We're Back From Brazil!

Well, we are back!  Click here to see photos form the trip!

I’ll try to update you on what all happened the last few days of our trip.  The entire trip felt like one big crescendo with each days ministry growing in intensity.  Saturday was our longest day and the most amazing day...

We rested as much as we could from the night of ministry before and then went to the grocery store to buy milk for the days outreach into Serra Alta, a very poor area of the city.  We took 96 liters of milk door to door and distributed it to the underprivileged families there.  O Refugio has gone into this neighborhood on outreach since the very beginning of the church back in January and you could tell based on the warm reception we received in the community.   The pastors let us know that it had not always been that way and it wasn’t until their third or fourth trip that people really started opening up to them.  Their faithful efforts were rewarded on this outreach especially as a lady at the very first house we visited that day accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior!  Two others would do the same during that outreach.  It was an amazing time.  As parents, it was also special for us to have our 7 year old daughter Ella with us on this outreach.  She got to see, first-hand, just how blessed we are as a family and as Americans.  We pray that she will not forget the people and places she saw that day.  

After the outreach we rested and had lunch with some friends from the church out at Sweet Home Farm in Campo Alegre.  We then headed to the Bola De Neve (Snowball) Church in Sao Bento for a night of ministry.  We had been invited by the Pastor there to come lead worship and speak for a special Saturday Night Service.  It was again a testimony to our pastors there and how well they’ve developed relationships in the city among other churches.  

Our friends Marcello and Tatiana back home at The Refuge helped me translate Jared Anderson’s songs ‘Great I Am’ into Portuguese and that night at Bola De Neve I lead it for the first time in that language.  It was unbelievable.  The people just kept singing and pouring their heart out to God.  It was a mighty roar.  I feel very impressed by the Lord that I’m to record the song in Portuguese and release it in Brazil.  The song is too powerful to be kept here in the States.  

After worship I shared some things from the Bible on being the Salt of the Earth.  Afterwards, something happened that has never happened in me before.  I began to get impressions from the Lord that He wanted to heal people in the room and began to give me sicknesses and the gender of the person who had the sickness.  Those who where sick responded and we prayed for their healing.  Tamsey and I both ministered in the alters for quite a while.  It was powerful.

After a long time of ministry so many people stayed that I played a few more songs to end the night.  Since Bola De Neve is kind of a ‘surf culture, laid back style’ church, all of their worship music is done in the Reggae style!  Soooooo, it was a perfect opportunity for me to do my ONLY reggae song, Uniquely Me Completely Yours.  They LOVED it!  We had a great time just singing and enjoying God’s presence.  By the end of the night I was exhausted!

After a short rest we got up Sunday Morning and prepared for service at O Refugio.  My voice was so tired that Eduardo (one of the leaders at the church) and Jean lead worship and then I just shared a song or two before speaking briefly to the church.  Pastor Jean gave a report to the church about all that God had done through the events of the week.  They showed pictures and shared the testimonies of the events of the week so that the whole church could rejoice in what had been happening through their church all week!  I shared briefly from Matthew 5 and then Tamsey came forward and shared a prophetic word God had given her for Pastors Jean and Giuliana.  It was a sweet, sweet time.  

The most amazingly bizarre thing that happened that day involved Twitter.  Months ago I saw a retweet from a Worship Song Writer that displayed a girls’ request for him to say hello to all his fans in Brazil.  I was curious who she was and clicked on her profile.  I discovered that she lived about 45 minutes away form our church there in Sao Bento!  How crazy.  Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world and the one person I find lives close to our church.  So we stayed in touch via twitter.  I learned that she was a part of a worship ministry called Marcas Da Promessa and that she would love to meet our pastors there.  Well, Sunday morning as we prepared to start service, she and the entire band showed up in time for church!  They had driven nearly an hour from another city to come experience the church there and meet Tamsey and I!  Too crazy!  They were so wonderful and kind.  We all went to lunch afterward and made some new friends to see again in the future.

After lunch we headed for the airport and said our goodbyes to our dear friends.  It was hard to leave.  It’s always easier though when you know you’ll be back.  

We flew back to Rio De Janeiro and stayed with our friends Cory and Natalia Lewis.  It was so good to be with them in their home.  They were SO very kind to us and took us all over the city.  Natalia had even prepared a tour of historical shops and locations in the city that reflected the origins of Bossa Nova (my favorite style of music that started in that city!)  It was a dream to see such a beautiful city with such wonderful people.  Tuesday Night we boarded our plane at 10pm and woke up Wednesday Morning in Charlotte, NC.  Thanks USAirways for direct flights between Charlotte and Rio!  

Thanks to all of you that prayed, gave and followed our updates on this trip.  We couldn’t do it without the grace of God and your partnership.  Let’s continue to pray that there would be great fruit to come for months ahead because of the time God had us there.  

Mutio Obrigado,

Nathan, Tamsey and Ella Cate

Another Update From Brazil

Picking up where we left off...

Thursday night was awesome.  Worship leaders and teams from all over the city and some from nearby towns came.  I did a workshop on personal time with the Lord and leading people in worship.  The presence of God surprised me with just how quickly we were in the ‘deep end’ right from the start!  Again, unity is being built among the churches through events like this and it was awesome to see the different leaders from the churches interact and connect.

Last night (Friday Night) Tamsey spoke at the very first women’s event at O Refugio!  Pastor’s wives of four different area churches came along with ladies from all over the city.  They had desserts and coffee before hand, had a time of worship and then she shared and prayed over the ladies.  Pastor Jean and I, along with one of the church leaders (Eduardo) kept the children during the event.  That, in itself, was a miracle!  We had about 7 kids running crazy through the house (their apartment is in the same building as the church so it was much easier to keep them at home than at church).  We had a blast though and it was a real blessing to the ladies. 

From Tamsey: The first women’s event at O Refugio was so special.  I was honored and humbled to be the guest speaker.  The hunger of the women here really blew me away.  From the time worship started to the very end women were seeking more of the Lord.  They have such a passion to know Him and encounter Him.  I got the chance to meet and pray with several ladies, so I know first hand that God is and will continue to move in this city.  I am so grateful to be partnered with Pastor Giuliana in ministering to the women in her city.  She is an amazing woman of God and it was an honor to minster along side her.

Ok... so I’m back. 

Today will be a special day.  We will do an outreach into the poorest neighborhoods of the city.  O Refugio has gone into this neighborhood ever since the beginning of the church back in January making this their sixth time.  They have built a real trust with the people.  So, today we will take milk to give away along with the love of God and prayer for all who will receive it.  Ella will be helping a lot today.  I’m so excited for her to have this experience of sharing God’s love and seeing how blessed we truly are.

Later tonight I will lead worship and speak at a ‘Bola De Neve’ church.  That translates ‘snowball church’.  This is a very fast growing association of churches in Brazil.  The name speaks of growing in the Lord (like a snowball being rolled in the snow) into a mighty force!  It is a church that really appeals to the younger generation (the church pulpits are surf boards and stuff like that).  So, that will be a blast and I’m so honored for the invitation.  The worship music in Bola De Neve churches is primarily done in the reggae style so that, in itself, makes me super excited!! I may try to bring the white boy, reggae funk myself!  Pray for me. :)

Our Time In Brazil So Far...

The First Few Days

We made it to Brazil safely and have settled in after a few days.  We haven’t had super accessible internet so we haven’t been able to update everyone as consistently as we had hoped.  But then again, it’s good to be confronted with just how comfortable our lives are back home.  I enjoy the difference and am more grateful for what I do have.  

Ella has done so amazingly well.  We’re so proud of her.  After a long layover in Rio (and a spontaneous bus adventure into the city!) we made it to Curitiba Monday evening and then made the drive south to Sao Bento Do Sul.  It was so good to meet our friends here.  We have had a wonderful time together.

First, let me explain something to you... it is COLD here.  I’m not talking about it’s a little cool.  I’m talking about cold.  It’s winter here and we are in the south of the country so it gets much colder here than in other parts of Brazil.  It’s hard to prepare your mind for winter weather when it’s been close to 100 degrees each day in Carolina!  It’s also hard to think about being as cold indoors as it is outdoors.  Central air and heat is a major luxury here and one that our friends cannot afford.  We truly are a spoiled lot.

Tuesday we had an amazing meeting with area musicians.  It is a testimony to how Jean (the pastor of O Refugio) has reached out to the musical community and built relationships here.  We had about 30 people come.  These guys are the premier players in the bars and clubs of the city; many of which are music teachers.  We met at the church and for many, it was their first time in an evangelical church.  I had the privilege of teaching the Nashville Number System (something they were absolutely fascinated with) and give some insight into home and studio recording.  It could not have gone better.  Afterwards we hung out and I gave my CD’s away for them to take home.  Let’s pray it opens the atmosphere for them to receive Jesus!  

Wednesday we spent time in the city getting to know the area and then had a get together at Jean and Giuliana’s apartment with some of the musicians that came to the workshop.  It was awesome to continue building relationships with these guys.  One of the guys said that God did something in his heart while he was at the workshop.  This is what we’re believing for.  

Tonight, I will lead a worship workshop for area pastors, leaders and musicians.  We already have heard from so many that are coming that Jean and Giuliana are trying to find a bigger location!  We’re so overwhelmed by the welcome we’ve received here by the city and by the church.  It is our prayer to get the city and the church together more and more!!  

Tomorrow Tamsey will speak for a women’s event.  I’m so excited for her.  Pastor wives are responding from all over the area to say that they are coming.  One of the leaders at  O Refugio is a teacher here in the city.  She has invited all of the teachers at her school to come tomorrow.  Pray for an open heaven, an impartation of the miraculous and a revelation of Jesus.  We’re expecting nothing less!  

I’ll try to update the blog again before the weekend.  We’ve been invited to play and speak at a ‘Bola De Neve’ church here in town Saturday Night after we do an outreach in the city and then we will minister at O Refuge Sunday.  We are so grateful for your prayers and support.  We could not be here but for the grace of God and friends like you.

Blessed.

The Power and Potential of Friendship

I came across this blog I wrote a couple years ago.  As I think about our upcoming trip to Brazil the message here speaks to me all the louder.  My friend who started this ministry, passed away since I wrote this.  The impact of his life stirs me all the more as I consider these thoughts again.

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother...

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

I'm sitting in northern Georgia in the US and am between sessions at a missions event I'm leading worship for. This particular organization helps construct church buildings for existing churches in Brazil. They have done this for over 30 years and have taken thousands of people on their first missions trips (including me!). Over 300 churches built, countless lives impacted by the Love of Jesus and more stories than you can imagine. All of it stemming from one American guy and his Brazilian friend.

These two men became friends on accident. They should have never met. They had nothing in common. One, a country preacher in the US and the other a businessman in the center of the Amazon in Brazil. However, they did become friends. And they found they had two things in common... they both loved Jesus and the both wanted to do something for the Brazilian people.

And so, over 30 years later, I am here at an event where these two friends (now in their 60's) are talking about all that God has done through them and all that they have planned for the years ahead. And it makes me think of my friends.

I shouldn't know my friends in Austria and Bosnia and Brazil and Belgium and Uganda, etc... There was no earthly reason for us to meet. But as I sit here, inspired by the ministry and accomplishments of two friends who just did what they could to build the Kingdom of God I think about my friends and what stories we will tell 30 years from now. I hope to make a difference. I want to impact this world for Jesus. And, I'd love to get to do it with my friends.

So, the next time you share a cup of coffee with a friend, or send an email to a friend across the seas think of what God may use that friendship to accomplish. We are not our own and we are not here for our own purposes. He desires to use us to see His Kingdom come and HIs will to be done on the earth!

Inspired,
Nathan

Don't Fall In Love With Caterpillars

I just got back from vacation.  It was so incredibly good.  It wasn't that we did the most amazing things ever.  We went back home to Alabama.  I mean, I've been all over Europe, Brazil and USA (and Bermuda!).  When you put Alabama up against that list it seems pretty lame (and that's not even considering Alabama isn't necessarily a 'world heritage site' to begin with).  It wasn't good because of the scenery or cultural experiences.  It was good because of relationships.  Great relationships.

There's a lot I could tell.  We had a blast down on the Gulf Coast (which is beautiful so cut Alabama some slack).  We had great time seeing friends and family all up and down I-65 and I-85.  But, my favorite time was in Auburn.  Ya, it's a nice town and I enjoy the sports and such but it had more to do with our friends there.  Again... relationships.

My friend 'Coach' is an awesome guy.  His whole family is amazing and they have been dear friends of ours since 1999.  We became friends years ago when Tamsey and I lived in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL.  We all started a church together and had some amazing times.  We later moved to NC and Coach and Sherry moved to Auburn.  We've been on different paths since then but have been doing the same thing.... building and expanding the Kingdom of God.

I've always loved Coach and Sherry.  They invested in Tamsey and I from the first day we met them.  Coach (Wren) was the Gulf Shores High School girls basketball coach and just an all around great guy.  He liked Brazil (took me on my first trip there in 2001 and the rest is history) had a great sense of humor and enjoyed good music.  I liked him just the way he was and would have been delighted to know him in that same way for the rest of our lives.  What I didn't know was that there was so much more inside of him that I would later get to see.

When Coach moved to Auburn he and his wife Sherry started a small group at his church for college students.  Well, that group of 20 students has grown to a Wednesday Night service of about 700 college students called ONE Auburn.  I got to go to ONE last week and see my friend Coach do his thing as he shared his heart and the Word of God with all of those students.  It blew me away!  I mean, who is this guy?!  I was overwhelmed in the greatest way and I left that night in complete awe of God.

How long was this lying dormant inside of him?  How many leaders did he serve under for years that never invited him to break out of the cocoon and fly?!  Now, I certainly believe in 'times and seasons' and Coach told me himself that he wouldn't have been ready to do anything like this before the time that it happened.  I believe him.  But there was so much greatness sitting and waiting patiently for so long.  It made me wonder at God.  Of course, God knew all along.  I wonder how excited He was to see this guy finally get to spread his wings and come into his destiny?  It is amazing and I know there's so much more to come.

What about you?  Is there more inside that needs to come forth?  Probably.  What about your friends?  What about those that serve under you at work or at church?  I guarantee there's more for them.  I left Auburn with a mission.  I want to see people come into their destiny like never before.  It's always been a passion but there is some major fuel on the fire these days.

Don't fall in love with caterpillars.  Embrace and enjoy people where they are but keep an eye out for wings.  They're in there.  Rather than helping people 'get comfortable in their own skin' call them to greatness and help them take flight.  When they do, we will all stand in awe.... not just of them, but at the Great God that has been preparing them to fly from the day they were born.

Wandering Around Inside Christianity

My generation is a peculiar lot. 


I keep bumping into people in their late 20's and early 30's that are trying so hard to find themselves inside the context of Christianity.  I'm not talking about lost souls trying to find their way to God (though there are many of those out there).  I'm talking about people who love Jesus but are grappling so hard to find they're way through the labyrinth of cultural Christianity and the status quo of modern rock 'n roll church.  I actually understand it all too well.  


I'm not even upset about it.  I'm just concerned for where it leads so many people my age.  In a desire to distance themselves from what they see as hype and platitude they swing the pendulum so far that they (in many cases I've seen) fall out of relationship with the Lord all together.  It's a casualty of 'war' of which I'd like to see less. 


I feel the pull constantly.  I share a lot of the concerns with my friends that are disenfranchised with church.  I often think we major on minors.  I agree that there's not enough focus on social justice in the majority of the 'modern' church.  I  don't like 25 minute worship sets and don't get very excited about video announcements.   But, I also don't believe that everything has to be catered to my ideals and personality.  I think, herein lies the difference.  


Don't get me wrong, I can belly-ache and become hyper critical in a heart-beat.  But there's something of the gravity of God's grace in me right now that pulls me back to the middle and makes me consider it all again.  I can either become jaded and disappointed with the church or I can put more pressure on my personal time with the Lord.  It's not the 'institutions' job to meet 100% of all my spiritual, emotional and physical needs.  That's God's job and I have full access to Him.  He meets me in my personality.  He get's my quirkiness.  He's not intimidated by my melancholic moods.  


Anything that is designed to work in mass is not going to be fulfilling to the individuality of people.  That's a no brainer.  So, for now I let a portion of my needs be met in the corporate environments and another portion be met in my personal time with God.  The third portion is met through my relationships with others.  Just jamming with some friends for longer than 25 minutes :) or writing songs about life and love that nobody in my church will ever sing helps counter-balance my individuality from the needed 'more corporate' side of my life.  


I hope more of my generation will find the balance before they plunge themselves into 'Christian Despair'.  It's not becoming of the glory we carry as Believers. 

Bypassing Behavior

I'm actually not that great of a church attender.  I mean, I'm there but I'm not a super good 'engaged listener'.  Or maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit.  Maybe it's that I'm too engaged.  (or maybe it's that I'm usually in the same service 3 times on a weekend? ;)  I tend to listen to the message to the point that I hear something that stirs me to start a conversation with God on and then I'm off.  Off to journal and wrestle with the concept until I get a measure of peace or revelation on the topic and then reengage with the rest of the 'class'.  It's just the way it works for me.

Ever had one of those revelations that seemed like deja vu?  It's like, 'haven't I had this revelation before?' and yet you're having it in that moment.  Everything is a process and sometimes things are revealed in stages so that could be the reason for those kind of moments.  I don't know.  All I know is that I had one of them today.

Jesus speaks life.  He doesn't just teach or help.  He speaks, and life is created and formed.  He bypasses our behavior so as not to be distracted by the smoke-screen and speaks life to the death in us that causes the behavior.  He's good.  He's very, very good.  We camp out on the behavior.  We condemn it, mask it, ridicule it, manage it and engage it to the point that we are just exhausted and angry with ourselves and God.  All the while, Jesus is speaking life.

Sin is not a behavioral issue.  It is the evidence that there is death in me.  Jesus came to give life, and when His life takes root in me I change from the inside out.  It's so amazing after all these years of walking with Him that, when I get quiet and ask, He still shows me places in my hear that are dead and have been causing behavior that is counterproductive to the life that is inside of me.  So, once I get the revelation I set to work on how to fix it.  And, He lovingly just bypasses my work and my behavior and speaks life.

To quote Jon Foreman "You're raising the dead in me."

A saint abroad and a devil at home

I'm sure this flurry of blogging will die down once the newness wears off.  But, let me continue to strike while the iron is hot...


So I'm reading The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.  I don't always read stodgy Old English books but after asking a highly respected friend to challenge me to read something good he prescribed this one.  I'm so glad he did.  Happily, this pilgrim is making progress through the book and have come to contemplate one of the many fascinating characters... Talkative.  


As soon as the characters name showed up in the story I felt my heart begin to pound.  Would I find too much of myself in this guy?  Would he be a positively portrayed character?  Would he be the butt of all the jokes?  My concern stems from my own awareness that I enjoy 'chewing the cud', as it where, as much (or more) than the next guy.  


If you don't know the book I won't give you much context.  I would rather provoke you to read it yourself.  However, the bare minimum for this discussion is that Christian and Faithful are journeying together toward Mount Zion after leaving City of Destruction.  Along the way they encounter a fellow sojourner named Talkative.  He speaks of the journey so well.  He talks in a way that shows him to be absolutely congruent to the desires of Christian and Faithful.  The problem is... Christian knows the guy from past experience and Faithful does not.  


Faithful makes a case for Talkative as he discusses his character with Christian privately.  But the thing that makes it clear to Faithful that Talkative may not be all he appears to be is a quote that Christian makes.  In describing Talkative's reputation back home he says that the people there know Talkative as "A saint abroad, and a devil at home."


I heard John Maxwell once say that there have been, unfortunately, several people in his life that he respected less and less the more he got to know them.  I've seen that happen as well.  There was a time in my life when I'm sure it was true of me and without the Lord's help I could easily return to the 'cud of my youth'. (that phrase is a stretch)  In our desire to connect with people and make friends it's so important that our lives can cash the checks our mouths are writing.  Because, as we know, 'the Kingdom of God is not of talk but of power.' (I Cor 4:20)


What will become of Talkative in the story?  I feel I already know. But, more importantly, what will happen with me or with us in this life?  Will we speak so well about the will of God and His goodness and have none of it to show in our character?  I pray not.  My hope is that my 'talk' is based on the evidence I and others see in my life more than the desire I have in my heart.  


Oh to be a saint abroad and at home.  Oh to be a saint.... at all. 

A poem for now... a song for later

Life's not ones and zeros
Some stories are supposed to be sad
For who would need a hero
If our situations never seemed that bad
While God is still a mystery
And our brains are still pretty small
If we lose the will to wonder
We'll never see a miracle at all.


-Nathan

Shaken and Stirred

To be as much of a thinker as I am, it's amazing that I haven't 'blogged' before.  I think in my old age (31) I'm called more to the comfort of pen and paper, the slowness of paying cash and the fascinating quiet of sitting in a room that doesn't have a television in it.  All that being said, I am intrigued at this and will, quite irregularly, flip the lid on my brain to those of you poor souls that would stop and wonder at the spectacle.

Tonight I'm up later than usual.  I'm contemplating the beauty of God as seen in the delight of having good friends.  I do hope you can relate.  If not, allow me to make you jealous enough to give yourself away in friendship like you never have before.  Life is so much better with the inconvenience of friendship.

Lately, I've been confronted with the value of shared responsibility and life done in community.  It is such an assault on our normal narcissism.  It is sloppy and inefficient and so incredibly wonderful.  Sharing your life, your responsibilities, your successes and your failures is a very vulnerable thing.  But, that's also why it's so rewarding.  The biggest challenge for me has been sharing my window of opportunity.  You know, the moments you get to do the thing that really makes you come alive.  Ya, sharing that with others who have the calling to it but maybe not the same consistent access as you or, in this case, me.  I mean, this is my chance to go for it.  This is what I do.  Creating capacity for others to share that moment has been a bigger joy than I ever expected.  Why?  I'm still learning that.  I do know that I love it because I get the reward of knowing I had a hand in these people tasting the same joy I know.  Yes, it creates less opportunity for me, but somehow I love it even more.  Could it be that I'm actually growing up?

Friends that believe in you and trust you and look to you will most often be found when you're giving yourself away and creating capacity for others to come along.  And if you do it with enough love, and keep it up long enough they might just catch it and create capacity for others to come along with them as well!  I stand on the shoulders of great men and women, dear friends, that created capacity for me to hitch a ride on their blessing.  Who's riding 'shot-gun' with you?