New Website Address -- ioiusa.org

You can still access the IOI website at our old address, but we have added an easier URL (website address) at www.ioiusa.org. While you are there click on the link to our blog for the latest news from the field at www.ioiusa.blogspot.org Our new email address is info@ioiusa.org

Patrick's Paragraphs -- Coming Home

So much is going on these days that my head is spinning. I have just returned from a great trip to visit with the Teixeira family in Brazil and in the next three months I have two more international trips planned. In addition to all the great things going on with the ministry we are nearing completion of the renovations to our new home in Jackson.
There is such a great story of how we have come to possess our new home. God certainly provided everything that we felt we needed to care for our family and ministry of hospitality, and He has done so much more. We have so many people to thank, and there simply is no way that we could repay everyone who has helped us. I will try to update the blog at www.universal-design-home.blogspot.com once we have moved in.
As we prepare to move our family I am reminded of all the families that we serve in Ethiopia. I have been humbled to hear my Ethiopian brothers and sisters petition God with tears as they have asked Him to provide this home for us. Yet for all the joy we have about God’s provision we know that this is not really our home.
For all the joy we have about the blessing of a house I am sure that it pales in comparison to the joy that awaits us when we are all together with Jesus Himself. I believe we will really be home only then.

Expanding Ministry in Brazil

by Patrick Beard

As I arrived at the airport in Memphis I felt unprepared and anxious about my return to Brazil after 18 years. I had plenty of reasons to go, but the timing seemed off.

I was scheduled to meet Joe Spell, my traveling companion, in Houston, Texas. Bad weather at some other airport had delayed my flight and it looked as though Joe might be traveling alone. I certainly did not want to go if it were not God’s will, and missing my flight would have been fine.

I walked up to the gate to see a very relieved Joe and heard the final call for boarding our flight to Sao Paulo. The whole episode served as a confirmation to me, and I was put at ease about the trip.

After a nine hour flight we arrived in Brazil in plenty of time to catch our three hour flight to Joao Pessoa, Brazil. Following a stroll along the beach and a good night’s sleep we met Marciano who drove us another five hours into the interior of Brazil in a region that is known as the Sertáo.

The Sertáo is a mostly arid, poor region in Northeastern Brazil. The people are a mixture of Portuguese, Dutch, African decent and native peoples. The Portuguese is spoken slowly with a thick accent, and at times sounds more like Spanish. The foods vary slightly from Brazilian cuisine in the south, but beans and rice can be found at almost every meal. The traditional music of the region sounds more like Arcadian, than Samba. It is a unique part of the world, and easy to enjoy despite the harshness of the climate.

Another aspect of the Sertáo is the utter spiritual poverty of many towns and villages. Certainly there are churches, and many have adherents attending on a daily basis. However, a short conversation with most people will reveal a religion of tradition over substance, and more superstition than truth.

Marciano had a full schedule for Joe and myself. Just a couple of hours after our arrival at the Teixeira home in Patos we were on the road again about an hour or so to the village of Mato Grosso where we participated in a church planting week-end.

The week-end was sponsored by three or four Baptist churches in and near Patos. The team canvassed the area with a survey during the day and slept on the concrete floor of the local primary school in the evenings.

As we visited with many of the village’s inhabitants, we heard common complaints. We don’t know the priest, and we don’t understand very much of what he says. The same was said of a local protestant pastor. It became obvious that the people of this village were hungry for truth, and starved for love. So often religious leaders in this part of the world seemed to be more concerned about building an empire, than binding up the broken and setting captives free.

“Our pastor told us we would go to Hell for shaving our legs,” said one lady. “And I could not come to worship unless I was wearing a dress. I don’t even own a dress.”

It was painfully obvious that the few ministers who would brave the harsh rural life of these small towns and villages need good theological training. It was also just as obvious that any true success in ministry would be carried out by love in action.

About ten miles down another dirt road another village enjoys the presence of the Church. A small pink stucco home is now a meeting place for a church. As we got out of the truck a lady came to us and asked, “Are you going to preach today? I want to follow Jesus!”

This village was much poorer than Mato Grosso, and the people had a much more positive impression of the Church.

The growing congregation was begun by two young Brazilians who ride their bikes up the rugged dirt road to both preach and spend time with the people. These young men want to help the entire village by providing a water pumping station.

“The government does nothing for us,” one villager said. “The Church is the only one who helps us.”

The question still remains, “Who will go for us?” Another question adds, “Who will train the ones who will go?” Marciano and his wife Christina answered the first question when they left their native lands to start the ministry of ORE in Ethiopia. Today they plan to answer the second question as they establish a missionary training center in Marciano’s home country of Brazil.

God has already provided a farm for a training center that is located on 150 acres in rural Sertáo. Plans are to begin training the first 12 Brazilian missionaries this coming January. In addition to formal classroom style training, students will be paired with experienced missionaries and mentored into ministry. The farm is large enough to house groups of people for seminars and camps. Marciano hopes that the farm will eventually be self-sustaining from the agricultural pursuits on the acreage.

On our return to the States Joe and I visited with a missionary friend in the modern city of Campinis, Brazil. Ministers there are working on training videos to be distributed all over Brazil.

It was good to see just a small part of what God is doing in a dark world, and to investigate what greater part we may have in building God’s kingdom.

Jesus said that we are the light of the world, and salt of the earth. He also said that we would be known by our love. It is our hope that God will continue to use IOI as an instrument of His love as we support the work of missionaries like these in Brazil.

An Update from Ben

I got an email from Ben tonight and it seems that he and Caleb are doing well.

Ben reported that Negash's home is full of people. They are preparing for Aster's (Negash's daughter) wedding to Ayele (the director of the Compassion International Repi Project). Seems that Caleb and Ben passed on the chunks of raw oxen that were passed around at the feast.

Even though Ben's main purpose of going to Ethiopia is his upcoming marriage to Pepo (Negash's other daughter) he has been involved in some ministry along with Caleb.

"Earlier tonight Negash and Caleb and I went to visit a little boy who probably has HIV" he said. "He was alone at his house tonight because his foster mother was a work tonight. We prayed for him and gave him some of the puzzles that were sent in the IOI tub that Caleb brought. After we prayed for him he said that his heart was filled with joy. The whole experience really made me think about God's work in the world and what is really important to the Lord. I was very thankful for the opportunity to be there and be a small part of that ministry."

Continue to pray for Ben and Caleb as their summer progresses. Pray for good health and safety. Pray that God will do many good works through them both. Pray for Ben and Pepo as they prepare to begin life together as husband and wife (and one of them has to deal with the culture shock of their new home).

Ben and Caleb Arrive in Ethiopia

Ben Hickey and Caleb Burke arrived safely in Addis Abeba yesterday. Both Ben and Caleb plan to spend about three months in Ethiopia.

Ben will be marrying Pepo Negash, Negash Gemeda's daughter. The wedding is set for July 8.

Caleb will be working alongside Negash and other indigenous ministers.