Our family pet, Petey was last seen with this man. He was left with Armando who agreed to doggy-sit for a duration of two years. Unfortunately, after several requests, Armando has yet to produce any photographic proof that all is well with Petey. If anyone has any information regarding Petey, please post. Petey is a beautiful, petite yellow lab, does not bark and has a small shedding problem.
Please continue to pray for fluency in our new language!
By a final vote of 12-11 the "Rob in the field" wins. Unbelievable! Thanks for letting me experiment with your pics Rob. I would encourage everyone to visit Rob at his blog daily. It is a great read.
The poll will offically end Monday night at 6 pm Pindamonhangaba time (noon PST). If I were you Rob, I would get that youth group voting! Has Ruth voted yet? I bet she would like the field shot. It seems so nice.
My friend Rob Cunningham has changed his photo on his blog.
We were on staff together for a short time at Harvest Christian Center.
I know change is necessary, but I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to try a new poll. Even if you do not know Rob please take time to vote...all comments are welcome. Muito obrigado.
Our motorista took this picture for us today. We were car shopping!!! We are ever so close. Thanks for all those who have supported us! Go God!
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
Bernice preached at the english service held at the Bible school. It was the first english service of the year. We conducted the service "American Style". The differences between the American service and the Brazilian service are many. Here is a list of just a few of the differences:
American Service- informal attire..no neck ties!
Brazilian Service- Formal...suite and tie for the men and long dresses for the women
American Service- Contemporary Praise and Worship led by Patrick Thresher
Brazilian Service- Student led worship service using hymns and contemporary music
American Service- Female Speaker
Brazilian Service- Male Speaker
American Service- Non-Traditional
Brazilian Service- Traditional
American Service- Mixed gender seating
Brazilian Service- Men on one side of the Church Women on the opposite side (Married couples included)
Nicky takes the Gold
Tommy wins the Silver
Tommy is going for the take down
Nicky is waiting his turn
The Arena 
Our team from Pindamonhangaba
Tommy and Nicky took home medals this last weekend! We traveled to the city of Guardatinguata for the boys first competition. Nicky brought home the Gold and Tommy brought home the Silver in their first tournament. The arena was large and the crowd was fierce. Tommy and Nicky are both white belts. This is the first belt you achieve while training in jujitsu. They have been training for 8 weeks at our home church Sara Nossa Terra (Heal our Nation). Tommy fought a kid from Rio de Janeiro who was a yellow belt. We are very proud of both of them. It is difficult for them to understand instructions during their matches because their coach/trainer only knows Portuguese! Their Trainer Daniel is fighting for the Sao Paulo Championship next week.
Our featured family this month is the Costa family. Tcharton and Sandra live in the family housing. They are second year students. They are from Guinea-Bissau, Africa. Tcharton and Sandra plan on pioneering a Bible School in their country after graduating from IBAD. Please pray for them as they follow the calling the Lord has placed on their lives. They acknowledge this is a BIG dream, but realize that God is a BIG God! This picture was taken at IBAD. The students were celebrating the birthdays for the rest of the year. The theme was Christmas. The students will be on summer vacation during Christmas so they decided to celebrate early.
Well it all starts like this. Really late at night or really early in the morning I hear my mom’s voice, “Tommy? Tommy? TOMMY!” Then I say, “2 more minutes.” Then I have to get dressed, brush my teeth & do my hair.
SSSHHHH, don’t tell anyone else but it’s a little known fact I just put on a hat. Next I’m off down the stairs racing the elevator down to the bottom.
I hop into Patricky’s car and ride to school.
When I get to school I sit down and wait for the bell to ring. When it does all my friends enter the room then I say Oi to them. Then we wait for the teacher some times they’re late. When the teacher arrives we start class.
I understand what I can. Then after a few classes we play Cops & Robbers on the play ground. And after a few more classes we go home, play a little X-BOX and go outside, which some people call the parking lot. But I call it the land-of-the-lost because a million, quadrillion, sectillion, kabillion soccer balls and tennis balls have gone over that wall (no footballs yet). After losing the ball we brought we go to the Thresher’s house and play on the computer, play station 2, or risk. Then we eat dinner and go to ju-jitsu. Go home. Go to bed and start over.
We are getting closer to our goal for purchasing a vehicle. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far. See the sidebar for details and see how you can participate and join our team!
Photo: Sheila Taylor
PhotoShop: Blake Thresher
I will be posting a picture of a student once a month for everyone to pray for. IBAD (the name of the Bible School pronounced: ee-Bod-jee) has around 120 students all studying full time to go into full time ministry. IBAD currently has sent 12 Missionaries out to different nations and numerous Pastors and Evangelists in Brazil.
This month we feature WIlliam de Souza Silva. He is from Vitoria da Conquesta, Bahia Brazil. William is 19 years old. He is in his second year at IBAD. He is active in the Worship Ministry and heads up the Missions program. WIlliam wants to be a Trabalho Evangelistico. A working evangelist that travels the nation of Brazil with a ministry team. His desire is for the team to preach, conduct children's activities and perform impacting dramas for communities across the nation. Please remember William in prayer.
This is a picture of Nicky getting on his school bus. He wakes up every morning at 6 AM and his school bus arrives at our apartment around 6:30 AM. He attends to an all-Portuguese speaking school. This has really accelerated his communication skills. The bus brings him home at 11:30 AM. After he eats lunch with mom and dad he usually goes outside with Tommy and plays soccer or wall ball. Their friends Blake and Keri join them and they usually play till around 5 PM. Nicky likes to help his mother in the kitchen and prepare dinner. After dinner the whole family goes to Jiujutsu class. While Nicky and Tommy practice their moves Bernice and I practice our Portuguese. This week we have to learn and memorize 200 adjectives! The class ends at 9:00 pm. Nicky usually goes to sleep at around 10:00pm. Next time we will feature a day in the life of Thomas William Hammond Jr.
I was asked to preach on a radio program here in Pindamonhangaba, Brazil. It was a program that broadcasts all over the nation of Brazil and worldwide on the internet.
The site is www.planetagospelfm.com.br
The program airs a weekly missions spot and they invited me to participate. I hope to be invited back and will post times and date for those who are interested in listening to or watching the live stream.
LEADER BREEDERS
Let go of a balloon outdoors and it will soar into the sky until it becomes no bigger than a speck. Free of obstacles, it will sail upon the wind and travel upon the air for miles.
Release a balloon indoors and it will rise quickly until it bumps into the ceiling and is forced to stop. Leave it long enough, and the balloon will lose its helium, deflate, and sink slowly to the ground.
Rising leaders are a lot like rising balloons. In the absence of a lid, there's no telling the heights they may achieve or where they may go. However, when confined, potential leaders lose heart and settle slowly into mediocrity
"Some citizens are so good that nothing a leader can do will make them better. Others are so incorrigible that nothing can be done to improve them. But the great bulk of the people go with the moral tide of the moment. The leader must help create that tide."
- unknown
macumba |məˈkoŏmbə| noun
a black religious cult practiced in Brazil, using sorcery, ritual dance, and fetishes.
Bowls such as this are being left on street corners facing the marriage housing across from the Bible school we are ministering at. Please pray for protection and authority to be released in the students. Inside this bowl we found a dead chicken, blood, an onion cut in half, seven small padlocks and the pictured note. The letter was of course written in Portuguese and contained curses directed toward the advancement of the Bible school students and future leaders of the Christian church. This is becoming a common occurance at the park that sits between the Bible school and the Family Housing.
Tommy and Nicky caught their first fish while we were in California. They were visiting Grandpa and Grandma at Caples Lake in the Sierras. After they reeled them in they had a blast cleaning them. We are still waiting for Patsy to cook them. Maybe when we return back to the states in '08.
Oh yeah, thanks for all your prayers for Bernice. She is doing great and recovering well from her hospitalization. We are very thankful the Lord worked it out that we were in the states when this happened. Thank you Lord!
Let's quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.
Billy Sunday
1862-1935
American evangelist
Thank you for all your prayers. Bernice is recovering in Turlock Ca from a blood clot that was found in her abdominal cavity. Continue to pray for her recovery. We are waiting for the Doctors clearance to travel back to Brazil. We would like to thank the Curtis family for opening their home and the Gonzales family for the use of their vehicle (sorry about the dent from the pole...oops!) and the Taylors for their awesome generosity. Many thanks to Pastors Ron and Jennifer and our entire Harvest Christian Center family for spoiling us beyond measure during our stay. You are all such a blessing and integral part of our team!
After much prayer, we have decided to enroll Tommy and Nicky in school. They are very excited and looking forward to meeting new friends. Please keep them in prayer. They are the only english speaking students in their entire school. Their teachers only speak portuguese. we believe this will help them excell in learning the language and become effective missionary kids.
