Bud Simon

Visitors - Coming and Going

Kevin, Pastor Marcio, and Jose standing in front of a church property

We had a great time last week when we made two new friends, Kevin Erwin & Jose Morales.  They can to visit Altamira just for a couple days.  They stayed in our home and we had a great time getting to know them. 

It was wonderful to interact with them and hear their stories.  I enjoyed the rich testimonies and the heart they have for the kingdom work.  They spent their brief time getting to know some of our Brazilian pastors and and seeing some of the places where we are working. 

Also, there were a number of visitors from Ohio.  They spent several days along the river and then we had the pleasure of having them here in Altamira for about three days.  They visited with their friends and family here. 

It was good to interact with them and be able to enjoy their company. 

Our friends who visited us last week - we had a blast and enjoyed all of the good fellowship and humor

Suzanne with Kate Snow, a new friend from Ohio

Finally, Rachelle, who has served with the Mission for several years, is on an extended furlough.  We will miss her during her time away from us.  Our prayers are with her as she readjusts to life in Canada!!!

Rachelle and Suzanne

Reality meets vision

This is a family with five kids, all under seven years old.  There are many children that live in the interior of the Brazilian Amazon with no current access to a local church. 

Recently I had the opportunity to travel out to several of the communities along the Iriri River where we currently are working to plant churches.

Our vision is to plant churches and training leaders. 

But reality is that many of these people are functionally illiterate.  They do not own any books and many do not have the desire to learn to read.  The daily work of making a real and long term impact is much harder than simply making a verbal statement. 

In one village, we held a service as we often do. The people were animated, worshiping freely, and enjoying the time together.  Some in the village have already made a decision to follow Christ and every person in the village was in attendance.  They listened attentively to the Word and two men gave their lives to the Lord. 

They are totally willing to make a commitment, but the difficulty is that there are many hurdles in the path to making a full decision to a vibrant life in Christ.  Our goal is to take those hurdles out of the way for them and smooth the pathway for them to having a relationship with our Lord. 

We were able to help them bind together a team effort so that they can share in the joy of church life on a regular basis within their current reality.  The local patriarch took responsibility for organizing the meeting and making sure that people attend.  One of the young ladies in the village knows how to read and is willing to read the Scriptures in the public meeting.  I love this act, the "Public reading of the Scriptures" (1 Tim 4:13), something which does not exist in Western societies. 

And so, I ask for your prayers.  Prayers for people who are trying to fan into a flame the small flicker of faith that they possess.  Prayers for  us that we can empower them to succeed.  And prayers that they will have victory in the Spiritual battle that lays in front of them. 

More than 80 years of life along the river

One of the many smiling faces to greet us as we visited the villages

Life along the river includes using the river water for bathing, washing clothes, and drinking

Photos from Maribel (Iriri River) Trip

I made a trip to the Iriri River last week.  It is hands down the most remote place we visit.  It is about at 4 degrees south and 54 degrees west for those of you that like to play with "Google Earth".  It is wild and so many things are still the way they have been for centuries.  No electricity, no running water, simplicity and sustenance living. 

The people have lives loaded with sin and it is a wonderful thing to see the desire they have for the Gospel.  Here are some photos and hopefully I will write more later.  

This man is delivering fish to market.  The "Coca-Cola" freezer is packed with bars of ice and fish and is used as a glorified ice chest... it has not served any "Coca-Cola" for at least a decade!

Three of the four of us that made the trip... Orlando (who was born and grew up in the region we visited), me (aka Bud), and Naldo, pastor of one of our churches.  This was at a store we stopped at on the trip home. 

One of the many smiling faces that we encountered on the trip... There are alot of children in the region and many extended families.

This lady has a nine month old baby and is expecting another.  She is also one of the few people in the community that knows how to read.  She is responsible to read the Bible publicly to those that want to listen in the the village. 

Outreach Conference

Preaching during the conference - the venue was one of the municipal stadiums

The worship band ... and the video guy aka "Josh"

Recently we had the delight of having an outreach conference in our city of Altamira.  It was a great time to see the effort of the local church to make the event a success.  There were alot of people who came. 

A few of the highlights of the two day event were to see how much everyone in the local church poured into the event.  There was an effort on the part of everyone to really see that everything went successfully and ran smoothly.  I was extremely glad in that I was pretty much just an observer.  It was great to go and hang out and not really have any significant role.  I like that. 

The one thing that jumped out at me was to see the church having the desire to make it all happen.  It is great to recognize the church honoring a strong evangelistic outreach as part of their genetic code.  This, to me, shows the growth of the local church. 

Worship through dance during the conference

Looking through the Lens

 

Looking at the world through experienced eyes

A young child looks out from the door of the wooden house on stilts.  She is one of thousands that live along the Amazon and the tributaries, waiting for the Good News of Christ.

I love the eyes and the fact that she is able to smile in spite of the poverty she survives

As we enter 2009, there is always a moment of reflection inside ourselves as we stand on the threshold of a new year.  For me, one of the questions I ask myself is "Why am I in my current occupation?" or more specifically to me, "Why am I a missionary here in the Brazilian Amazon?"

The photos answer the biggest part of the question.  There are still a 1000 villages, with young and old, people of every type of diversity, living in within reach of Altamira. 

And I want them to have an opportunity to hear the Gospel.  At least once.

I want them to see love in action.

I want them to know and understand that there is a God who created them.  Who died for them.  Who rose again from the dead so that they can have a new life.  And who loves them with a never ending love. 

I want them to know the simple Good News of Jesus Christ.  The news that their life can change.  And change for the better.  Transformation - for an eternity.

I want them to know, out in the farthest and remotest corners of the jungle, that all of this only depends on their heart, their choice, and the grace of a generous God.  No strings attached.  No frills needed.  No luxury, no stain glass, just a cathedral of the jungle for some of them to worship. 

Simple.  Salvation.  Transformation.  Forever.  Love.  Grace.  Goodness.  Mercy. 

I want them to know these things. 

And those are just some of the reasons I still hang around Altamira.  The best is yet to come!

Please consider being a part of this with your prayers, with your presence, and with your giving.  We need more partners.  It is about being a team to change the story of the people in this region. 

Listening to a Gospel presentation during an open air meeting in a village