Update From Hope Rodrigues

Novo Demini
August 4th, 2011

Dear Members of the Loomis E-Free Church,

By now I imagine you've already received the update I asked mom to send out for me. João left last Thursday on a trip down river to Barcelos. He arrived around 10 o'clock Sunday morning. Hopefully he will be starting his journey back today. He's done this trip 2 other times and one time it took him 9 days back up river and the second time he was able to make it back in 6 days. He is planning on making it in 6 days if all goes well this time.

The boys and I are fine PTL!!! We sure miss him though. With the boys there is never a dull moment and hardly a minute goes by without them chattering away. I know it would be a lot harder for me if I was alone, even though they are a lot of work I love them for it. There is also one other missionary couple here with us.

Nathan is in Kindergarten and it has been fun teaching him. He is all excited to learn. Ryan has those days he wants to study and those he just wants to play so I just let him decide. He is only 3.

The work here is going well. We have a group of around 50 that confess their faith in Christ. We do know though that they still need a lot of teaching. Unfortunately our co-worker that was at a level for teaching moved down river to Barcelos. João has felt a big burden as it is now up to him to get to a level in the language to be able to teach. He is already at a good level but still lacks a little to be able to teach. The other missionary couple with us is responsible for maintenance and doesn't have to study the language. Pray that God will continue to encourage João's heart.

Please pray also for our Yanomami school here. The reason for João's trip to Barcelos was to talk to one of the government organizations that is responsible for the schools in our area. From a quick e-mail I received from him, after he arrived in Barcelos, I'm not sure how it all worked out.

Plans are for us to stay in the tribe until the 20th of September. Then we will be flying out to Boa Vista to get everything ready for the baby. My due date is the 4th of October.

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support of our ministry!

Because of Jesus, João, Hope, Nathan, Ryan & Baby

Prayer request from Hope Rodrigues in the Amazon

Novo Demini, July 28th, 2011

Dear Friends,

This is Hope, hope you are all fine! Just wanted to send you all a quick update and ask you to be praying for João.

He left this morning around 9:30 our time. He is headed down river in a boat with 4 Yanomami Indians from Novo Demini. They are going to a small town called Barcelos. The purpose of this trip is to help the Yanomami people from Novo Demini resgister the school here. He took all the documents we think are necessary but pray they don't ask for something he doesn't have.  One of the four going with him is a teacher and another is a leader of our community.

They left today Thursday the 28th and he hopes to get to Barcelos on
Sunday the 31st. He will be spending three days in Barcelos and head
back on the 4th. He hopes to make it back on the 9th or 10th if all goes as planned.

Pray for His safety and for the safety of the 4 Yanomami that went with him. Pray for the boat to run perfectly and that we will continue to get lots of rain for the river to continue high. It makes for a lot smoother sailing.

Pray for the boys and I as we await his return. We have one other
missionary couple here with us, who also has 2 children, so we are not
alone. Pray nothing will happen out of the ordinary while he is gone.
Pray for our safety also!! Pray no weird critters like snakes, bats,
rats, or tarantulas will appear while he is gone. I'm still a whimp and
João is always our hero when it comes to killing the above.

Praise the Lord so far all is well with my pregnancy. We have a flight
set for the 20th of September to go to town for the baby to be born. The baby is due on the 4th of October.

I hope to send a more complete update out in the next few weeks, but just wanted you all to be praying for our family in these next few days!!

Please pray for our e-mail system as twice we have had problems with it since we have been in the tribe this time. Last time was even more serious and so pray it works until we go to town for our baby to be born.

Because of Jesus, Hope4us5

 

(A Second Request and Update)

Hello again, this one will be real quick.

Just wanted to let you know I got an e-mail from Joao saying he is safe in Barcelos,

Pray for the school situation as he didn't give details but he sounded
like it might not work out or be hard don't know any details. Pray God
will be giving him wisdom as he speaks with the secretaria lady today.

Hope

PS pray as I left a trantula un-killed last night. He was up high in the
office last night so when I tried to get him down to burn him he escaped up above the plastic. I'm hoping he will come down again and I can kill him. so far I had slept like a baby but I think because of that last night I kept waking up afraid he was going to go in the boys room. We are all fine though. Ryan is crabby and needing a nap so will try and get an early dinner so he can take a nap and still sleep at night. I need to do laundry and then try and get started on thanking my vouchers and still get a newsletter ready to go for the 10th before Joao gets back.

The Church at Thyatira

This week we are looking at the Letter of Jesus to Thyatira from Revelation 2:18-29. This is a stinging letter written to a Church that did many things right yet tolerated the rampant immorality of the day. In the letter, Jesus speaks of the coming judgment because of this tolerated immoraility. In this short video Ed Stetzer http://www.edstetzer.com/ introduces us to the message of Jesus for this church and for us. Ed is speaking from a makeshift podium in the city of Thyatira.

Jet Set 7 Churches: Thyatira from Upstream on Vimeo.

Idol Factory

From this we may gather that Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of Idols.  John Calvin; Institutes of Christian religion, 108

Is it true that our hearts are Idol Factories?  As we study scripture we see that time and again, God’s people were led astray by the Idolatry of the people around them.  Beginning in the garden with the Serpent’s deception of Adam and Eve through the letters to the 7 Churches in Revelation the temptation to worship the created order seemed to overwhelm many who claimed to be the people of God.  Of course we are above that now.  None of us would set up an image in our living rooms and fall prostrate before it.  We know of course that objects are simply wood or metal and have no power. Yet, we are no different than those who have come before us.  Our hearts, as theirs were, continue to be an idol factory.  The question for us in applying the scriptures is to properly define what an idol is.  Ken Sande, director of Peacemaker Ministries has defined Idolatry this way:

“An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and can also be referred to as a ‘false god’ or a ‘functional god.’ In biblical terms, an idol is something other than God that we set our hearts on ( Luke 12:29;1 Cor. 10:6), that motivates us (1 Cor. 4:5), that masters or rules us (Ps. 119:133), or that we serve (Matt. 6:24).”

As we consider the Church at Pergamum this week, we will necessarily have to examine our hearts.  If my heart is an Idol factory, what are the Idols I have created?  Current day idols don’t carry the names of old like Baal or Zeus.  But they are no different.  Our idols may be pleasure, wealth, comfort, power, prestige, control etc.  Paul said it this way in Colossians 3:5:

Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

The Gospel message is that we are forgiven and set free from the power of sin by the death of Christ. Let us not enslave ourselves again to idols which fall short of the glory of God and can never satisfy our hearts as God does. To God alone be the Glory!

Google Calendar

Are you using Google Calendar? It is the best Calendar on the web. You can use our Calendar to keep up with all events.

Our King Is Coming

#1 June 5, 2011

Revelation 1:1-20

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7

1. The Purpose of the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1:1-3

• To show what must soon/quickly take place
• Blessed are those who hear and obey

2. The Certainty Of The Revelation   1:7-8

• The Triune God Is, Was and Is To Come
• We Are Freed Once and For All By His Blood
• He Is Coming Again
• Α Ω

3. The Person Of The Revelation 1:9-20

• Son Of Man Daniel 7:13
• Robe & Golden Sash Isaiah 6:1
• White Hair Daniel 7:9
• Blazing Eyes Daniel 10:6
• Glowing Bronze Feet Daniel 10:6
• Powerful Voice Daniel 10:6
• Sharp Double Edged Sword Isaiah 11:4
• Radiant Face Psalm 84:11

4. The Recipients Of The Revelation   1:19-20

• John—Suffering, Kingdom, Endurance 1:9
• Seven Stars- Angels/Messengers of the Churches
• Seven Lampstands/Churches- Lights To The World

Our king is coming!  When he comes he brings joy to those who are freed by his blood and judgment to the people of the earth—Those who have rejected salvation by Grace through Faith alone.  We as the church are to share His light with the world until He comes.

VBS 2011