November 2004
Page 1 - Barnabas - A Leader Who Served By Dr. Mark Herringshaw
Page 2 - Beyond Offense By Paul Anderson
Page 3 - More Than Brazil Nuts! By Paul Anderson
More Than Brazil Nuts!
By Paul AndersonI had a great time in Brazil-once I got there. The trip down took a day longer than I had expected when I discovered that I was supposed to have obtained a visa. I spent the night at a hotel, missing the first meeting. I asked the Lord if He would speak to me, since I was not where I had planned to be. He confirmed that the trip would be energized by His Spirit and would be followed by many other productive trips with strong alliances.
And He also ratified the word I received in the Miami hotel when I finally arrived in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The first meeting was a Q & A with a group of about thirty pastors, ending with a special time of prayer. The evening meeting was with 250 of the leaders and servants who would be working at the upcoming conference. They received the message on courage with strong affirmation.
The next day 1,500 Brazilian Lutherans gathered together in an overcrowded gymnasium. They sang as if the Lord was on the way back. They responded to messages with heartfelt repentance and exuberant joy. Take already expressive South Americans and fill them with the Spirit, and it looks like Toronto all over again. At least half of those in attendance were young people. God is raising up an army, and some of those ready to serve live in Porto Alegre. Following the conference, I met with the leaders for a morning of debriefing and planning. We all agreed that we would be walking together in the future. They struggle with the same issues that renewal-minded Lutherans in the States have labored over, and they wonder how long they can last. The ARC presented one live option for them. They are deeply grateful for our connection, which began a year ago August, when the three leaders of the renewal attended our Holy Spirit Conference. These leaders were the children of a former movement that started when Jack and Ruth Aamot were missionaries in Brazil from the 60's on. The Aamots have stayed in touch with this powerful move of God, and now the children are bearing fruit in a new Spirit-enflamed renewal! More to come for sure!
