Cactus Flower

Two months ago our congregation voted to ask a national pastor to come and start work here in Sobradinho.  It was a big decision since in many ways.  The congregation was started almost twenty years ago and has always had some sort of missionary assistance.  We ourselves have been here for close to thirteen years now.  The vote to call a pastor was a little scary for our small group because it meant making a commitment to give regular tithes and offerings to pay the salary of the man or his family will go hungry!  So far, so good!  Giving is okay.  The mother church across the lake is helping and we made a promise to give a good size monthly offering until next year.  But hence the old missionary question arises:  Where are you going now? Seems everywhere I go people ask:  Where are you going?  You aren't leaving, are you?  So going back to the US, hey?  Going to go live near your grandbabies now?  I even had...

Uncle Byron is not at home this week because he is at a conference for missionaries near his old stomping grounds in the state of Pará.  I know that you boys have met Granny Atha and know that she had been a missionary once with Granddad Atha, but you probably have never heard that much about Uncle Byron's time in Brazil as a boy.  He could tell you all about his pet sloth that was so slow that never had to worry about it running away.  They just put it in a tree in the middle of the back yard every night.  Each day it would make for the back wall of their property, but never made it very close.   He could tell you about some of their pet monkeys and the one time he carried a little monkey in his arms on a 24 hour long bus ride from Pará back to the missionary boarding school.   He could tell all about the neighbor who had pigs that would all roll over whenever the man walked by.  He had them all trained to roll over and get their bellies rubbed....

On August 19, one of our MK boys came "home" to Brazil after a long time away.  He came with two beautiful babes and a wonderful young lady in hand, none of which we had met up close and personal.  But you know, blood is thick and it was love at first sight! Our time was short with only the two weeks of Dalton's vacation days from his job, but we made use of every single day to its fullest.  We got to know the mommy of our grandbabies and the love of Dalton's life - Destinie.  We learned all about Paw Patrol and baby food with Chase and Mariyah's help.   Every day was long as we tried to squeeze in lots of bonding and gobs of quality moments... Our house was full of guests every day, lots of laughter and lots of love.  Fifteen glorious days.   Was it worth the long flights and the costs of airfare?  I think we each would say, Oh, Yes!  And hopefully these little grandbabies of missionaries will have a littl...