"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17
God is doing amazing things around the world! It's easy to forget this when you see the news on CNN or sit in shock as you read the front page of the newspaper. Still, there is much to celebrate if we have eyes to see. When we talked about mission – sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a hurting world – it used to be "us" sending missionaries to "them" in Africa, Asia, or
- Please pray for Elisabet – for wisdom as she pursues her education. Pray that God would continue to mold and shape her as she works with young people and serves in the music ministry of her local church.
You would enjoy listening to Paulo César's stories of working with the Tukano people in the Amazon area of northern Brazil. He and his wife, Luciene, have recently completed a revision of the Tukano New Testament (see our January newsletter for more info on this project). They also teach at the only school in their community. Paulo taught an intensive course on the "Contextualization of Mission" for new missionaries at the training center last month. He encouraged them to beware of confusing the cultural expression of Christianity with the good news of Jesus Christ. For example, which of the following is part of the good news of Jesus? Write us back and tell us what you think!
Wooden pews
Praise and worship songs
Sunday morning worship at 11:00
Suit and tie for male pastors
None of the above.
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Paulo César and Luciene would appreciate your prayers for stamina as Paulo finishes his Master's in New Testament.
- Pray also that God would expand their network of financial and prayer supporters.
Pastor Marcos can barely contain his excitement (mixed with a little terror) as he and his wife prepare to serve as missionaries in Switzerland. Their church is behind them 100%, but still it will be difficult to leave family and friends and adjust to a completely different climate, culture, and language (we know this from personal experience!).
- Pray that Marcos will seek and follow God's guidance every step of the way as their October 2005 departure date approaches.
- Pray also for the gift of tongues and the peace of Christ as this family settles into life in Switzerland.
When you meet Geny, you get the feeling that she might be a long-lost auntie of yours. She exudes grace and gentleness: perfect qualities for a nurse. She has served as a community health nurse for many years in Guinea Bissau (in West Africa near Senegal). Under her loving care, many have received both physical and spiritual healing. She made the missionary training center her base for the past few months as she visited supporting churches and took care of medical needs before returning overseas at the end of June.
- Geny asks that you pray for her health, especially for healing from the eye surgery she had in mid-June.
- Pray also for God's strength as she ministers to families in both urban and rural areas of Guinea Bissau.
On the family front, we are delighted to have Elena with us again. She is taking classes at the university here and plans to return to Willamette University in Oregon in August 2006. Asa passed all but one of his exams at the end the first term (can you hear the hallelujah chorus?). Among the topics he had to explain in Portuguese were: cellular structure, story problems using geometry, the basic tenets of Islam, and the feudal system during the Dark Ages.
We just completed teaching our first intensive course for the new missionary training program (in Portuguese!) – "Christian Community Development." As a result of the course we added all kinds of interesting words to our vocabulary: evangelism and social action, micro-lending, community health worker, product pricing, backyard fish farming and soil-cement bricks.
We wanted to get this praise and prayer letter to you some time ago. The last two months have been chock full with teaching, Elena's arrival, a two-week period when the entire family was sick with winter season fevers and coughs, and preparing our two intensive courses for new missionaries here, and getting ready for the final exam in the Portuguese class we were taking. God has been busy in and through us!
In the coming two months we are looking forward to even more excitement. Our friend Lee Spitzer from New Jersey has just arrived to help with our second intensive class for new missionaries. Then the first week of August, Ann will leave for two weeks in the US. She has been invited by International Ministries to help at the World Mission Conference and the Conference for Missionaries in Green Lake, Wisconsin. She'll be talking about our Missionary Partnership Network and how God is using our Missionary Partnership Team to engage churches and individuals with our ministry here in Brazil. The day after Ann returns, we'll be hosting a mission tour group from First Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon for two weeks. It will be great to see old friends and to introduce them to our Brazilian Baptist partners and their missionaries.
Thanks for your faithful prayer and financial support that allows us to minister here.
- Please continue to pray for the Brazilian Baptist missionaries with whom we work, and for us as we encourage and equip them.
- Pray for Ann as she travels to the US to encourage other missionaries and churches to enter into partnerships like we have with you.
- Finally, pray for the FBC Portland tour group as they take care of last-minute details (like visas!) and prepare for a ministry experience here.
Que Deus os abençoe! (That God blesses them)
Ann, Bruce, Elena, and Asa Borquist