazil. I feel so honored to be able to minister along side my two sons. Many were touched by the Lord! Freedom is coming to Pindamonhangaba! They must have been too short or lost in the crowd...unfortunately we did not get any pics of them in action. I am confident there will be many more opportunities. Please pray for open doors as we bring the message of the Kingdom to our city.

Night in Sao Paulo

2007-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

We visited our friends Ron and Christine Hamstad in Sao Paulo this weekend. They run a School of Ministry in the city of Santo Andre. It was refreshing to hear how the Lord is working through them. It was a great weekend with them and the Thresher family......we even went to the new Starbucks! It has been about 6 months since I have been able to taste a good 'ol fashioned Americano. I had one hot and then one iced...yessss! Here are a few shots of the night sky I took from on top of our hotel. Caught a few lightening shots. We also thought of our friend Thom Worthington when we saw this motel sign with his name on it. Word of advise...motels in Brazil are not "family" establishments...if you know what I mean.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-02-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

"You see things; and say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"

- George Bernard Shaw

Courtesy of Jennifer "Fagan Face" Fagan

Healing in Pinda...Jesus Style!

2007-02-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

The boys are doing great...Tommy is experiencing personal revival, it is awesome as a parent to see your children push deeper...on their own. Nicky also has had a wonderful experience this past week. We were eating at our favorite restaurant....and we noticed that the waiter was limping...so we asked him if we could pray for him...he said "Yes"....so Nicky got up from the table and put his hand on his knee (which he had twisted earlier in the week & had an appointment with the doctor later that day to have an MRI) and commanded the pain to go and his knee to be whole in JESUS name! Well the man began to bend his knee and there was no more pain....then he walked away from us because he was about to cry! Yeah God!!!

TOMMY'S NEW BLOG

2007-02-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Tommy has a new blog! He has requested more freedom in blogging. Please visit his sight at www.tommynbrazil.blogspot.com

More Maceio

2007-02-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

More pics from the Youth Congress in Maceio. We were joined on our trip with Wilson. He is an IBAD Pinda Bible School graduate and in May will be traveling to Saint Georges Island in the Azores to plant a church!

The leaders and students made us feel so welcomed and their hospitality was off the charts. It was an honor and joy to be able to invest in them and challenge them to break out of the religious mold that holds so many in captivity. We had to fly back home a day early, but we will keep you posted on the reports we receive from the Congress. We are believing for great fruit. A special thanks to Pastor Eugenio and Odete for allowing us to come along and impart to the teens of Maceio.

Maceio Youth Congress

2007-02-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Bernice and I have returned from a trip to North East Brazil. We were blessed to be able to participate in the Youth Congress with Pastor Eugenio and Odete from California. It was very refreshing for us to be able to minister to Brazilian teens from the North East region. There were about 325 students in attendance. Several answered the call to become Missionaries and begin their journey into full time ministry.

The theme of the conference was

Reconstruindo Uma Geracao-Livre & Consciente

or

Recontructing One Generation- Free & Conscience

The students were free in their worship and hungry for the Word!

Pre Carnival Festivities-Nicky front tooth falls out- Tommy grows fu man chu

2007-02-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

2007-02-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Bernice and I will be going to the capitol city Maceio in the state of Alagoas on Wednesday. We will be a part of a Youth Convention that is happening during Carnival. Here is the definition for Carnival according to Wikipedia:

The Brazilian Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval) is an annual celebration in Brazil held forty days before Easter and marking the start of Lent. During Lent, Roman Catholics, which constitute the majority in Brazil, are to abstain from bodily pleasures. Carnival, which is celebrated as a profane event, can thus be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh.

Here is our forecasted weather for those of you freezing in the USA:

Maceio, Brazil

Tuesday HI: 89°F / 31°C
LO: 74°F / 23°C
Wednesday HI: 89°F / 31°C
LO: 74°F / 23°C
Thursday HI: 87°F / 30°C
LO: 73°F / 22°C
Friday HI: 89°F / 31°C
LO: 74°F / 23°C
Saturday HI: 87°F / 30°C
LO: 73°F / 22°C
Last updated February 13, 2007 12:09 (EST)

QUICK QUOTE

2007-02-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

"Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship."

Bono

I found this article on the Christianity Today website

http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2005/bono-0805.html

QUICK QUOTE

2007-02-11T05:34:00.000-08:00

"When your memories are greater than your dreams, you are already beginning to die."

Kris Vallotton

Skies of Brasil

2007-02-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

Sunrise in Pindamonhangaba

New Blog Bling

2007-02-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Added new blog bling...Calendar to the right on the sidebar and new slideshow at the bottom of our page.

Road Burn....Ouch!

2007-02-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

Nicky wrecked on his bicycle yesterday. Now he is going through the healing process. You remember how it was when you were a kid....first the scrape, then the Bactine, then air hits it and then you have to try to sleep with your leg hanging off the bed. The life of a seven year old! This is a huge ordeal in our home. This puts NIcky on the sidelines with a big Jiu Jitsu tournament coming soon. Join us in prayer for his quick recovery:) His scrape is starting to scab but breaks with the bend of the knee. Nicky is like a big human bruise!

Minas Gerais

2007-01-29T07:54:00.001-08:00

Our friends Marcos and Suzanne took us on a day trip (9 am-2am) to the state of Minas Gerais. This state is about 2 1/2 hours north east of our state Sao Paulo. Marcos and Suzanne are Pastors of our home church Sara Nossa Terra in Pindamonhangaba. I only took 168 pictures on this trip, so here is what I found to be the best and hopefully the most interesting to you!

This is a picture I call "Idols-n-a-Box" It is on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere

Nicky with his new straw hat

Nicky on his horse

This is Tommy while we were rounding up the horses.

Tommy on his horse..YippeeKiYo....whatever that means.

More Minas

2007-01-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

I thought of Linda Sequeria and Lisa Adams...I thought these were cheesecakes. It was only cheese...doh!!

Spider on the ceiling...Pastors wife had to kill it.

Dinner!

Me on a horse...I REALLY love the city!!

Bernice and Suzanne cooking dinner.

The Unknown God

2007-01-29T04:41:00.000-08:00

There is a town about 40 minutes from where we live. This town is named Aparecidia. It is named after the idol "Lady of Appearance". This region believes that this saint appears and saves people from evil, danger and death. At the entrance of the town there is a hill with idols placed on rocks on the side of the hill. They have a budah, many saints, idols used by mucumbah, Iemanja (goddess of the sea) and even a big cross with Jesus on it. They have a new idol of Aparicidia on the tallest hill in the town. She stands approximately 25 feet and overlooks the town. She is the "protector" of the city. All this reminds me of the passage in Acts 17:22-24:

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Please continue to pray that Bernice and I will find favor with the people of our valley as we present the Kingdom with demonstration and power. Click on the above photo to get a better look at the idols. I will try to get a better picture next time. This was taken last Saturday on the way to Minas. I was on the side of the Dutra (equivelant to Interstate 5) so it was kind of busy...tour busses and diesels come pretty close to the small shoulder where I was standing.

U Messed Me Up!

2007-01-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

Wow...What an awesome Conference! Worship with Rick Pino & the Guys was great. They were lots of fun, very humble & they had an amazing ability to usher us into the very throne room of God. Worship for me will never be the same again! Thanks Guys!

Thanks Pastor Ron for the best gorgonzola steaks on the planet!

Shift Happens

2007-01-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

I sense a shift in the atmosphere.

shift | sh ift|: a slight change in position, direction, or tendency

Bernice has returned home from a great prophetic conference at our home church Harvest Christian Center. While the boys and I missed her dearly, we are aware that she was imparted to greatly. It has renewed a passion in us to "activate" the gifts the Lord has placed in us. To fan the flame in our hearts for the lost, lonely and hurt people of the world.

I found this quote and it spoke what I believe is part of our shifting.

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find ways in which you yourself have altered."
-- Nelson Mandela, South African President and Nobel Prize winner

I realize that our future is bright and those who are influenced by the Lord through us share in that future.

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
-- John F. Kennedy

We will not miss out on what the Lord is doing. This is our declaration.

PULSE OF PINDA

2007-01-21T07:49:00.001-08:00

Meet Joao Bosco! It is kinda strange...Joao Bosco works on Rua Sao Joao Bosco! That is the name of our street. Joao is one of the security guards that works at our apartment complex. He always greets us with a smile and has the joy of the Lord operating in him. Joao works the graveyard shift. When Bernice, the boys and I come in he will greet us and then share a Bible scripture and prayer request. We have been praying for a lady in our apartment complex who has been hospitalized for 37 days. She was released last Friday. Praise the Lord for that great report. Now that Bernice is home we will visit her and have the opportunity to share the Gospel with her. Please pray for this divine appointment. Also pray for protection for Joao Bosco as he protects us while we sleep.

We are counting the minutes...Welcome Home Queen!

2007-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

We pick up Bernice from Sao Paulo Saturday morning! She has been in the states for what seems to be an eternity (2 weeks)! Bernice was able to visit with our Brother-in-law Justin who is home from his second tour in Iraq. She also visited other family members and friends and was able to attend the Activate Prophetic Conference at Harvest Christian Center with fellow MA Angi Thresher. The boys and I were able to send her to the good 'ol USA as a Christmas gift. We are glad she went but even happier she is coming home!

Sao Paulo

QUICK QUOTE

2007-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

"Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell;
I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."

C.T. Studd

English missionary to China, India, and Africa

Last Push

2007-01-14T07:36:00.001-08:00

We have now been on the field for approximately 9 months! We are ready to give birth..to a new used car!

1 liter of alcohol- R$ 1.59

1 liter of gasoline- R$ 2.59

1 used car- only U$ 3,560 away!!

The Lord being our Faithful Provider- Priceless

Please see sidebar for details on joining the team.

A great big THANK YOU to all those who have contributed to our auto fund thus far!

PULSE OF PINDA

2007-01-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

Since the Pinda Bible School is out for summer break I have not posted any featured students as a prayer focus. I decided I would spotlight different people we interact with on a daily basis. I will post a photo and small description of prayer needs of Pindonese (people from Pindamonhangaba).

This is a picture of me and my friend Antonio. Antonio lives in our barrio. He is mentally handicapped and spends most of his day sitting on the park bench. Antonio does not speak english and I barely speak portuguese, so our conversations can often be entertaining. I do know that when I see Antonio, shake his hand, look him in the eyes and tell him he is my amigo he gets extremely excited and often begins to cry. Please pray that Antonio will soon see Jesus as his amigo.

QUICK QUOTE

2007-01-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

"The Bible will always be full of things you cannot understand, as long as you will not live according to those you can understand."

Billy Sunday (1862-1935). American evangelist.

2007

2007-01-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I received this in my email box and found it blog worthy. It is kind of lengthy, but has good content. This article is written by J. Lee Grady from Charisma Magazine. Here is the link to the story:

Fire In My Bones

I had originally posted the entire story, but upon further review and advice from Bernice decided it was too long. It is a good word so please check it out.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

My Office in Pindamonhangaba

2007-01-04T09:27:00.001-08:00


My Office in Brazil

This is a test video entry. I recorded this small clip with our little Nikon coolpix 5200 digital camera. I hate the camera and soon Bernice will be exchanging it for another...gotta love Costco exchange policy. Bernice will be going to the U.S. in a few days. She will be visiting our brother-in-law who is coming home from his second tour in Iraq. She is also attending the Activate Conference at Harvest Christian Center. Please pray for traveling mercies and that the boys survive the week with me and a lot of toast!

Rain and a church

2007-01-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a church we seen on the way to the mountains to celebrate Tommy's birthday. Bernice took the photo of the park in front of our apartment to show how hard it was raining. If you don't see rain, click on the picture to enlarge. Brazil is beautiful. We were able to borrow our friend and fellow MA's car to take a drive. Thank you Patrick Thresher!!

Happy Birthday Tommy!

2007-01-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

December 30th Tommy turned 11 years old. We celebrated his birthday by taking a ride to the mountains and eating some Ice cream! It rained the whole day. We had fun anyways. These are some pics of us eating his birthday lunch/dinner. In Brazil dinner is served around 7 o'clock. This is one of our largest adjustments. Tommy received his birthday gifts earlier in the day and year. We bought him some kind of build it yourself action figure, Grandma and Grandpa sent him a board game and many of you also sent him great emails and packages from the US. Thanks so much for everything!

PARABENS! CONGRATULATIONS!

2006-12-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

Tommy and Nicky have both been advanced to the next level of Jiu Jitsu. They are now 1st degree white belts. After they receive 4 degrees they are advanced to yellow belts. The Master who evaluated them is a black belt and traveled from a different city for their graduation ceremony.

Christmas Pindamonhangaba Style

2006-12-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Our friend Jamie Gottman from Henderson, Nevada mentioned to us via email to blog what it is like here in Pinda during the Christmas season. Here are some pictures. Pinda reminds me a lot of Mayberry from the Andy Griffith show. It seems everybody knows each other and they are always friendly. They are especially patient and graceous with my communication skills or lack thereof. Bernice and the boys are soaring with their new language. Pinda has several nativity scenes around downtown area. In the central park area, they have a live nativity scene. A "real" Joseph and Mary lay on the ground in the middle of the pathway of the main walk way in the park. You literally have to go around them to get where you want to go. Once you do get through the crowd you will probably run into one of the small marching bands that walk the blocks of downtown as they play carols. Speaking of Christmas carols, there are plenty of carolers in front of the shops on most streets. They do not have their guitar cases open for donations. I found that disheartening thinking they were missing a huge opportunity to make some extra cash. Right now the minimum wage in our town is around R$375 per month(U$187.50). I was then reminded that this was all done to celebrate the birth of our Savior not to make a buck. I need to work on that renewing of the mind scripture. We have also noticed the people of Pinda do not camp out at their local Wal Mart or the largest store here in Pinda named OLAJO do get the greatest, latest gift the day after Thanksgiving. They have seemingly captured the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas gift From: Tommy To: Dad

2006-12-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Tommy gave me an early Christmas gift yesterday. He FINALLY got a haircut. After much discussion, multiple family meetings and 1 threat he found it in his best interest to cut the locks off. We have agreed that he can grow his hair long when he becomes a teenager. He turns 11 on Dec 30th, so time is ticking. Here are the before and after pictures.

The Annoying Thing at Christmas

2006-12-20T02:09:00.000-08:00

Daryl Taylor gave this toy to Nicky as a gift in April and Thom Worthington sent us this video....Nicky loves it!

Please remember the children of Brazil this Christmas

2006-12-18T03:13:00.000-08:00

QUICK QUOTE

2006-12-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

GENEROSITY

“Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.”
~ Barbara Bush

More Christmas Pictures

2006-12-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Tommy's Christmas Card "PaPai Noel eu quero uma skateboard. Tommy"

Nicky's Christmas Card "PaPai Noel eu quero uma bicicleta. Nicholas"