Jeitinho

Jeitinho is an interesting term that describes the human heart. Brazilians, well all of us in one way or another, think of ways to circumvent the laws that rule us in everyday situations. It is like making a way for your will to be done in the face of someone telling you it isn't done that way. If one needs a document signed, he might speak to a close friend or arrange for a favor in order to move the process faster. One might need to cut to the front of a line to expedite his business...no problem....Jeitinho! Make a way for it to happen! Bribe someone...jeitinho...make a way!
Lest anyone think I impugn only Brazilians, think of, "Every man did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 17:6) It's simply pride of life.

Please remember to pray on our behalf this week. In International Falls, MN Jim will be teaching Sunday school, preaching for the AM service, and presenting the Brazil work in the PM service.
Then in Charlotte, NC we start the missions conference on Wednesday. Jim has a children's presentation on Thursday, preaching in the PM service on Friday, two meetings with church folks on Saturday, teaching Sunday school Sunday AM and then doing our presentation Sunday evening to finish the conference. We will be in the NC conference with several missionaries. Please pray for our presentation to be clear, Christ-honoring, and remembered! Thanks.

Red Sox fan

I just couldn't resist borrowing this picture of Olivia from Bob's blog. We saw the grand babies just a couple of weeks ago, and we are looking forward to seeing everybody again after we finish a missions conference in the Charlotte, NC area. Praise the Lord for these little ones.

Minnesota!

We are headed up to the border to International Falls this weekend. Please pray for safety as we navigate through the Labor Day traffic.

I am still reading A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael. I am continually reminded of her single focus and drive to do the work in India. She was buffeted with sickness and death in her Indian family as well as her birth family in Great Britain. She thought often about her call to be faithful in the face of both good and bad. I am thinking about our future and pray for that kind of faithfulness.

Please know we are grateful for your prayers on our behalf. If you haven't stopped by Jon and Patty's blog about the work this weekend in Porto Alegre, please take a few minutes to read. It will be a blessing, I'm sure. The link is printed below in a previous blog.

Check this out

Once we get through language school in Sao Paulo, this apartment building is where we will live.

You can stay updated on some of the work in Porto Alegre by reading Jon and Patty's blog. They just returned to Brazil and are working to get a new church planted.

Please pray they will make good contacts and get some folks interested in learning about the Lord.

http://hutchinsinbrazil.wordpress.com/

Thanks!

Blessings to share

We have just returned from our first trip south this fall. We spent a few days in Virginia with family. Because schools are beginning again, the beach was not crowded and we had a nice walk in the sand and waves with everybody. See Peter enjoying learning to walk!

From Virginia, we traveled to Winston Salem, NC for a meeting in a large church there. We were struck with the tremendous love the folks have for their ministry, pastor, and for each other. Nearly everybody we met told us enthusiastically how much they enjoyed being a part of that ministry. Just imagine how much we were blessed when the church voted on Wednesday evening at the end of the missions conference to begin supporting us immediately. Other missionaries at the conference were also taken on for support. Praise the Lord for His encouragement to us this week.

Thanks for remembering us in prayer.

Our schedule

We leave Monday and will be in Virginia for 5 days seeing Bob, Janelle, Olivia, Dan, Sara, and Peter. After that we will be driving to Madison, NC for a missions conference. The following Sunday we will be back "home" with Jim doing pulpit supply in North Liberty, IN. Then we take off and head to International Falls, MN and than back to the south for another missions conference in Matthews, NC. Then we will head down through Greenville, SC to see my brother and sister-in-law on our way to Martinez, GA. And that's just September! We will, of course, take some pictures and update regularly. We absolutely need your prayers. Thanks!

Little "thorns" in the flesh

Yesterday afternoon I went to mowing in the ditch and ran over a yellow jacket nest. Before I realized that the yellow jackets were riled up (the mower was loud), I was stung quite a few times on the feet and lower legs. I put ice packs on the stings, took benadryl, tylenol, and advil. After awhile the pain reduced. Today I am feeling better. We plan on traveling Monday, so I am glad now to wait a couple of days before we go on a long trip.

Jim went out and sprayed a can of wasp and hornet spray into the nest and then burned the hole out with kerosene. I think he made a major dent in their population.

I am thankful the situation was bearable and the Lord helped me not to have a bad reaction to the stings.

Pray for us to have not only safety as we travel, but also for us to be tender to the Lord's help and leading. Thank you.

A Chance to Die

This is the title of Elisabeth Elliot's biography of missionary Amy Carmichael. It has been interesting for me to read of her personal struggle and final decision to go into foreign missions. Initially she did not have clear direction concerning the field or work. Amy simply offered herself in obedience. She received counsel from family, friends, and the China Inland Mission (1892).

Though I have not finished the book, I am understanding that she had a call and worked on her walk with God along the pathway. She had certainly not "arrived" spiritually and then decided to answer her call. I am encouraged.

If there be any reserve in my giving to Him who so loved that He gave His dearest for me; if there be a secret "but" in my prayer, "anything but that, Lord," then I know nothing of Calvary love.
Amy Carmichael

We have received an increase in support this week. We are very encouraged. Thanks for your prayers.

Please pray for our coworkers Jon and Patty Hutchins. They have just arrived back in Porto Alegre and are beginning a new church plant, Hope Baptist Church. A church team from New York is coming in a few days to make many contacts in the target area and help to get the work started.

August blessings

In our family we have 7 birthdays and 6 anniversaries this month. We praise the Lord for His mercies and goodness.

I am spending several days here refinishing some doors and painting two of the bedrooms. One bedroom was started 2 summers ago, and I never finished it. We will begin traveling next week so these projects need to be finished.

Tomorrow Jim has been asked to preach in a church locally, and I will teach a ladies Sunday school at our home church. These opportunities are appreciated. In the following weeks we will be traveling to NC, VA, MN, GA, WY, CO, and northern MI. Please begin praying for us as we will be in two churches we have been in before. Thanks for faithfully praying.