Trip to Acre with Troy

Troy with three new friends at the day care playground

Me with some of the Deaf students

At the colony with Eli, Maria and their two daughters

Troy and I standing on a bridge over the Rio Branco

Troy loved his chance in the cock pit with the pilot!

Recently Troy and I went to the northern Brazilian state of Acre. We had a great time together there. Troy said that he liked it becasue he didn’t have to “be quite so that Eli could talk”. Oh, the honesty of children!

The purpose of the trip there was to research some areas for potentional future church plants. Also, to look at opportunities with working with the Deaf of that area. We stayed at a former day care center that was, by God’s divine design, given to the ministry of missionary Stephen Doolittle. The plans for the facility are wonderful, including work with the Deaf and a Bible Institute. Troy loved the space there, and the playground equipment. In one of the pictures you’ll notice he and three of the neighbors playing.

We also visited a colony. In 2004, when Melissa was pregnant with Troy, she and I went to Acre and were a part of an evangelistic outreach at the colony. It was wonderful to see Eli and his family again, after many years. They remembered Melissa, of course, before I even said who I was. There, life is much different from mine. They live on a large farm, accessible by dirt road, without running water in the house and without electricity. Their form of electricity is some wires, light bulbs etc. hooked up to a car battery. When the car battery dies they use solar panels to recharge it. They also have a fantastic water source with some of the best tasting water you could ever drink!

We also went to school one night. The man from the church in Rio Branco (capital city of Acre) showed me around a lot. He is a school teacher. One of his classes is at night, in which he teaches math to Deaf students. I recently finished a Brazilian Sign Language course and loved the contact with the precious Deaf there. There isn’t much to offer for the Deaf there. A local church does have a Deaf ministry but from my understanding the Deaf gather mainly for social interests, which is common to Deaf culture. Deaf need to be evangelized and taught the precious truths of God’s Word, too. They, too, can learn the Bible and how to live in obedience to it.

I would solicite your prayers for me. I have a decision to make. I am searching for God’s perfect will for our family and would ask that you pray for me to have clear direction for God as to where he wants us to minister here in Brazil. I know that I can count on your prayers and for this I thank you sincerely.