Togo Team Interview & Recap

Togo 2011 Recap Video

Follow Me

Lucas Bair
AM Service
John 21:15-19

Podcast: Download (Duration: 45:53 — 31.5MB)

The Big Picture Missions Conference 2011

The Big Picture Missions Conference is coming up October 6th-9th with missionaries from all across the world. It’s a great chance for God to expand our vision and burden our hearts for the world around us. Check out the video below from the 2008 missions conference.

Missionary Christmas

Click here for the Missionary Christmas Wish List and sign up for an item.

Large Group Schedule

Thursday, October 6th

11:30am-1:00pm Seniors Lunch with Missionaries
6:30pm-8:30pm Cell Group Night with Missionaries

Friday, October 7th

6:30pm-8:30pm Ladies Night Out/Guys Night Out (more information below)

Sunday, October 9th

8:30am-9:45am First Service – Speaker: Lucas Bair (Brazil)
Between Services Coffee Cove – Missionary booths
10:15am-11:30am Second Service – Speaker: Lucas Bair (Brazil)
Lunch Missionaries in Homes
5:30pm-6:30pm International Appetizer Buffet
6:30pm Missionary Christmas and Farver Commissioning Service

Ladies Night/Guys Night Out

The guys will be eating at the church with smoked meat from Stu and hearing from several of our men missionaries. Ladies, you will be hearing from several of the missionary wives at this dinner at The Tournament Club of Iowa. There are three dinner options to choose from when you sign up listed below. Sign up and pay Sunday between the morning services in the Coffee Cove. Childcare will be provided for those attending.

The Arnie – tea and lemonade marinated chicken breast on cracked wheat, peppered bacon, swiss cheese and avocado mayonnaise with sweet potato fries
Rice Bowl (chicken or beef) – stir fry vegetables with a lemongrass sesame sauce, choice of chicken or beef served with steamed jasmine rice
Tournament Dip – house roasted prime rib shaved and bathed in herbed au jus on ciabatta hoagie with sauteed onions and maytag white cheddar with steak fries

2011 Big Picture Missionaries

Lee and Violette Abuhl – Togo
Lucas and Teresa Bair – Brazil
Josh and Danielle Daggett – Church Planter, South Des Moines
Bill and Deb Edmondson – Boston
Josh and Jenny Farver – Togo
Henry and Molly John – India
John and Bev Leonard – Brazil
Hal and Patty Miller – CBF (Retired)
Bob and Margaret Paswaters – Hong Kong (Retired)
Greg and Laura Pollak – Church Planter, Des Moines
Nate and Barb Schrag – New Guinea

Unvarnished

Lucas Bair
AM Service
Psalm 44

Podcast: Download (Duration: 30:34 — 14.0MB)

Matthews – January 2011

Caroline’s Doctors Appt

We wanted to update you on Caroline’s doctor’s appt. with the pediatric cardiologist. If you remember last year, Caroline had been diagnosed with a development of tissue on one of the valves of her heart. It causes a slight leakage or murmur in her heart. The specialists at the time stated there was no concern at that time and we would need to come in for an evaluation each year. If there is any growth, she would need to have surgery.

Come to find out this condition only occurs in approx. 2% of people and usually needs surgery. Our cardiologist has had to operate on all of her patients that have this condition in the past.

It has been a year since Caroline was diagnosed with this condition. She has not had any ill effects since the diagnosis. She was a champion at the doctor this week. After looking at her heart, the cardiologist saw no growth in the tissue and did not see the need for surgery at this time. Caroline even said, “I like going to the doctor, ” as we left the office. What a trooper. We will need to go back for another evaluation in 12 months. Thanks for your prayers.

School

A big day for all on Monday, all of the kids start school at the Australian Christian College (Colleges are the schools prior to University in Australia) Yes, our school year starts in January, after summer in Australia. Quite an adjustment from homeschooling for Cathy and the kids. Please be praying they all adjust well to the transition.

Panel + Series

City Bible Forum is changing the format for the Forums for 2011. It is exciting changes, but not without its challenges. We would appreciate your prayers for it. Details about City Bible Forum at www.citybibleforum.org

Format: Each month the Forum would begin with a Talking Point issue. We would have a panel of 3-4 ‘experts’ on the various topics. Then from the panel, the following weeks would be a series answering many of the discussion points from a Biblical perspective.

eg: Imagine series: Panel discussion would utilise the lyrics from the John Lennon song and discuss the idea Imagine there was no religion, God, heaven or hell… Then Al Stewart would do a series for three weeks on the Biblical perspective of these implications based in the New Testament. Our panelists are Dr. John Dickson (biblical historian), Jane Caro (Writer/Athiest) & Dr Tanveer Ahmed (Writer /Clinical Psychiatrist/ Moderate Muslim).

Panel format: Three to four individuals would be willing to discuss their view on the topic. It is not a debate, but an interactive discussion with a moderator and the audience. We would have key people set in the audience who have a specific view on this topic to set in motion the conversation. We are following the model of SBS ‘INSIGHT’ for the format. Time: 1:10-1:50 (Wednesdays and Thursdays) First week of each month.

Panelists: We would like the panel to be a mix of differing view points. We have a mixed audience of approximately 200+ each week. The experts we are contacting are not desiring to recruit for their own cause, but willing to intellectually discuss their view with an audience and others in a panel atmosphere.

Panel and series topics: Imagine no religion, Crossing Over: Is there anything after this life?, Why do we do what we do? Analysing the Human Condition, 2012 and end times: A look at the book of Revelation and others. All will follow with a series based on a biblical perspective of the topic.

We would appreciate your prayers for this format change and that many non-Christians would come to hear the panel and the series.

Thanks for your support and prayers.

The adventure continues…

The Matthews Family

Leonard – February 2011

Prayer Team,

Greetings from warm, tropical, Brazil… OOPS! We should say… Greetings from COLD, WINDY, SNOWY, IOWA! Yes, that is right, we are here in the States trying to stay warm, and it is NOT easy! As we look out the window, we see lots of snow and the thermometer is reading 8 degrees!! We praise the Lord that He has brought us safely here for our furlough. We are getting settled into life here in the U.S.A., enjoying seeing family and friends, and scheduling meetings. Our responsibilities begin on February 25th. Please pray with us for safety and health as we travel, and most of all that God will use us greatly as we minister.

Yes, the last time we wrote, we were in Brazil and getting ready for the Christmas season. Jerrod and Jonna took advantage of their college Christmas breaks and came down to be with the rest of the family and help with the move back. Being together as a family was a special treat. How grateful we are that the Christmas celebration in our home was well-attended. Forty-nine people were present at this great outreach opportunity. We enjoyed the singing of traditional Christmas carols, and John gave a challenge which included the clear Gospel plan. We are grateful for your prayers and want ask you to continue to pray for those who heard how to be saved, but have not yet responded. As a family, we were also able to go “caroling”—something that is new to most Brazilians, but they were so appreciative!

One more HUGE answer to prayer…the Christmas program at Sao Pedro was held in our new, unfinished church building!!!! God used the presentation to touch many lives including several visiting families from the community. The following day, we celebrated by having a special Christmas meal also in the auditorium! Such an exciting time for us all! But no one was more excited than John and the four young men who usually had to carry John up and down those 20 steps to the basement where we formerly held all meetings!! Thank the Lord for His goodness!! And most of all, prayer team…thank YOU once again for your prayers!!!

It has been quite some time since we have given you an up-date regarding our former work in Jundiai. Our son, Joshua, who stayed in Brazil, gave us a report regarding last week’s Vacation Bible School. An average of 90 children were in attendance each day. During the children’s activities, the mothers were also invited to a class just for them. And best of all, there were at least five children who accepted Christ as Savior!! We also received good reports from the work in Gato Preto and the rest home ministry. It is exciting to see the national believers and their new pastors carrying on the work. Thank you for praying for the ministry in Brazil!

May the Lord bless and keep each of you.

Sincerely in Christ,
John and Bev Leonard

Bair – January 2011

Happy New Year from the Brazil Bairs!!

2010 was our first full year in Brazil. It was definitely an interesting one!

Filled with many ups and downs, challenges like we’ve never faced before as a family: Full time students, moved to a new city, began homeschooling, had a stretch of illnesses, continued to work through heartache of being separated from friends and family.

But God sent many, many blessings our way: Great new brazilian friends, a church wanting to please the Lord, great new missionary friends, a new closeness as a family, spiritual growth in all our lives, and the list goes on.

What will 2011 bring? Only the Lord knows.

But I have confidence that whatever it is, it is the best for the Brazil Bairs.

“As for God, His way is perfect.”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Isn’t it awesome that we can enter a new decade with the confidence that God already knows what is going to happen every moment?

Isn’t it awesome that we can enter a new decade with the hope that every moment is ordained by our loving God?

We can enter 2011 with no fear of the unknown.

Because, what is unknown to us is always known by God…

And He knew it before time began…

And He allows it in our lives because it is best for us…

and He loves us more than we can comprehend.

So, enter 2011 with confidence in our Lord and His plans for us…

No matter what they may be.

Happy New year!!

Voelker – November 2010

BAPTISM: Last Sunday we attended Igreja Baptista de Ramada to attend the baptism of one of our students. Most of our teaching staff were in attendance to witness this important step of obedience. It was a thrill to observe this student’s courage in taking a stand for Christ.

ELISABETH THOMAS: Please keep praying for one year old Elisabeth who is going through chemo therapy to shrink a cancerous tumor in her kidney. On Thanksgiving Day she will have surgery to remove the kidney. God is answering prayer and sustaining Elisabeth, her three older siblings and her parents.

UPCOMING CONFERENCE: We are asking for special prayer for our Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Western European Conference which is held every three years during Thanksgiving week. This year the conference is being held in Southern Portugal. It will be attended by 130 missionaries, national partners, and workers from around the region. Workers in this part of the world face constant resistance to the gospel. The purpose of the Conference is to refresh and encourage the workers through the provision of special worship, the ministry of the Word of God, and various training workshops. Several churches are sending teams to work with the children and teenagers, freeing their parents to attend the adult sessions. Pray that we and the other missionaries and national workers will be renewed in our love for God and return to our fields of service overflowing in faith, joy and zeal to serve Christ.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Portugal does not have anything equivalent to it. As in America, shopping malls are already decorated for Christmas and mobs of people are spending their recently received stipends. (Portuguese workers receive two extra months of pay a year, one in August and one in late November) December is one of the months when we observe the most materialism here as shopping carts are piled high and there are LONG lines to have items gift wrapped.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS: Our school will be presenting a Christmas program on December 10th. Please pray that some of our unbelieving parents will attend and be touched by God’s message.

Igreja Baptista de Loures plans to perform its Christmas program on three different days. The goal is to reach people outside our church family with the true message of Christmas. Cal and I will be a part of the music ensemble.

As we think about Thanksgiving and all the things we have to be thankful about, each of you comes to mind. We thank God for each of the churches and individuals who support us. We are also so very thankful for our families who sacrifice much as we spend holidays away from them year after year.

Yours for the Lord of the Harvest,
Cal and Joyce Voelker

Bair – November 2010

Here is a preview to the video:

News:
1. Graduated from Language school
2. Moved to Gravatai to begin working with a young church there
3. Transitioning into ministry.

Prayer Requests:
1. Continued language learning
2. Direction where to invest in the ministries here
3. Continued development of new evangelistic contacts
4. Lucas is preaching first sermon in 3 weeks

Hope you enjoy the video. I will include a link at the bottom in case the embedded video doesn’t work. Love you all.

The Bairs

Link to video: youtube

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