So Much to Tell So Little Time

 
There is sooo much wonderful stuff happening here in Brazil. I have a limited amount of time so I will tell you a little and tell more later. Sunday we went out to the marketplace and gave out gospel tracks with church members of the 2nd Baptist Church of Nova Friburgo. From what I could tell the choir and band at this church fuel this outreach. Then we had church outside right in the middle of the market.

That afternoon we prepared supplies for the following day and went to church that night. The Brazilians are very friendly and seem to have a heart for reaching their community for Christ. Their music pastor, translated John Mark, and pastor D.J. (for short) have planned alot of things for us to do while here. John Mark showed us that we had an entire article in the local newspaper telling the town we were there!

Today the nursing team worked along side the vacation Bible school team and construction team. We took blood pressures, blood sugars, gave out eye glasses and taught children and adults about basic hygiene. The local news channel came out and interviewed the nurses and vacation Bible school workers. We made the news on day two! WOW!

Tomorrow I have been asked to go along with one of my professors on the team and speak to the local college nursing students. Pray that we will be affective and that our translator, Paula, will be at ease and will be able to translate well. I have to go. Thanks for Prayer!

What an Experience!!

 
Hello from Nova Friburgo Brazil!!!

It has been an amazing trip so far. On Sunday we joined the second Baptist church in ministering to the community market that takes place in front of the church. They also had a church service outside at the market. That evening we attended the church service there. We sang How Great Thou Art together in Brazilian and American . It was Amazing.

Today the nurses worked at the school with the VBS people handing out hygiene kits, doing BPs, blood sugar checks, and glasses. It was a great opportunity to share the gospel with the children and the teachers.

The chapel construction is moving along fast. It looks as though they are ready to start putting up the roof trusses.

Must go now.

God Bless!

Brazil Here We Come!!!

It’s hard to believe but today is the day! After months of praying and preparing the time has finally arrived.

Am I excited? To say the least…YES!

Am I nervous or afraid? Maybe just a little, but I know that God will take care of us.

Please pray for us. Pray that we are safe and that we have many opportunities to share our faith.

Brazil…Here We Come!

Virginia

And We’re off!!!

 
Wow…. Today’s the day. I really don’t know what to write. I am excited to see where the day leads. In two hours I will be at the Mobile airport preparing with my team to board our plane and fly to Houston. From here we will fly overnight to Rio, Brazil. We will arrive in the morning. Miles away from everything I’ve known. Away from my family, my friends, my job, my church…. Away to go on a mission with God.

I finished packing this morning. I have reread the orientation pieces that Dr. Taylor has sent to the team. I have got a ride to the airport. I have checked everything in my bag twice. (can you tell I have never flown before…. OR been out of the country!)

Here’s some pictures from packing!

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Last night some of my friends threw a going away party and prayed for me and the team. It was a lot of fun and a good time to relax before the trip. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and the team through prayer and giving. Your advancing the kingdom of God and helping me grow more everyday!

Here we go!!!!

Countdown Begins

 
Well folks, the countdown has started. We are hours away  from leaving for BRAZIL. Our journey starts  tomorrow around 3:00 pm for Houston and from there to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We should arrive in Brazil around 7:00 am Saturday where we will board a bus for our final destination which is Nova Friburgo. This is a fairly large city about 3 hours from Rio.  Please pray for the missionaries Tony and Karen Gray as they prepare for us to come. Also pray for God to prepare the hearts of the Brazilians as we share the love of God with them.

If I have internet access, I will be letting you know about our trip;  otherwise I will write when I get back home on June 19 about the wonderful things God has done while in Brazil.

“Friburgo,” as it is locally called

Check out this link for a neat Brazil video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOsvHpS63lg

I have been doing some reading in getting ready for my trip that is only a little over a week away!! I have begun by looking at the itinerary. Some of the thingswe will do … We will fly to the state of Rio de Janeiro and bus about 2.5 hours northeast of Rio to Nova Friburgo. “Friburgo”, as it is locally called, is a rustic and mountainous city with a strong Swiss and German influence, which is reflected on its architecture and gastronomy. The town was established by Swiss emigrants in the beginning of the 19th century and is one of the few colonies begun with non-Portuguese influence. It received the new name Friburgo in homage to the city from which had come these first immigrants, Fribourg (or Freiburg, in German).

Today Brazil, as far as I can tell, has a governmental structure similar to that of the United States. They have a president, three branches of government and even mayors of towns. The have demographics similar to that of some U.S. cities. I am excited to see the cultural differences and to get to work alongside my team in Brazil. (some of whom have been participating for many years in the past). The area is know for its textile industry and a wonderful mountainous view.

Today I began to pack my bag for the trip. I made a list and begin to check off things as I found them or washed them, etc. Then I went and bought some other things like soap, and tried to get all the things like batteries, a transformer for my camera, and I plan to get a free cap from Lowes. I am trying to think of some gifts to take for the nationals, and for our missionary friends, Tony and Karen Gray. If you have some ideas let me know!

My First Blog!

Hello! My name is Arthur Bosarge and I am a 43 year old grad. student at UM, a full time employee for the City of Fairhope (if you have every been to Fairhope and seen the flowers and the landscape, I am responsible for the crews that plant all the flowers, etc.) and a full time husband and dad of three boys Arthur, III, 18, (who will begin studies at a university this fall); Joseph, 14 and Todd, 11. My family and I attend First Baptist Church, Fairhope. I am pursuing my graduate degree in Theology. I am on a team from First Baptist Church Fairhope along with Dr. Cecil Taylor of the University of Mobile that is leaving for Brazil on June 8th and returning the 19th. While in Brazil we will build a 24 x 50 chapel in five days, conduct VBS with at least 1000 children in attendance and share the Gospel in the neighborhoods. Brazil is a great place to go if you have never been on a mission trip outside the U.S. It is considered a harvest field among evangelicals because of the response to the Gospel.

This will be my 10th year to go, my wife, Paula’s, 9th year , Joseph’s 4th and Todd’s 1st. For many years Todd has been listening to reports about our trips to Brazil and has even learned two songs in Portuguese and is very excited to finally go and experience the very things he has heard us talk about for years.

While in Brazil I have seen Copa Cabana beach, Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro and none of these wonders compare to the opportunity of seeing someone surrender their life to Christ. My experiences in Brazil have shown me how much we are blessed in this country and how little time we give to sharing the Good News with our co-workers, friends and neighbors. Many trips to Brazil we have seen over 500 Brazilians come to know Christ. Several years in a row we also took a choir which sang Gospel music. One of those years that the choir went we saw over 1000 folks come to know Christ.

A team of over 25 Americans will be working with Tony and Karen Gray, former missionaries with the International Mission Board and now with Pioneer Missions. They will bring many interpreters from their hometown of Vitoria, Brazil. Several of these interpreters have worked with our team in the past. They are an awesome group of young adults.

Please pray for us as we travel to Brazil and share the love of Jesus to those we come in contact with.

We have 12 days to go and counting.

Arthur

Am I REALLY leaving the United States?

Brazil… I am not sure that the whole idea that I will be leaving the country for over two weeks has really become a reality to me yet. I am not worried about the trip in a sense that I feel fearful; however, I do anticipate a culture shock. A person seldom thinks about his own culture, worldviews, behaviours, and value systems in relation to other cultures, other worlds. An encounter with a new culture is one of the primary challenges facing short-term mission volunteers. What happens when your world view collides with another? From the abstract concepts of values, customs, and ethical principles (like autonomy) to more common affairs of daily living in Brazil from how people eat, dress, and relate to one another I feel will catch many of us Americans with our guard standing down. We will be like fish out of water or more plainly strangers in a foreign land.

Although our team will find ourselves immersed in another world we have been beckoned to go to them and by someway advance the kingdom of God. I am to be honored to assist in the ministry of the missionaries working among these peoples. For they have given up much for the kingdom of God. For my readers, pause, and pray thanking God for the work that these are doing here in Brazil.

Also ask that the LORD would work through the many barriers we will find to sharing the gospel (language, privacy, perceptions of time, comfort and convenience)…. There is one other barrier that will definitely wear on us nurses and that would be the destitution of these people. Not only will they be lacking many things from the eyes and perspective of Americans (like importance of personal hygiene, or the personal core value of health). For we can perceive the emotional, intellectual, relational, etc from seeing people on the television; yet, these people will be spiritually destitute. Although it is shameful to say I think it will affect us differently than it does our next door neighbor not knowing the Lord. Perhaps it will be because we will find ourselves/myself decentralizing …. A shift from me being the center of the universe and Christ taking His rightful place. I have let things, busyness being the chief idol of all, creep into my life and take the rightful place of the One True King. There is a continual power struggle between His kingdom and mine. You could laugh at my kingdom for you see when I sit on the throne and try and rule or plan out my life things just go wrong. I am the “Prince John, the phony Kind of England,” from the Disney movie Robin Hood. This is all to say that the spiritual darkness of these people may eternally change our lives.

I bought a camera for the trip this week. These are some pictures that I have taken trying to learn and use the thing. Enjoy!

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Preparing for Brazil!

My name is John. I love the Lord and want to serve Him more than anything. I am a senior at the University of Mobile majoring in Nursing (BSN). I work at Lowe’s as a kinda weekend team leader for the paint/home décor/storage departments. I am blessed to be a part of Shiloh Baptist Church where I serve as their Minister in training for community ministries (like an intern). I’m excited about what Christ has in store for my life. After working the States for a few years, I sense the Lord may be calling me to be an international missionary. My desire is to make knowing and sharing Christ the passionate pursuit of my life. My vision: Christ, the Hope of Glory, indwelling every tribe, tongue, people and nation. I yearn to see others come to make Christ their Saviour and follow Him with all their being. I want Christ to be the spectacle in every aspect of my life. In class, at work, in ministry, in the shower, washing dishes, (yeah, I really mean it). He is more than just my time on Sunday morning, but a consuming fire that should encompass all that I do . I want to know what it is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

I am elated that I have been selected to be a apart of the University Missions trip to Brazil June 8-19, 2007. It is very encouraging for me to see other nurses and people from all walks of life willing to go and share the gospel and use their trades, skills, intellect, and personal resources to advance the kingdom of God. I am looking forward to see how God is going to work among the people of Brazil.

There is still much to do in preparation for the trip. I still have to pack, learn some Portuguese, and various other little tasks must be completed before out departure. One thing that has been on my heart about the trip is picture.

Just as turning on a light switch in a dark room dispels the darkness, so will our witness dispel the darkness among the nations. The light doesn’t have to struggle to overcome the dark, for it is the very nature of the light to prevail. But until we are willing to go, in obedience to our Lord and our biblical mission to share the light, people will remain in darkness

I anticipate that being a nurse on this University Missions trip to Brazil June 8-19, 2007, will afford me a better opportunity to share Christ in the USA and to the ends of the earth.