|
November 8, 2008
Grace and Peace to you!
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens {Me} morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. Is 50:4
Ever since 2004, God has been speaking to us to return to the USA for at least 2 years. There are many reasons for this, all having to do with ministering there: evangelize Joseph’s family, expand our network of intercessors, do seminars to edify the church, and participate in the revival that God wants to bring to this nation. All of this will require my obtaining a permanent visa (Green Card). As well, we would like to re-introduce Philip to the American culture as well as have a personal time of renewal.
This course will be like a “dividing of the waters” in our lives. We are planning to travel to Texas in July 2009. I think that Joseph already has informed you as to our future challenges in regards to travel, passport, visa, and other costs. We will keep you in touch as to the next steps that we take.
PRAY FOR:
Perseverance Wisdom to administer everything between English course + family + ministry Finances Clear mind and thinking to absorb the language and be more fluent in English Health
So, I invite you to take part in this moment with our family. My goal is to raise up intercessors for me during this time. Please confirm with me if you want to commit to intercede for me.
It is with great joy that I can share these things with you!
God continue to bless you and bring joy to your heart.
PS - We're going to Recife from Sat-Mon Nov. 8-10 to start the process on my Green Card. We've had to change our travel plans 5 times already, and my family is already questioning me why I have to travel to the USA next year, etc. There is a lot of spiritual battle going on with my visa. Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks.
Oct. 30, 2008
Hello everyone.
Thanks so much for your prayers, interest, and communication. We don’t always share enough about how important you all are and how vital your prayers are to see God bring blessing and liberty to those whom we minister.
First of all, many of you are wondering about Philip. Here’s a part of an email that I sent about him a couple of weeks ago:
Philip has been making some progress, mostly in Portuguese. He's making consistent one-word responses to questions, expressing now two-word phrases (nouns and adjectives), plus questions that he's learned how to ask and phrases he's learned how to say:
--Please, more water (or more juice). --I want a film (to see a DVD). --Please help me. --It hurts (lifting up a foot or a hand or turning his shoulder or back to me to show where he just bumped, wanting me to rub it and kiss it). --[A complete prayer for the meal] - Jesus, thank you for this meal. Be with us, and free us from all evil. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
I believe that I can finally say that his constipation problem is finally over. He's gotten over his fear of going #2, and is doing so regularly. Every time he goes, he shouts, "Mommy" or "Daddy" to show us that he's done his #2. Praise the Lord!
He's completely washing himself in the shower (sometimes doesn't put enough soap), almost completely drying himself off, totally dressing himself (minus tying his shoes - everything is sandals, flip-flops, and velcro here), and stuff like getting a chair to climb up and grab snacks to eat from the upper cupboard that he knows he's not supposed to eat in that moment! He's putting on and de-latching his seat belt by himself, and - get this - he now is getting out of the car to open up the YWAM base front gate, and shutting it after we pass through! Plus, he is writing his complete name - "Joseph Philip", putting an underline underneath it all, and saying very clearly his name. As I mentioned above, he's learning how to pray with us, which for me is more important than anything else. He is repeating prayers not only at the meal table, but in the car before he gets to school, and also in bed before he goes to sleep at night. Of course, we want him to experience Jesus personally for himself, which we pray will happen sooner than later.
Yesterday was significant. Instead of praying the usual prayer at the table above, Philip prayed, "Jesus, thank you for this meal. Bless Winnie the Pooh, Clifford (the giant dog), and the Wise Rabbit. In Jesus' Name, Amen." Clifford and Wise Rabbit are part of educational computer games that he plays, and of course he's been watching Pooh DVD's from time to time.
As well, he was naughty. Within the same hour, when I was on the phone, he went over to my computer, closed all of my programs, and opened up one computer game that he was looking for. Almost right afterward, he took a beige crayon and scribbled all over the TV screen. I think these are clear reminders that Philip is understanding what he is doing, and just being a bit stubborn about it, instead of having no clue what's happening, and that I believe is significant, too.
His speech and occupational therapists are really surprised at the way Philip is starting to open up. I'm observing that he is starting to make a transition from showing signs of autism to showing more signs of hyperactivity (the two are linked to the same dysfunction of the brain).
So – thank you so much for your prayers for Philip! We’re not “out-of-the-woods-yet”, because he still has a long way to catch up, but we’re so please at his progress. Please continue to pray for him.
The classroom phase of the 3rd School of the Bible has just recently ended, with our students taking their outreach phase in East Asia. One student testified: “There’s no price that I can put on the value of all of the light and revelation that I received, especially concerning who I am and who God is and His character. Now I want to be like Paul, who said, ‘Be imitators of me, as I imitate Christ.’ ”
One thing that we don’t mention often (and is a direct response to your prayers) is how many times God has moved through us to minister to pastors and their congregations. It can be everything from an informal word of knowledge to Sunday service preachings to raising missions awareness to doing week-long seminars. To God be the glory for each time He confirms His word in blessing someone else through us.
The first item of prayer is concerning our move to the United States this next July (Lord willing). We have 4 passports to renew, Katia’s permanent visa (Green Card), travel to both Recife and Rio to obtain her visa, fundraising here in Brazil to do, and many other things. There are a number of items which are not part of our normal budget that we have to take care of, and we are asking for the help of anyone who would be interested to help financially. I have attached an informal list of those costs (divide by 2 if the number is in Brazilian currency). Thanks in advance for considering us.
In 2 weeks, Katia will start her 1st mini-English course. This is a great goal for us as a family, to have everyone be bi-lingual. Please pray for grace upon grace for her. She really wants to learn. Next April, Lord willing, she will take a 2nd English course (ESOL).
The last item of prayer has to do with our health plan. Because of some on-going unresolved problems, we have not been able to see a doctor or get a check-up in a few months. We’re a little concerned about my recent issues with body stiffness, which has somewhat limited my physical activity these last number of weeks.
Thanks so much for your prayers! We love you all.
Blessings, Joseph, Katia, and Philip
Praise God for: --Philip's progress --SOTB students from 3rd school --opportunities to bless churches and pastors
Pray for: --Katia's visa --Continued progress in Philip --Joseph's health --Katia's English course --Our plans to return to USA in 7-09
Sept. 11, 2008
Dear friends,
Thank you for praying.
Before I share anything, I do want to share my heart with all of the Americans who receive this email. Indeed, 7 years ago, this was, according to Zephaniah 1:15, “A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness …” I share in the sadness of the memory and remember our nation in my prayers. I share in the huge reminder that religious beliefs alone save no one and can cause great destruction. May we never stray from the heart of the Christian life, to “love the Lord our God with our all heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mat. 22:37-40). May the presence of God come to our nation, and He be glorified again. Amen.
Just a few days after I wrote my last prayer email, Katia and I were returning home after a ministry time, when we were stopped by a police “blitz”. Normally in these places, the police issue fines for the lack of the right documents or those that are not up-to-date, and arrest drunk drivers. It turns out that our registration had expired only a few days beforehand. So, the officer said that we would have our car towed, that we would have to pay a fine not having the updated registration, for the tow, for how many days our car stays at the police compound, and then have 7 points taken off of my license.
Now here’s where a cross-cultural experience takes place. My wife advised me to get out of the car to talk to the officer and, in a sense, “ask for mercy”. In the USA, if you get out of your car to try to talk to a police officer who just pulled you over, you would be considered a threat to possibly assault the officer (that actually happened with my 80-year-old mom a few months ago). So, everything in me told me to stay put. But Katia said that when you stay inside of your car, you are communicating to the officer that you agree with all of the fines and that you are rich enough not to worry about them. So, I decided to risk it.
The officer was by his motorcycle, and I went over and explained our situation to him. He noted my wife and son, and also my American accent, and asked me where I was from and what I did. I told him I was from the US, and that I left everything behind to be a missionary here. He then called over his boss, and told him everything that I shared with him, saying, “Hey, this American left his country behind to live here in this small town.” The boss nodded his head, said, “Hmmpf,” and went on. The officer then told me, “I understand how all of this would be difficult for you, having your wife and son. Here.” He handed me all of my documents, without any ticket, and told me to go home. Whew!
Two days later, we had experienced another deliverance. Right behind our house, a couple of the guys had been digging out a new septic pit. It’s about 8-9 feet deep. The dirt mounds around the pit provided a good barrier from anyone falling in. However, guess who decided to climb up and explore these dirt mounds when our heads were turned away? You got it right – Philip. And guess what happened? You got it – Philip fell in. No one saw him slip and fall in, but when his leg hit the metal part of the pic-axe, everyone nearby knew something serious just happened. And there was Philip, dazed, scared, but conscious. After we got him out, he seemed …. normal, except for the bruise on his shin. There were no lingering effects. Praise the Lord!
We have four things to pray for:
1) Katia will be ministering the Divine Plumbline tonight (Thurs.), Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday, and then again next Wednesday and Thursday nights. This time around she is sensing in the participants a true lack of commitment to the Lord. We’ve already shared, while people’s lives are being challenged and changed, we experience the same spiritual nonsense at home that I’ve already shared before. Please keep us in prayer.
She will be doing two more week-long seminars in October. Thank you in advance for praying on our behalf.
2) Our special guest from South Africa will finish off her teaching time in the SOTB at the end of next week. To tell you the truth, none of us as staff are really excited to get back to teaching. After Marguerite leaves, we will have 5 more weeks until the end of the 2008 school. Either we need God to provide other guest speakers, or for Him to give us a renewed excitement and anointing to prepare and teach these weeks.
3) Continued prayer for Philip.
4) Continued prayer for a smooth process with the visa and passport applications.
Thanks so much!
Love, Joseph and Katia and Philip
August 21, 2008
Hello everyone. Read the Napoli's June newsletter here. March 7, 2008
Hi everyone.
|
| |
|
5229 Kelly Elliott Rd. Arlington, TX 76017 Phone: 817.478.5081 |