Keep her 'lit'

So many tremendous things happened on our trip to the U.k. Meeting different people and going different places.

It was a great pleasure to meet Pete Green in person, a young married man with an even younger family, who ‘out of the blue’ decided to support the Living Word School. In a world which emphasizes taking care of me and mine or just me, myself and I, it is always refreshing and exciting meeting someone who isn’t conformed to how things are but is prepared to bring transformation.

Pete decided to leave his job to set up a coffee delivery company, where each coffee purchased would feed a child in need! His desire to make a difference has motivated and influenced those around him, providing not only meals for 100 children in the Amazon but also jobs for people back home in Halifax (www.teafortwo.org.uk).

Pete had invited us to see 816 espresso (http://www.816espresso.co.uk/) first hand, we watch coffees being made and delivered to local businesses, people coming in and out to pick up their coffees and even some coming to sit and enjoy their coffee in the sweet ambience of the 816 locale. Pete throughout the day gave us a running commentary, not of how many coffees had been made or sold but as to how many meals had been provided.

I asked Pete, “what is 816 in the 816 espresso”?, he smiled and said it is Luke 8 vs 16 (that is in the Bible :-) ).

Luke 8:16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. (NKJV)

It basically comes from where Jesus is preaching on the mount of Beatitudes and telling the listeners what a life looks like that is living according to the Word of God!

We are called to make a difference in the community and the world that we live in…..go on……have a go……you were made to be the difference!

Emergency Exit

Thank you so much for your prayers. It was wonderful to arrive in Belfast after a surprise stop off in Exeter. When I purchased the tickets I thought and by all appearance the flight went Paris direct to Belfast. But we soon realized that the flight was going to stop off at Exeter were we got the opportunity to literally run around the airport, go through customs control and change airplane for the next leg of the onward journey to Belfast. As we hopped on the plane to Belfast the air hostess went to explain the emergency door instructions to Tinho who was sat beside it. On realizing he didn’t speak a word of English, she asked if we would kindly swop……which we did. Tinho laughed a lot when the air hostess left, as he said, poor girl, she doesn’t realize that in two minutes you’ll be asleep and in any case of emergency you are probably going to continue asleep! To which I replied that it was very improbably that in the case of an emergency I would even get the chance to open the door anyway…….needless to say that as the plane took off, my mouth was open, my eyes closed, neck tilted and a little drool had already formed a wet patch on my shirt just below my shoulder!!!!

2nd Trip to St. John

Well the motor for Steady Away arrived on Friday, in its box. Was fitted to the hull on Friday night and was out doing its job by Saturday afternoon.
It had been a busy week but the finale was to come! Our second trip to Saint John and our first in the Steady Away. We had told Eder and his family we would be back on the 17th September to participate in the ‘cell’ group and more. On Saturday at 1.30pm those asked to go on the trip arrived at the Pastor’s house.
Leaving in the Steady Away was myself (truly an ‘L’ driver), Josivaldo, Fransciso, Fabiano and Robson. Going in the Pastors boat was Tinho, Dr Hort, Alessandra, Vanusa, and Dayvid.
I have to say, having Josivaldo in the boat was excellent, he has worked on engines and boats for years and knows the ins and outs. The river is still going down and the connecting tributary we were taking as a short cut was down to less than 50cm in parts. This meant that the engine had to be lifted slightly out of the water at different parts of the course.......all new to me, who only knew the basics.
We arrived at Saint John about 4.30pm and spent some time thanking those who had pulled us out of the water. The man who had rescued me and Robson was at his home and it was lovely to meet him and thank him again but this time in dry clothing! He was really touched that we had kept our word to return to the community and thank them.
This was a very special moment for Vanusa (her two children Bia and Geovana were staying with Rebeca and our children). Vanusa is married to Rui who teaches in the school at Saint John and it was her first time seeing where her husband works and being introduced to the community. Rui is the person who is running the cell group at Eder’s house.
Dr Hort who has started work in the Dental Surgery at the school, has also volunteer to work with me in bringing Dental Care to the community. We hope to be able to do not just extractions but fillings and dental health education. The dentists pass this way twice a year and only extract teeth!!!! So they are not anticipated with any enthusiasm. Also when the people can get to the city of Maues it is difficult for them to get an appointment with the dentists and so often their dental problems are aggravated by the impossibility of treatment. We have also volunteered to treat them at the school when they arrive in from the interior. We see this as a way of showing God’s love and fundamentally building relationships.
We said good bye to the people of Saint John and headed further up river to Eder’s house. We were heartedly greeted by the family and shortly after our arrival the brother’s arrived with fish that they had caught for us to eat that night. They were overcome with joy that we had returned, even though we had promised to return there is often much doubt, because here so many promises are broken.
Rebeca couldn’t go because she was taking care of our children and Vanusa’s children but she had prepared food for the ‘cell’ group which we had brought with us. The ‘living arrows’ that had travelled with us, each gave a testimony of what God had done and was doing in their lives or a word which they felt God had given them to share. Everything dove tailed and flowed as one testimony complimented the next. I shared the dream of reaching the riverbank people in the Amazon and how I had shared this dream with you who had been impacted and how the church had raised the money cycling across England and how this was much, much more than you had expected, just to so how God loves them in a spectacular way, a deep way and how His love has moved people around the world so that we could be with them that night. There was 40 people present for the ‘cell’ group and five adolescents gave their lives to the Lord.
Later that night before we went to bed we were treated to fish, farinha and spicy sauce!!!!! Tasty to say the least. It is great to travel with members of the church and share experiences with them, it certainly brings men closer to one another. Pastor Tinho lost his snoring trophy to Josivaldo who managed to be heard over 50meters away by other members of the community. Unfortunately those sleeping beside him (as all the men slept in hammocks in the farinha hut) didn’t sleep too well.
One of the couples suggested that they might build a ‘baraca’ (hut) for the sole purpose of ‘cell’ group because it was obvious that the farinha hut was getting to small!!!
In the morning a traditional Amazonian breakfast was served, coffee, cake, tapioca (which is like a pancake) and fresh ....other fruit which I can’t remember the english name for....In the morning I went through doing ‘quiet time’ with them and over 8 youth from the night before returned to Eder’s house to participate (coming 1.5km upriver again by boat). The only person missing from the night before was Donna Aurora who is the granny of the family. She had a visitor in the her home but has really adopted me!!!! Which meant I got sent a bag of farinha and caju fruit to take home with me! After devotional time I went to say goodbye to Donna Aurora and invite her to visit us at our home on returning to the farinha hut (our base). Everybody had already gone down to the boats, on arrival at the boats I was given a fish to take home with me!
It is hard to express the love and welcome we have received from this family who have opened their homes and their hearts to Jesus.
On the way home we returned via the same short cut.......this time however we had to get out of the boats and pull them along for 100 meters as the channel is nearly totally dried up. Don’t worry we will be back next month......we will just have to go the long route......twice the distance but already many are wanting to go.
Our last visit we truly arrived just as Jesus sent his disciples with nothing but Him, no food, no great preparation. But the word was received and has borne fruit already. This time we returned, better prepared with some food and ‘our’ contribution but even then it was a token compared to the blessing that was poured out upon us.
I found the whole experience tremendously humbling, terribly and fearfully holy!!

HOMEWARD BOUND

I was awoken at 5.30am as the light began to rise over the rainforest. Tinho was telling me to ‘come on’ as we were going to head back and try to make it for the leaders meeting and Sunday school back at Maues.
As we hopped into the boat several things had already been arranged. We would be back within a month, Rui would take a weekly ‘cell’ group and we would stay longer to teach the children on the Sunday morning too.
As we sped homeward we were excited, God had been so present......seeds that had been sown so many years before had been harvested but what’s more HIS words were coming back having completed HIS will. We were looking forward to tell our families; our ‘cell’ groups; the church body.
As we passed by Saint John we saw Rui standing outside his teacher’s house and we waved and cheered to him. All of a sudden there was a massive wallop and the outboard motor swung hard to the left and we were literally catapulted out of the boat. I can’t remember that much, it all happened so fast, one minute we were looking at Rui and his outrageously bright Bermuda shorts and the next we were plunged into the darkness of the river.
As I surface and took in what was happening I realised that my boots were filling with water (we felt it cold in the morning and we were all wearing jeans and light jumpers)....Tinho swam pasted and I shout ‘help me get my boots off’!
I quickly realised the boots weren’t going to take me to the bottom but that Tinho was swimming towards the boat which was spinning around in a tight circle at full throttle. I shouted to him ‘get out of there’.....but he continued towards the boat which in my mind had now become a lethal weapon to be avoided. I shout again ‘get out of there, get out now’, at this Tinho seemed to hear and headed towards the guitar case that was floating nearby. Tinho later commented that he had gone for the boat because he realised he wasn’t going to make it to the riverbank but when I had shouted all of a sudden he realised that the guitar case was going to be his float!
By this time word had gone around the community that three guys had just died and the community came rushing out to the water’s edge. Several men jumped into their boats and came to fish us out and also stop our boat.
We got back into our boat and made our way to the community’s steps where we were offered some more petrol to help us get home. The community couldn’t believe that we had all escaped without death or injury. The whole community came out and we got the opportunity to thank them and promise that we would visit each home on our return.

So what happened? The boat had hit a plank in the middle of the river. As we had looked to wave goodbye to Rui we hadn’t spotted the plank. The plank hit the propeller shaft/column causing it to escape Tinho’s hand, throwing the boat on its side and bailing its contents out before uprighting itself again.

ARRIVAL & SURPRISE

We arrived at Sao Joao (the community Saint John) to meet up with one of our church contacts, Rui. Rui is a school teacher and has been teaching at this community for a few years. Our desire was to see the possibility of witnessing to the family who had invited us to their homes in the interior and then see if they would accept Rui as someone who could disciple and mentor on a weekly bases. We met Rui and arranged to meet him further up river at the family’s house for a ‘meeting’.
We sent on again continuing further up river to Robson’s uncle Eder’s house. Robson’s uncle had pasted a few months in the city and during that time had frequented the ‘cell’ group that Robson leads and gave his life to the Lord at the ‘cell’ group. It was Robson’s uncle who had asked that we might bring the word of God to his family and relatives.
As we arrived we were greeted by two familiar faces Lucas and Luan (these two brothers are twins!) who had gone to the Living Word School over 7 years ago. At that stage I had permission to treat patients voluntarily at a dental clinic and had treated them too! It was great to see them and immediately there was a great sense of welcome and warmth. Their mum, Robson’s aunt (Ruth) who was still an unbeliever took great joy to show us around their area, with guarana being planted and manjuca too. Her mum and brother and sister-in-law also have house close by and we were introduced to them also, taking the opportunity to invite them to the ‘meeting’ that night. We got to meet Ruth’s mum and hear a little of how she had ended up living in this part of the Amazon.
Robson’s aunt Ruth is the Headmistress at the Municipal School in Saint John and was able to tell us about the community and also the other communities along the river (Maues Miri). The Municpal School caters for over 170 students and many of them are brought to school by the school taxi boat! There is also approximately 1000 people living along this river in different communities.
The ‘meeting’ was very relaxed as all the families came together and Rui brought 3 youth from Saint John too. The little generator was cranked up and the ‘farinha baraca’ became dimly lit as it coughed and droned the duration of the evening.
We sang, prayed and shared the gospel through personal testimonies. It was a wonderful atmosphere as we saw the hunger of their hearts and realized that truly in this place the fields were white for harvest. Many gave their lives to the Lord, especially impacting for me was Lucas and Luan at the age of thirteen accepting Jesus as their saviour. Ruth too accepted Jesus into her heart and treated us to a cake she had made for our visit and a saucepan of boiled fish, farinha and rice came later.
We said good night to our hosts as they went off to their respective homes and we put up our hammocks in the farinha hut. The brilliant thing about the jungle is that the temperatures drop to about 20 degrees at night (trust me that is cold, compared to 40-45+) and as we hopped into our hammocks apart from the canopy of palm leaves over our heads the stars could be seen so clearly. We were far from our families but we slept content knowing that HIS hand was over this encounter.

I HAVE A DREAM!

I remember being at Ballyholme primary in Bangor N.Ireland. I was in P3 which means I was 6-7years old at the time and the name Martin Luther King caught my attention on the book in the schools mobile library! Obviously being called Martin made me want to read about another Martin. Even at this early age I can remember reading and being stirred by the passion and energy contained in his speech ‘I HAVE A DREAM’.
I have a dream, a dream too. A dream that sees the GOOD NEWS being brought into the tributaries of the Amazon, a dream that sees not just good news in word being shared but GOOD NEWS in word and deed being manifest.
I have held onto this dream shared it occasionally but also guarded it close to my heart. Something precious, something fragile in the wrong hands but strengthened in others.
In 2004 we moved to Maues, having lived in the Amazon State Capitol for nearly one year. Maues is an 18 hour boat ride from Manaus, having no connecting roads but waterways and boats. For seven years we have lived and worked in Maues and I can count the number of times we have gone further up river into the ‘interior’ on my hands. But none of this time has been in vain as other people have been equipped and mobilized towards the same objective.
Now as the outboard began to take us through the channels and tributaries, taking us ever closer to our destination a sense of expectation began to well within us. The sun was baking down on us and it was a beautiful afternoon as we skimmed over glass like water. At moments you were overcome by the beauty of the surroundings, orchids growing on trees, birds flying alongside the boat, magnificent white cranes and even a few fish to be seen skimming across the top of the water as if to get a better look.
In the boat, Tinho (Pastor Gualter) who has be praying for the last three years to bring the word into the interior through the relationships that God has already given, Martin (that is me) with a vision to reach the riverbank people and Robson a cell group leader and also nephew to the family we were going to visit.

To walk on water or not to walk on water?

The other day I was in Manaus. Manaus is a beautiful city and has the most fantastic theatre. My brother and his wife were with us and decided to visit the theatre.....I decided that sitting and waiting was a better option for me. As I waited a man came out of the theatre, double over, using two walking sticks, when I saw him I felt a real desire to pray for him, a compassion welled within me. I have to say I have ignored this welling sensation since I was about 6-7 years old. Yet incredibly having been to the Middle East, Africa and South America and experiencing many horrendous situations this feeling isn’t always there.
Anyway, I though, I just have to pray for this man but I just don’t have the ‘brass neck’ (or I don’t have a brass neck enough) to go up and say ‘I want to pray for you’, jeepers I would appear a little scary! So, I just prayed God give me an opportunity.....and all of a sudden the man turns and says in a heavy American accent ‘bom dia’ (good day). I laughed within myself and replied ‘good morning’ but in English....and that is where we started. We chatted and I shared a little as to how I ended up in Brazil. By the end of the conversation the man reached into his wallet and gave me $20.00 for the work of the school. But the door was opened and I asked if I could pray for him.........he said yes....and so I knelt in front of this dear man and prayed for God to heal, to restore.
This dear man didn’t stand up straight or walk out of the theatre straightened up. I would love to say he did............I hope that something has started to happen.....
But I still walked out of the theatre happy, I had met a man who knows God, was so overflowing with his love and joy and he prayed for me too, it was worth the risk.

Marching in Maues

What a contrast to previous weeks when mobs marched the streets of Maues! It was wonderful to see young and old coming out to March for Jesus around Maues. Daniel 6 years old walked the 6 km route without a complaint, jumping, leaping and praising God! The crowd stopped at several strategic points around the city to pray. It was wonderful to see so many different churches represented as brothers walked in unity side by side. Definitely a joyful noise!

What you eating?

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. I know paraphrased......
What you put into your mind will determine who you are, how you act, what becomes your priority and so on. To think otherwise is just to be naive or downright stupid!
Paul spoke into Timothy’s life and stirred up what was already in him! Which begs the question, what are you stirring up within yourself? Maybe because of my family background it has been ingrained into my brain that one day I will give account to God. I will give account for my actions, my thoughts, my words....................my life will be spread out before Him like a canvas. Blaming others on why I did what I did or didn’t do what I didn’t do or why I allowed the chip on my shoulder to stay isn’t really going to wash with Him. I am not going to stand before God and give an account of someone else’s life but mine. I am responsible as to why I choose to obey or disobey.......
I have to say I am not driven by fear in the sense of dread but motivated by a desire to please and walk in my fullest potential. One of my favourite verses in the bible is where Jesus says that if you believe in Him you will do the same works and greater because He is going unto the Father.
I mean isn’t that amazing.....when you think of what Jesus said and what he did, that is fairly incredible. But this isn’t a verse taken out of context but a theme throughout that if you believe, do not to be surprised when these things happen.
I have been trying to walk sensitively in obedience and live what Jesus says......I have found this really challenging, challenging to whom I fear more, man’s opinion of me or God’s........what if I look a complete fool am I willing to get it wrong?
The other day......I was out doing the weekly shop with Rebeca. As we were about to leave the shop one of the staff commented that he was in a lot of pain because of a kidney infection. I asked him, if he believed God could heal him, he said yes, I said I believed to. I asked if I could pray for him, he said yes too. Though Rebeca said by the look on his face he wasn’t quite expecting me to drop everything and pray, he did permit me to pray just outside the shop for him.
That was a Saturday, on the Monday when Rebeca entered the shop he said to her, where is your husband? Because he was 100% healed, he even went out horse riding on the Sunday and had absolutely no pain!!!!!
What are you feeding yourself with? I don’t know why some people get healed when we pray and some don’t but that doesn’t stop the truth being truth. Everyone that came to Jesus for healing left his presence changed......

Newsflash

Today, we were sent home from church! I was at the start of the message when the Pastor rushed up the aisle to stop the service. The military police informed the Pastor that a young lad had been shot in the head in an operation in the 'New District'. The officer informed the Pastor that a policeman had tripped causing his firearm to discharge, hitting an innocent bystander. We were told to go home as a mob of over 2000 had converged on the hospital and was trying to cause a blackout in the area by vandalising the electrical transformers to permit an invasion of the hospital compound. The office feared that the mob would turn its attention to the police station located in front of the Living Word Church.....an thus the order to ‘go home’. A curfew has been imposed, the road where the police station and church are located has been barricaded and well armed police are standing by.
Please pray for Maues, this wonderful little city, the boy and his family and the police officers.
HIS peace, shalom, into a tempestuous situation.

Fatherland

We are now into June and so much has been happening that it is hard to get a hold of it all. So what has been happening?
I will tell you few of the real exciting things for me.....if that is ok!
At the end of April before going to leave people of to the airport in Manaus I was in a local shop here in Maues. I have the privilege of standing out like a sore thumb being determinedly pink in complexion. Most people who know me a little know that I am Irish but to the general population in Maues I am 'The German’.
Rebeca and I were talking to a local shop own, Rebeca has known him for over 20 years and on the way out the door I invited him to come along to church. Just that, will you come along to church, it is at 7.30pm and we’ll sit beside you and make you feel most welcome. I mean there is nothing worse than arriving at a church and standing like a wilted tree at the back, wondering why you walked through the doors in the first place.
I had to travel to Manaus and on arriving back; you will never guess who went to church, yes! The shopkeeper.... The shopkeeper has come along to church for the last few months and also started coming along to Rebeca’s cell group. Two Sundays ago he raised his hands as tears streamed down his face as he gave his life to Jesus Christ. He said after, that if no appeal was given he was going to go to the front and give his life because he couldn’t wait any longer.
This week, I spent some time listening and getting to know the ‘shopkeeper’, he is 55 years old and been backslidden for over 30 years. No one knew, no one stopped long enough to get to the heart of the matter. Yes, there is a godly timing...........but I came away challenged....how many times have I been in this man’s shop, how many times have I missed another person’s yearning to return but with no way back..........have I been judging even without realising it......... I think so, I know so...........no excuses.
God has given us a ministry of reconciliation, that is all of His children, a ministry to bring man into ‘peace, relationship, intimacy’ with Him.

Hi folks, it is been a while since I blogged. I have been toying in my mind what I should do with the blog; just stop, become a sort of on-line diary, try and put down some funny stories or words of practical wisdom that never make it onto e-mail letters. Who will read it, who will really care or why motivate myself to do it in the first place and what presumption exists within me that I have something to write that is worth reading? I am only 36, and have the good pleasure of already having many tremendous experiences with and through God, and theoretically want to draw people to seek God and know Him without it becoming something religious or inflexibly boring but then again I am only 36 and at 36 can you truly say you have experienced much without it appearing or being a touch arrogant! There is a desire to throw out an invite to come and 'walk with me' on a journey........not just a journey in the heart of the AMAZON rainforest, though that definitely adds to it........hoping that maybe we can walk together and then there is the thought of holding the delete button and watch the letters disappear as that type of transparency might be detrimental in a world which judges by the exterior and rejects failure...............not maybe celebrating in the struggle but only interested in the outcome. Well, I haven’t hit ‘delete’, so let’s see where we go from here. Marty