What We Believe AND WHY?

Over the past few months the conversation within my discipleship group has centered around this phrase: “What we believe and why?” We have taken some of the important questions of our faith and discussed them, studied them, and hashed-out hard questions in order to get to the point where we know what we believe and why.

First, we took several weeks to look at the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. These are important summaries of the basic Christian faith that span most Christian denominations, including Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox. In addition, being some of the oldest confessions, these declarations are important building blocks for other doctrines we were to study afterwards.

Next, we spent weeks moving from topic to topic. We began with the hard-to-grasp doctrine of the Trinity. Then, we discussed the polemic doctrine of Election/Predestination. The last study we did was about Spiritual Gifts – what they are, their use and controversy surrounding them.

Each person took personal responsibility to find sources, Bible passages, commentaries and articles and bring his own findings to the group. We met together to discuss what each person had come up with. The idea has not been to determine a final stance to sit upon, but to have good Biblical reasons for what we may say we believe, but not always understand why or the history of it.

We will continue on this pace until the end of the year. If you have any suggestions, send them on so we can live in light of Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Tathiana's Reflections: Nov 2012

ABOVE: Audrey, Tathiana and Rafaela. BELOW: Dora, Tathiana, George and DuncanDiscipleship Group

I’ve been meeting with these girls, Audrey and Rafaela, for two years and I say that it is a privilege to see them growing in their vision to serve others and in their relationship with God.

We are in the middle of a Bible study of Romans and learning that we Christians have an enormous capacity to settle for just doing the “right things”. Sometimes we forget that we are sinners in need of grace daily and not to look at fulfilling the law.

Church Children's Ministry

One of the things that has brought me so much joy this year has been teaching 3 children at our church. Dora, George and Duncan, all between 10 and 12, are children of families who attend our church.

We have spent 6 months studying about different heroes in the Bible and I have seen such change in their hearts and outlook over this period. It is so encouraging to see vulnerability and repentance in these little guys who have such little life experience. I admit that I like the comic relief they provide, and even mediating their in and out of classroom conflicts.

Change Your World 2012

Each year during vacation time in the US we receive students from other Campus Outreach franchises for a few months to walk alongside us here in Belo Horizonte. This year, a team from CO Birmingham, made up of students from Troy Univ. and Berry College, is getting to know Brazil and its college students.

This team is working with both our campus teams, at UFMG and PUC-Minas. Our staff and students on campus enjoy this exchange experience because there are events, out-of-town trips, and a good bit of what Brazilians are good at – hanging out and talking about their lives.

Our theme this year is “Change Your World”, an idea that begins with the fact most college students have a desire to change their own world through a degree, and even the whole world in view of so many problems that they face today. Because of this common thread, we also ask students to consider what role God would play in changing the world, and begin to talk about some pretty powerful statements of Jesus.

All this is in the hope that students who usually disregard Jesus as antiquated and irrelevant to their lives would begin to ask questions and investigate for themselves who Jesus is and what they think about him.

We believe Jesus is relevant, and we are asking God to use us to make himself known here on the campuses of Belo Horizonte.

Trunk Space!

When Tathiana and I were in the US in 2011, one of our goals was to raise 1-time support for a vehicle upgrade.

With family plans in the near future (nearer than we thought) and our little car at the end of its financial usefulness, we were thinking about an upgrade to a mid-size sedan with a trunk! Not only do babies need a lot of stuff, but working with administration for events and retreats requires a good bit of stuff, also (sound and video equipment, materials for set-up, sports equipment, etc…). Our 10+ year-old hatchback was not cutting it anymore (picture, bottom).

So here it is, our new Chevrolet Cobalt sedan (picture, top), the dealership even gift-wrapped it for us! It has a spacious interior for 5 people, large trunk, ABS and double airbags. We have already put a few thousand kilometers on it, filled it full of stuff for retreats and events, and are getting it broken-in for little Elam to arrive at the end of the year.

Thank you to all our supporters who gave to help this become a reality. In a big city like BH and a big country like Brazil with not-so-great highways, this is something that makes a world of difference.

Growing Staff Team

Two new staff interns joined our team this year. Wellinton Alves and Nathália Santos are working part-time this year with our campus team at UFMG.

Working for a ministry like Campus Outreach is a hard decision for graduates here in Brazil. Most college graduates have a small window of opportunity to make the most of their new degree in the job market. One way we have chosen to ease the negative risk in coming on staff is to begin each new national staffer with a one-year internship. After this first year, we can better evaluate if staff is a good fit for the person, or if it would be best for them to continue on to the job market.

Wellinton and Nathália were both students at UFMG and are currently working on that campus. They both are working part-time in their field of study while also working part-time with Campus Outreach.

Discipleship Getaway

For the Easter Weekend Tathiana and I took a long weekend trip with our discipleship groups and some others that we have led in the past on a getaway to have some time together and to study some foundational truths about the gospel. 

The weekend went well. It was a time of hanging out and Bible study about our FORGIVENESS, LOVE, ACCEPTANCE and CONTINUOS TRANSFORMATION through the gospel of God's grace in Christ. We always try to find quality time like this as we seek to establish these young Christians and equip the older ones to know how to lead others in their relationship with Christ.

Please pray that each of us will be motivated by these 4 truths to help others who need the same forgiveness, love, acceptance and transformation!

PICTURE:
FRONT ROW: Jon & Tathiana
SECOND ROW: Pedro, Priscila (on staff with COBH and Pedro's lady!), Fabiana (on staff with COBH and Tathiana's sister), Hany (led by Fabiana), Audrey, Débora and Alexandre (Débora's boyfriend)
THIRD ROW: Ana Luiza, Diego, and Aloisio Guy
RAILING: Rafaela and Nathália (new intern with COBH)

We're Expecting...

An update on April Fools day, but its for real! We found out this week that Tathiana is 8 weeks pregnant! We wanted to begin our family soon, even this year. Apparently God wanted that, too.

We are happy and a bit stunned as we think about the upcoming changes. So many students have made their excitemente known. I guess when you wait 5 years people start getting anxious for some news. 

Please pray for Tathiana and the baby's health. 

Pictures from Ultrasound 8 weeks