Owsleys in Brazil Blog

New Blog Address

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

We are moving to a new blog address.  Please continue to keep up with our news by going to Owsleys In Brazil at Wordpress.  We appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement more than we can say!

P.S. This blog will soon be obsolete.  If you would like a copy of the best posts here, Hope has put together two booklets that she'd be happy to share with you. Just let her know.

Are Your Obsessions Magnificent Enough?

Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was interviewed in a recent World magazine.  He talked about the years he spent in rebellion to the Lord and how he eventually returned to faith in Christ. 

Tullian shared that it was hard to turn away from his wild life until, “I saw that God doesn't take away your excitement. He changes what you get excited about." His passion for living for himself was changed into the joy of living for Jesus.

Through the years I’ve seen the Lord change my passions.  Some things have just become less interesting as I’ve matured in my Christian faith.  Some passions have been redirected and others have been sharpened.   

As a Christian I’ve always known the importance of reading God’s word, but it wasn’t until I reached a crisis experience in my missionary life that the Lord transformed my half-hearted zeal into godly enthusiasm.  EVERYTHING was going wrong (it seemed) during our first few years in Cuiabá.  I begged the Lord to change our circumstances or get us out of there.

Instead He had me join a Bible study with our pastor’s wife.  It was an in-depth study that required lots of extra work.  And the more I dug, the more the wells of living water sprang up into my soul.  It was a precious time of falling in love with God’s word.

Two weeks ago I attended an inductive Bible study conference in Ohio.  We studied the Bible for eight hours on Friday and eight hours on Saturday AND IT WAS FUN.  Praise the Lord for how He reorders our passions!

 

Nerdy or Nice?

On my way to a Fourth of July parade I met an old friend.  She told me that her husband and sons were going to be in the parade.  Sheepishly, she confessed that they would be throwing candy from a wagon while a dozen dads followed behind with their push lawnmowers.  “I wonder if it’s okay to encourage my kids to be nerdy,” she said.  I’ve thought about her words a lot.

The week before I attended Quizzing Nationals in Spring Arbor.  I was impressed with the teenagers who had immersed themselves in scripture and could rattle off Bible verses with ease.   All the hours they spent memorizing God’s word meant they had less hours to watch the latest TV shows or memorize the latest songs, which opened them up to the possibility of being labeled “nerdy” by the world’s standards.

In our culture, “nerdiness” is a disease to be avoided at all costs.  Instead, we are encouraged to fit in by buying the same cars, the same-size houses, and the same name brand clothing as everyone else.  Coolness can be achieved by reading the latest novels, cheering for the hottest sports teams, and copying the lifestyles of Hollywood couples.  Heaven forbid that we should be nerdy enough to make our own choices!

The dictionary defines nerd as, “a person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.” In answer to my friend’s question, I say, “Yes, please encourage your kids to be nerdy.  En-courage them to make choices based on their own values and to avoid being squeezed into the world’s mold.”  Lord willing, they’ll be strong enough to ignore the world’s sneers while single-mindedly following Jesus with all their hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

"Neat Freak" or Jesus Girl?

As a college co-ed I was convinced I could never be a pastor’s wife because I could not sing or play the piano.  My heart longing was to be involved in ministry, but I thought I had nothing to offer to the Lord.  I remember praying, “Lord, You know what my strengths are. Please use them.”

Through the years He has shown me many ways to serve Him, but one of those ways isn’t on the traditional “gifts” lists.  I cleaned other people’s houses all through college and seminary as a means of earning spending money, never dreaming it was one of my talents.  Later I realized that I love to bring order out of chaos; it’s how the Lord has hardwired me.  Oddly, people like me are labeled, “neat freak” or “obsessive compulsive”, but that label fits only when I misuse that gift to be controlling.  Rightly used, it can be a blessing.

Last week a friend asked me to travel with her to northern Michigan to help prepare her house for sale.  It was pure joy to scrub bathrooms, re-arrange furniture, pack up boxes, and de-clutter.  I can hardly take pride in this since it’s the way God has made me, but I can certainly rejoice that He uses less traditional gifts.   No, I don’t play or sing, but I can give the Lord my loaves and fishes and watch in wonder as He turns them into so much more.

 

Does God Care About Our Dumb Stuff? - Part Two

    I spent eight days in Sao Paulo in May and though it went by in a whirlwind, the Lord was clearly in control of every detail.  When we left Brazil quite suddenly in 2009, missionary friends were kind enough to distribute our belongings to various garages (so that someone else could move into our rented home).  But after all this time some of them could no longer store our things and I felt it was time to relieve them (and me) of that burden.  Since it was necessary for me to return to Brazil to renew my visa, I planned the trip to coincide with the huge yearly yard sale at the American school to facilitate the unloading of our junk. 

    Almost as soon as I got off the plane, I made my way to a friend's house and began sorting through hundreds of our books.  As I prepared for the sale, I found many items that would not be of interest to rummage sale shoppers.  I set those aside, asking the Lord to help me find people who'd be interested in them.  Because I had no time to hunt them out, they would have to come to me.  Well, that’s exactly what happened!

    A seminary student came up to my friend, Barb, at a Friday morning prayer breakfast and asked if she knew anyone who had English theology books that he could add to his library.  At a Thursday luncheon I met a Brazilian missionary to Albania who desperately needed Sunday school materials.  Another missionary family needed our double bed (They’d been sleeping on the floor!)  Another man came over to get the beat-up old file cabinet.  Everything that did not go at the sale went some other way!

    The week was full of miracles, but the biggest one was the absolute peace I had about leaving.  I never once felt that our career in Brazil was over.  Though letting go of many of our possessions, I was not letting go of the country or the people.  I felt wonderfully free, and certain that our future is in the Lord’s hands.

 

 

 

Surfing Lessons

 

Psalm 69:1-3 reads, Save me, O God!  For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.  I am weary with crying out.

Often the storms of live threaten to overwhelm us.  Earlier this year I was encouraged by the words of Oswald Chambers when he wrote, “Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them…  A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.”

We have been hit by many waves during these past two years.  Like timid swimmers, we dreaded each onslaught, but the Lord has been so patiently teaching us to “surf.”  Along the way we’ve learned the thrill of what it means to truly trust Him.  The latest piece of hard news didn’t knock us flat because we finally got it through our thick heads that Jesus can get us through ANYTHING.   It’s a joy to rely completely on Him and to watch and see how He’ll help us ride on the crest of this newest challenge.   

 

Renewal

 

We finished up April with some great missions meetings.  On Wednesday, the 27th, we went to a small church in Ohio to speak to the youth.  We loved that since we don't get to share with that age group very often.  On Saturday a missions conference was held at the Spring Arbor FMC and we were asked to give a brief word.  Only folks who are really interested in missions were there so it was a terrific group. 

Sunday we went to the Milan FMC.  We have only one more church to go before our deputation year is over and, frankly, I've run out of steam.  So we went praying that the Lord would renew our strength and give a freshness to our stories.  He answered so beautifully!  The people were warm and loving and their interest in our ministry made our tiredness vanish away.  

What a privilege it is to be a part of the Body of Christ!

 

God Connections

        Spring Arbor University has an exchange program with a university in China.  This spring two young women came to teach and do translation work.   Because of my upbringing in Taiwan I felt a strong connection to them and wanted to get to know them better.  So I invited them to our house for dinner.  It might seem odd, but I was afraid to tell them about my Chinese connections.   First of all, I’m ashamed that I’ve forgotten all my Chinese, and second, I know that China and Taiwan do not get along very well.  Also, since they were not believers, how would they feel when I told them my parents were Christian missionaries? 

        Over the meal we began to share our stories.  In spite of my fear of offending, I began to disclose my family history.   They loved it when I told them that my father was fluent in Mandarin.  They were amazed that I was the only one in my family who had never been to China.  When I mentioned that I’d been born in Taiwan to missionary parents, they went right on eating quietly as if that were no earth-shattering revelation.   (Whew!)  We had a lovely evening together.

        The next day one of them sent me an e-mail.  “You’ll never know how excited I was when you told me you were from Taiwan.  My favorite Chinese author is from Taiwan and she’s had a huge influence in my life.  Also, I loved it that your parents were missionaries.  My mentor from China was raised in a missionary school.”

        I couldn’t believe it.  The things that I thought would separate us were the things that God used to connect us!  Just another reminder that “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts higher than mine.” (Is 55:9)

 

The Sweetness of God's "No"

Several years ago I received a call from a Brazilian friend who had been trying to get a visa to come to the United States.  She hoped to work or study here so that she could improve her English.  She kept me informed about various oppor-tunities and asked me to pray that the Lord would show her which to choose.

Finally, I received a call telling me that all the doors had closed and that she would be staying in Brazil. But instead of despair, I heard joy in Deborah's voice.  She surprised me further by saying, "God's no is as sweet to me as His yes."  I thought about that phrase for days.  Would I ever come to the place where God's perfect will was so much in line with my own that I would love His no as much as his yes?

Now I find myself pondering her words anew.  We have been in the States for over a year and we are homesick for our life and ministry in São Paulo.  But as we seek the Lord's will for our return, He seems to be delaying us yet again.  Can we doubt that His plan for us is perfect?  Of course, not!  We are learning that when He says no, it's because of His great love for us.  It's His goodness that "delays" us until His purposes can be fulfilled in His perfect timing. 

V. M. Church Still Growing

   
     When Dan was in Sao Paulo recently he spoke at the Vila Mariana FMC. You may remember that in 2008 we had the privilege of being part of that church plant. It began with a dozen faithful participants and preaching was supplied by four of the leading men on a rotation basis.   Initially there was no Sunday school, but I taught Bible stories to four children during the services.

    During our time away from Brazil the church continued to grow and moved to a new location for more space. Sunday school classes began. Now that there are sixty regular attendees, they are looking for an even larger place to meet.

    Interestingly, the director of a private school has asked them to meet in her school. Not only would she like them to use the class rooms for Sunday worship services, but she has also asked that they give Bible classes to the students during the week. What an opportunity!

    Praise the Lord for opening this door. Pray, also, that the Lord will supply a permanent pastor for this growing congregation.