Follow Me

Lucas Bair
AM Service
John 21:15-19

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

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

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

Farver – October 2010

As usual the last couple months have been very busy. It is easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out in the process of raising support. Yet, as I reflect on the happenings of the last two months God’s blessings and provisions are abundantly visible! So, we continue to find rest and comfort in God, our refuge and hope! In September and October we traveled repeatedly to Northwestern Iowa, to Illinois, and finished off with a church right here in Des Moines. We started off going to Grace E-Free Church in Denison, Iowa. The following week we were in LeMars Iowa at LeMars Bible Church where we took part in their Mission’s Conference. The very next weekend we were back North in Onawa, Iowa where we were part of Onawa E-Free’s Mission’s Conference. After that, we traveled Southeast to Quincy Illinois where we shared with Calvary Baptist Church. Finally, last weekend we shared with Trinity Baptist Church on the South side of Des Moines. Every one of these Churches were welcoming and encouraging to us as we shared our passion and vision for Mango. So we say thank you to the Churches and pastors who have allowed us to share! We are so grateful for the friendships we have made in our travels (this is definitely one of the best parts of pre-field ministry)!

We are also excited to report that we recently received word that Fellowship Baptist Church in Mt. Zion, Illinois (near Decatur) is taking us on for support! This is a great answer to prayer and brings our monthly support level to almost 52%. Another answer to prayer recently was meeting Glenn and Carol Ginder. The Ginder’s were missionaries in Malaysia for many years working with Muslims. They are now back in the Des Moines area and willing to teach us and plug us into Muslim ministry here! Things in Mango continue to progress well, and building will pick up even more with the end of the rainy season. One of the latest projects was the installation of a swimming pool on the Hospital compound. The pool was donated and installed by a company here in the states. It will provide much needed relief from the heat for building teams, missionaries and missionary kids for years to come. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support! It is a blessing and comfort to know that we are greatly supported by so many faithful friends and family. May God bless you all!

Our Story…His Story

Russ Matthews
AM Service

Podcast: Download (Duration: 41:40 — 19.1MB)

Voelker – November 2010

We’ve asked you to pray with us this school year for our new Nepalese student in the elementary. Uttam needs to learn more English in order to be able to get passing grades and in order to begin to understand God’s love for him. Please continue to pray with us for Uttam’s language development as well as for his academic and spiritual growth.

We rarely have contact with the parents of our five Nepalese students. They do not normally attend any school events or programs. Recently, however, Uttam’s father along with several uncles, and grandparents visiting Portugal came to see the school. Grandfather is a Hindu priest in Nepal. The three high school girls recently shared this in girl’s Bible Study; “Our parents sent us to this school so we could get a good English education and learn manners, but we know that God had other plans.” Imagine the impact these believers can have if God leads them to return to Nepal, a country that is very difficult for foreign missionaries to enter! Soon, in an attempt to have some contact and influence on these parents, our entire group of missionaries hopes to share a meal in one of the seven Asian restaurants these families own. Pray that this will lead to opportunities to share Christ’s love with the parents of our students. One more Nepalese student may soon join our elementary student body.

Milord (pronounced Mee-Lord) is an eleventh grade Nepalese student. He trusted Christ as an elementary student at another Christian school and joined us at Greater Lisbon Christian Academy when his family moved closer to our side of Lisbon. Milord is the only one of the students from Hindu families who has been allowed to attend youth group at Igreja Baptista de Ramada. Recently Milord made the very important decision to follow the Lord in believers baptism. Missionary Ken Lowe went with him when he told his mother that he was a Christian and wished to be baptized. Soon he will be telling his father about this decision. So far his sister and female cousins have not been allowed to attend an evangelical church. Please pray for our students who do not have Christian parents enforcing the truths they are learning at school.

In closing we would like to ask you to pray for the Thomas family who are in their fifth year of ministry in Portugal. They learned on Friday that their one year old daughter has a cancerous tumor on her kidney. More tests will be completed this week to determine the extent of the cancer before recommending treatment that will probably include chemotherapy and surgery to remove her kidney. Please pray for parents, Jeff and Jenny Thomas, and for Maddie, Ellen and Noah, Elisabeth’s older siblings who are all students in our school. Pray that God will continue to give peace and hope to the family and that He will be glorified as they continue to trust Him through this difficult season.

Thank you so much for your partnership as we continue to minister at Greater Lisbon Christian Academy and at Igreja Baptista de Loures. We could not be here without your prayer and financial support.

Believing He is able, Cal and Joyce Voelker

Pray for:
Elisabeth Thomas and her entire family
Uttam to trust Christ and succeed in school
Milord’s baptism on November 7th
Usha, Benjina and Mikky to be allowed to attend church
For our students from Christian fami-lies (Koreans, Germans, Brazilians, Ca-nadians, Americans) to grow in their faith and desire to share Christ with others.

Boyd – October 2010

Setbacks and Blessings

I wrote our last prayer letter when everything was looking good. We were just starting a new Grupo de Impacto and had seen some positive results. Well, since then we hit a brick wall in the ministry here.

We had started a new group in the Medinas’ house, but after a good initial turnout, the attendance dwindled down to nothing. We have decided to suspend the group in their house for a few weeks while we regroup in that neighborhood.

In the group in the Carters’ house, we had seen what we thought was a good core group. That group dwindled down to two adults. Needless to say we were pretty discouraged.

At that point we were feeling somewhat like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We were questioning ourselves and our ministry, but we weren’t questioning God. We realized that God wanted to teach us more humility. And we began to pray more.

A month after hitting that wall, we can say that God has been working in lives and in our ministry plans here.

This last week we opened a new Grupo de Impacto in our home. We had eight adults from our neighborhood come out for our first meeting. The exciting thing is that all of the adult guests except one were invited by Eduardo. He continues to grow spiritually and desire to share the gospel with many of his friends.

One of the rooms of Eduardo’s house burned up, which turned out to be a great blessing. Huh? Yes, as a result, his wife, Maria del Carmen, and his older son Eduardo Jr. have begun attending our group. In fact, I’ve started a Bible study with Eduardo Jr., who suffers from severe fear issues. The first time he came to my house he was trembling, but I’ve become his new friend, and he’s really enjoyed our Bible study. Please pray that God would free him from the greatest fear, which is to face God at the final judgment without Christ (Hebrews 10:31). God has also allowed me to start a new Bible study with a whole family in Taganga. They have been very excited about the study. Please pray for Howard, Stefania, Nelson, and Gladys.

Perhaps the most interesting development in our plans has been the new goal to launch with public Sunday services on December 5th. We had not wanted to pursue that goal for a while because we didn’t feel ready. But God has used the setbacks to help us see that Sunday services will help us spiritually and culturally as well. We have talked to a local Christian musician who is going to be helping us with the music. Now we just need to purchase the needed startup equipment and determine where we will start meeting. At this point we are considering the upstairs hall of our office building, where we think that at least 30 people would fit. We just need to talk to Joaquin, the owner of the office, to see if that would work.

Making contacts in Santa Marta

When we came to Santa Marta in February, we didn’t know a single person. By God’s grace we’ve been able to make contacts with many people here. How have we made these contacts? The best way has been by simply being friendly. The other day we were in Homemart (like Lowe’s), and I made a comment to a lady about how cute her two-year old was. That led to meeting her brother-in-law and her husband. They invited us over to their place, and we began a new friendship with them. Another great place to make friends has been at the small pool where Lucas and Eliana have swimming lessons. I just befriended Jesús and Carmen through our conversations at the pool. In each of these cases, we’ve had a chance to share the gospel with these people, praying that God would bring them to salvation.

Our coworkers

Our coworkers here in Santa Marta have been doing pretty well. Alfredo’s health has improved, and he is in the United States this week for a conference on expository preaching. We thank God for both the Medina and Carter families. We would definitely struggle without them here. We rejoice to see how we are so different but so unified in our ministry vision and friendship. We also want to thank you for your partnership in the ministry here in Colombia. Without your faithful prayers and giving we would not be here.

Kids’ corner

Our kids have started up their new school year. Lucas is in 4th grade, Eliana in 2nd grade, and Marcos in “preschool” (okay, he actually just plays with his “busy box” or gets into trouble). They have been enjoying this year’s Sonlight curriculum, with its emphasis on American history. Both of the older kids have improved their swimming greatly, and Lucas wants to start back up with Taekwondo in November. Marcos has entered a difficult (ornery) stage but still shines through with moments of great cuteness (like when he joyfully learned the word “hot dog” last week). Holly’s pregnancy continues to go well. Please pray for our kids’ spiritual and social development.

Serving Jesus in Santa Marta,
Jonathan, Holly, Lucas, Eliana, and Marcos Boyd

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