A letter from Marta Carriker in Brazil
October 2011
Last week we were privileged to participate in the Sixth Brazilian Mission Conference in Caldas Novas, Goiás, in Central Brazil, about two and a half hours from our first mission field, Goiânia. Close to 2,000 people gathered to be inspired by speakers from many denominations, mission agencies and missionary training institutions. Tim was one of these speakers, sharing about "The Implications for Mission of the Cultural Mandate" and taking part in a panel about theological and missiological education.
I met with the group involved in member care to hear about missionary life and to celebrate six new books that were published to help missionary families. I was directly involved in helping prepare some of them for publication, so I was very happy indeed. During the conference I also helped a little with interpretation for our English-speaking visitors.
I was tremendously blessed to see former students of ours who have worked in other countries and some who are now back working with their denominations to keep this movement going. One of them was Emma, who was our student at the Evangelical Mission Center in Viçosa. She spent more than a decade back in her homeland, Paraguay, as a missionary and is now working with the Presbyterian Mission Agency (IPB-APMT) in the area of communication.
Speakers like Carlos Queiroz and Marcos Amado challenged us by reminding us that as missionaries we must take up our cross and that suffering is to be expected when we are following in the footsteps of our Master. Poignant testimonies of some who have been working in difficult situations testify that they have not considered themselves special, but like Jonah they have been challenged as they obey God's call and are thereby transformed by God's grace.
On Friday an excerpt of the Mission Bible that Tim has been working on was given as a gift to all participants. It was the Book of Acts, with notes and comments written by our recently retired colleague Sherron George. It was very well received and put to use right away during the conference. Tim was encouraged to keep up his work.
We want to thank those who made it possible for us to join so many brothers and sisters to be renewed during this time. And we thank all of you who continue to support us as we serve here in Brazil. We should be on home assignment from April to September 2012, so if you would like for us to visit your church, you can get in touch with us through our email (from the link below).
Many blessings,
Tim and Marta Carriker
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 306
The 2012 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 27
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