If I had to summarize this trip in one word, that word would be synergy:

syn⋅er⋅gy [sin-er-jee] – the working together of two (or more) things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Our team had a little bit of everything thrown at them on this trip. On the ministry end, they had to sing, share testimonies, share the gospel in a language they didn’t know, do mime-skits that were pretty challenging to learn, and anything else that was asked of them, often at the drop of a hat.

On the work end, it was just as difficult and required as much flexibility. The guys had to haul cinder blocks, sand, cement bags, and tiles. Then they actually mixed the cement and hauled/poured it. The ladies had to strip old varnish, sand, and re-varnish doors. They also sanded and painted many other areas around Haven of Hope.

In addition to that, the art team that did the mural at the school entrance had to work very expeditiously to get it done. That included figuring out the dimensions, doing the scale drawings, and then doing the actual painting.

As I look back on this trip, the word synergy really sums it up. With everything thrown at us, and with 17 of 23 people getting sick, we could have whined and complained and taken it easy. But that is the opposite of what we did. Everyone put in 110% to get everything done. Our team realized that what we were doing in Brazil was much bigger than Haven of Hope or IBABI – it was about the Kingdom of God! Every aspect of the trip modeled a godly, Christ-centered synergy.

In our training: synergy.

In our work: synergy.

In our proclamation of the gospel: synergy.

In our worship and devotion: synergy.

I pray that future Center Point missions teams experience the level of camaraderie that we had.

Another aspect of our experience in Brazil was spending time with the children that came to Haven of Hope. Some of these children are regulars at Haven of Hope, while others were visiting on a field trip. Russ and Diane often host outside schools at the property for field trips, and we were blessed to help host one during our time there.

Our team put all their energy into making these days special for the kids. We performed songs and dramas, shared testimonies, did relay races and face painting. But the most important aspect of our ministry to the children was telling them about the love of Jesus Christ. Many of our team members were able to share individually with kids in Portuguese and lead them to faith in Christ.

In addition to the time with children, our team had the chance to visit a few English schools. These schools are comprised of teenagers and adults. Most of the students were on a beginner’s level of English, but there were many who could carry on deeper conversations. The school operated on a tutor-pupil structure rather than in a classroom format. This gave us the opportunity to get into gospel conversations with students and teachers one-on-one. God blessed this immensely, and we were able to lead many people to Christ.

Here are some photos of the ministry days (English school pictures coming soon):

Our team singing songs with the kids.

Sara Monroe cheering on the relay races.

Freddy, Zach, Chad, and Blake chased children around during a relay race.

Keri Monroe sharing the gospel with a young girl.

Sam Cirrincione and Freddy Salcido sharing Christ with children.

Jason Orr and Blake Medley hanging out with kids.

Here is a picture from the packing party:

Sorting clothes at the packing party.

We headed to the LEX airport on Friday afternoon, connected in Dallas, and arrived in Brazil early Saturday morning. All the travels went pretty smoothly, very few hiccups. We were greeted by excited missionaries as soon as we cleared customs and we’ve been at work ever since! We’ve taken a few group photos since our arrival – check them out below:

At the airport in Lexington.

Our team at IBABI (the church: Igreja Batista Biblica) in Jacarei).

Saturday evening, the youth from IBABI came out to the Haven of Hope property for a bonfire and fellowship. Many people shared their testimonies – both Brazilians and Americans – with translators. We worshiped together and hung out late into the evening. Here is a picture from the bonfire:

IBABI youth and Center Point team together at the bonfire.

This morning, we had the opportunity to serve a poverty-stricken neighborhood that is close to the church. The church provided food for the people and we gave out clothes, shoes, and dental care items. Our team also had the chance to perform some music and dramas for the people. A number of folks trusted in Christ! Here is a photo of our “King of Hearts” team doing their drama:

King of Hearts team performing outside at the church.

We covet your prayer support! The trip has gone great, but we know that God has MUCH more in store here. We’ll have another update for you soon.

This year’s Pastor’s Conference had some fresh, new faces that represented the up-and-coming generation of SBC pastors. While I am a Southern Baptist – both in theology and in mission – I have had my concerns with the future of our denomination. But at this year’s annual meeting it became clear to me that God is not sleeping, and He is definitely raising up a new generation of passionate preachers, teachers, and missionaries.

David Platt, the senior pastor at The Church at Brook Hills is one of the leaders of this younger generation of gifted SBC pastors. He is only 30 years old, but he is wise beyond his years and commands attention – even from those twice his age. He was privileged to preach at one of the main sessions at the conference, and he left a profound impact on those in attendance.

What I appreciate about David Platt is his combination of confidence and humility in his preaching. He is convinced of the reliability of the text and not his ability as an orator. Sadly, the opposite is true with many pastors, but that is a different discussion for a different day. Back to the message he preached at the conference…

With the foundation of Hebrews 13:11, he began with a question that struck at the core of every pastor in the room: “Are we going to die in our religion or are we going to die in our devotion?” He then followed with a great explanation of the text and a fantastic charge on missions and evangelism.

I pray that, if you choose to watch this, you will ask that of yourselves as well.

UPDATE 07.10.09
I was requested by SBC Tapes to remove the video of David Platt’s PC sermon. Apparently, they have the copyright privileges to all of the videos from the SBC Annual Meeting. As soon as they have the copyrighted version finished and up on the web, I’ll add a link to the page. It’s worth watching.