Unsung Hero #3

Now this is the kind of guy you just have to love.

Larry Murray has been involved with the work in Ubaúna since the very first day. In fact, you might say that he is the one who jump started it.

Larry is a unique breed – a drywall contractor. We sincerely try not to hold that against him because those skills can come in quite handy at times.

If prayer, money, effort are needed, he is the very first one to jump in and commit wholeheartedly. As he once told me: “If God has given you the vision, and if I trust you, who am I to not do what He says to do?”

I’ve watched him crying and praying over the people in Ubaúna. I’ve seen him in great discomfort physically while there, but he’s never complained. I’ve observed him, head in hands on an airplane returning to the U.S., distraught that the people we’d just brought into the Kingdom had no one present to help them grow in their new life.

Larry is the type and quality of fellow that God is calling out to spearhead this adventure in Brasil’s arid northeast. Do you hear Him calling you?

Moving heaven

Just in from Áudrey:

“We are ecstatic! 

We had almost despaired of Andréia being able to get into law school in Sobral. The alloted time for transfer [from the law school in Brasilia to the one in Sobral] had terminated.

Jesus pulled off a miracle.

The director said that it would only be possible for her to attend if some student already enrolled dropped out. She said that this would be highly unlikely because of the demand for the course. Today when we arrived at the school office, the director smiled and said: “Lucky girl, a student dropped out today.”

It is unbelievable! Andréia is now registered and begins her classes tomorrow [today].

We know that this happened because of your prayers that moved heaven for us. Thank you to all who have been praying for us.”

Abandoned?

Nope! Simply posting an interesting series of posts that directly impact Ubaúna over on my primary blog where there is a larger readership (you’ve probably already read them ).

Stay tuned…

Ubaúna Mission Trip, July 2008

Pull out your chopsticks and dig in!

 

Team Ubauna

Think you have what it takes?

Check back tomorrow…

Ubaúna church building preparation

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A Tease…

I admit it. I’m a tease!

This might wet your appetite for more.

Big news in little notes

I received a note from Áudrey in Ubaúna yesterday:

We began the work Sunday at 7:15 p.m.

Is that cool or what?!

We had 22 people present and we hadn’t done anything to bring them in. We think the next service will have more people.

This is incredible. Without even inviting people in, without any advertising, without any effort, 22 people show up for a worship service at the “newbie” church on Sunday night. I think the expectation that there will be more present at the next is an exaggerated adumbration. Listen to this:

There were people healed. A woman suffering extreme stomach pain was healed instantly. Another who had a chronic and debilitating shoulder pain was also healed. There was a buzz!

I think Áudrey is becoming a master of understatement.

Here’s the reality:

They know nothing. We will have to teach everything. We will be scheduling discipleship classes in the near future; we’ve got a lot of work to do. With a little more time living among them, we will know better how to shepherd them [new Christians].

He ended with: if you are excited about this, give the glory to God with a big shout!

That loud noise you heard earlier was my shout…

Notes from Ubaúna

Just received this from Áudrey in Ubaúna: 

O dinheiro chegou. Estamos saíndo agora para comprar as cadeiras e a tinta para o piso, pois marcamos o primeiro culto para domingo. Há pessoas esperando, não sabemos quantas ainda, daqui para frente vamos estar organizando a membrezia e freqüência dos cultos.

The money arrived. We’re leaving right now to buy chairs and paint for the floor. We’ve set the date for the first worship service for Sunday [September 16]. People are waiting, we don’t know how many yet. Going forward from here, we are organizing the members and the frequency of worship services.

Aquela senhora macumbeira que entregou a vida para Cristo faleceu antes de chegarmos, nossa visita foi providencial.

That “voodoo priestess” who delivered her life to Christ died; our visit to her [in July] was providential.

Creio que Deus nos dará muito mais que números, vamos colocar as metas diante de Deus, estaremos orando para que tenhamos mais de 100 pessoas firmes até a fim do ano.

I believe that God will give us much more than numbers; let’s place the goals before Him and we will be praying that we have more than 100 strong people by the end of the year.

Do you see what your prayers and money have done and are doing? Thank you!!

Please pray for this first “legitimate” worship service tomorrow. This is so cool!

God in This Moment

Thanks to a Brasilian buddy, Thiago, for this piece by Gavin Mikhail.

Quite appropriate for Ubaúna: