I learned a new word in Portugese, "Beleza". Beleza literally means beauty or splendor. It is used in Psalms to say "gaze upon the 'beleza' of His holiness, but it is used in a slang expression to mean something similiar to "It's all good!"
Beleza is a word that captures my experience in Brazil. Brazil is a beautiful nation that is filled with beautiful people. The Christians are filled with the Beleza of Jesus. Believers love one another. Believers pray for God to do the impossible knowing the impossible is possible with God. Believers share the good news of Jesus with those in need of Him. Beleza!
Brazil is also a nation that has much poverty and many people with great needs. But even here I say "Beleza". Every person living in poverty and with pain is a person who is loved by God and a person for whom Jesus died. I saw time after time, believers surround, sacrifice for, and love people in need with the love of God.
To me this is BELEZA!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Urgent Prayer Request
Sorry I have not been able to write. Time and technogy have not allowed me to. I am up at Six and do not get back until after eleven. I do have many stories about what God has done and is doing in Brazil but will have to share those later. For now let me just share that over 40 people have come to know the Lord through the church I am working with.
Yesterday I met a young man who I saw invite some 40 people to the service. His love for God and people brought a bond to us that differences in language could not prevent. We prayed for his ten year old neice who is dying of a liver disease. She has been in the hospital for 2 weeks. Today the man found out he is a match for a transplant. Immediately he went to the hospital for surgery. As I prayed in English and then others prayed in portugese, I saw tears streaming down the face of the man's fiancé face. Tears that said I do not want you to do this but I so love you because you are.
Please praise God for this young man Marcelo and pray for a miracle in the life of his neice Quesia (pronounced something like Cassia).
Yesterday I met a young man who I saw invite some 40 people to the service. His love for God and people brought a bond to us that differences in language could not prevent. We prayed for his ten year old neice who is dying of a liver disease. She has been in the hospital for 2 weeks. Today the man found out he is a match for a transplant. Immediately he went to the hospital for surgery. As I prayed in English and then others prayed in portugese, I saw tears streaming down the face of the man's fiancé face. Tears that said I do not want you to do this but I so love you because you are.
Please praise God for this young man Marcelo and pray for a miracle in the life of his neice Quesia (pronounced something like Cassia).
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday in Brazil
We spent much of the day viewing the greater Sao Paulo area and sharing the gospel in the homes of friends and family of church members. A family of four, each trusted in Christ as Savior. Another man who we sharedcthe gospel with, was very open and honest with us as said that he wanted to think about this more and possibly speak again. At the service tonight, it was incredible to see the Brazilian people worship. No matter the language, our God is great and worthy of praise.
Sunday morning from Brazil
This morning I will be going to the church I have been assigned to called (when translated into English) Good news Baptist Church. We will have meetings this morning (their service is at night), make visits this afternoon, and speak during Bible study and worship service tonight. One night this week we are going to try to have a service at a park instead of in the church.
I love the people of Brazil. The Christians are filled with such joy and so excited we are here. Last night we had a rally for all Baptist churches in the area. Singing in portugese was amazing. Too me not to those listening. Yesterday morning we traveled to the jungle where a church here in the city was doing many things to open doors to share the gospel with the people there: clowns, band, lawyers, dentist, etc were there. amazing.
The faith of many people in brazil is kind of a mixture of Catholism and vodoo. Pray for hearts to be open to the truth of Jesus.
Church family, I am praying for you this morning as well as for the celebration tonight.
I love the people of Brazil. The Christians are filled with such joy and so excited we are here. Last night we had a rally for all Baptist churches in the area. Singing in portugese was amazing. Too me not to those listening. Yesterday morning we traveled to the jungle where a church here in the city was doing many things to open doors to share the gospel with the people there: clowns, band, lawyers, dentist, etc were there. amazing.
The faith of many people in brazil is kind of a mixture of Catholism and vodoo. Pray for hearts to be open to the truth of Jesus.
Church family, I am praying for you this morning as well as for the celebration tonight.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Saturday morning
Good morning church family and facebook friends. I am about to leave for a rally for Bolivia people living in Brazil. Tonight we will start our mnistry to the people or Brazil.
For general info: my ipod allows me to Write blogs and get email but not write email or get on Internet. Write and I can get your email but can't respond.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Brazil Trip
Just unpacked after a long journey here to Sau Paul, Brazil. Meeting my team members. Drove around the city to get a feel for life here. Excited about all God has in store.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Galveston Mission Trip
We took 39 people from our church last week to work on homes and a church damaged in last year's hurricane. We gutted a man's home that was filled with mold so others could come along and rebuild the interior. The man was living in his truck and is on oxygen. We built a ramp and AC stands for a church. And we built two staircases for a couple and rebuilt their deck so they could safely get in and out of their home.
As your pastor, it was a great blessing seeing so many generations work together and seeing our church family get to know one another more deeply.
As your pastor, it was a great blessing seeing so many generations work together and seeing our church family get to know one another more deeply.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Captured
As I was mowing this afternoon I was listening to a new. . . well, I am not sure what to say here. There was a day I would have said record (no, I would never have said eight track), then a day I would have said tape, then a day I would have said CD, now what download?.... anyway, I was listening to a new song by Geoff Moore entitled Captured. Here is the chorus:
I am loved by the Father.
I am loved by the Son.
And it is love that has captured the heart of this wayward one.
I love that! One reason I love it, is because it is Biblical. It is not my own wisdom, goodness, intelligence, reason or ability that brought me to a point of receiving the love of God. It is simply that God's heart of love captured my heart of sin and made it new.
A second reason I love this simple chorus is because it is my experience. It was not primarily a longing to have a life of abundance, a life that matters in the here and now, that led me to receive Christ, though I am grateful that Christ has brought that to me. It was not primarily a desire of being in Heaven forever that led me to receive Christ, though I treasure the fact I have that assurance and I hope you do as well. It was not primarily a fear of hell that led my to receive Christ, though I definitely did not what to go there! And no matter what you may say or think, you don't either!
The way God brought me to my knees to bow in surrender was that my heart was captured by a vision of the extent of God's love for me that led His only Son to the cross to bear my sin. In Jesus, God became man. The God-Man bore my sin and died! For me! What love! This is how much God loves me! This is how much God loves you!
"But God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8
My heart has been captured! Has yours?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Brazil Mission Trip
Dear Friends,
This summer (July 2-13) I will be going on a mission trip with an organization called International Commission (www.ic-world.org) to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The purpose of the trip will be evangelism. I will be one of many who will be leading revivals at one of the small churches in Sao Paulo. A team will also be assigned to each church and we will be making evangelistic visits through homes in the area as we share our testimony of God’s grace in Jesus with others.
Greater Sao Paulo has a population of close to 20 million making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Sao Paulo has been a major economic center in Latin America. This has attracted many immigrants from Europe, Asia, and South America, as well as migrants from other parts of Brazil. The city has become extremely overpopulated resulting in huge social disparities and a high level of poverty.
This is an area that truly needs the love of Jesus Christ. The local churches are praying for and building relationships with each person so that doors will be open for us to share the gospel.
This has been a busy year for us as a family and church which made me consider backing out of the trip but God reminded me that we will always be busy. The questions remains, will we take the gospel to the nations.
I covet your prayers as I prepare to go and while I am in Brazil. Here are some prayer points:
· Pray for my family while I am gone: Sunshine, Maggie, Ellie, and Libbie. Pray for their physical safety and comfort. Also pray for spiritual growth in our family as a whole. Two years ago, Sunshine took a two week Mission trip to Africa. We want God to instill in our children a “normality” to going on missions for Jesus whether it is around the world or to school. One of the greatest blessings I received while Sunshine was in Africa was Maggie (while she was 4) telling a waitress, “My mommy is in Africa helping people learn about Jesus.”
· Pray for our church: FBC Lipan. Again, the time I will be gone will be a busy time of ministry. Our Independence Day Celebration is a community event that attracts many people and the gospel will be shared. I will miss that as well as the first day of Vacation Bible School. Pray for our staff: Barry and Justin as well as our church leadership and church as a whole. Ask that God will be glorified through our church during my time away. Also pray that God would use my experience and the fact that my church is helping to send me as a means of bringing joy, blessing, and a desire to make the name of Jesus great everywhere to our church.
· Pray for Christians in Brazil. May all the projects (International Commissions desire is to have about 80 projects at once) bring revival to the hearts of pastors and church members alike inspiring them to be on evangelistic every day.
· Pray for the lost of Sao Paulo. Pray for many people to come to a saving relationship with Jesus during through the projects.
· Pray for me. Ask God that I will be clear, concise, and simple and that His Word will go forth in power to change lives both during revival services and in-home visits. I will be speaking through an interpreter which will be a new experience for me. Pray for safety and wisdom for our whole team. Pray that God would use this trip to revive my heart to be evangelistic everyday wherever I am at and that I will be an instrument in challenging our church to always be on missions and willing to go anywhere to share the gospel.
· Pray for finances. International Missions is expensive but that cannot be an excuse not to go where God calls us. And we are told to go into all the world. The trip cost is $2790. Through personal funds, an associational scholarship, and gifts from church members, I have $1950 towards the trip leaving about $840. Pray that the remaining funds will be raised. If God lays it on your heart to give, you may send a check to FBC Lipan, PO Box 28, Lipan, TX, 76462; memo: pastor’s Brazil mission trip. Still, please know that the main purpose of this email is to ask for prayer as I prepare to go.
May God Richly Bless You,
David
This summer (July 2-13) I will be going on a mission trip with an organization called International Commission (www.ic-world.org) to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The purpose of the trip will be evangelism. I will be one of many who will be leading revivals at one of the small churches in Sao Paulo. A team will also be assigned to each church and we will be making evangelistic visits through homes in the area as we share our testimony of God’s grace in Jesus with others.
Greater Sao Paulo has a population of close to 20 million making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Sao Paulo has been a major economic center in Latin America. This has attracted many immigrants from Europe, Asia, and South America, as well as migrants from other parts of Brazil. The city has become extremely overpopulated resulting in huge social disparities and a high level of poverty.
This is an area that truly needs the love of Jesus Christ. The local churches are praying for and building relationships with each person so that doors will be open for us to share the gospel.
This has been a busy year for us as a family and church which made me consider backing out of the trip but God reminded me that we will always be busy. The questions remains, will we take the gospel to the nations.
I covet your prayers as I prepare to go and while I am in Brazil. Here are some prayer points:
· Pray for my family while I am gone: Sunshine, Maggie, Ellie, and Libbie. Pray for their physical safety and comfort. Also pray for spiritual growth in our family as a whole. Two years ago, Sunshine took a two week Mission trip to Africa. We want God to instill in our children a “normality” to going on missions for Jesus whether it is around the world or to school. One of the greatest blessings I received while Sunshine was in Africa was Maggie (while she was 4) telling a waitress, “My mommy is in Africa helping people learn about Jesus.”
· Pray for our church: FBC Lipan. Again, the time I will be gone will be a busy time of ministry. Our Independence Day Celebration is a community event that attracts many people and the gospel will be shared. I will miss that as well as the first day of Vacation Bible School. Pray for our staff: Barry and Justin as well as our church leadership and church as a whole. Ask that God will be glorified through our church during my time away. Also pray that God would use my experience and the fact that my church is helping to send me as a means of bringing joy, blessing, and a desire to make the name of Jesus great everywhere to our church.
· Pray for Christians in Brazil. May all the projects (International Commissions desire is to have about 80 projects at once) bring revival to the hearts of pastors and church members alike inspiring them to be on evangelistic every day.
· Pray for the lost of Sao Paulo. Pray for many people to come to a saving relationship with Jesus during through the projects.
· Pray for me. Ask God that I will be clear, concise, and simple and that His Word will go forth in power to change lives both during revival services and in-home visits. I will be speaking through an interpreter which will be a new experience for me. Pray for safety and wisdom for our whole team. Pray that God would use this trip to revive my heart to be evangelistic everyday wherever I am at and that I will be an instrument in challenging our church to always be on missions and willing to go anywhere to share the gospel.
· Pray for finances. International Missions is expensive but that cannot be an excuse not to go where God calls us. And we are told to go into all the world. The trip cost is $2790. Through personal funds, an associational scholarship, and gifts from church members, I have $1950 towards the trip leaving about $840. Pray that the remaining funds will be raised. If God lays it on your heart to give, you may send a check to FBC Lipan, PO Box 28, Lipan, TX, 76462; memo: pastor’s Brazil mission trip. Still, please know that the main purpose of this email is to ask for prayer as I prepare to go.
May God Richly Bless You,
David
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Brazil Mission Trip
I am prayerfully considering being part of a mission team to Sao Paulo Brazil July 2nd-13th with International Commission. I would be part of a team sharing the gosepl through reviavls in local churches as well as door to door evangelsim. My testimony will be printed in a flyer in both Portuguese and English. I sent in my testimony (400 words or less) today so that it could be translated. Here it is:
Hello, my name is David Peacock. I am from Lipan, TX. I have come to your country to share what Jesus Christ has done in my life and what He can do in yours.
As a young child, I believed in God and His Son Jesus but I rarely went to church to learn about Him nor did my family speak much of Him. Most people thought of me as a good kid but I knew there was something missing in my life. By the time I was 15, my mom had divorced my step-father and life was getting harder and harder and seemingly more and more hopeless. Most of my family had turned to drugs or alcohol or immorality to escape the pressures of life. I knew that I didn’t want to go there but was beginning to wonder if there was anything that could bring me joy and hope and purpose.
At 16 I was invited to attend church camp. I began to realize the students I was with had a love and joy in their lives that I knew little about but it was something I wanted in my life. A girl sang a song about the “tear stained eyes and nail pierced hands” of Jesus and asked “How can you say ‘no’ this man?” It was then that I began to realize why Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on a cross. He did not have to, but he willingly died for MY sins so that I could have a relationship with God. I realized that though I believed in Jesus with my head, I never received Him into my life by faith. That night, I invited Jesus Christ into my life to be my personal Savior and Lord. By receiving Him, my sins past, present, and future were forgiven. God’s Spirit was in my life. By faith in Jesus, God gave me a joy and purpose in this life that I had never known before and the certain hope of eternal life with Him forever.
Since, trusting in Jesus, God has been faithful in leading and guiding my life as I seek to know Him more and more each day through His word and an ongoing relationship with Him.
I want you to have the hope, joy, and purpose that God gave me. You can have that through placing your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now.
Anyone wishing to help support me on this trip may send a love offering to First Baptist Church of Lipan, PO Box 28, Lipan, TX, 76462. Make your check payable to First Baptist Church. Memo: David's Brazil Mission Trip.
Thanks and God Bless!
Hello, my name is David Peacock. I am from Lipan, TX. I have come to your country to share what Jesus Christ has done in my life and what He can do in yours.
As a young child, I believed in God and His Son Jesus but I rarely went to church to learn about Him nor did my family speak much of Him. Most people thought of me as a good kid but I knew there was something missing in my life. By the time I was 15, my mom had divorced my step-father and life was getting harder and harder and seemingly more and more hopeless. Most of my family had turned to drugs or alcohol or immorality to escape the pressures of life. I knew that I didn’t want to go there but was beginning to wonder if there was anything that could bring me joy and hope and purpose.
At 16 I was invited to attend church camp. I began to realize the students I was with had a love and joy in their lives that I knew little about but it was something I wanted in my life. A girl sang a song about the “tear stained eyes and nail pierced hands” of Jesus and asked “How can you say ‘no’ this man?” It was then that I began to realize why Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on a cross. He did not have to, but he willingly died for MY sins so that I could have a relationship with God. I realized that though I believed in Jesus with my head, I never received Him into my life by faith. That night, I invited Jesus Christ into my life to be my personal Savior and Lord. By receiving Him, my sins past, present, and future were forgiven. God’s Spirit was in my life. By faith in Jesus, God gave me a joy and purpose in this life that I had never known before and the certain hope of eternal life with Him forever.
Since, trusting in Jesus, God has been faithful in leading and guiding my life as I seek to know Him more and more each day through His word and an ongoing relationship with Him.
I want you to have the hope, joy, and purpose that God gave me. You can have that through placing your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now.
Anyone wishing to help support me on this trip may send a love offering to First Baptist Church of Lipan, PO Box 28, Lipan, TX, 76462. Make your check payable to First Baptist Church. Memo: David's Brazil Mission Trip.
Thanks and God Bless!
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