Cactus Flower

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Werica and Anderson have decided to change their original plans to go to Mozambique later this year.  The costs of the trip are very high and another opportunity arose that is much more viable and applicable to the learning experience both wish to gain on a missions trip. Anderson was also highlighted in a post here on the blog.  He and Werica have been presented with the chance to accompany Wordless Ministries on a missions trip to the Amazon region of Brazil.   This trip will be July 1 - 11 of this year.   Each participant needs about US$500 to go on the trip.   Please pray with us that  Anderson, Werica and two others - Eliana and Luis Vinicius from our church group will be able to take part in this event.   We are very proud of all of our young people and are encouraged in their interest in world missions.   Meet Werica This young lady is a hard working girl who after she was saved at the age of ten....

Amigos Brasileiros -  role para baixo para a tradução em Português   This morning on my Facebook's ON THIS DAY app the post above popped up about one of the last great big, happy fun retreats that I remember on the island.  Treasure Island Camp or llha do Tesouro was closed in the Spring of 2014.  The reasons were diverse but mostly boiled down to lots of "out go" and not enough "in-come."  Running a camp as unique as the island was required paid workers, a year round caretaker, lots of diesel fuel and generators, and lots of hard work.  The end of it all had been postponed several times over the years.  Byron and I had been invited to come and work with the camp in hopes of some sort of miracle.  Our miracle lasted for ten years. Right now in our area there is no camp for area youth to attend.  The teens, families and churches of our area will begin to see the affects of the closure of Treasure Island over the next few years....

Last year.  Wow, has it been a year already.  For ten years my life revolved around retreats and trips to the island... Unsorted emotions right now ... Posted by Michele Beckner Atha on Thursday, May 22, 2014 Since coming back from our furlough, it's seemed like another lifetime ago.  Somehow we have adjusted to a new schedule and different routine.  Thankful for God's blessings along the way.

Our ministry sold.  Problems with a son.  Low financial support.  Dwindling ranks of missionary colleagues.   Low numbers on the results board.  Doubts and fears.    But I still believe in my calling and my faithful God.   I still believe in God's Word.  I still believe in the power of the gospel.  And I still believe in the need for cross-cultural missions. Today in church circles and publications we hear the resounding cry:  Let's not send any more missionaries from the States to foreign places, let's just support national works.  Mission agencies are pulling out of many old fields, selling off properties and moving on - to allow national churches to move up to the task. But I still believe in the need for American missionaries in foreign countries. N.E. Brazil regional BMM conference, 1979 On the other side of the missionary coin,        I also still believe in the I...

Byron and I spent the weekend on the island speaking English all day and night!  This English Immersion Retreat was a lot of work but we all had a great time and all the campers, too!   It was time well spent!

As I walked along the beach taking photos during the retreat of the various waterfront activities I came upon a group of bushy plants with small purple flowers.  At least ten hummers were buzzing all around.  Several flew right near my head!  I decided to try to capture some photos of the little fellows and just stood still.  This little one came near and landed quietly on a small branch of another type of vegetation.  I moved slowly in to get my picture.  After taking the shot, the little thing looked right at me.  I reached out my hand and gently touched his feathers.  He did not fly off but just moved over a little on the branch.  As I moved my hand back he did fly away. I often chatter with the hummers on the island and chirp at the green parakeets and whistle with the redheads and sabias.  This was a unique blessing for me during the long weekend with several personal disappointments.  Seems that every new group of p...

Have a good week.  We will be on the island all week!  It's Deaf Retreat Week.  Looks to be about 70 campers.  Hoping for good weather and as always, safety!

My favorite part of this weekend out on the island was a few moments spent watching my youngest enjoy time with another missionary kid that was just the right size, just the right age, and had just the right interests. Can you hear them talking? Greyson and his new pal had a blast all weekend, but especially on this one afternoon... I could hear them as they climbed rocks and looked for just the right sticks for their adventure in the wild about 10 yards or so from the dining hall where I sat in the shade... Their voices resonated simple happiness as they jumped and played and imagined their roles together in their journey ... Two MK's, alike in many ways, and uniquely different in others found a place in time together for one special afternoon ... How could they like so many of the same things, good sticks, nice rocks, old pieces of drift wood?  Yet only have really come to know each other the day before. Granted they had met once a few years ago, but this tim...

We will be away this weekend working out on the island as we host area church folk for the annual New Year's Eve Weekend Retreat. Take care.  Back soon!

About 12 boys and girls made the decision to accept Jesus as their one and only Saviour, Lord and new Friend this week out on Treasure Island Camp. With the help of 7 American girls, 2 Brazilian young ladies, and 8 Brazilian young men and many others, 27 children heard the Gospel presented over and over during the course of our 3 day, 2 night retreat. I am so thankful for all that volunteered their services during this work for God's glory including a very special couple - Sr. Carlos and Dona Regina of Juazeiro da Bahia. Dona Regina is the cook for many of our retreats. She willingly came to work in the kitchen and receive no pay knowing that none of the children could afford to come and were being given these 3 days free. Sr. Carlos worked extra time to be able to come as well and help both in the kitchen and in the camp canteen. I wept tears of joy on the last morning of the retreat knowing that little lives were going home changed because of Jesus! Thank you to all wh...

My husband and I work with a campground as part of our ministry in Brazil.  It is located in the middle of Latin America's largest manmade reservoir.  Getting there from land takes about an hour and a half.  Fuel is expensive in Brazil, so many times what accidently gets forgotten at home is just TOO BAD, SO SAD! The following is an excerpt from a personal diary about a trip to the island that occurred about 5 years ago when we had just moved to the area. ******* Once I had to spend an entire week on the island with two shirts, one pair of pants, one set of undergarments.  My husband and I were responsible for a work team from the States for a week of construction projects out at our island camp.  I had to buy all the food, drinks, bread - everything you could possibly need to for a mixed group of Americans and Brazilian workers.  I had a very complete list and had purposefully overbought to not run short on anything.  I had thought of it all....