BRAZIL 3rd MISSIONARY JOURNEY & the Franklins

Dearly Beloved Flock,

We took a short one hour flight from the Neumans in Fortaleza to see the Franklins in Natal. Natal is the coastal capitol of a north eastern coastal state. We are closer to Africa here that we are to the western boarders of Brazil or to Central America.

This area was claimed by Portuguese explorers in 1501 and a century later the Fort of the Three Kings was built here to protect the sugar cane industry. It was called this because the feast honoring the Magi of the Christmas story was on January 6 which happened to be the day fort construction was started. Inside the fort is a Catholic chapel with statues of the Magi.

Later the city was established nearby. It was called Natal because it was established on Christmas day 1599. Natal means nativity or Christmas in Portuguese. Even though it is 75 to 85 degrees year round, you will see lighted Christmas tree designs and Magi figures in the heart of the city all year long. It would be a good place for a Living Nativity.

Today about 750,000 live here in a variety of dwellings from very poor dwellings with dirt streets to beautiful high rise apartments. The culture is friendly and we were welcomed by all. Crime is not as bad as the previous cities we visited. Like all of Brazil, Catholicism with a spiritism influence and the Universal Church are very common here, although Catholicism has waned in recent years. The Universal Church is a form of Protestantism with a twisted health and wealth theology with a lot of emotionalism. People are exhorted to give based on what they want to get. We had a chance to visit sample some of these churches.

Tim and Martia Franklin and the girls (Natalie, Rebecca, Rachel and Hannah) met us at the airport and we have had a great time with them. Tim teaches Bible and theology at a the Berean Baptist Seminary and Institute here which was established in 1950 http://www.seminariobereiano.com.br/. The primary focus is ministry training. ABWE is assisting Brazilians in the leadership of this school.

We attended chapel here the opening week of classes. About 50 students attended, gave testimonies and were exhorted by a speaker. I had the opportunity to speak to them also about how the Lord built the church in Gig Harbor and Ukraine.

The campus is old and in need of repair. Because the city has built up around it the price of land has gone up. Therefore, they have sold the campus and obtained three acres to the north of the city. Here a new church building is being built that is about the size of ours. Seminary buildings, class rooms and dorm rooms are also being built for up to 120 students. Currently there are about 50 students. Buildings should be ready to move into in January 2009. An ABWE missionary is helping supervise the construction.

The Franklins have been living in very small quarters with only two rooms at the old seminary. Recently they moved into a larger set of quarters on campus. Most Americans would gasp if you saw the buildings. However, this is saving them money while they are in transition. We stayed on campus also in their old quarters.

Tim and Martia have purchased an old house a block from the new site across town and will extensively remodel it this year with the goal of moving in late this fall. It needs major repairs but labor is reasonable and in time it will make a spacious home for their family. It is on about 3/4 of an acre and will provide room for the children to play within the security wall. It also has space for growing a garden and fruit trees. All buildings and houses here have bars on the windows, tall gates and high masonry walls for security. Cars are kept inside the gates.

We attended the Mango Plain Baptist Church that Tim is currently acting as interim pastor for. In time perhaps a seminary student will become the pastor. This small church of 40 or so is in a poorer area of Natal with mainly dirt roads. Unlike the other churches we visited, this church has a separate building on a lot with a small amount of open space beside it. It was tidy and clean. We quickly became friends with these beloved people who welcomed us. Accompaniment for singing was provided for by a twelve year old boy with his guitar. I spoke in the morning during Sunday School. The main worship is in the evening and outside in an unimproved dirt lot. It was a great place to do a chalk drawing. Neighbors watched across the fence as loud music played from neighbor's homes. We had a good time anyway and enjoyed Brazilian coffee and corn cakes after the service. There are about fifteen churches of like faith here in the city of Natal and about forty in the state.

Later this week we visited a local church camp north of town. It is located on a large fresh water lake near the ocean. Facilities can house three hundred or more campers. The care taker showed us around and then treated us to fresh coconut juice direct from the tree as well as good coffee, sweet bread and crackers. The coffee here is strong and sweet. A regular coffee in Brazil is only slightly larger than a communion cup. It would take about four of them to make a small Starbucks.

While here we also had lunch with Pedro and Rachel. Rachel is the Neuman's daughter and is married to a local Brazilian. It was a delightful time visiting with them in their tiny upstairs apartment.

Our time in Brazil was well worth the trip and expense. We can now understand better what our missionaries are doing, their culture and how God is working. Prostitution and immorality here have a much higher profile than in the US resulting in many marriage problems. The people are more emotional, so, feelings based theology and spiritism thrive here. However, the Gospel continues to go out through the solid teaching of many leaders that God is raising up. We are thankful for God allowing our church to have a part in these ministries.

-Pastor Mark