Brazil 2005

Posted June 17, 2005

(Quick Note: Our daughter-in-law, Teresa, just left Baltimore to join the team tomorrow. She has to make connections in Atlanta and then connect with a local flight out of Sau Paulo to where the team is. Pray for safe travel and that her luggage arrives and that she has no problems with customs.)

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Dearest Friends,

So much is happening so fast here in Florianopolis that we do not know where to begin. Please read the following list of blessings and thank God for all that he does!

1. A little girl with AIDS noticed that I did not seem to feel well. I have a stomach bug and she noticed I was sick. She stood up and brought me a little chair. I felt her small hand pulling on my dress and saw her pointing to the chair. In her suffering, she had eyes to see others needs. I pray that the Lord will give all of us her vision.
2. At an orphanage for children with AIDS, we heard a single child whispering a prayer, asking Jesus to be her Savior.
3. The other night, the entire team shared Christ through a radio program that reaches 20,000 people. Also, our "Agape Puppets Brazil" team shared about there ministry. Praise God.
4. Just today we recorded another program, only 15 minutes long, challenging people to reach their children for Jesus. It reaches all of South America, and Spanish speakers on other continents. Daniel Cruz, team member from Mexico, translated for me, and we decided we make a good team.
5. God gave us two programs at a school, enabling us to share His love with over 800 teenagers, children, and adults. The teenagers were very responsive, literally screaming their thanks, whistling, and clapping. The principal stood in front of the entire school and said that these words would bring fruit in their lives. Please pray for the children and teenagers in this school to know Jesus.
6. Everyone begs us to come again. We always refer them to our Brazil team who can come again. Praise the Lord for their ministry! Check out their website at www.amordefantoche.com.br
7. Yesterday we did a show for a group of children at a day care facility, where the leaders are spiritualists. We were very late and all of us were concerned about then unnecessary problems that had delayed us. God showed us such mercy. Because we were so late, all of the parents were in attendance at the puppet show, because they had come to pick up the children. Thank you for praying for this opportunity.
8. Late one evening we did a show on the top of one of the mountains in Florianopolis. So many people crowded into that small space to hear about Jesus. The show was outside and many people that were walking by on the street stopped to listen. The people in the area are very poor and there are many problems with drug and alcohol abuse. It is not an easy place to be a child.
9. Everywhere we go, people comment about our eyes. They tell us that they can see Jesus in our face, His light in our eyes. We pray that this will always be true. Last night a lady came up to me and told me that I have heavenly eyes. All of us have decided that this would be a good title for the missionary book that we want to write about the things we have seen God do through the puppet ministry. Our Father is amazing!
10. A little girl with AIDS asked us today, "Can Jesus heal my Aids?" Please pray that this little girl will put her trust in Jesus so that she can know the wonder of Heaven.

Everyone is so kind. Their hospitality knows no bounds. Everyone gives us their beds and sleeps on a sofa or on the floor, so that we can be as comfortable as possible. One lady made me a beautiful scarf to thank me for the program we did for the children at her church.

All of us are so blessed by seeing what God is doing. Thank you for praying for us and continue to stay on your knees.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for Hadia, David, Daniel, Joe, Gerson, Fabiana, and Teresa who arrives on Saturday. WOW!!!

Posted June 15, 2005

Dearest Friends,

The island of Forinopolis

After a lovely 11 hour drive, we arrived on the coast of Brazil, near the island of Forinopolis. David and our translator, Fabiola, took the bus and enjoyed an 11 hour ride, but with more leg room.

The community of Joel

Before I can tell you more about where we are, I need to tell you the rest of what we saw God do in Joel. We have found a new team that we plan to equip, a national pastor with a good vision, an independent community church that is affiliated with an evangelical association of churches. We hope that his son, Lucias, will join us in the United States on a summer puppet team in a year or so. He introduced us to a Presbyterian pastor that we will work with on our next trip. Pastor Wagner also does a radio program and was already actively trying to reach children for Christ.

More Children

He went with us to visit the children in a favella that was right beside the school where we did puppet shows. The school was modern and well equipped, but the favella was in another world. The houses there were made of other people's trash. The walls were made of old doors, boxes, odd boards, and even the tops of broken tables. It is illegal for them to be there, but when they come from the villages looking for a better life, they quickly discover that this is the life that they will have. Since they have no skills and jobs are unavailable, the men scavenge the trash trying to find cans, bottles, and cardboard to sell. The children are hungry and there is nothing in their world to give them hope.

There is lots of drug and alcohol abuse. Teenagers, desperate for drugs, promise to pay the dealer's tomorrow. When they cannot pay, they are killed. Everyday, in this place, in places like it, teenagers die because they owe 5 or 10 Reals (about $2.17 or $4.23) That is the price of a lost young person's life.

We walked through the favella, making balloons, showing the children the puppets, and sharing the Gospel with them. Pastor Wagner finished our time with prayer. Even though he admitted that he had never been to this place before, he promised to go regularly. He is a man who learns to see quickly. Pray for this new work in Joel and our Brazilian team who will return to finish their training.

Our last 3 shows in Joel gave us great joy. We had a wonderful time sharing at a sweet Baptist Church, but the best shows were at a local school. When 150 teenagers, not once, but at two separate shows, sit in silence and pay attention to a Bible story, you know it is God's Holy Spirit. They loved the puppets.

A school in Joel

At the second show, we could especially sense God's spirit as He touched the hearts of the young people. We heard dozens and dozens of young people at each show, asking Jesus to be their Savior. Awesome! The pastor was asked by the principal to return regularly and pray with the children. We discovered that we were the first Christian group to ever enter the school. One of the school's leaders had come to our street show and was anxious for us to come. They begged us to come again, but it will be Agape Puppets BRAZIL, the team we trained last year that will answer their request. This is great!

And now Forinopolis

Now, we are in Forinopolis. Only this morning, could we see the wonderful countryside that surrounds us. We will go to work on the island, but we are staying on a farm on the mainland. The roosters crowed for us as we arrived at 2am and the donkeys started at 6 am. We ate great food for lunch, cooked mashed roots over beef with cheese. There are cashew trees here and tomorrow, I will have fresh fig leaf tea. Ground root flour tops the beans and rice.

A young man names Andre

After lunch, a young man named Andre shared his testimony. He lost 10 years of his life because of drugs and alcohol until he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He lost everything, even his clothes. Now, he is a new man in Christ. He blessed us with a song. You should see the joy in his face as he sang, I want to be faithful to you Jesus, I want to obey you with all my heart”. Pray for Andra's faith to increase.

Dark places

The spiritualists do most of the social work in Brazil. These people practice a voodoo-like religion, similar to what you would find in Haiti. They run a shelter that will be in tomorrow, Thursday. We are going into the dark so please pray for the light of Jesus to shine!

In Jesus,

Linda for Hadia, Joe, David, Daniel, and Teresa who arrives on Saturday.

Posted June 13, 2005

Dearest Friends,

A very Special Day..

As we ate a very late dinner last night, we were discussing how amazed we were at all we had seen God do so far. Sunday was an amazing day and there is not enough time to write all that we are seeing God do.

The day began by us arriving late to our next location. So far, we have moved every night and so we were late getting everything packed. We missed our connection with the pastor who would take us to the radio station, so we began to look around to see if we could find a group of children. There were three little boys flying a kite and as soon as we began to tie balloons for them, we had a crowd of children. Joe told one little girl that Jesus loved her and it looked like she was about to cry. Many of these children have little or no love in their lives. The mention of His name touched her heart.

God was so good to us. We were able to share with many children and do the radio show. Using the phones in the house we called in our program. More than 40,000 people listened to the stories about how Jesus is changing the lives of children around the world. We challenged them to reach the children of Brazil for Christ. Many responded by calling in afterwards and the station director was so excited that he asked us to do a second program. We also used this opportunity to advertise Agape Puppets Brazil, our team from Campinas.

Pray for tomorrow..

Tomorrow, Tuesday, we travel to the island of Florinopolis. Please pray for safe travel and patience, as it is a 10-hour drive. Ask God to continue to call children to faith. Today at a school, teenagers prayed out loud asking Jesus, to save them. They listened intently despite enormous distractions. The teachers were amazed. We were amazed at the goodness of God. The entire team was asked for their autographs. Many children thanked me for the story. Their gratitude is a big gift for each one of us.

Open air markets.

Open-air markets are everywhere. You go there to buy flowers, fruit, fish, and anything else that can be sold. We set up the stage on a grassy spot and people came from everywhere to listen and watch. Even people at the bus stop listened. At the end of the program, the children rushed forward, asking for nothing more than a hug. They just wanted to be near us, to touch us. Many adults even thanked us.

While in the market, we bought the little boys that we had met earlier that day a kite. Theirs was made from a trash bag and they were so excited to receive a bright green and white one. In the afternoon, all of them came to the puppet show in the street in front of the church. They brought all the chairs out of the church and there were still not enough seats. Then they went back to their homes and brought all the chairs from their houses. Still many people were standing and two teenagers watched the program from the roof of a nearby house. Many children and even adults prayed out loud asking Jesus to be their Savior! I am struggling to find words to describe the wonder of what we saw God do.

Pray for the children.

In the evening the church invited us to give a report on our ministry. The little boy that we had given the kite to listened to a two-hour worship service and he really paid attention. At the end of the service, the pastor gave an invitation and the little boy that we had given the kite to walked forward. He told everyone in the church that night that he wanted to know Jesus as his Savior. Where he lives is very difficult for children because there is a lot of gang and drug problems. Please pray for this little boy to grow up to a great man of God. Also ask to the Lord to heal his little brother because he was injured when a sink fell on him. He has some brain damage from the accident and struggles with day-to-day activities. He is only four.

One lady, who came to the street show, wrote me a thank you letter for the drawings that I gave her that night, but what she was really thanking me for was the story that she had heard. Last night she came to faith in Jesus. In her letter she kept writing about the light she saw in our eyes. Please pray for this lady to become a strong Christian.

Spiritual darkness..

Some of the places that we are doing the programs are spiritually very dark. At this time of year, they have festivals to honor the spirits. There are flags hanging everywhere for this celebration. We even did a puppet show at a shelter with flags for the spirits hanging over our heads. The school that we are at today has them hanging everywhere. Pray against the darkness and ask God to show the people of Brazil His light.

We face other problems. At one program the children would just not be quiet, but as soon as we began the prayer and called on the name of Jesus, noon spoke another word.

Digio - pray for him ..

Please pray for Digio, a young man who watched our first puppet show of the day at a school. Then he followed us to the three other programs and helped us even though he was not a believer. He was so hungry to hear about Jesus. He even used his car to help us get to where we were going. Please pray for this young man to come to faith in Jesus. We have asking our friend Wellington to continue to share with Digio. Please ask God to give him wisdom and opportunity.

Praise to the Lord .

Please keep praying! We are staggered at what we are seeing God do. Your prayers are doing wonderful things in the lives of the children in Brazil. Joe summed it up well. He said," Brazil is a miracle."

In Jesus, Linda for Hadia, Joe, David, Daniel, and soon to be Teresa

Posted June 12, 2005

Dearest Friends,

Hurting Children

The sweetest sound in the world is children praying out loud, asking Jesus to be their Savior. Last night the children we were sharing with were living in a very difficult place, but they were hungry to hear about Jesus and His love. Where they live, little girls as young as eleven or twelve sell themselves for less than one U.S. dollar.

Drug abuse is common. Many children share their parents' addiction. Children as young as five or six are sent out on the street to sell different things to make money to pay for their parents' drugs. A child is required to sell a certain amount before they return home at night or they are punished with a beating.

Graffiti is everywhere and gangs are very active in this area. Children just want to belong to something, to have someone care about them. Still, in the middle of all this darkness, we heard more than twenty-five children praying out loud, calling on God to be their Father. Everyone was amazed. Praise God.

The Shelter

The shelter we visited today was full of children who have been physically or sexually abused. Many were placed there because they were homeless or orphaned. In the softest whispers, we heard children calling on Jesus' name, asking Him to save them. After each show, and we have done four today, the children would rush up to us and ask for a hug. They waited such a long time for nothing more than a tender touch. Rarely these very poor children would ask for a balloon, but only two of the hundreds we saw today said that. The children wanted most to simply touch us. Many wanted to thank us for the story that they had heard. All of us were humbled by their kindness.

A great response in a school

God is using your prayers to cause even the teachers to show us favor when we come to the school. At the first show of the day, Vera, the principal, ran up and gave me a sincere hug, thanking me for the love that we had shown the children.

Our translator, Wellington, told us that he had expected opposition but in fact it was totally the opposite. The teachers asked Wellington if could arrange for us to stay another day and they offered to help schedule more shows. This was an unexpected response that your prayers made possible. They even allowed us to give the children an opportunity to pray with us.

Please continue to pray. Ask God to call many children to faith in Jesus. Please stay on your knees. Your prayers are changing the lives of children in Brazil.

Pray for David - his testimony

Today was a very special time for David Mckinsey. He came to me when he found out we were going to the shelter and asked if I thought that the children there would relate to his testimony. David's parents and younger brother were killed last year when a drunk driver and he was riding in the car with them. David told me before we left for Brazil that he did not want to share this story with anyone. However, God changed something inside of David. His heart became tender as he saw the needs of the children and he wanted to give them everything that he could. He felt that his best gift was to tell them about his great loss and how God had met his needs. As I listened to him speak, I began to cry. He said, "My mother and father believed in Jesus and they are in Heaven now. My younger brother also died and he is in Heaven. You can go to Heaven too if you know Jesus." Our lives are being changed as much as the children's lives are being changed.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for Hadia, Joseph, Daniel, David, and soon Teresa

Posted June 10, 2005

Dearest Friends,

BRAZIL, WE HAVE ARRIVED AGAIN

God made Brazil such a beautiful country. As we were landing, we looked out the window and saw a white sea with small islands dotting the water. Really, we saw mountains so high that they rose above the tops of the clouds. Beneath these clouds is a deep rich carpet of green and millions of children who do not know the great Creator. Please pray for all of us as we seek to tell them about Jesus.

OUR BAGS AND CUSTOMS

We, along with all 10 of our 70lb bags, arrived safely and we cleared customs with no problems. Praise God! Thank you for all of your prayers. Because of the distance we needed to travel to the first set of puppet shows (about a 12 hour drive), we had to leave straight from the airport.

We are traveling in a VW minibus. In order for the van to carry all seven of us, and the required equipment for the first week of the trip, we had to unpack and repack our bags in the airport parking lot. Our hosts, Martin McDowell, then took most of the equipment and supplies home with him until we return next week. It is all a great adventure.

GOD'S PROVISION

In all things we see God's providence. While David was opening one of the bags in the parking lot and cut his finger to the bone. A doctor in the airport clinic sewed him up for free (four stitches) and we were on our way. Pray for quick healing.

A SURPRISE

This is our first day in Brazil and to our surprise we have just finished a live TV show with the puppets, a bible story, and a personal interview. We were told that more than fifteen million people would be watching this program and they heard us say Jesus' words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life". We are stunned at the privilege that God has already given us.

OUR FIRST SHOW AND FINALLY A SHOWER!!!

We have our first community show tonight for children in the area and then maybe we can have our first shower.

PLEASE PRAY.

Please stay on your knees and ask God to call thousands of children to faith in Jesus.

In Jesus,

Linda for Hadia, Joe, David, Daniel, and Teresa who arrives next Saturday.

Posted June 9, 2005

Please pray for us as we are leaving for Brazil tonight. Ask God to help us get through customs without having any problems. Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage the Brazil team; Hadia Jackson, David McKinsey, Joe Pendley, Daniel Cruz, Teresa Summer and me. Teresa is our oldest son's wife and was once a puppeteer. I am especially blessed to have her with us on this trip.

It is very difficult for Mike and I to have to say good-bye again. We have enjoyed the time we have had together the last few weeks, but we are both excited that we will get to be together in ministry in Northern Ireland in August. Please write or call and encourage him while I am gone.

Please ask God to do great and amazing things in Brazil. If you pray for us, you are going with us on this trip.

Pray!

In Jesus, Linda