Finley Gary Rosemarie 1990 Brazil

7/27/2019 Finley Gary Rosemarie 1990 Brazil

1/31

Chris t for Sao Luis:ATEAMMINISTRY TO SAO LUIS.MARANHAO. BRAZIL

DLrtJANUARY 1990 Volume no. 3, Issue no. 1

GARY & ROSIE FiNLEY

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Greetings, this month we would like to give youan opportunity to get a little better acquainted with theother members of the Sao Luis team. You will findthree articles inside which have been written by thevarious families who will be serving with us in Brazil.

On the back page we have included an updateon our departure status. Please join us in prayerfulconcern for the prayer needs also listed on the backpage .

Chris t for Sao LuisCalumet S tree t Christian ChurchR.R. 2, Box 750

Centralia, IL62801(618) 533-4421


2/31

GARY & ROSIE FINLEYON COUNTING THE COST

In Luke 14:25-33 Jesus tells the large crowds following after Him of the costs which they must consider ifthey want to be His disciples. We who would followHim today must also take into account the costs ofdiscipleship. As we prepare to leave the comfortable,familiar surroundings of our homeland we are forcedonce again to consider such matters.One cost of discipleship which is particularly troublesome to many (this writer included) is surrendering

control . When we make Jesus Lord of our lives wehave essentially put Him at the helm. We have givenHim contro l over the course which our lives will takefrom that moment on. As long as we are asked to trustHim only in vague or abstract matters (forgiveness,eternal life, sanctiflcation), this cost of discipleshipdoes not seem very great. But, when we have to trusthis leading in matters that affect our day to day plans,then discipleship can seem very costly indeed.

We have recently encountered one area where ithas not been easy to trust His leading. Our plans fordeparture to Brazil would have had us in the countryseveral months ago. But, delays in raising supportand now delays in processing our visa applicationshave postponed those plans.

Is it because of God's will that our departure hasbeen delayed? We have no way of knowing that.Subjective circustances are a poor indicator of God'swill. It has however, given us an opportunity to pract ice a n d ref ine he r e a t hom e a virtue which will b eindispensible on the mission field. We have learnedmore fully what it means to trust in the Lord, to surrender our control over the situation, and to allow Himto work ou t th e details.

We will continue to plan, to set goals, and to workfor the achievment of those goals. But, we realize thatcontrol over the circumstances lies with one far greaterthan ourselves. Lead on O King Eternal!


3/31

THEJACKSONS: TONY, TAMMY, KAITLYN

Patience is a funny thing; you don't seem to need ituntil you face difficult times and you cannot develop itwithout them. Throughout the process of preparationfor service in Sao Luis, we have faced a number ofopportunities for the Lord to teach us. There havebeen occasions when our own expectations forprogress toward the field have been met with 'snags'and 'red tape'. Through some of these trying timesand the period of waiting, God has blessed us withpatience and endurance. We deeply appreciate theprayers in our behalf.

In the weeks to come we will again recognize theimportance of patience as we wait on the approval ofour visas. Our documents must travel to Brazil and gothrough all the proper channels before we are grantedpermission to enter Sao Luis. We are excited aboutgetting some of these preliminaries completed so wecan begin our work of establishing a strong, spiritualcongregation in this large, important city in Brazil.We are thankful for the concern of so many brothers and sisters in Christ. The encouragement and lovewe have felt from supporters has spurred us on to"love and good works". As the TEAM makes its waythrough the final phases of entering Sao Luis, please

remember us before the Father. We all want to see theadvancement of The Kingdom in Brazil. TEAMmembers and supporters alike share the vision ofGod's message of hope and salvation being broughtto a city that needs it so badly. God be praised for Hislove for all the nations!

"Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming ofthe Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the preciousproduce of the soil, being patient about it, until it getsthe early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthenyour hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."J ame s 5:7-8


4/31

WHAT 'S NEW?DEPARTURE UP-DATE

In our November newsletter we reported that allfour families had begun the visa application process.That process is still on-going. Hopefully, the last of thedocuments necessary to complete our applications willarrive in Brazil by the end of this month (January).When all of the necessary forms and documents areon the desk of an official in the Ministry of Labor inBrasilia (Brazil's capital city), the process officiallybegins. From that point we will have approximately a40 day wait before our visas can be processed andi s sued .

Like so many other steps involved in getting tothe field, the visa application process has taken longerthan we had hoped. But, like much else we havefaced, it Is largely outside of our control. We trust thatthe Lord can work through these delays to accomplishHis purpose of establishing His church in Sao Luis.SUPPORT STATUS

Tony &Tammy Jackson 100% (up from 85%)Gary &Rosie Finley 90% (up from 75%)Rick &Chris Hodshire 84% (up from 80%)John &Ruth Navis 55% (up from 50%)PRAYER CONCERNS

*Swift processing of visa applications*Additional support is needed for John & Ruth Navis*Team members &their family members as time fordeparture draws near*The lost in Sao Luis (prepare them to hear)


5/31

THE HODSHIRE FAMILY"Santinho de Pau Oco"

While Chris and Iwere struggling through anothernight of Portuguese lessons, our professor gave us abrief Brazilian history lesson concerning the phrase"Santinho de pau oco". This phrase literally means"saints of hollow wood". Permit me to explain.It seems that early in Brazil's history the Church(Roman Catholic Church) tried to pull something overon th e Brazilian Indians.Portugal owed a lot of money to England at the time,and they had recently come to Brazil with its vastquantities of gold {It still is the world's largest goldproducer). In order to take this gold and still maintainfriendly relations with the Indians, they smuggled thegold out of the country under the guise of the church.They carved larger than life wooden statues of"saints", and told the Indians tha t t he se would beobjects of worship back in Europe. What they didn'ttell them was that the w ooden "saints" had been hollowed out. By filling these "saints" the Portuguesesmuggled literally thousands of tons of gold out ofBrazil before they were found out.To this day the phrase "Santinho de pao oco" meansto a Brazilian that somebody or something is pretending to be something they are not.As our Brazilian professor shared this with us, itcalled to mind all the questions she had been askingconcerning "the Church", Swaggart, Bakker, and ChristHimself. I prayed at that moment I could provide somereal answers, not that "hollow" Christianity which shehad observed most of her life.Christ called us to be disciples of Him, so that theworld may be able to come to Him as Lord and Savior.The last thing this world needs in Brazil or in America,is more "hollow saints" pretending to be somethingthey are not.Please join us in prayer for our TEAM as well asyourselves, that we will be found faithfully following ourLord in word and deed .


6/31

JOHN & RUTH NAVISMany people are not aware of the large expensethat a mission endeavor costs In our day. This struckme again, yesterday, while talking with some churchpeople. They were unaware of both the great financial

co s t and th e t ime cost .There are many delays that are outside of themissionary's control. Such things as the lack of monthly financial support, even if some churches have beensupporting the work for a long time (thank you), andthe complications with processing visa applications.These things just happen to delay getting missionariesto th e field.It costs a lot to support a missionary family for amonth. It costs so much that very few churches evenconsider taking on the total support of one missionary.It cos ts several thousand dollars to move them to thefield and get them settled in. And it costs a lot to dothe work once they are there. Convincing God'speople here in the U.S. to take on such costs hascaused some delay In our departure.

The visa application also brings delays. These aretime consuming expenses. Many documents andmuch money are involved, besides the cooperation ofthe Brazilian consulate. Diplomas, Birth Certificates,Marriage License, Passport, Commissioning Certificates and Background information all need to be notar ized and then sen t to the consula te . The consu la t eseals it and sends It back to the missionary and hesends it to Brazil. This is only the beginning of theprocess. If any thing is lacking, it only delays thingseven fur ther .When these things happen frustration mounts.When frustration mounts we need to rely on God'sword. It alone can tell us if we are doing His will.

Let u s r emembe r Paul ' s words in Romans : "Howthen shall they call upon Him in whom they have notbelieved? And how shall they believe in Him whomthey have not heard? And how shall they hear withouta preacher? And How shall they preach unless theyare sent?". Certainly the Importance of the task outweighs any minor frustrations which delays can bring.


7/31

Christ for Sao Luis:ATEAMMINISTRY TO SAO LUIS. MARANHAO.BRAZIL

April 1990 Volume no . 3, Issue no . 2

GARY & ROSIE FINLEYAre you still here? We have been asked that question a lot lately. Theanswer is yes, at least some of us, but hopefully not for long. On April 8th RuthNavis left for Brazil, she is a Brazilian citizen and does not need a visa in order toenter the country. Ruth went ahead of the rest of the team because she is expecting to have a baby around June 27th. If she had waited any longer her doctorwould not have allowed her to fly.The rest of us (including a very anxious John Navis) are hoping to hear thatour visa applications have been approved by the end of April. After all of the necessary documents and forms were obtained, filled out, notarized, legalized at the Brazilian consulate, mailed to Brazil, translated, sent to our legal representative in Brazil,and finally hand delivered to the appropriate office in the capital city Brasilia (thisprocess started last November), the official processing of our visa applications

began on March 5th. From this point processing takes an average of 40 workingdays (this excludesweekends and Brazilian holidays).Chris t for Sao LuisCalumet Street Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750Centralia, IL 62801(618) 533-4421

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8/31

Once We ArriveFIND HOUSING

The first task we will face upon arriving in Sao Luis is to locate a place tolive. We will try to locate each of ourfour families In the same quarter of thecity, but not next door to one another.The reason for this is to have us closeenough together that each of ourneighborhoods will be within travelingdistance of the first church which will beestablished, yet we will be far enoughapart that we can have an impact onfour separate neighborhoods.Since there is no one waiting for usin Sao Luis (this is a new work in a newcity) we will have to rely on a real estateagent to help us locate a house orapartment to rent. Please pray that thisgoes well, with our limited Portuguese itmay prove more complicated than weanticipate.REGISTRATION

Once we have an add re s s we cancall home, we will have to register withthe U.S. consula te and the BrazilianFederal Police . W e will also have toobtain a post anaccount with a Brazilian bank, andlocate all of the professional and otherservices we will eventually need (medical doctors, lawyers, barbers & beauticians, grocers, baby sitters and more).LANGUAGE & CULTURE

In order to be effective as churchplanters and ministers in any culture it isessential that a person learn the language and culture of the group he/shehopes to reach. Therefore, learning thePortuguese language and the culture of

Northeastern Brazil is our #1 priority forour first year on the field. If we fail inthis area, we will be handicapped theentire time we work in Brazil.Locating in four separate neighborhoods will help. If we are at least 10 to15 minutes apart from each other wewill be forced to get to know and rely onour Brazilian neighbors more readily.

As soon as our households are se tup (hopefully within one month) we willeither enroll in a language school or hirea private language instructor who canassist us in learning the Portugueselanguage. Our formal language studywill require five hours per day, five daysper week for one year.LOCATE TEAM OFFICE

Once we have dete rm ined th e areawhere we will want to locate the firstchurch, we will establish a team office ina rented facility in that neighborhood.This will provide a workplace for theteam members initially, and will eventually serve as a meeting place and anout reach cen te r when our effor ts aredirected toward beginning Sunday services for the first church.BUILD FRIENDSHIPS

Although our language skills will notbe up to the challenge of preaching andteaching when we first arrive, we willbegin immediately building friendshipswith neighbors, shopkeepers, and otherBrazilians with whom we are in contact.These friendships will provide us withour first "prospect list" once our effortsbecome focused on church establishmen t .


9/31

Change of MinistryThe four families which comprise the

Christ for Sao Luis mission team owe agreat debt to some special friends andcolleagues in ministry who have givenus much direction over the past severalyears .Bob and Doris Myers have served asrecruiters for this ministry since theteam was first formed. Bob and Dorisare former missionaries to Belem, Brazil.They served for six years in that cityhelping to establish one congregationand working to strengthen severalothers. In 1985 they returned to theU.S. to work full-time in the recruitmentof mission teams to e stabl is h Ch ri st 'schurch in six ci t ies in Nor theas t e rnBrazil.With the Sao Luis team now readyfor departure as soon as visas areissued, Bob and Doris were faced witha point of decision in their ministry.There are individuals who are interestedin forming one or two additional teamsto go to Northeastern Brazil, but theyare not yet ready to begin assemblingthe teams or to pursue preparations.Through much prayer and consideration Bob and Doris, along with theirsponsoring eldership at the CoonRapids Church of Christ, decided todiscontinue their ministry as full-timerecruiters with Christ for Northern Brazil.Bob has accepted a call to becomethe sen io r minis te r with th e KassonChurch of Christ in Kasson, Minnesota.He and Doris will continue providingguidance and resources for the SaoLuis team and any additional teamswhich may be formed, but they will nolonger be involved full-time in theseeffor ts .

We are indebted to God's grace bywhich He allowed us to benefit from theministry of Bob and Doris throughoutour process of preparation for the field.We wish them much success as theyserve our Lord and Savior in their newministry at Kasson Church ofChrist.ForwardingAgents

When we announced our plans tobecome a part of the Sao Luis teamback in 1987 we immediately realizedthe importance of some very special co-workers in this ministry, our forwardingagents. Before we could even begintrying to raise the support we wouldneed to live and work in Brazil weneeded to find someone willing toaccept this responsibility.Rich and Laura Bates {members of oursponsoring church in Centralia, IL)agreed to serve in this capacity. Richand Laura did an outstanding job as ourforwarding agents for over two yearswhile we pursued our preparations forthe field and enlisted the necessaryfinancial support. Due to each of themrecently changing careers they felt theymay not have the time necessary tocarry out the added responsibilities theywould face once we are on the field.We respect this decision, and greatlyappreciate the ministry they have had tous over the past two years.As of the first of January Flwd andLeia Johnson accepted the/esponsi-bility to serve as our forwarding agents.Floyd and Lela are both recently retired,Floyd from the Illinois Central Railroadshops in Centralia, aPra Lela from theWarren G. Murray DevelopmentalCenter in Centralia. We look forward toerving along with them in this ministry.

X .. 0


10/31

COMMUNICATIONWe recognize the great importance of good communication between missionaries and those who support them (both financially and prayerfully). We would likefor you to know what kind of communication you can expect to receive from us oncewe are on the field.

1) We will send out a newsletter 6 times per year. Three of these will bepersonal newsletters from Rosie and 1, the other three will be team newsletterswhich will include an article from each family on the team.2) We will send a personal letter to each of our supporting churches on thealternate months when a newsletter is not published.3) We will gladly write to anyone else who would like to hear from us, as longas you write to us first. We promise to answer any letters you send, but keep inmind that it might take a month or more for letters to travel both ways.

Our next newsle tte r will go out as soon as our visas are issued and we canannounce our departure date, hopefully that willbe in the very near future.REASONS FOR PRAISE

* Rosie is expecting! If her doctor is correct we will welcome a new additionto our family on or around September 25th.* After three years of traveling and presenting our plans and our needs, mostof our needed financial support is now in place.* The gospel still is, and always will be "the power of God for the salvation ofeveryone who believes (Romans 1:16 NIV)"!

Prayer Concerns* Ruth Navis as she stays with her family in Araguaina, Brazil until the rest ofth e te am arrives* Quick processing of our visas* Availability of seats on the airline once visas are obtained* Since most of our needed financial support is now in place, please pray thatit will remain stable while we are on the field* Most importantly, continue to pray that the Lord will open doors of opportunity for us to share the gospel of Christ, and that His church will be establishedin Sao Luis


11/31

Chris t fo r Sao Luis:ATEAM MINISTRYTO SAO LUIS. MARANHAO, BRAZIL

JUNE 1990 Volume no. 3, issue no. 2

THB SAO LUIS TEAM

!!! Departure Date Is Set!!!On Tuesday, May 8th the Sao Luis team members

appeared before the Brazilian Consulate officials in Chicago,Illinois to submit the final documentat ion required in order toreceive a temporary visa for religious vi/orkers. Processing tookjust over two weeks, and on Thursday, May 24 we receivedpermission to enter Brazil!

We will be departing for Sao Luis on Sunday, June10th. We praise God for the prayers He has answered. Werealize it is only through His grace that our departure has beenmade possible. Only through His grace will we now be able toachieve that which we have planned and prepared to do, work tosee His church established in Sao Luis, Brazil.

Ch ris t fo r S ao LuisGary & Rosie FinleyCalumet Stree t Christian Church

R.R. 2, Box 750Centralia, IL 62801(618) 533-4421


12/31

Why Would You Want to Go There?"Gary &Rosie FinleyWe heard this question more than a few times when we first

announced our intentions to become part of a mission teamwhich would go to a city in Northeastern Brazil. Even today weare still occasionally asked the same question.

In one way it is an easy question to answer, "God wants usthere". That should be enough of a motivation for anyone whohas made Him Lord In their life. At the same time, that simpleanswer does not adequately explain all of the factors involved inour decision to go.For most of us on the Christ for Sao Luis team, the decisionto undertake this calling was made only after much time spent inprayer, searching the Scriptures, and seeking the council of otherbelievers.We tried to weigh the reasons for staying against the reasonsfor going. There certainly were compelling reasons to stay herein the U.S., we were settled in a secure and enjoyable ministrywith a church in Missouri, Rosie was about to finish her B.A.program in elementary education and was prepared to begin jobhunting, we already spoke the national language (at least wellenough to get by), our families were nearby, most of our friendslived within driving distance, and we were indeed serving theLord in a faithful manner .

At the same time we could see numerous reasons to go, ofthe 5 Billion people who live in this world nearly 4 Billion arecompletely outside the body of Christ, in Brazil most of thepeople claim to be Christian, but in reality only about 2 out of 10are actively involved with any local church (Protestant or Catholic), the existing churches in Brazil are so few in number that theyare capable of reaching only a small percentage of the presentpopulation, and social problems such as poverty and a lack offormal education make spiritual growth independent of a localcongregation extremely difficult for the majority of Brazilians.Comparing the reasons to stay with the reasons to go madethe right choice apparent. Christ has not called us to pursue ourown comfort or convenience. He has called us to serve Him, toreach the lost, and to build one another up in the body of Christ.

In Matthew's Gospel we see what Jesus' own response waswhen He saw the needs of the people in the cities and villages ofHis day:"When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were

harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,therefore, to send outworlters into His harvest field." (Matthew 9:36-38)


13/31

"What WE Can Learn From THEM"THE JACKSONS

In order for the TEAM to be success fu l in ourgoal of establishing a strong, spiritual congregation wemust be willing to learn from the Brazilians. There aremany things we must learn if we hope to be effective inevangelizing people in Sao Luis. Three areas in whichwe can learn from the people of Sao Luis are:* RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL THINGS* EMPHASIZING RELATIONSHIPS* MAINTAINING A SLOWER PACE OF LIFE

Even though only 10-13% actually attend services regularly, nearly 90% of all Brazilians claim to beCatholic. In addition to this, 60% of all Brazilians participate in some form of cult/occult practices. Instead ofbeginning our evangelism by "blasting" the incorrectness of their practices, we want to commend them fortheir priority of spiritual things and lead them to theTRUTH found in Jesus Christ.

The s econd area we can learn from the Brazilians is in the way they emphasize PEOPLE. If talkingto a friend or relative on a s treet corner means beingan hour late for an appointment, they are late. Again,instead of bemoaning their tardiness, we can rejoice intheir love for people and lead them to an understanding of Christian fellowship.A final area which will seem strange to the TEAMis the slower pace of life the Brazilians enjoy. Americans are so strongly oriented to a "get-it-now" culture,the TEAM will have to learn how to go at a bit slower

pac e .Sao Luis will be very di f fe ren t f rom th e U.S.Pray for us as we adapt to and preach in a new

cu l t u r e .


14/31

IMPRESSIONSThis i ssue of the Chris t for Sao Luis teamnewsletter contains four articles (one written by each ofour families) which develop the theme "Impressions ofBrazil". Each article is based on some of our experiences while we were in Brazil for our survey trip. Aswe now prepare to return to Sao Luis for the purposeof beginning our work, we want to reflect upon the

people, the culture, and the needs which will await usa s we arrive.

Reasons to Rejoice!* Visas have finally been issued!* John Navis will depart on June 3rd* The rest of the team will depart on June 10th* Rosie and Ruth (expectant mothers) are doing well

Prayer Matters-For our physical safety as we travel to Brazil-That we will not face any unexpected difficulties withc u s t oms officials-That we will be able to find adequate housing in theneighborhoods we plan to target with the first congregation-That we will always be sensitive to the leading ofGod's Spirit so that we may recognize and use opportunities He gives us to share the good news of Jesus!

O PEN TH EA DOORS. . .


15/31

IMPRESSIONS OF WORSHIPThe Hodshi res

While Chris &1were in Belem on the first leg of our survey tripto Brazil, we had the opportunity to visit several congregations.What we found was that the worship style of each congregationseemed to vary as much as the architecture of the buildings(considering that we saw everything from pink and blue spires, towood frame, to nice stucco buildings, one could safely say therewere variances in worship approaches).

A revival service was in process when we arrived at ouroldest congregation in Belem. Amplifiers, electric guitars, anddrums were the order of the evening. Loud, would probably bethe best word to describe our time spent there. Each of the areachurches sent a group of people and participated by singing atleast one special. The service lasted several hours, and wasmarked by the Brazilian equivalent of hearty "Amen's".

Several of the missionaries in Belem were in the process ofestablishing a new work closer to the business district. Thiscentralized middle class congregation was our second stop. AnAmerican speaker had been invited in for the evening, and agood portion of the people there were Americans. The serviceseemed to reflect this. If itwasn't for the use of Portuguese, wewouldn' t have known we had left home!

Sunday was probably our most enjoyable time in Belem.Sunday morning was reserved strictly for Sunday School. Thisservice lasted for one and a half hours. This t ime s e emed structured and well planned, where as the evening service was givento music and preaching, with no time restrictions whatsoever.

One quality that stood out among all the congregations wasthe importance and enthusiasm placed upon worshiping ourLord through music. The Brazilians unashamedly proclaimedtheir faith in song, and to this American couple, it was very refreshing.Our time spent among the Brazilian Christians was convictingas well as refreshing. It did not take long for one to see thededication and piety exhibited by the people we came in contactwitti.

Not long ago, I asked a young Brazilian who had came to theStates for Bible college, what his impression of America was. Iexpected to hear of our riches or the beauty of the land. However, he pointed to the apparent apathy within our churches as hismost striking impression. After our short stay in Belem, his wordsstruck home with sobering truthfulness.

Our initial impression of Brazilian worship? Different, refreshing, and convicting. Oh that we would recapture some of theirentf iusiasm!


16/31

Brazilian Attitudes Toward AmericansJohn & Ruth Navis

How do we view the invasion of Panama? Whatabout the invasion of Grenada? How do we feel aboutillegal aliens? How do we perceive people from othercountr ies?

Once we answer these questions for ourselves,let's ask another question. "What do other people(particularly Brazilians) think of Americans?". Ingeneral, Brazilians look favorably toward Americans.They see Americans as equals to themselves. Theysee possible benefits from Americans coming to theircountry (such as the inflow of American dollars intotheir economy, and improvements we can bring totheir educational system).

However, Brazilians are concerned about the waythe United States tries to in te rvene in and somet imescontrol the domest ic affairs of other nations. With theC.I.A.'s reported involvement in the military overthrowof Brazil's last democratically elected government(about 20 years ago), and the American military's latestshow of force in Panama, Brazilians are somewhatapprehensive. They wonder if America might intervenein their political matters if their policies were deemedcontrary to the "national interest" of the United States.

This concern, however, does not smother theiracceptance and love for American people. John's firstencoun t e r with his Brazi l ian r el at iv e s re in fo rced thisimpression. They accepted him as John. They didnot see him as someone to fear, or as a rich Americanwho they could take advantage of.

As ambas sado r s of J e s u s Chris t and citizens of th eUnited States, we have a door wide open in Brazil. Theapostle Paul used his Roman citizenship for the benefitof the Gospel. Our citizenship can be used in the sameway. Pray that we wilt use it to further the cause ofChrist. Paul tried to be all things to all people for thesake of the gospel. Let us also see the importance ofbecoming all things to all people - including Brazilians.


17/31

Vol . Ill, No. IllChr^ist F o r ' Sao L-uis

TEi^M ME:ujsL_E;"r-ri^Rft im MINISTRY TP SfiQ LUIS, WRtftjftQ, BRAZIL

THE S f tO LU I S TERM

(piDdLAugu s t 1990

We h a v e now been i n Sao Ls e t t l ed in to our new homes, begand g e t t in g to know ou r new c io u r first mon t h of f o r m a l Perr e a l i z e each day j u s t how esp ro f i c i ency in ou r new l anguagei t .

God h as truly b l e s s e d us ius th e p r i v i l ege o f being h isP l e a s e r e a d II Co r i n t h i a n s 5:c!0all God ' s peop l e .

uis for tw o mon t h s . We haveun meet ing ou r new ne ighbo r s ,ty . We have Ju s t comple tedtuguese l anguage s tudy . Wes e n t i a l it i s t h a t we gain, th e work ahead depends uponn br ing ing us here and g iv inga a b a s s a d o r s to a new l a n d !

, it i s a p r i v i l e g e sha red by

Foi~ Cor r ^ e spondenc e On l y :GARY & R03 IE F INLEYCf t lXf l PDSTfiL 1 0 8 8

65000 SflO LUIS, m , BRAZILSend flll Contributions T o e

CHRIST FOR SfiO LU I SR. R. , BOX 750

CENTRflLIfl , IL 62801( 6 1 8 ) 533-44l


18/31

fiS WE HftVE TAKEN THE VARIOUS STEPS NECESSARY TO SET TOSAO LUIS , AND AS WE NOW TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO SEECHRIST'S CHURCH ESTABLISHED IN THIS CITY, WE REALIZE THAT ITIS ONLY WITH AND THROUGH THE LORD'S BLESS INBS THAT ANYTHINGOF IMPORTANCE TO HIS KINGDOM WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED,

BELOW THREE OF OUR FAMILIES RESPOND TO THE QUESTION:"O f f i l l th e Ways God Has Ble s s ed You S inc e Our* Ar r i v a l inSao Luis , What Event Stands Out Most Vividly?"

THE HODSHIRE FAMILY

Of all th e ways God ha sworked s i n c e our fam ily hasa r r i v e d in Sao Lu i s , we t h i n kof how He turned the sadnessw h ic h h a d o v e r s h ad ow ed L aura's b i r t hday c e l e b r a t i on ,i n to an evening which gaveo u r f am i l y a g r e a t boo s t .

The e a r l y morning hou r so f J u l y 19 t h were filled wi t hb r e a k i n g th e news o f th edea th o f Tammy's f a t h e r toTony and Tammy, then t r y ingto comfor t them and encouragethem to r e s t un t i l they cou ldbeg in th e p rocess o f makingan em e rg en cy flight back tothe States. L a u r a u n d e r s t o o dthat while we felt her birthday was i ndeed impor t an t , wewer e all h a v i n g a difficultt ime wi th what had J u s tt r a n s p i r e d .

What we d id no t know,was that a l a r g e number o fpeople in ou r apa r tmen tcom plex w ere working to maket h i s a very spec i a l evening.At 6pm, Lau r a was a sk ed t ocome downs t a i r s , where sh e

was g r e e t e d by 30 o r so k i d s ,an d at least 10 adults whohad gone to g r e a t l e n g th s top r epa r e h e r a " s u r p r i s ep a r t y " .

T h e r e w as a "Barbie"c a k e (W i th a real Barbiedo l l , t a b l e , g l a s s e s , and th el i k e on t o p ! ) , Lau r a ' s namew as written across the wallin c r epe pape r , and a no t h e rtable was filled w i t h variousc ake s , p a s t r i e s , cand i e s ,soda , e t c . They sang to he r ,and chan t ed "Lauda" , "Lauda","Lauda" (Po r t uguese p ronunc iation) a s s h e b l ew o u t hercandles.

The ladies p r o c e e d e d t oserve all the kids a n d theTeam members a s t h ey a r r i v ed ,mak ing e a ch o f u s f e e l likean hono r ed gue s t . Hoursl a t e r found th e F in l ey s ,Nav i s e s , and ou r f am i l y stilldowns t a i r s f i e l d i ng que s t i o n sa s t o wha t we were r e a l l yhop i ng t o a ccom p l i sh h e re inSao Lu i s . The se qu e s t i o n swere a sk ed w i th genu i nesincerity and interest.


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We had comto reach out tthe n a m e of C h rw e found ourministered top e o p l e we reallall because thm a k e one l i t t lf a raway p l a c e ,

e to S a o Luiso a pe op l e inist. However ,s e l v e s be i ngby a bunch o fy didn't know,ey w a n t e d t oe girl f rom afeel at h o m e .

What t h e y d id made u sall f e e l ve ry welcome andb l e s s e d by be ing h e r e . Italso reminded u s that ourLord is O n e w h o can bothc o m f o r t and open d o o r s , inv e ry u n u su a l ways and t i m e s .

We know He is wi t h u s ,and that H e cares. H e caresa b o u t o u r s o r r ow , and He evenc a r e s a b o u t a little girl's1 1 t h b i r t h d a y .

T H E Nf tVIS Ff tMILY

JOHN - One b l e s s i n g th eL o r d has blessed me with isthe arrival of Caleb (ours o n ) , and be ing ab le to behere before h e w as b o r n .

RUTH My greatestblessing f rom God was a v e r ys a f e delivery o f o u r h e a l t h yb a b y C a l e b N a t h a n .

THE F I N L E Y FAMILYGARY We h a v e b e e n

e s p e c i a l l y b l e s s ed by th e wayi n w h i c h God h as d em o n s t r a te dt o us in v a r i o u s ways H is

s o v e r e i g n t y o v e r p e o p l e andevents that h a v e affected ourl ives.

f^s sword froconsulat evisas hadm a d e a t r iin C h i c a greceive tp a s s p o r t sf i t thatJune 10thd a t e , andtrying tt ickets to

o o n as w e receivedm the Brazi1ianthat o u r oneyea rbeen a pp r ov e d we

p t o t h e c o n s u l a t eo on May 7 th t oh em and have our

p r o p e r l y s t a m pe d ,p o in t we t a r g e t e da s o u r d e p a r t u r ebe ga n i m m ed i a t e l y

o secure airlineSao Luis.

We were told that allflights i n t o Belem and Manaus(Brazil 's tw o northern airp o r t s w i t h direct flights t oand from the U.S.) were soldout unti l the last w e e k inA u g u s t .

O u r alternatives wouldhave been t o d e l a y o u r d e p a rt u r e , o r t r a v e l by a n o t h e rr o u t e r e q u i r i n g significantl a y o v e r s a n d at a considerab ly greater e xpe n s e .

A f t e r p r ay e r f u l l y cons i d e r i n g t h e m a t t e r we a s k e dt o be p la c ed on a wa i t i n glist f o r th e f l i g h t whichleft Miami on o u r t a r g e t e dd e p a r t u r e d a t e . If t h e seatsbecame available we w ou l d gothat way , if n o t we w ou l d flythe alternate route.

(Con t i nued on back page )


20/31

We wa i t e d for more t h a ntwo weeks , check ing wi th th ea i r l i n e f r equen t l y to see ifo u r seats h a d b e e n issued.Bu t , it was n o t until f o u rh o u r s before we h a d to leavefo r th e a i r p o r t in Sa i n tLouis to make our connec t ingflight to Miami that o u rtickets arrived!

The a c t o f se cu r in g 10tickets for a n internationalflight that h a s been s o l d - o u tfo r two months , in th e he igh to f t o u r i s t s e a son may no t beth e most d i f f i c u l t b l e s s i ngGod ha s a r r a ng ed , bu t it s u r emade all o f us ve ry t h ank fu l .It also r e m i n d e d u s that nop rob l em is t o o sm a l l o rto o b ig f o r o u r Make r andR e d e e m e r .

RQSIE - One o f theg r e a t e s t b l e s s i ng s God hasprov ided i s th e many peop lewho have come i n t o o u r livesand p rov i ded us wi t h somet ype o f he lp when we were no ta b l e to t a k e c a r e o f v a r i o u ssituations on o u r own. Somehave been Americans, someBraz i l i an s , some Chr i s t i an s ,and some no t . But t hey allhave been w il l in g to he lp uso r s imp ly be p a t i e n t wi th usw h i l e we described ourproblem ( u s ua l l y in o u rbroken Po r tugue s e ) and t h enh e l p us f i n d an a n swe r .

These peop l e make ite v e n mo r e certain to me thatGod is w i t h u s an d b e h i n d thework we p l an t o do h e r e i nSao Luis.

Your- Pi~ayer*s f t re Requ e s t e d :fis a teai , we were a ll deeply grieved to hear of the tragic death

of Taiiy Jackson's father, Everet t Perkins, on July 18th, Dur hear tswere with Tony and Tamy as they received word, and then as they had tobegin the coiplicated process of trying to i ai ed ia te ly return to theS t a t e s to be wi th their f aB i l i e s .

We want to acknowledge our gratitude to the JiB Thorpe faeily forthe i r invaluable assis tance in Tony and Taiay's t i ie of need. TheThorpes are Conservative Baptis t uissionaries in Sao Luis. J i i andCorrine opened up thei r hoie, the use of thei r phone, car, and personalhelp during what was already a very hectic t i i e for then. We also wantto thank the Jackson's forwarding agents, Jerry and Susan Bri t t , fo rresponding and j us t being avai lable when they were so needed.

Many were those who stepped forward to coifort and help Tony,Taaiy, and the i r faa i l ies with the i r loss. The Teat has great confidence that our supporters and friends will continue to l i f t up theJackson's in prayer and deed as they are helping Taany's faaily Stateside, during a Bost t ry ing t i i e .


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fiz WD&c

Chris t fo r Sao Luis:NEWSLETTER

ATEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS, MARANHAO, BRAZILOCTOBER 1990 Vo lume no . 111. I ssue no. iV

GARY& ROSIE FINLEYTHE SAO LUIS TEAM GROWS!

(sSOh

'^We are pleased to announce ttie addition of ttie latest member to ourmissionteam: Ian Patrick Finley was born at 10:30am on Saturday, September 29th at theCliQica Sao Marcos in Sao Luis, Brazil!At the t ime this newsletter is leaving Sao Luis, headed for the U.S. Ian is twoweeks old. Both he and mom are doing fine, dad still hasn't fully recovered.

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATESIDE CORRESPONDENCE:Ch ris t fo r S ao Luis

Calumet S t r ee t Chris t ian ChurchR.R. 2, Box 750

Centralia, IL 62801(618) 533-4421

FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ADDRESS)Gary & Rosie FinleyCa ix a Po sta l 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil


22/31

o Bem-Vindo! oThis is one way you can say "welcome" in Portuguese. It is used when closefriends unexpectedly drop by for a visit. It is also used when close friends you havebeen anxiously expecting finally arrive. On September 20th we. along with theHodshires and Mavises, bid a warm bem~vindo! to Tony, Tammy and Kaitlyn Jackson. The Jacksons (as you learned in our August newsletter) had been in the statesfor several weeks following the tragic death of Tammy's father Everett Perkins.We were encouraged that Tony, Tammy, and Kaitlyn were able to be withtheir families during such a difficult time. Now, we are very thankful to have themwith us in Sao Luis once again. Like each member of the Sao Luis team, Tony andTammy possess unique gifts and abilities for service which the Lord can greatly usein this city. Kaitlyn (2&1/2 years) is a natural attention grabber, and will open manydoors of opportunity for friendship with Brazilian families (the first step in evangel

ism).As the Jacksons arrived at the Sao Luis airport all of the adults on the teamwere there to meet them. The Hodshire girls had made a beautiful "Welcome Home"banner which was waiting in the Jacksons apartment. We rejoice in having ourfriends and co-workers back with us, and we continue to weep with them in the griefwhich they feel. Please continue to remember their needs before the Lord.

OUR SHIP HAS COME IN!Actually, our ship with our household goods, clothing, books, etc. arrived inBelem, Brazil nearly three months ago. However, it was held by the BrazilianCustoms officials until last week. On Friday, September 5th everything was delivered to our respective homes! We along with the Hodshires and Jacksons foundeverything to be in good order. The Mavises had just a few damaged boxes ("wetold you to pack 'em tight John"), and one boxmissing. Overall, our shipment ar

rived in very good condition.Liberating our goods from customs had been a major concern for the pasttwo months. It had consumed a considerable amount of our time, and much of ouremotional energy. We are very thankful that the Lord has now brought this about.Once again we are free to devote ourselves fully to more important concerns.


23/31

!!!The Team Has Bugs\\\Yes, there are ants In our cabinets {thanks Calumet Street and other friends for the Tupper-ware!). But those bugs don't give us much cause for excitement (not the positive kind anyvi/ay). Weare excited because we, the Mavises and Hodshires now have cars. Because the exchange ratehas been very unfavorable for the U.S. dollar since our arrival, we had to find cheap, dependabletransportation with the emphasis on cheap. In Brazilthat means the Volkswagen, Beetle. The "Bug*(here called a "Fusca", which doesn't translate as an insect) is probably the most common car on

the road. They were manufactured in Brazil until 1986, so it is stiil possible to find one that is in fairlygood condition. The price ($5,000.00 - $6,000.00 for a 5-10 year old car) Is extremely high by U.S.standards, but it is the cheapest car available in Brazil! All prices are high right now because theexchange rate is so bad. But, we are very grateful to have transportation. Surprisingly, "Fuscas"have a lot of head room, and every mechanic in Brazil considers himself an expert on their serviceand repair.

1991 Budget Established1991 is only a little more than two months away. We have now had three full

months to live and work under our 1990 budget, to realize its adequacies andinadequacies. After spending several weeks comparing current prices in Brazilwithour current income, and calculating the cost of projects which will take place in 1991(most importantly the establishment of the team office/outreach center) a proposedbudget for the new year was assembled. This was then sent to our supervisingelderships for approval or amendment.During a special meeting of our supervising elders in early October ourproposed budget for 1991 was approved. Copies have been sent to each of oursupporting churches. Individual supporters who would like a copy may reques t one

form our fonwarding agents a t the U.S. address on the front of this newsletter.If your church is not a financial supporter of this work we ask that youread the following. Because the buying power of the dollar is very low in Brazil r ightnow (nearly all manufactured goods cost 2&1/2 to 3 t imes what they would in theU.S., processed food items are about double U.S. prices, real estate and rentalprices are at least as high as larger cities in the U.S.), we must increase our monthly suppor t by around 19% over our 1990 budge t (an increase of$470.00/month). It would be difficult for all of our existing supporters to increasetheir support by that amount.Therefore, we are hoping that churches who are aware of our work, but whohave not been able to offer us financial support in the past would consider addingthis work to their missions program. Please share this request with your missions committee or board of elders. Ifyou would like any additional informationabout our work (brochures, etc.) please contact our forwarding agents Floyd and

Leia Johnson .


24/31

"FALA PORTUGUESE?"If your answer is "sim!", then you do not need for us to explain the question.In case you didn't answer with a resounding "siml", the question merely asks if you

speak Portuguese. More and more we are able to honestly answer this question"sim!"without any qualifying excuses {sim, urn pouco (yes, a little): or sim, masainda nao muito bem (yes, but not very well yet).Two weeks ago we began a new schedule that will give each of us a betteropportunity to proceed at his or her own pace. Previously we had been studying inone large group (this was only out of economic necessity, it is not a good way tolearn a language). Now we are able to study in four groups with two people in eachgroup. Rosie and I are in one group, Tony and Tammy Jackson in a second. RickHodshire and John Navis in a third, and Chris and Laura Hodshire in a fourth. Eachgroup spends 6 to 8 hours per week in class, and has several additional hours of

work outs ide of c lass .Our formal study of Portuguese has to remain a top priority for the next ninemonths if we are going to be able to achieve over the long term what we are here toaccomplish: The establishment of the Lord's church in the city of Sao Luis, Brazil.

We Celebrate The Lord's Blessings* The birth of Ian Patr ick* The safe return of the Jack son s* Further opportunities to establish friendships with our new neighbors* The continued good health which our four families have enjoyed* We now have a ca r* The arrival of our shipment

/ will praise You, O Lord,with al l my heart;I will te l l o f all Your wonde r s .I will be glad and rejoice in You;/ will sing praise to Your name,O Most High.(Psaim 9:1,2)


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November 24,1990Dear brothers and sisters,

As we prepare for the coming new year, we wouldlike to mai


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Chr is t fo r Sao Luis :A TEAM MINISTRY TO SAO LUIS. MARANHAO. BRAZIL

TEAM NEWSLETTERDECEMBER 1990 Volume no. 3, Issue no. 5

THE SAO LUIS TEAM

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STATES IDECORRESPONDENCE :Chr i s t fo r S ao LuisGary &Rosie Finley

Calumet S tr ee t Christian ChurchR.R. 2. Box 750Gentralia, IL62801(618) 533-4421

FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:(PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CONTRIBUTIONSTO THIS ADDRESS)Gary & Rosie FinleyGaixa Postal 1088

65000 Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil


27/31

ANSWERSTONY, TAMMY & KAITLYN JACKSON

We have received many of them from God in the course ofthe last few years. Both individual families on the TEAM, and theTEAM as a whole have had many requests graciously granted byour Lord. We have invited you to pray with us on several occasions because you share our faith in God and you likewise haveseen Him answer the requests ofHis people.We pray because we are trying to conduct our lives andbegin this ministry in a way that would bring honor to our Savior.There are so many decisions to make and factors outside ourcontrol to consider; we knowwe are dependent upon our God tohelp us make wise choices.From the work and concerns of our support raising, throughthe long process of obtaining visas and tickets, during the weeks

of packing and saying goodbye to friends and family, and as wepresently study Portuguese and weather the storms of cultureshock, God has shown us His love, protection, and approval forthe establishment of a congregation InSao Luis.The TEAM wants you to see a list of items we have approached our Father with, which He has abundantly met:

Sponsoring Congregations to -Sufficient supportoversee our work to come to Sao Luis-Visas/Proper Documentation -Airline tickets-Housing for our families -Cars for 3 families-Arrival of our things -Good health-Phones for 3 families -Support to furnish-The safe arrival of Caleb our homesNavis and Ian Finley -Language Teachers-Brazilian friends/contacts -Progress in our-Daily Strength language study-Encouraging letters from -Anequitable rate offamily and friends exchange

No one promised an easy task was awaiting us here, butGOD HIMSELF PROMISES TO SUPPLY EVERY-THING NECESSARY 10 ADVANCE THE KINGDOM! (Matt. 7:7; John 15:7,16;Eph. 3:20,21; I John 3:21)"Now may the God of peace, who brought up fromthe dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through theblood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, equipyou In every good thing to do His will, working in usihat which is pleasing in His sight..." (Hebrews13:20,21)


28/31

"SINCE YOU ASKED"GARY, ROSIE & IAN FINLEY

There are some questions in life that need be asked onlyonce; "So, what happens when you pull that red lever?', 'How farwill the gauge go before the car is completely out of gas?', 'Do Ireally have to pay my taxes each year?'.The answers to those questions generally do not change.And, those answers (especially when learned by experience),usually leave us with an impression we are not soon to forget.Other questions require more frequent asking becausethe circumstances upon which they depend often change."Daddy, how old am I?', "Now, when am I supposed to catch thatconnecting flight?', 'So, just what do you think is in that casseroleshe brought?'.There is another class of question that likewise requires

frequent asking. Not because the answers change, in fact theyusually remain the same throughout time. But, it is asked frequently because it is central to an all important cause. I answered one such question on June 30th, 1984 "Do you promiseto love, honor, cherish, and respect her as long as you both shalllive?'. I considered my answer to this question with great seriousness on that occasion, and I continue to do so today. Why?Because It represents a cause that Is all important to me.Another such question is, 'What are you doing in SaoLuis?". I am asked this question at least once a week, and that Isgood because its answer needs to be clear and unequivocal inmy mind.I am here because God loves people; rich ones and poorones, dark ones and light ones, those who know Him and thosewho as yet do not. I am here because the agent of God's love,His church, is yet to reach most of the people living in this greatcity. I am here because 18 years ago I said to God 'My life Isyours, make of it what you will".There are some questions which we need ask only once,and others a time or two. Yet, there a re a few the answers towhich we dare never lose sight of.

QUESTIONS


29/31

AS WE LOOK TOWARD THE NEW YEARLess than one month rem ains before 1991arrives. This year will certainly bring its share ofchanges just as all new years do. For the first fewweeks the date line on many checks will show evidence of having been corrected. Resolutions will bemade and broken (probably at a ratio of 1:1). And,with the holidays behind, most people (in the midwest-ern U.S. at least) will begin looking forward to thearrival of Spring.In Sao Luis the temperature remains the sameyear round, so we will need a reliable calendar to alertus to the change in seasons (Summer to Fall in ourcase since we are South of the Equator). But, we willhave some changes to adapt to in the new year as

well. We hope to be able to move into a rented facilitysometime early in the year which will serve as the teamoffice/outreach center. In July our priorities will switchfrom language acquisition to church establishment. Bythat time we hope to have several bible study groupsunderway which will provide us with the nucleus for thefirst congregation.As 1991 arrives, we will also begin operatingunder a new budget which has been evaluated andapproved by our supervising eldership. It representsan increase of approximately 20% over our budget for1990. As of yet we do not have all the needed com

mitments in place.If your congregation is currently supporting thiswork, please let us know if you will be able to increase your giving in the new year (thank you if youhave already done so).Ifyour congregation is not currently supporting

this work, we ask that you consider adding us to yourmissions program. If you would like any additionalinformation about our needs, or abou t the work in SaoLuis, please contact our forwarding agents at the U.S.address on the front of this newsletter. They will behappy to respond to any questions you may have.


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Falar, ou nao Falar:"& will the cruzeiro decide?"

RICK, CHRIS, LAURA, LEEANN, & CHRISTIN HODSHIREFrom the beginning the need for the team to acquire adequate language skills was deemed foremost in importance. Ourgoal was to have: 1) The equivalent of 1 year's university levelstudy In Portuguese prior to arrival on the field, 2) and immediately following our initial 'setting up" period, an additional year'sstudy was to be obtained here in Brazil.These guidelines were recommended by experienced missionaries and they were clearly stated within our written strategy.This emphasis upon language acquisition is justified because ofthe importance the "Word" has within the conversion process.Faith is dependent upon the hearing (and implied, understanding) of the Word.So armed with the knowledge of how important this task wasto our effectiveness for Him, and filled with the zeal to begin ourwork, we set out in search of suitable language instructors. Butalas! They were hard to find, and av/ful expensive too!We found an abundance of language schools offering English (We were even approached to be professors!), but only oneoffered an extensive course in Portuguese. Without much of achoice we began our classes as a Team, being divided into twogroups, at the rate of $24 per hour of teachers instruction.However, in just a matter of weeks they wanted to raise that

amount to the equivalent of $30 per hour.Our Team working fund was not capable of handling suchfees, so we were forced to te rm in ate our lessons there ands e a r ch fo r ano t h e r al ternat ive . For s ome t ime f i n ance s s e emedto dictate that we would have to combine into one group, andalso reduce our hours of instruction per week. But that was notgoing to meet our needs. Each Team member was going torequire much more Individual attention and hours in class, ifwewere to be adequately prepared to begin our outreach.Following weeks of prayer (and more than a little anxiety),God has provided for our needs in a great way. Where once wecould not find capable professors, we found ourselves with acho ice of five! Where once we feared we would be forced tocombine Into one group, we were able to divide into four! Andwhere once the lack of cruzeiros (money) threatened to keep usfrom paying even one instructor, we are now paying a veryreasonable rate of about $10 per hour for two of our instructors,and Ruth Navis has been teaching "free gratis'.

ByGod's grace, one day soon the phrase: 'Eu fa!o portuguesmuito pouco.* (I speak very little Portuguese.), will no longer beheard from our lips. It will be replaced with words of Instructionuttered from His Word, in their language.


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Ch ris tma s w i th ou t snow o r co ldJOHN, RUTH & CALEB NAVIS

After talking with the natives, I have found a few thingsthat are the same and different about the Holidays. There are avariety of perspectives that could be chosen. There are the poorand the rich, the Christian and non-Christian and others. Firstlet's look at some general similarities and differences.A few people have their Christmas trees up already. I sawmy first tree on November 11. Stores have been selling ChristmasItems since October. And Santa Claus is not totally foreign. Theonly real difference in these things Is that the number of Christmas items is much less than in the United States and everythingis on a much smaller scale.(7 foot Christmas trees are rare. Theyliterally would take up the whole room in most houses.)Of course there is not any snow or ice. It is going to be In

the nineties come Christmas. So if you look for snow or cold, itwilt have to be either cotton balls or white packing material and avery large air-conditioner.What do people do differently? That is two-fold. Whatseems to be universal is that everyone has a great big feast. It willbe the family's biggest and best meal of the year. And for manyof the people, If not most of them, it also means drinking enoughliquor to get drunk and stay drunk for some time.Gifts are exchanged but they are few and Santa Claus isnot built up very much. It is hard to tell your child that there is aSanta Claus and not have a lot of presents.Finally, for most people, the meaning of Christmas Is lost.Many people get their first introduction to the true meaning ofChristmas from going to a Christmas program, put on by some

Protestant or Evangelical church. I was surprised to find out thatgoing to these programs was such a popular thing to do for non-bel ievers .

The old adage, ' What they don't know won't hurt them."may go well with the likes of Santa Claus and the latest inChristmas gifts and decorations but what they don't know mayvery well kill them as far as knowledge of God and His offer ofsalvation Is concerned. We have a message for the whole world.Let us proclaim It just as the shepherds did when Jesus wasborn.

Finley Gary Rosemarie 1990 Brazil

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