THE GILPIN FAMILY

2012-02-06T10:59:00.000-03:00

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Being a Christian is going again the grain... against the nature and the status quo. If one chooses faith in Christ, he or she is not choosing a life of ease but instead is taking the opposing side. Being a Christian is difficult. So often, it seems that living in this fallen world is more than one can bear. One daily seeks to glorify the Lord but must battle against a fallen nature and the fallen enemy to do so. At times, this battle seems effortless while at others times it gruesome and one walks away beaten and battered. Sometimes these are produced by intense battle with the fallen enemy while at others they are self inflicted by our fallen nature.

The question many would have is... why do it? Why not give into your nature and stop the battle? The simple answer is the love of Christ. The love of Christ brought me salvation. The love of Christ reached into the raging water that was my fallen life and brought to the safe shores. This love changed me inside and out. The love of Christ alter everything and became everything for me. So, it is because of the love of Christ I do battle.

I will not say that life will be easy for a creature alive in Christ living in a dead world, for the Scriptures are clear that this is not the case. We will do battle. We will hurt. We will be wounded. We will have horrible scars. What will not happen... what can never happen for those who live in Christ is that nothing, absolutlely nothing can superate us from the love a Christ.

So, each Christian must battle on but as we do each one of us can be thankful that the love a Christ can withstand all.

2011-12-23T17:30:00.002-03:00

Thank you to all who have followed us over the months and years. We have been so busy over the past few months and again we have failed to update you about our ministry and lives. Please forgive us.

As we finish out this calendar year, please keep the us in your prayers. Feel free to email us with prayer request as we desire to minister to you as well. Know we miss and love so many as we are so far away from home but feel privileged to be able to be called to present our lives as a offering to our Savior.

May God bless each of you and may you have a blessed holiday season!

seeing beauty at the end of the ends of the earth...

2011-10-24T12:21:00.000-03:00

Recently, I went on a trip to the upper part of the Amazon River. My mission was to look at cultures and the life in the remote areas. During this trip, I was once more amazed by my God. His creation is breathtaking. It was a joy to see the beauty of the rainforest and the culture which have lived with it for hundreds of years. Please pray for these cultures as the live in some of the remotest place in the world.

São Gabriel da Cachoeira

Tikuna People Group

courage to be...

2011-09-22T16:59:00.002-03:00

COURAGEOUS (Click to see preview) is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures which speaks to the need for men to be a real-life hero... a dad.

In Theaters September 30... go see!

2011-09-22T16:51:00.002-03:00

chirst in the eyes of children...

2011-09-19T10:40:00.000-03:00

Tara and I love to see our Lord and Savior through the eyes of our children. It is a blessing to the see the faith of our children grow.

calvary in the eyes of a little man...

(Sam says the center cross has the blood of Christ on it)

The CHRISTAN Seed

Once upon a time there was a seed. All the big flowers would say,” you are so small seed. You will never grow.” And the seed would say, ”do not complain for the lord has made you.” They would keep on laughing and laughing because they thought he was being silly. 10 years had passed by and the tiny seed had grown into a big strong tree. All the flowers praised him but he said, “praise the lord for he made me this way. And all the flowers became Christians. THE END BY- LYDIA GILPIN

dead man walking...

2011-06-06T18:05:00.002-03:00

“But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Romans 8:10

Look at the title… have you heard this phrase used? The phrase dead man walking was used by correctional officers in the past to let those in the hallways of the prisons know to move to the side and allow the condemned person to pass. This phrase was looked upon as cruel and unusual and therefore "outlawed" by the civil rights activists. However, it was fitting for the condemned person walking was already given an appointed time to die.

It may seem strange but I want this phrase to describe me. For you see, I was a man condemned to physical and spiritual death. A man destined for an eternity of torment. Thanks be to our Lord and Savior, I longer must suffer this fate. For you see, I am one with Christ consequently I have died to sin and I live in His resurrection.

The expression Dead Man Walking should take on a whole new significance for the Christian. For those who profess a faith in Christ as Savior should be living as if they are already dead. Those who claim Christ as Redeemer must die to the fallen nature and live in the Spirit.

The question I pose to myself and to others is this… do we live in such a way that others would call out DEAD MAN WALKING. Do others see us as those who live not in our own flesh but in Spirit? Are we walking as if we are dead?

Our Ministry...

2011-05-27T20:52:00.003-03:00

The following video is a picture montage of our ministry in Brazil (with Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC providing the music).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik64laynjNg

LEARNING TO BE A KID AGAIN…

2011-05-13T16:12:00.003-03:00

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” Mark 10:15

What exactly does this mean? How can adults, who have moved past childish thinking, return to this state? Is a mature adult to act like immature children when it comes to spiritual matters? Must a fully-grown man or women disregard adult thinking in order to receive the kingdom of God?

The simple answer to these questions can be summed up in an excerpt the from a Jars of Clay song, “… they say that faith can find a Saviour, if you would follow and believe, with faith like a child.”

The important term in this phrase is ‘like.’ One is not to regress and become a child. Rather, a creature is to stand in awe and come simply with faith before its Creator. Too often, an individual relies on his or her knowledge and skill. It is a regular occurrence for an adult to think highly of themselves.

As Christians, each one of us must lay aside the arrogance of adulthood as well as predisposition to pride and simple, humbly approach our Savior. For when we do this, we gain an understanding of the mysteries of the gospel. When we come into the presence of the Almighty God with a child-like faith we appreciate the unmerited favor given to us by the loving God of all creation.

The other day I was given a picture which my daughter Lydia drew. In it, I saw this kind faith… an unassuming confidence in a living God. When I looked at it, I thought, “she gets it… she gets what we are doing here … she gets her Savior.”

So, it is my prayer that each one of us is able to learn how to be a child again.

Evangelizing...

2011-05-10T08:27:00.003-03:00

Was just thinking that I should post a link to a little booklet. It is entitled Making Disciples of Oral Learners. It may sound boring or of no use to your setting but I believe that it can give one insight into reaching those around them (even those who are literate) with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/making-disciples-of-oral-learners-a-booklet-based-on-lausanne-occasional-paper-54.html

BREAKING THE MOLD...

2011-04-23T13:55:00.001-03:00

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In Romans, the Apostle Paul encourages Christians to resist the innate desire to conform. Recently, I was inspired by a colleague’s e-mail to reflect on this notion. He used the phrase, “do not be pressed into the scheme of this age.” This analogy instantly produced a mental picture of a factory. One in which a material was poured into a mold in order to produce the desired product. Prior to the process the material does not have a useable shape nor a define purpose. However, after the substance enters the mold it begins to take shape. As the process progresses, the material hardens and leaves the assembly line as a finished product with a define shape and purpose.

We are somewhat like this material. We entered into this fallen world as fallen creatures. We are substance with predispositions to sinfulness. However, God is good and freely gives grace to His creation. As a result, we have a free-will choice to choose our form. We can either chose to allow this fallen world to press us into the prefabbed molding of sinful behavior or decide to be transformed by conforming to scripture. One way will produce a person who displays an ungodly life while the other will result in an individual who exhibits Christ-like qualities.

The outcome is not predetermined. Therefore, it is fitting to be reminded of the exhortation in Romans 12:2 which declares that each Christian must daily resist conformity to worldly ways and submit to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

LEARNING TO BE CONTENT...

2011-03-04T08:15:00.000-03:00

I again must come to you and humbly ask for your apology as I have failed you. I have neglected to keep you up-to-date.

It has been some time since our last update. In the past months, the Gilpin family has spent time in the United States and has returned to Brazil. During this stint, we have felt those moments of joy when one is alone on the mountaintop with God and felt the depths of despair in the valley caused by separation and isolation.

At the end of October, we returned for an extended stay in America. It was great to visit the United States but there is such a stark difference between northern Brazil and the United States. This made for an interesting visit. Watching our children experience American culture and life was a delight. It was a true blessing to watch the joy in the children’s eyes as they experienced, for the first time, jumping in a pile of leaves and playing in the snow. The moments with family were some of the best and definitely a gift from God. For three months, our family was privileged to be the guest of Calvary Baptist in Winston-Salem and each moment spent in America was enjoyable and rejuvenating.

In late January, the Gilpin family returned to northern Brazil to begin a second term serving as missionaries in the Amazon Basin region. This return was bittersweet. On one hand, we were returning to serve our Lord and Savior in the country that has become dear to each of us. On the other hand, we had to leave our family and our home culture yet again to return to a land that will always be somewhat foreign to us.

As our family has ridden this emotional roller coaster, we have been reminded of the sovereignty and provision of our Lord. It is easy to place our faith in God when circumstances are just as we like, but much more challenging when we are confronted daily by tough circumstances. When the days are good and when the days are bad we want praise the Lord. It is our desire to be like Job and say, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21b)”

2010-12-14T01:24:00.003-03:00

This was a video made by the staff of Calvary Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I thought everyone would enjoy.

2010-12-14T00:39:00.002-03:00

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Placing Trust in the Lord…

2010-09-26T20:23:00.001-03:00

Psalm 139… what an elegant description of the intimate knowledge of the Almighty as it concerns His creation. To think, the Lord has an intimate knowledge of me… such a wonderful and scary thought. It is so frightening to know that our life, our thoughts, all that we are is laid bare before Him. I know, like no one else, the filth that the He who is perfect must see in me and I am ashamed. On the other hand, I take great comfort in knowing that I cannot hide who or what I am from my Lord and Savior. Recently, this Psalm spoke volumes to me as it pertains to the future.

As many of you know, I (Matthew) am a planner and organizer. It is a fact that I would love to have my future planned out to the day. Unfortunately, our family can currently only see a few steps in front of us. We currently know that our family will return to Brazil for another term with our organization and that I will be working on my Doctorate during this time. What exactly this next term will look like we do not know. How we will pay for school is still unknown as well. The organizational side of my personality detests this reality. It seems to me that life would be so much easier if God would just e-mail me a schedule. Nevertheless, I must live without such a plan and the spiritual-side of my personality loves this fact. For you see, this side of my character has complete trust in my Lord and God. It desires to lie at the feet of the Savior and find peace and rest in His presence.

As I have this internal struggle between the need to trust and the need to know, I am again and again brought to Psalm 139 and especially verse 16. Here, this Davidic writing says, “… all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” For one who wants to but cannot know the future these words bring great comfort… so, it into you hand my most precious Savior I leave my next term, my family, and my life.

A Letter...

2010-09-14T10:48:00.001-03:00

To my family and friends,

God is good! As many of you know, we have accepted a new position with the IMB and will be serving another term here in Brazil. Beginning in February of next year and for three years after, we will be the Logistics and Educational Coordinators for the Peoples of the Amazon Region. It is such a blessing to be called to serve the Lord here on the foreign mission field. The rich blessing the Lord has bestowed on us is not only seen in a continued calling to Brazil but it can also been witnessed in those whom He has called to support our family. So often, we are reminded of the financial and prayer support that is daily lavished upon us. So many give generously and for this we are grateful.

I write this letter to ask again for your support. The Lord has given me (Matthew) the opportunity to return to school to further my knowledge of church growth and evangelism through the pursuit of another degree. I will be attending The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to obtain a Doctorate in Ministry. The road to this degree will be long and taxing. It is with this thought in mind that I write to ask for your assistance. I would be greatly encouraged if you would be a prayer warrior. As I begin this process, I need many who are willing to share in this ministry by weekly bringing me before the Throne of Grace. As I accept the responsibility of learning and the undertaking of a large financial obligation beyond my means, I pray that you will partner with me as I am in pursuit of this degree.

It is with thanks to God for His exceeding grace and favor that I write you, for I know He is faithful to provide to those whom He has called. Please continue to pray for our family as we are living so far away from our home continuing on this journey of faith and obedience. We think of you all so often and love each of you. We would love to hear from you when you have the time. Thank you for being faithful to pray for us, for being willing to give of yourself, and for being faithful in what God has called each of you to do.

God bless you,
Matthew Gilpin
Logistics and Educational Coordinator for the Peoples of the Amazon Region

A Story of God’s Movement…

2010-08-17T14:28:00.002-03:00

“And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
II Timothy 2:2

Some two thousand years ago, our Savior Jesus Christ chose twelve men who would spread a message that would alter the path of history. From the ministry of these men and others, a person today can pick a small book, a collection of ancient writings, and study about this man, his message, and his gift of salvation. In the late 90’s, a family would answer the call to go to a foreign land to proclaim this same message to the people of northern Brazil. Not long after arriving at a small city in northern Brazil, it became apparent to this missionary that the churches in this area were in desperate need of one particular thing, training. A basic training course for churches in the rural areas of the eastern Amazon region would become a regular part of the prayer life of this family. In 2004, this missionary would request that the International Mission Board (IMB) appoint a person to fill this need. Initially, a couple was interested in this position but they later felt God’s call to another location. For years, this position remained on a list with many other positions, awaiting the one God had chosen to fill it.

A few months before this job was to be removed from the list of vacancies, another young couple called to missions happened to see it. As the wife read the job description, she declared to her husband that this job seemed written for him and his skill set. After much prayer, this young couple and their young family accepted the IMB appointment to fill this position. In late 2007, this family arrived in northern Brazil for year of intense language and cultural study. After this time, the two families began to discuss the task at hand, the development of a non-residential ministry training course for lay leadership throughout northern Brazil. The initial plan was to develop and implement this course using the connection each missionary had made with Brazilian Baptists and other Great Commission Partners. This would be a huge undertaking but one for which both missionaries felt called. However, God had already laid the groundwork for another strategy, one which would involve two already existing institutions, the Baptist State Convention in Pará and the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary.

In early 2009, these two IMB missionaries worked closely with the Director of the Baptist Theological College Equatorial Dr. D. B. Riker and Dr. Manoel Moraes, in order to develop and offer a basic course in theology. Each person saw the importance of this course and was driven by the relentless pursuit of providing leaders training to teach the Bible and drive administratively and spiritually evangelical churches. This team began with a vision and slowly developed a curriculum frame work and teaching materials so that this intangible dream could become a tangible reality.

The course started on a trial basis on the campus of Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary in January of 2010 with three times more students than projected. These forty-eight students will complete the course in December of this year. An agreement has been reached between the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary, the State Convention of Pará, and associations organized in the State of Pará to broaden the activities of the course throughout the State of Para

As we look back over our first term in Brazil, it is our conviction that each step we have taken has been ordained by God. It is His desire to see provided effective, practical training to develop leaders for ministry in remote locations in northern Brazil and it has been His movement which has brought this to fruition.

go hard...

2010-06-23T12:18:00.002-03:00

Some days it is easy to be a missionary, a Christian, a father and other days it is hard. I was listening to a Christian rap artist, Lecrae, yesterday and he spoke to the need to live a life for Christ. In his song, Go Hard, he speaks to the need give it all for Christ. He says, “go hard or go home.” This may not be the most profound words ever uttered but they are weighty. Are we as Christians giving Christ our all or are we more worried about our comfort?

I pray that I can GO HARD for Christ!

For you want to listen to Lecrae’s song Go Hard from his album Rebel, please email me at thegilpinfamily@yahoo.com.

2010-05-30T07:39:00.000-03:00

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"

Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV)

International Day of Prayer...

2010-05-23T22:50:00.001-03:00

I am giving a link to a short video which is produced by and features a dear friend... it is worth watching for in this video you can see and hear his heart... http://vimeo.com/11777010

The Joy in Obedience…

2010-05-11T09:18:00.000-03:00

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD

Obedience... is this one of those antiquated works like submission. Is it politically incorrect to be obedient by submitting to the will of God? Whether or not people in today’s world see obedience as an old-fashioned term unneeded in our modern world it is an expression of a biblical mandate.

I write this because the past several months have required us to display this particular attribute. As many of you know, just a few months ago, we were notified by our IMB leadership that we would not be granted a new contract and therefore, we would no longer be missionaries with the IMB. We were assured again and again that this did not reflect on our performance as missionaries but was a response to the current financial situation as well as the re-structuring and re-focus of the IMB. So, with reluctance, we began to plan to return permanently to live in the United States. Tara and I initiated a job search and spent much time in prayer seeking God’s will for our future ministry in the United States. After several emails and
months of searching, we still lacked true direction or any genuine job prospects. In spite of this, we continued to seek God’s direction as the door for further service with the IMB had been closed. So, again,we felt as if we were embarking on a journey into the unknown.

A few weeks ago, I (Matthew) received an email from out of the blue. The leader of the Amazon Basin region dropped a bombshell. He stated that a position with the IMB had been created and he believed that it would be best filled by me. Before sending this email, he had spoken to the leadership in Richmond and secured permission to offer the job to us. The remarkable thing about this new job is that it does not require us to change our lives drastically. For you see, the person filling this job needs to live in the city we live.

After much prayer and Godly advice, we feel the Lord is leading us to return to Brazil within this new position. So, beginning next year and for three years after that we will be fulfilling the job of Logistics and Educational Specialist for the Real Eastern Amazon Peoples. Please pray with us as we continue to be on this journey of faith and obedience.

greatness...

2010-03-08T09:54:00.003-03:00

Revelation 5:13 “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lam be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Philippians 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christi is Lord…”

So often we see greatness in worldly things… whether this be in a famous mega-star or in one who welds political power. We regularly make an effort to be part of the greatness that is around us. So many people strive, time and again, to be seen as great. However, does the world really know what causes a thing or person to be great? It seems to me that which is markedly superior to that around it is viewed to possess greatness. Is this really greatness?

I would have to say no, this is not greatness. I do not believe that most know true greatness. For you see, true greatness can only been seen in the life of our servant king, Jesus Christ. Though, He was the perfect God of Heaven, He lowered Himself, took on human flesh, and lived a sinless life of service. He died the death of a criminal… not for that which He had done, but for the sake of those whom needed His blood as payment for a sin-debt they owed. After all His work was completed, He rose from the grave victorious. This life is an example of true greatness.

It is my prayer and desire to see Christians and Non-Christians alike to look at the victorious Savior-King and see the only true example of greatness. It is clear, whether we recognize it now or not… one day ALL will see and acknowledge the true greatness of Jesus Christ.

Those of you, who profess to have Christ, be emboldened to live a life of greatness. Do not look for greatness in the world, for this will lead to a life of defeat and disappointment. Look to the example of Christ! Live the example of Christ! Do not live a life that is worldly or one of fear. Do not be a Christian who has dug in and to built a defense, from where to battle. Remember that we battle on the side of the Victor… the only true example of greatness the world has ever seen!

Brazil...

2010-01-11T09:34:00.003-03:00

Update on visa...

2010-01-10T10:29:00.000-03:00

To all,

Below is part of an email from missionary updating you about an earlier prayer request. GOD IS SO GOOD AND RESPONDS TO THE REQUEST OF HIS PRAYER WARRIORS.

Matthew

Received Wed, January 6, 2010 11:13:37 PM:
"Hi Everybody! Happy New Year! I just wanted to let you know the good news that the Brazilian Consulate emailed me today and said that my visa had been authorized and that they are ready for me to send them my passport and then they will send me back my visa!!! YAY GOD!!! It has been a long time coming, and I am so, so excited! "

Faces of the Amazon...

2009-12-30T13:00:00.003-03:00

Prayer for a Visa...

2009-12-28T18:02:00.000-03:00

Below is part of an email from another missionary. Please read and pray for her....

"...I wanted to write and give you a quick update on the latest with my visa situation. The IMB called me and another Journeygirl that is going to Brazil to tell us that h they had been talking and told us that if we didn't receive our visas by the first couple of weeks of January, they wanted to send us together to another job in another South American country. We have since received the deadline date of January 8th. There has been a whirlwind of emotions as I feel my heart is already so tightly connected to Brazil and the people there as I have been daily praying for them. I have contacted our Brazilian attorney and she is in the process of talking to the consulate on my behalf, doing her best to get answers for me. It has just happened so quickly! Please pray that I get my visa by January 8th. This has been a major lesson for me in trusting the Lord. I am willing to go wherever He leads, but how badly I want to be in Brazil. I am having to remember that God is sovereign and His will and timing are perfect"

Five Loaves & Two Fish...

2009-11-01T05:00:00.000-03:00

“Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd
away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish- unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.” Luke 9:12-20

Have you had those times when you are frustrated with because of something out of your control? Well, just the other day I had one of those times. The downturn in the economy and dollar plummeting world-wide has affected our lives and ministry. After providing for our living expenses and salary (those cost which are fix and cannot easy be changed) the mission was left with much less than usual to use on ministry related expenses (those which are not fix and can be changed). Our team only received about 40% of the amount it requested. This means we will be able to travel much less next year and that we will be limited in what we can do. So, sufficed to say, I was not happy with the news.

The next day, I was speaking with a brother in Christ and a missionary college in southeast Asia, who when commented on our budgets said, “I guess this is our five loaves and two fish.” This statement stopped me in my tracts. All that frustration and self-pity was gone. For you see, I was reminded of my God. For you see, my God came to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice for my sins. In the process, as He lived a life and taught… the showed us the character of God. When those around him thought it best to send away the people (for you see they saw that it was impractical if not impossible to feed them all) Christ desire to provide for them (for nothing is impractical or impossible for God). Therefore, as a minister of the gospel in a foreign land, I must not trust in my budget to help me spread the gospel to every single community. For you see, this kind of movement of the gospel is a God-thing. So, whether funds are plentiful or meager we will trust in God and God alone… for next year’s funds and for the lost souls in the Amazon Basin. Glory be to God.

Refreshed and Ready...

2009-10-29T14:29:00.006-03:00

A great big thank you to Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, North Carolina for it wonderful Mission Impact Conference. It was a huge success in many aspects... many hearts now have a renewed desire for mission, some where called out among the flock to serve, and the lives of missionary were touched.

Thanks kindly for showing God's love by supplying our every need. Thank you Parkwood Baptist Church, especially Kem Lindsay, for going above and beyond to make our visit easy and refreshing. We are again ready to serve our Lord and Savior with a passion that can only be found in a period of Sabbath rest.

The Love of the Word...

2009-08-10T23:50:00.000-03:00

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

Do we love the word of God? Do we read it daily? Do we meditate on it? Do we memorize it? These are questions we should ask of ourselves. Yet it is much more difficult to ask and answer these questions when the ‘we’ is replaced with ‘I’… for when this is done the question hits awful close to home.

As I prepare the curriculum for the basic course, a non-degree training program through the Equatorial Baptist Seminary, I am again and again brought to ask myself how I can transfer the academic knowledge the students receives in their minds and cause it to appear in their lives. The answer that continues to present itself is that the student must love the Word and the Lord more than anything. If this course is going to train leaders of the church who desire to see churches grow and multiply it must be focused on Scripture. If the life of those involved in the program, whether as professors or as students, are to truly reflect God then they must have at the center of their days the Word of the Lord. So, as we create a course to train we use the mirror. When we hold us the professors, the students, the textbooks, and all other things, we keep asking if these things reflect the Bible.

After reading again the verses in Deuteronomy, the question as to the place given to the Scriptures in my life presented itself. As I focused on the Bible in preparation for the course, I have come to wonder if it is the center of my life. Do I place it the prominent shelf or do I delegate it to corner shelf with all the other knickknacks in my life? Then I remember something from one of our trips into the interior region. A team of American volunteers, some missionaries, and myself were docked in the small river town of Bagre to do evangelism with house-to-house evangelism. We during this time we came to know many members of the small Baptist congregation and some of them would visit us on the boat where we were staying. One day, I was sitting talking with some of the team and some Brazilian nationals when a small girl came to the boat. She talked to one of the team members and they looked at me with a ‘help’ expression. So, I spoke to this ten-year-old girl and found out that she had come to the boat because she thought we might be able to give her a Bible. She was the only believer in her family and a faithful attendee of the church but did not have a Bible. We had brought with us some Bibles to give out and to leave with the church to give out later. So, I went to get one while she waited. I gave her the Bible and it was then that I saw what has affected me until this day… she took the Bible and hugged it. Oh, what a beautiful sight… to see how she cherished the Scripture!

So, often we are careless with our Bibles, yes, many of us have more than one. They end up for days on the floor of the car or gathering dust on the side table next to the bed. We treat the Bible itself like a common magazine, unimportant and disposable. However, the sweet young Brazilian girl held this Bible in such a manner that it was clear that the Lord and His Word had first place in her life. Oh, how I wish I could say that every day in my life I held in esteem the Scriptures like this young believer. Alas, I regret to say that I too often find dust on my many Bibles. It is therefore my prayer that each us will learn to treasure the Bible like this young girl.

God is at work...

2009-08-06T23:46:00.000-03:00

When our family chose to go with the IMB as missionaries, we expected to be able to extend our length of service and renew our contract as we desired, within the rule of course. This was the mentality of many in missions and in society as a whole, that for the most part, it seemed to be smooth sailing ahead. However, as we all know, the outlook for many is not as bright... many have lost jobs, homes, and so much more. This lack of confidence and security recently reached our household. The extension of service which once was a given was in jeopardy… after on 20 months on the field our return to the states seemed possible. We believed that we still had work left undone here but because of budget restraints, the IMB was cutting it mission force worldwide. So, armed with the requisite recommendations and the belief that we were suppose to stay here, we requested an extension and prayed. After about a month, the news came that our fifteen-month extension was granted.

This may seem like a good thing, but we considered it a God thing. The IMB will be cutting about 15% of its missionary force in the next twelve months or so. The America Affinity Group (every country south of the continental United States) approved six families in our status a contract extension or renewal. So, to be in this limited group was a God thing. Another God thing was our (actually Mathew’s) lack of true concern when our extension was in limbo. We were less than two months from the end of our contract we when finally received the news of or extension. God has truly worked a miracle in me (Matthew) for in the past I would have been job searching and sending out resumes. I would have been afraid that I could not provide for my family or that I had understood God’s will wrong. However, the truth was that I lacked confidence in the sovereignty of God and His ability to provide. This time I was able to rest in my Lord and Savior… and this for me is a miracle.

So, please rejoice with us as we celebrate the movement of God in the process of an extension and as He has changed us.

A lesson in character for us all...

2009-07-09T08:04:00.000-03:00

“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:21-22 (HCSB)

Though Daniel was of royal descent, he, like so many, was a Jewish captive in Babylon. In his youth, Daniel was chosen to serve in the king's court and after receiving the education suitable to this position, he began to serve the Babylonian court. The life within this court was awash with pagan beliefs and believers. In the midst of this ungodly environment, we find a man who walked with God. When it would have been easier to follow the crowd, Daniel instead decided to follow his convictions.

The first several chapters of Daniel contain some of the most famous stories found in the Old Testament. Many will remember fondly the childhood stories of the fiery furnace, prohibited prayer, and the lion’s den. However, tucked between these celebrated accounts we see a glimpse of that which allowed Daniel to distinguish himself through each of these trials, his constant trust in the Lord.

In the second chapter of Daniel, we find the King, Nebuchadnezzar, ordering the death of all court appointed mediums, diviner-priests, and Babylonian wise men because of their inability to recount and interpret the King’s dream. The words of the best and brightest among the Babylonians reveal lack of true wisdom. They stated, “No one earth can make known what the King requests. (v.10a)” Little did they know that among them was one whose faith lay not in his own wisdom but in the one who knows all. After a time of prayer, God gave Daniel a vision which provided the desired information. These particular verses are Daniel’s response to God. These are the loving praises of Daniel to His Lord.

Here Daniel calls attention to particular character traits of God by illustrating them in the twenty-first and twenty-second verses of second Daniel. We first see the evidence of the all-powerfulness of God ( also see: Ec 3:1 Ac 1:7 1Th 5:1; Job 12:18; Ps 75:6-7; Jer 27:5; 1Ki 3:9-12; Jas 1:5). He has the ability to control human events and the destiny of nations. All that has happened since before creation into eternity is proper under the authority of God. Furthermore, God’s divine character is demonstrated in His wisdom ( also see: Job 12:22; Eph 1:17, 18; Ps 139:11-12; Heb 4:13; Jas 1:17). He alone is the source of wisdom and He alone can impart all true wisdom and knowledge. He and no one else is acquainted with what is unknown and hidden. After this time of personal praise and worship, Daniel beautifully illustrates his devotion when he says to the king “…there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” (v. 28a)

Nebuchadnezzar conquered lands and empires but could not understand his own dream. In the eyes of the world, he was mighty, but in the scheme of things, he was just a pawn in the hands of a Grandmaster in Chess. However, within his own court was a young man whose devotion to the one-and-only God gave him insight that even the mighty king of the Babylonians could not acquire. These few short verses and the words of Daniel remind us yet again of God’s worthiness and our dependency on Him alone. We, like Daniel must always remember that our God is omnipotent. It is our total dependency on Him and His character that will allow us to stand firm the presence of worldly greatness and to stand apart from that which is part of this fallen world. Thanks be to God for the life of Daniel and his magnificent prayer of praise which beautifully illustrated the principle that a heart for the Almighty is better than a powerful throne.

We will be staying...

2009-06-27T13:58:00.001-03:00

Thank you for all your prayers and kind words... we received an e-mail from the powers that be that our request for term extension (extending until November 2010) was granted. God is so good!

Prayer needed...

2009-06-03T00:00:00.000-03:00

We would like to ask you to pray for a very specific request. We have requested an extension on our contract with the IMB in Belém, Pará, Brazil for another 15 months. We have been advised that due to budget cuts, the extension and placement of missionaries with the IMB is EXTREMELY limited. Although, we have been recommended by all of those in our chain of command, the final decision must be made by those at IMB headquarters in Richmond.

Therefore, we are asking you to pray that we receive approval for an extension.

Prayer Request for May 2009

2009-04-28T09:52:00.001-03:00

- Pray for our family as we are trying to find a sitter to help with Sarah Beth so that Tara can teach part time in the fall. Pray that we will be able to find the person that God would have help our family.

- Pray for the many volunteer teams that are coming to partner with us this year, that the work would be fruitful, and many would be brought into the Kingdom.

- Pray for Matthew and a team from the Seminary here as they are in the process of creating a curriculum framework for discipleship and training of lay leaders in the interior. Pray that God will give them guidance to select from the correct materials.

- Pray for Matthew's proficiency in Portuguese as it is essential to his job performance.

- Pray for us as parents and for our children as they learn and grow in Christ.

Updating...

2009-04-11T21:00:00.006-03:00

The town of Breves, 80,000 population (with one Baptist church, for now)

Life has been busy. I just returned from two river ministry trips by boat. On the first trip, three other missionaries and I trained several local churches in Evangelism and Discipleship at a retreat during the week of Carnival. We had one hundred twenty in attendance (adults, youth, and kids) and celebrated a joint baptism with eleven being baptized. Twenty-four persons accepted Christ for the first time (the last two worship services were open to the community) and many committed their lives to serve the Lord faithfully by winning and making disciples or committing to full time Christian service. The second trip was with a volunteer team from Michigan. We saw One Hundred forty seven decisions for Christ in the four rural towns we visited. We also trained a large number of young adult believers in personal evangelism. Please pray for the church in Breves as they follow-up with the new believers and begin new mission congregations in two locations. Finally, Andy and I have seen great movement in the revamping of the Equatorial Baptist Seminary's basic program.

Fish for dinner (the whole fish)

One of three river villages where we witnessed house to house

Our team has created a webpage. It is still in the works but take a look.
www.reachingtheamazon.com

Remember...

2009-03-16T10:58:00.001-03:00

While still in seminary, I heard, for the first time, the phrase ‘heart-language.’ When applied to missions, the term refers to the language in which a person is most comfortable. The language they use when they pray and speak to themselves. For most people in America, this would be English. It is English I use when I pray to God. When I am emotional or want to truly be expressive, I do not use Portuguese but instead I return to my default langue. Why do I say all of this, well… here in Brazil my family attends church with only Brazilians. At all church activities, whether it be Sunday School lessons, a sermon, music, or even at social activities, Portuguese is the language spoken.

Now, as many of you know, all members of our families speak Portuguese at some level. Our family is immersed in the language and the culture by having lived in Brazil for the last year and a half. Also, we have attended the same Baptist church for over a year. As a result, many might come to the conclusion that we should feel comfortable at church. However, this assumption would be the farthest thing from the truth.

Tara, the kids, and I find it so difficult to go to church much of the time. It is difficult to sit in a hot Sunday School class or to sit in church with distractions from the street market wafting in from outside and try to make sense of the language. It is difficult to hear so many different accents and try to decipher each phrase and expression. It is difficult, when all you want to do is connect with God, to be unable to do so because of the language.

This last Sunday evening was one of those services to which I was not looking forward. It was going to be long and the service for children was not going to start until about one-half way through the service. I just wanted to stay home, work and spend time with the family. This was not to be… for my little girl wanted to be in church.

On the way, she said, “Do you know why I wanted to go to church Daddy?” I asked why. She said, “because the Bible says to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” It amazing to be reminded of Biblical truths by your five-year-old daughter… to be told again of the charge given to you in Exodus 20:8. So, like me, I hope you are aware of our need to give to God the time He deserves and requires.

idolatry...

2009-02-28T22:03:00.000-03:00

It has been so long since our last post, but with a new baby… I guess we have a good excuse. Excuse or not, I hope to do a better job at keeping you all up to date and plugged-in to our life and ministry in Brazil.

As of recent, in my quiet time, I have reading thru portions of the Old Testament. I have been brought, over and over, to see the life and character of the peoples of biblical times. Many of these people, who saw the mighty hand of the Almighty at work in front of them, too often turn from God to worship pagan deities. We see said of many kings of Israel that they, “… did evil in the eyes of the Lord,” or “he committed all the sins of his father.” These men had received a precious gift from God, the position of leader of His people. Too many of these men did not faithfully fulfill their duties and remove that which was ungodly but rather they turned from God and used the scared trust given to them for ungodly purpose. They became corrupt from the worship of pagan deities and allowed all of the people to become corrupt as well.

In contrast, we see the character of those which the Bible states, “… (this leader) did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” When speaking of these leaders the scriptures refer back to King David’s reign. Why is this the case? Was not David’s reign at times brutal? Was not it marked by war, strife, adultery, and murder? It was all this and more. Even with problematic actions and events, David is given as the prototype individual. Why? It is my belief that it was in part because the heart of David was wholly given to God. Although many nations that surrounded Israel worship pagan deities, David was devoted to the Lord. When even those close to him turned to other Gods, David sought the Lord. The book of Psalms is filled with the outpouring of love and devotion held by David for the Lord. So, the Lord used David as the model for devotion among a nation that so often looked elsewhere.

I am sure each one wants to hear the Lord approve of their life. We do not one day want to stand in the presence of the Almighty and hear that in His eyes we were evil. Unfortunately, I fear that many, Christians and non-Christians, will hear of the evil and idolatry in their lives. If you are like me, you want say that although, I sin too often, I am ‘sold-out’ to the Lord. Would we be correct if that was what we said? Can we say that absolutely nothing takes the place of the Lord in our life?

Regrettably, I can say that too often I worship an idol. I bow down before it and give it first place in my life. It receives too much honor and esteem. I ignore the direction of the Holy Spirit and I instead do that which pleases the idol. I know that idolatry is wrong but I cannot help but hold up high and worship ‘self.’ One might say that this is not idolatry… and in some sense, they are correct. I do not have a graven image setting on an alter in a prominent place in my home. I do not pray to my idol nor do I give it a same. Nevertheless, just like the Israel of ancient, I place something above the Lord. I allow my wants and desire to crowd out the direction of the Holy Spirit. I permit my so-called needs to crowd out the Lord of all creation. It is my prayer and hope that I will be able to do what so many in ancient Israel could not or would not do… tear down the idol and turn wholeheartedly toward God.

It is my prayer for all, that each of you take a close look at your life, to make sure that you are focus on what matter most, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Love Of Our Savior

2009-02-05T23:14:00.000-03:00

On Thursday, February 5, 2009… at 8:30 pm, Brazil time, my sweet little girl answered the call of her heart and asked Jesus Christ to be her personal Savior.

For some time now, Lydia has been inquisitive and asking questions about Christ. We have attempted to answer those questions using the vocabulary at her level but with the deep ideas rooted in the scriptures. Over and over, we have attempted to be patient with her questions as she wrestled with the gospel message. We have attempted to live a life that pointed toward the gospel. We have encouraged relationship with Christian adults and children where she could see the gospel lived out. We have spent many nights in prayer for her salvation. However, though we did all this the thing that won the heart of my daughter was the love of her Savior.

For you see, she was not won over by watching perfect parents or by living on the mission field near some of the most godly people I have ever known. She was not persuaded by theological arguments. Lydia Jane was brought into the kingdom of light from the kingdom of darkness because the Creator of the all that is cared enough to speak to the hear of a little girl.

Thank you God for you God for your grace… for loving us even when we deserve your wrath. Thank you for my dear Christian sister and my daughter Lydia.

For Unto Us A Child Is Born…

2008-12-26T22:54:00.003-03:00

Sarah Elizabeth Gilpin was born on December 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pm. She came into our family after a long week of complications, trips to the Emergency Room, and the final decision that an induction was necessary. Because the gestational age was only 38 weeks the induction took longer than usual, but the Lord was so faithful.

When Sarah Beth was born she had the umbilical cord tightly wrapped around her neck which was preventing her from coming into the world quickly, and the doctor informed us that a C-section might be necessary. I firmly believe that the prayers for us during that long day and night saved our child’s life and allowed us to have a normal and healthy birth experience.

We will write soon more about the birth experience in a foreign land and other wonderful stories about our little addition.

A Demonstration of Love...

2008-12-01T21:44:00.010-03:00

Recently, Andy (another missionary here in Belém) and I visited a local Assemblies of God church. We were preparing for a team of statistician which are looking at the rapid growth of this denomination in Brazil. When we arrived, Andy and I were directed to sit up front with all the pastors and leadership of the church. While sitting up front and listening to announcements, one of the pastor leaned over to Andy and told him that he wanted to tell him his testimony. Andy told him he would love to hear it. So, instead of waiting till later, the man began to tell the tell during the announcements. I recount this and his testimony because it is one of the clearest views of Godly love and compassion I have every heard... and because it is true.

The story goes...
This young man and current associate-pastor was once a rabble-rouser. In his own words, he use go out and "do what men do." With a young wife at home, he would spends his nights with a bottle of alcohol, an another woman, and often using some illicit drug. The relationship between the two, I am sure was strained at best. One night, the young man came home extremely late (actually he came early the next morning). As he arrived, he was met at the door by his wife. He said, he knew that this was it... he was sure that she had had enough. So, he sat down and prepared for the worst. Rather than yelling or lashing out at the unfaithful man, this Christian wife simple ask one question and performed one act which changed this man life. She look at him and simply wanted to know when he was going to stop living life this way. Then she took off his shoes, which I am sure smelt of the previous evenings activities, and washed his feet. The young man said that this one act of love broke him and he began to weep. He then look at Andy and said, "...now look at me, I am a pastor."

This story is a beautiful example of how a Christian can love like Christ. This young woman would have been justified in her anger. The worldly would have cheered her on if she would have hurled household items at him. Many think she would have been right to leave him and move on to a healthier relationship. The way he chose to treat his wife incites within many of us anger and desire for revenge. However, she ignored all those nature responses. The lovely Christian woman chose to forgo her revenge and to love instead... and God chose to use this outpouring of love to call to salvation this young man. I know that this young lady's relationship with the Lord must have been and I am sure still is so beautiful and close... for you see, she saw her husband through the eyes of Christ.

Oh, that we, that I, would love this way. To love those who wrong me. To minister to those who hurt my family. To look through the circumstance and to see the person with the eyes of his or her creator.

I pray that this story affects you the way that it affected me... to make you realize the importance of Christian love especially to those who are lost and dying in their sins.

A call to arms...

2008-11-24T09:14:00.009-03:00

I just read this morning, a very familiar story for many people... the tale of David and Goliath in the seventeenth chapter of 1 Samuel. For those of you who may not know the story or have not read it in some time... it begins with the army of the nation of Israel cowering in the shadow of the Philistine army and it’s champion, the giant soldier Goliath. He is daily taunting the ranks of the Israelites. The Israelite see an insurmountable task... to defeat the obstacle before them. In the mist of this, we see the youthful David, the youngest son of Jessie of Bethlehem, arriving to bring supplies to his older brothers and return with news for his father. David sees the fear among the ranks and begins to question the soldiers. We soon see this young shepherd, who refused to don the armor of a warrior, walk out to meet the giant Philistine. With a simple sling and stone the young boy kills the man who held the Israeli army at bay.

Why do I write about this story? Why recount the tale again, though for many it is such a familiar story? Because I was struck again by David… here we see a young man, one who would later be king over God’s people and the writer of much of the Psalms, have faith in his Lord. Unlike so many around him, he stood up and ask the question, "...Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26)" Wow! What a statement. He stand with these veteran soldiers and challenges their courage and devotion. Later in the account, David says to Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." Standing before a seeming insurmountable foe, David speaks with conviction and total faith in the outcome.

I wonder how often I am the armies of Israel, cowering in the corner of life. Wonder when God will step in and save me. I am unsure how often I have been David standing before giants in my life with the confidence of this young man. Oh, that I would have the faith to stand and say that I am a servant of the Most High and you will not win this battle.

Each of us daily fights the giants in life, whether we do this on a personal level or as part of the body of Christ, we must stand like David and say who are these people or this circumstance that it should defy the soldiers and armies of the living God. Let us fight so that the whole world will know that their is a God!

In the Presence of God...

2008-11-13T23:24:00.007-03:00

Recently I have been reading through book of 1 Samuel. As I was reading the second chapter of this book I was struck one theme that was apparent... that Samuel was consistently in the presence of the Lord. One example of this is at the end of 1 Samuel 2:21, which states, "Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord." This chapter was both an encouragement and a conviction for me. I am the father of three children (the third due in about six weeks) and a missionary on foreign soil. At times, life here is difficult and frustrating... especially when I realize that my children are missing out on so many things. I wish so much that I could take them places that I love in the States. I want to buy them so many things. I want them to eat American cuisine to their hearts delight. I want them to have towels that have been dried in a dryer. I want them so much to spend time with grandparents, cousins, and aunts/uncles. But, at this time all of those things are not possible. However, our whole family has the privilege of serving God on the foreign mission field. So, like Samuel of old, I believe that my children are being given a special gift... to grow up in the presence of the Lord.

The conviction from the chapter was two fold, first do I truly trust my children to the Lord as Hannah did with Samuel and do I make sure that my children see the presence of the Lord in my home and in their Father. I can truthfully say that their are many times when I fail at both of these task. The good news is that I am a work in progress... every day my Heavenly Father changes me to conform to the image of His Son. Therefore, I hope that as my children grow older each day and each year, they see more of the Lord's presence in their home and in their earthly father. I hope that each of you aspire to see your children grow up in the presence of God and then you do something to make that a reality.

Faithful and Unchanging...

2008-10-01T22:43:00.004-03:00

We are fast approaching our one year anniversary of living in Brazil. This fact, along with the recent visit of my mother, has brought me to a point of reflection. As I reflect on the past year, I am amazed again by the unchanging ways and the faithfulness of our Lord and God. The same God I read about in Scripture is at work in the life and ministry of me, one of His servants.

From the very beginning of the process of being approved by the International Mission Board (IMB), Tara and I were brought over and over to a specific verse of Scripture. In the book of Hebrews, the eleventh chapter and eighth verse God is speaks to Abraham who is being called by God to leave all he knew to go. The Bible tells us that Abraham obeyed this call “even though he did not know where he was going.” This was verse was for us… we knew that we would spend time on foreign soil in ministry for the Kingdom but the where it would be and the organization if which we would work was up in the air for so long. However, our faithful Father in Heaven knew the place we would serve for you see, almost two years before applying with the IMB, a family serving in Belém, Brazil was praying for God to call someone to minister to the leadership in the interior of their state. Being faithful to call workers to the harvest fields and being faithful to our family, the Lord placed on our hearts the task of training leaders and led us to work in Brazil.

After faithfully helping us navigates the difficult process of obtaining a missionary visa to enter Brazil, our family boarded a plane with way too many suitcases and carry-ons. We arrived, at almost 4am one morning late in October. Again, the Lord was faithful to answer our heartfelt prayers for there to meet us were much of our mission family. Though we did know it at the time, those who were present to pick us up would become some of the dearest people to us we have ever known.

With the help of those dear people, we would begin to settle into a routine of taking the children to Brazilian school and going to language school. However, although these days became routine, they did not become easy. One of the first hurdles we had to overcome was learning to survive here, for you see things are so different. For example, the items in the grocery stores though similar are so different. As you may remember from an earlier post, the items in the grocery stories are not ready-made, pop-in-the-microwave-type items. So, after some tears and with the helped of one of those experienced missionaries, we learned that we were going to be able to buy the right things and provide for the nutritional needs of our family. After this, one of the most difficult obstacles was language. The process of learning a third language for Tara and a second for me was difficult. It was so difficult not being able to understand when people spoke, to be anxious whene the phone rang for you know if it was not another missionary you could not speak, and to be terrified to be in public alone because you know you could do little by yourself. Here again, the Lord was faithful to carry us through. During this time, I often referred to a verse in Exodus. In the third chapter, God call Moses to go free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Moses doubted his ability to speak and said, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent … send someone else to do it.” The Lord relented to Moses request and allowed Aaron to speak for him but his response was what made my heart leap. In verse fifteen, God said, “I will help… you speak and will teach you what to do.” You see, the same God that sent Moses and Aaron to speak to the Pharaoh of Egypt is the same God who sent me to speak to the Brazilians. To know that the God I serve will help me to speak Portuguese and teach me what to do was and continues to bring peace.

So, here the Gilpin Family sits, all of us speaking Portuguese to some degree, living and ministering in another land, and continue to depend on God. But as we look over the past few years we see his faithful hand in all that has taken place. He has been faithful to call out His workers to the harvest field in Belém. He has and continues to equip each one of us. Through all the good and bad times, we have seen His sovereign hand and continue to daily be bless by His presence and love.

For those who may read this post, know that this same unchanging, faithful God desires to work mightily in your life. If you are one of His children, pray that He will use you to accomplish His work where ever you may be put. For those of you who do not yet know the Lord, He is waiting to accomplish the most wonderful work yet… for He is faithful and willing save you if only call out to Him.

Brazilian Road-Kill

2008-09-20T10:05:00.005-03:00

As many of you know from previous entries, life is different here in Brazil. It could be the language, the culture, the use of spandex in almost all of a woman outfit but so much of life is very different. However, I never thought that that which crosses the path of my vehicle might be different.

So, just the other day, as I was going to the kids school to pick them up I notice an animal of some sort in the road.This caught my eye because, it seem here in the city we have very little road-kill. Yes, we have trash littering the streets and people selling all sorts of food, drink, and other Dollar General type products but no dead animals. Okay, so as I notice the animal, I slowed down to look at it. Why? I do not have an answer for that... but there it lay, in the path of my car, a dead and flat as a pancake big, ugly, rat.

I can truly say that I have never, in all my days, seen a rat as road-kill. I even worked for the Ohio Department of Transportation for a summer, seeing all sorts of dead beast, however, this takes the cake.

On another day, I was driving to go to a language lesson and I swerved to miss something in the street (not wanting to make road-kill of a pet). Only after passing, did it register with me that what a missed was a very large, black, ugly spider. Yes people, I could tell from my car passing at 40 mph that it was a spider... for you see it was the size of a big cat. Oh, how I wish I had made it road-kill.

So, next time you drive and notice an animal unfortunate enough to be road-kill, think of us and say a prayer for us as we continue to learn to live in a culture so different from our own.

Matt, the Cockroach Hunter

2008-08-30T20:28:00.004-03:00

This is a great story - hang on for the ride.

We have a wonderful house helper, Eliana, who comes twice a week to do the heavy cleaning and cook a meal. Since I have gone back to work and am pregnant her help is invaluable. However, she is originally from the interior of Brazil and people who grow up in the interior believe some really weird things. She wanted to take the couch apart and use the dust buster to clean out the crumbs and dirt - you know great things that get trapped in there, because she is completely paranoid about bacteria of all kind. So, Matt removed the back of the couch which comes off for easy cleaning (so we thought.)

When Matt pulled the back of the couch off five nasty cockroaches came scurrying out. Four of them were relatively small, but there was one nasty, big, nuclear powered, mama roach. As soon as the roaches came out of the couch both Eliana and I jumped about a mile up onto any solid surface and started screaming. Now, if you know Matt well you know that he could show up any boy scout at any time - the man is prepared for every disaster, and most of his tools are shoved deep into his pants pockets. So Matt comes running to the rescue with this crazy Crocodile Dundee knife that he has. He ran the back section of the couch out onto the porch and started impaling cockroaches with this knife he carries around. Every time he killed one he brought the writhing thing back into the front room on the end of his knife and said, "Is that the big one you saw?" Meanwhile, Eliana and I are about to climb the walls to get away from any future roach invasion. Matt was on the back porch beating the fire out of the back of the couch and killing roaches left and right when the big mama roach ran out of the couch, across his MOUTH, and scurried over his face. Matt successfully impaled this one and brought his catch in as if he had caught the big mouth bass or something.

Later, when Eliana and I were cleaning out the couch - turning it inside out and upside down - we found roach eggs inside in about three places. AGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! When I think about people who have roaches in their furniture I think about those unfortunate folks who go on Jerry Springer by day and get arrested on COPS at night, not me, not ever me. However, when you live in the Amazon it never gets cold enough to kill any insect life off so they just grow and grow and show up everywhere. Matt and I went to the grocery store later that day and bought a ton of roach killing stuff and coated the couch, floor, rug, door frame - you name it.

After the shock of our ordeal was over Matt said, "Aren't you proud of me for catching all the vermin in our house?" Of course I was, of course - and when I kissed him in affirmation he said, "That's where the roach ran across my face." He's such a boy.

So there you go - a story for all time - notice that we did not include a picture of this lovely episode. We were a little too shell shocked to think to pull out the camera, and really - imagination will give you the best idea of what it was like. :-)

Are We Eager?

2008-08-06T06:44:00.003-03:00

I have been doing a study on some of the basic Christian beliefs from various scriptures throughout the Bible. My passage recently, has dealt with Hope for the Future. In the third chapter of Peter’s second epistle, we see a discussion on the return of the Lord. After speaking of God’s return and the destruction of that which is fallen and sinful, these words are written, “…it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God…” After reading this phrase, I spent some time thinking about two important questions…

Do I live in such a way that we expect to see our Savior soon?

Do I live with an eager expectation?

And you know, I can not say that I can answer either question with the answer, all the time. I, at times, live a life, in my conduct, which I would be happy to be seen on the day of the Lord’s return. Some days, I live with eagerness and at time want His return now. But, I can truly say that life and parenting and work/ministry can get in the way of my concentration on my conduct and earnest desire.

I pray that you I and will take time each day to ask ourselves these questions and to pray that our we have godly and anticipatory hearts.

With Heavy Hearts...

2008-07-15T10:00:00.001-03:00

It is with a heavy heart I write this morning. Our dear friend and IMB Missionary colleague, Elaine Lambach, a missionary serving here in Belém, Brazil, died Monday evening, July 14^th after a brief illness. Elaine and her husband Paul have been our mentors since Tara and I arrived in Brazil. Recently, Elaine became sick and went to the doctor. She was diagnosed, I believe, with pneumonia (or at least symptoms like this illness), she was treated and went home. She return with breathing trouble very early on Monday morning and was hospitalized. She was diagnosed with septic shock, a massive bacterial infection, placed in ICU and we were hoping all would be well. We soon found out that her kidneys had shut down. Later that evening, we were told things were much worse than we thought and she was not expected to live through the night. One by one, her organs were failing. Last night, just after 11:00pm Elaine Lambach passed away. Services here in Brazil will be held today and arrangements are being made to take Elaine home to Knoxville for burial.

Please be in prayer for her husband, Paul, as he deals will all the emotion and the many details this all involves and sudden loss of his wife. Please pray for each of their 5 children – sons Joseph (serving in the military), Jonathan (at Union University in TN), David, (who graduated from high school this year), and two young daughters, Rachel (age 12) and Hannah (age 9). Pray for God’s peace and grace to permeate the lives of this family during this difficult and unexpected time. Also, please continue to pray for her extended family in the states, her mission family here in Brazil, and her dear friends.

A Time Of Spiritual Renewal...

2008-07-09T11:16:00.002-03:00

Sorry for the lack of communication but life has been busy as of late. The family just return from AGM (Annual General Meeting). All the missionaries from Brazil with our organization gathered in a small community outside of São Paulo. The meeting was held at a wonderful hotel and conference center. We had buffet style meals which were wonderful. We had a wonderful guest speaker, the president of Golden Gate Seminary, Jeff Iorg. His teaching was poignant and thought provoking. I believe everyone was blessed by his presence. A group of people from a church in Florida came to provide the praise band and Vacation Bible School for the missionary children. What a blessing each of these people were to us. My children had a wonderful time and I know they were cared for and loved. Additionally, were able to meet and talk with missionaries through out Brazil. Some had served less time then us while others had served more than two decades. The stories and experience conveyed to us by these missionaries were uplifting and a blessing. Servicing in northern Brazil is difficult but the friendship built during this week together will serve to keep us focused on the task. This time was truly a blessing and a needed time of spiritual renewal.

Whatever You Do…

2008-06-17T19:27:00.001-03:00

A catechism is a summary doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present. These manuals are often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorized. One of the most famous is the Westminster Catechism. The longer version has as its for question-answer the following:

What is the chief and highest end of man?
Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

Often, I have used this when counseling other Christians and I have been known to use it in a sermon or two. However, as with so many things, this has taken on a new life in the light of the mission field.

Here in Brazil, I (Matthew) have good days or bad days. Some days I feel great about what the Lord will do through the ministry He has given us. Some days I feel frustrated by the lack of obvious signs of God’s movement. However, I must remember what I am doing here. I am not here to teach the leadership of Northern Brazil (though I will be doing this). I am not here to convert the lost to Christ (though I pray that this will take place). I am not here to learn Portuguese (though this is happening, even if it is slowly). I am here because my Lord and Savior has called me to this place for this time in my life. I am here because it glorifies God.

While here in Brazil, I hope that I am often reminded of this question-answer in the Westminster Catechism for it will keep me focused on the Lord. I hope it does the same for you. Remember, the Bible states in I Corinthians. 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

To whom am I listening...

2008-06-05T14:22:00.004-03:00

I (Matthew) am driving down the crazy streets of Belém and listen to Christian band, Casting Crowns, song The Voice of Truth, and it just struck me. Do I listen to the voice of truth?

I sit here, in a foreign country, as a so called missionary and some days I am ready to storm hell gates. Other days, I ready to storm the international airport and find my way back home. After months of… sitting in class, trying learning a foreign language… of dealing with those things which are part of this culture but make no sense to my American mindset… of dealing with the daily battle I grow weary. At times, I feel so mentally and physically tired and I know I am not alone. My dear friend in Moscow echoes my sentiment.

But, then, as usual, my dear Lord and Savoir speaks… this time, when I spent time sing to Him while driving alone (and if you have heard me sing this is not a pretty sound). This song comes up and I remember that I must seek daily the face of my Heavenly Father. I must again remember that it is He whom I cherish and only His voice to which I should listen.

To all, may this be the day you seek, hear, and following the voice of Christ.

HERE ARE THE LYRICS :

Casting Crowns - Voice Of Truth
(From the album Casting Crowns)

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth, cause Jesus you are the voice of Truth.

Feliz Aniversario Minha Filha...

2008-06-04T21:02:00.004-03:00

Wow, our little girl Lydia celebrated her 5^th birthday this month… when did this happen. She is such a big girl and we love her so much. We were able to celebrate with two great parties. She had one party with her friends at school and a second party with her friends and mission family at our home. Both parties were so much fun and Lydia received many wonderful gifts from friends here and those back in the

USA

One of the great moments was a special treat to share with our mission family… a Duncan-Hines cake mix and Duncan-Hines frosting from the good ol’ U.S.A. The faces of the Americans were priceless as they ate the fattening but wonderful desert.

We thank God for our sweet Lydia and for the way that she is growing to know more about Him every day. May each of you be blessed by the children which are part of your world.

A Mother's Day to Remember...

2008-05-28T20:46:00.008-03:00

This Mother’s Day, Matthew and I (Tara) learned that we will have a new addition to our family in January of 2009. Of course we are thrilled with the news. However, we are a little apprehensive about how it will be to have a new baby in Brasil. We ask special prayers that God’s hand of protection will be on our family during this time. Furthermore, we ask for you to pray that we will have a safe, uneventful pregnancy and that all of the details that have to come together before this new little life comes into the world. We are excited to see how God will use this to bring joy to our lives and more people into His kingdom.

A Land Flowing With Milk & Honey...

2008-05-18T08:01:00.003-03:00

Deuteronomy 6:10-12

10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

The other day, during my (Matthew) quiet time with the Lord these verses were part of the passage in which I was reading. It speaks of God’s provisions for the nation of Israel. When the people entered the promise land they were given much for which they did not work and sweat. Not only did the Lord provide these things, He brought them to this promise land from slavery in Egypt and from wondering in the wilderness. In these verses, we see the loving and gracious character of God. He brought these people, who He foreknew would abandon Him, out of slavery and out of the rebellion of the wilderness into a wonderful life in a land with so many comforts and so much wealth or to paraphrase Scripture, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’.

I thank the Lord of Heaven and Earth that I know this amazing God and that I have experienced His grace and mercy. For you see, I was a slave to my sin and wandered in a wilderness of worldly desires. However, God chose to reach into to this world and to bring me out of this slavery and wandering to a land flowing with so many riches. Like the Apostle Paul, I so often feel like the most offensive sinner of all. Nevertheless, thankful my past and present sins are forgiven. The gracious gift of Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection has brought me to a land I could not have even hoped for a dozen years ago. A land where my sins are forgiven, were I can trust the health/safety of my children to one who cares for them more than I, and thankfully to a place where I can rest for my Savior and Lord is in control.

Thank you God that you still a God which continues daily to reach into this sinful world and bring sinners out of slavery and wondering into a land flowing with mild and honey.

Endure…

2008-04-27T16:31:00.001-03:00

As so often happens, during my (Matthew) quiet time with the Lord, a verse struck me as speaking to my situation at that moment. For you see, it is so easy to want lose heart and focus here in Equatorial Brazil. The culture is different. The language is difficult. The service at church is different and long. A trip to the store is, to some extent, different. These things are not sinful in and of themselves but it is so easy to allow yourself to focus only on these things. I am sure these are tools in the hand of the evil one too, used to divert us from our task and unfortunately I am at times easily diverted.

Nevertheless, our family was called to the mission field for a season and we should be focus on the task at hand for is a privilege to serve our Lord here, in this place and at this time. So, on one of those days when the heat was almost unbearable, the culture frustrating and one just wanted retreat to an English speaking television program and an expensive-to-run air-condition room, this verse confront me “… let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:1b-2a).” It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can bring to bear on us the weight of Scripture. Those words “lay aside,” “ensnares,” “run,” “endurance,” and “keeping” all seem to speak to me and say that I must again remember to treat this time of service to Lord as if it truly meant something…for you see it does. God did not bring the Gilpin family here for no reason. Rather, our sovereign Lord brought us here to reach the lost. So, on those days when it is hot (wait, it is always hot) and on those day when I am frustrated, I hope to remember to put on my running shoes, set my sights on the Christ and run!

Therefore, no matter where you are today, remember that you need to lay aside all those things that turn your attention from God and focus on the one that truly matters, Jesus Christ. Who endured even to the point of death for your sake and for mine.

Motivated By Love…

2008-04-05T18:34:00.002-03:00

I think that a human is made to love… either a person loves themselves, loves others, or he/she loves God. Now, these are not mutually exclusive, rather our God-given ability to love often encompasses all of these types of love. The battle for many, and of course for me (Matthew), is to make sure that the love for God is given first place. This is against human nature, for we too often want our way even if we know it is not God’s way.

So, there are those days when Tara and I want to leave Brazil. It is not that we hate it here or that life in this place is as difficult as other places. We are blessed to live in a wonderful apartment, to have a S-10 4-Door pick-up, and to have only one current job which is to learn the language. However, some days we just want to pack up all we have and leave… then, as often happens, God speaks. Whether it is through a song, a scripture verse, an e-mail from a friend or prayer-partner, or though my little girl.

Now, you have heard me repeatedly speak of Lydia’s heart for the lost. Today, I was again amazed by her desire for those who need the Lord. Lydia, Samuel and I were at a stop light waiting to turn and as usual several people came up to our windows begging for money and selling everything under the sun. We seldom patronize these vendors nor do we give to those who beg. However, this day I told Lydia to give 50 centavos (about 0.30) to an old beggar who was missing one leg. As we pulled away, Lydia said, “Daddy, I did not tell him about Jesus.” After some discussion about learning language and about meeting people’s physical needs, she said, “Do you think Jesus is proud of me?”

What a beautiful reminder of the reason we are here, LOVE. For Christ loved us and His love for us makes us long to tell others of His love. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” So, on those days when I want to go home, do I die to self and live for Him? On those days when life is good, do I die to self and focus not on self but on the lost?

If you are child of God, I pray that you and I might have a heart for the lost like Lydia! If you are not, then know you are loved by a God and a little missionary girl whose heart is as big as her God.

I Want to Know You More…

2008-03-25T22:29:00.001-03:00

Church is difficult. Each church service is at least two and one-half hours. Tara understands a good deal and I little. But, at times, even when I understand little, God speaks…

I sat in church recently, listening to the praise chorus I Want to Know You More being sung in Portuguese. I was singing it in English. During this time, when I again understood little, God spoke through the language barrier directly to my heart. I realized this night two important things…

First and foremost it has been my heart’s prayer for so long… to know my Savior more. As I sat in church calling out to God in song, I realized for the first time how my faithful Lord and Savior has answered this often unspoken prayer. For, he has allowed me to see his heart for people. Thank you Lord. Through the heat, the homesickness, the language learning, the cultural adjustment, just through all that is part of this mission experience God has given me a glimpse of His love for me by showing the love He has for others. Now, know this everyone, that this doesn’t magically make the day to day life easier but, if it brings me closer to Him, then all the hard days are worth their weight in gold. I hope that I can stand through the bad days and rejoice in the good ones, knowing that these experiences are teaching me to know Him more.

The other significant realization I took away was that I have often sung wonderful old hymns and fantastic contemporary praise choruses, truly meaning every word of what I was singing without ever knowing that my prayers would be answered in this place. The other night I was praying and singing in private… the chorus from the hymn Where He Leads I Will Follow came to my mind. It goes, “… where He leads I will follow, where He leads I will follow, where He leads I will follow, I go with Him, with Him, all the way.” How much more does this song speak to me today and in this place? I have sung the tune dozens of times not knowing what it might cost to see the words of this hymn worked out in the life of my family and me. Life in Brazil is wonderful but difficult, amazing but hard, but it is in this place that God has led us to follow Him. God is at work, will I follow? Am I willing? My prayer is that I will be true to His calling and that He will give me the strength to live up to the words of this hymn.

So, as you sit in church singing… as you look at a hymnal… as you listen to the next praise song on a CD or Christian radio... listen to the words. Let them speak to you. Sing them with a new perspective. Sing them as a prayer to God. Sing, Where He Leads I Will Follow, and mean every word. For, you see, we serve a wonderful God and He will answer your heart-felt, God-honoring prayers.

A Brazilian Oddity

2008-03-19T14:05:00.004-03:00

Before the installation

One of the things that we found odd when we first moved to Brazil was the lack of amenities in our new apartment. When Brazilians move out of a home or apartment they take everything with them, and I do mean everything. I don't think that we even had light bulbs when we first moved in. The incredible oddity was that they pull all of their cabinets and counter tops out of the wall and take them along. Thus, the problem. In our kitchen I was preparing meals on the table, but fortunately the IMB agreed to pay for us to have custom cabinets and counter tops installed.

The day that these were installed was a happy one as it provides for much more convenience, and just makes the day to day business of living a little bit easier. When you give to the missions offerings you are doing a great service to those of us serving on the field. Not only does it give us the resources that we need to more effectively spread the gospel, but it also gives us the daily conveniences that are often lacking in developing nations. Thank you for all you do to support us, to pray for us, to encourage us, and to give to our efforts here.

After the installation

the city and beyond...

2008-03-04T22:10:00.006-03:00

A short video of Belém, the river, the islands,
and those to whom God has sent us to minister…

Opening the Door...

2008-02-26T16:40:00.006-03:00

Matthew had the distinct privilege of ministering this month to a small island community about three hours up river from the city of Belém. A team consisting of members of the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary (EBTS) and the Brazilian Bible Society (BBS), along with three I.M.B. missionaries participated in the first of several trips in a church planting project. These groups hope to plant a church in this small river community with no evangelical presence.

This island community is made up of fifteen families totaling about 240 people. However, being that many communities like this are closed to outsiders we decided to use this trip to open the door for further evangelism. For this reason, the team used two boats owned by BBS called the “Luz da Amazonia” (Light of the Amazon) to bring medical and dental care to the community. In addition, we used the boats to power a projector for the purpose of showing the Jesus film as well as feed the community a small meal.

This may not sound like much but it seems to touch the hearts and lives of those living in this community. The people of the community see our Lord's love in a tangible way and this helps counteract the influence of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church in Brazils, like in most of Latin America, is so thoroughly intermixed with pagan, mystical, animistic beliefs that Jesus is relegated to second place behind Mary or even statues of Mary. An example can be seen here in Belem where a yearly festival known as Cirio de Nazaré has been celebrated in about 1793. During this festival the image of the Virgin of Nazareth, an ancient statue of Mary, is brought from a rural chapel to the Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth. This involves a great street procession through the city towards the city's main cathedral. During this procession, a symbolic ‘’cord’’ about 487 yards long and weighs about 1,500 pounds pulls an ornate cart carrying this statue. It is a great honor and desire for devotees to touch or hold the cord. Many sweating bodies, in the tropical heat, push and pull and are often crushed in their desire to express their faith in the procession. Many go barefoot and often faint along the way. Other devotees carry life-size replicas of body parts made of wax requesting Mary to cure them. Some carry replicas of houses or boats that they would like or are thanking Mary for blessing them in the past year. Some, to show their devotion go on their knees and one year, a man with 150 live crabs covering him paid his homage. Often along the way, songs of adoration to Mary are sung with tears and show of emotion. This festival just shows how far from Christ the people have strayed. Evangelical Christianity is the only hope the people of this island and many others may have of knowing the true Jesus who loves them and freely offers the gift of salvation.

This Saturday, a door was opened and the light of Christ began to shine in a dark place. Please pray that future trips will continue to open the door for the planting of a God-honoring, evangelical church.

A Priceless Gift...

2008-02-13T14:00:00.007-03:00

Valentines Day 2008

Imported Campbell’s Tomato Soup...
R$7,71 per can ($4.42 USD per can)

Imported Portuguese Chocolates...
R$17,52 ($10.03. USD)

My wife being able to have her favorite American meal...
PRICELESS!

Today I am thankful for my wife. She is truly a gift from my Lord and Savior. He has shown His love for me by giving me Tara. Her love for me is what has helped me grow closer to God... who has given me the precious gift of His Son. So, to provide her something to make her smile is priceless.

Psalm 37:4 (NIV) “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

A Road Called Doque...

2008-02-11T17:06:00.001-03:00

As our family begins to learn a new language, so many words and phrases make laugh. It seems that the word sounds like another work in English or that the phrase if translated literally makes no sense. Now, this is not something that happen only as a English speaker learns Portuguese, I am sure it something that takes place as anyone learns a new language. So, without further ado, here is our list:

~Fartar

In Brazilian Portuguese, a verb meaning to gorge or to become feed up with.

In English, well do I need to tell you what this sounds like?

~Ruth

In English, a common name.

In Brazilian Portuguese this name would be pronounced… hoo-chee. This for an English speaker would not be a good translation of the name.

~Boca do Fagão

In Brazilian Portuguese, a phrase used for the burner on a stove.

In English, well, literally translated means ‘mouth of the stove.’

~A toalha de mesa

In Brazilian Portuguese, a phrase used for the tablecloth.

In English, well, literally translated means ‘towel of the table.’

~Dia Da Mentira

In Brazilian Portuguese, a holiday on April 1^st.

In English, well, literally translated means ‘day of lying.’ We have the same holiday but like to call it April Fools Day.

~Dirija-se a outro Caixa (a sign at the post office)

In Brazilian Portuguese, a phrase used to ask you to move to the next window for service.

In English, well, literally translated means ‘drive to the next box.’

~Duque (a sign for a main road in the city)

In Brazilian Portuguese, pronounced 'doo-kee'.

In English, well, sounds like a slang name for something.

~Eu ando no meu carro

In Brazilian Portuguese, a phrase that means I am driving my car.

In English, in a way, if you did not know Portuguese, it could literally mean 'I am walking my car'... for you not only walk yourself but you walk your bike, motorcyle, car, and you even walk the public bus.

A Few Hard Days...

2008-02-11T16:48:00.001-03:00

As we continue to learn a new language and deal with the things in Brazilian culture which seem strange and weird, we have good days and bad days. In the past week, the Gilpin Family has been fighting the common cold. This makes life that much more difficult. However, it is great to know that when one is frustrated, the family of God is willing to lift them up to the Father. Please continue to pray for our family and that we would be faithful to our calling. If you would like to be part of our email list please let us know by sending a note to matthew@thegilpinfamily.com

Another Holiday Corrupted By Sin...

2008-02-02T22:33:00.000-03:00

Many people world wide are getting ready to celebrate Carnival. This festival season is associated with the Roman Catholic faith and is often celebrated with costumes, parades, and a circus like atmosphere. Brazil holds claim to the largest carnival celebration in the world, which is held in Rio de Janeiro. This celebration is theoretically a social event for all but truly is a celebration of the immoral. The gala is known for hedonism and indulgence of immoral human desires. Those who are seeking pleasure and gratification of their sinful nature can be found celebrating along side families and communities. Like its sister celebration in the United States, known as Mardi Gras, Carnival is a celebration which is held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Why hold a celebration to start of the time of year? Well, during Lent, Roman Catholics are supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures, including the consumption of meat. The carnival is considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh.

Like too many in scripture, this is a celebration of the individual and of sinful nature. Like the Israelites of old, the people love to celebrate what their hands have made (Acts 7:41b / Exodus 32:1) and what their sinful nature desires. Please pray that we will be a clear example of Godly character during this period. Also pray for the lost people of Brazil, those who do not care to know God as well as those who follow a false God and false teaching, that they may experience the love of God for the first time.

Our Little Missionary Girl...

2008-01-31T23:01:00.000-03:00

Tara and I have been so blessed to watch our four-year-old little girl become an instrument in our Savior’s hand. In an earlier post, Tara told a story of

Lydia

braving the heat, the mosquitoes, and the language/culture barriers to hand out gospel tracts.

Lydia

said, "Even though I can't speak Portuguese, I can still tell people about Jesus."

On another day, while taking a walk with her father, Lydia saw a man walking down the street. She stopped her father and said, “Daddy, maybe he does not know Jesus.” It so touches the heart of a parent to know that God has burdened this small child’s heart for the lost.

From the mouth of small child, we have been reminded of the reasons that we have left the comforts of the United States to come to Brazil. We, the Gilpin family, have been blessed to be called to bring the greatest gift in history to lost peoples. At times it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves and to allow the difficulties of living in foreign country to cause us to fall into Satan’s traps. However, the words of our little girl sent a clear message to us that God desires that all may know the good news. We hope that we never forget that we our no longer our own. For Christ’s death on the cross released these pitiful sinners from our prison cell of sin. Whether, we live in Brazil or in the United States a four year old little girl has shown us again the love of our Savior.

The rules of the road are mere suggestions...

2008-01-22T22:22:00.000-03:00

Many of you know that in Latin America the rules of the road are mere suggestions. Let me give you idea of what it is like to drive in Belém, Pará, Brazil a city of about two million people.

We leave our apartment in the mornings to head to school. Now this is no small feat, for people here will park almost anywhere. In our parking garage alone, which is about the size of a basketball court, you will find five cars and our S-10 four-door five speed (yes, almost all vehicles are standard not automatic) pick-up. On the side street (about 50 feet long) on the way out to the main street, you will find another five to six cars parked anywhere possible.

So, we finally make it to Ave. Almirante Barroso, a eight-lane surface street. However, we must be careful when entering the street for several ton buses are barreling down on us since a bus stop is almost in front of our building. With the squeal of tires we make it out and the race begins.

For the next several miles until we get to our destination, we must weave in and out of traffic to stay safe and to make it to our destination safely. During this trip, most vehicles ignore the lane lines on the road, if they even exist, and drive wherever. Yes, often at a stoplight (for which most vehicles stop) you will find four-five car wide traffic on a three lane road. The use of your horn is a must and being an aggressive driver is not rude, it is actually expected.

Motorcycles are another interesting addition to the fray. For, you see, they are taught in traffic school to drive between vehicles. Not only this but you will find every sort of delivery driver possible on a motorcycles… yes, water, food, beer, and even portable gas tanks (for cooking). I have even seen a FrED-EX delivery man on a motorcycle (and no this is not spelled incorrectly, no trademark infringement here).

However, we are thankful for our vehicle which our mission kindly provides and we enjoy the challenge of the road most day.

Ave. Almirante Barroso

Yes, the water is heated in the showerhead...

2008-01-19T09:11:00.000-03:00

The product Tara calls the "widow-maker."

So, another oddity for us here in Brazil is the building practices of those in a developing country.

For example, we live in a city of roughly two million people. In this city we have numerous buildings that rise from the city more than fifteen stories with some as high as fifty stories plus. However, no matter how high the buildings, the builders do not use steel beams. Rather, they use concrete beams made on location and bricks to make the exterior walls. I do not know that I have seen a building built in the United States that high without the use of steel girders.

Also, our electrical system is not what we are use to. The system is like that in the United States, in that it uses a similar voltage (127 volts here versus 110 volts in the U.S.). However, it seems that Northern Brazilians do not know what it is to ground a house. You know that third plug that many products have in the United States, well, you can find it on products here but it is of no use for houses and apartments are not grounded. Why you can buy and use three prong outlets and produces is beyond us when they guard against nothing.

Finally, the electrical work in the bathroom is quite different. In the United States, it is required that you have plug-ins in the kitchen and bathroom which have a breaker system that shut off the electricity to protect you since you are close to water (a great conductor of electricity). Not only are these unheard of in Belém we actually have an electrical product, a showerhead, which heats the water which runs through it in our bathroom. Yes, that is what I said, our water is heated in the showerhead. No, we do not have a hot water tank. Some extremely rich people may have one (the same people who have central air-conditioning which is unheard of in homes here). We have only hot water in the bathroom with the special showerheads installed. The strange thing about these showerheads is that you regulate the temperature two ways, one by turning a switch from off to warm to hot and the other is by how high you turn on the water pressure. To take a truly hot shower, you must turn the switch to hot and turn the water on really low but then again, who wants to take a hot shower in an equatorial climate.

yes, since this picture we have had the electrician put an outlet and plug to make the shower safer.

No cereal or candy for the weary …

2008-01-14T20:37:00.000-03:00

Life is different here for the Gilpin family…

For those of you who know Matthew, you know that two of his favorite things are snack foods and breakfast cereal. The lack of adequate items in both of these categories has been difficult. How can one start a good day without ‘Captain Crunch’ or ‘Apple Jacks’ is beyond us? Below are some of the oddities when it comes to food and shopping which the Gilpin family has experienced.

1. The cereal isle consists of corn flakes and frosted flake like cereal only and is only a small section.

2. No breakfast isle exists in the supermarcados (supermarkets).

3. The candy isle consists of different types of chocolate bars and halls cough drops (and yes they are candy).

4. The soda isle is missing Pepsi products (especially Mountain Dew) and has more generic than name brand sodas.

5. You can buy a whole fish (head and all) or some fresh, stinky shrimp in the open market.

6. One can of Pringles in the grocery store costs about $8.00 American. (I got one can in my Christmas stocking – it was exciting!!!)

7. If you put groceries on your credit card you can decide how many payments to divide it up into – that goes for most anything that you buy here.

8. The rice and bean isle is huge, and the variety is mind-boggling.

9. The eggs here are not refrigerated, but they taste okay.

10. Yogurt is drinkable – you really need a straw because a spoon just won’t work – Lydia and Sammy love it.

11. You take your fruit to a person in the fruit section and get it bagged and priced by him or her before checking out.

12. When buying a light bulb you must test it before buying (if you do not they will send someone to do it for you).

13. When buying gas you are not allowed to pump it for yourself (and for those of you who wonder, gas is about $6:50 in U.S. Currency).

These are just some differences – all in all the food is really good, and besides the fact that you can’t buy anything pre-packaged, it’s not bad. We have not suffered in our eating habits – like all good things, they just have to change a bit. Lydia and Sam have transitioned well, and they really like Brazilian food. However, if you were thinking of sending a care package, we won’t turn it away:)

The Best Missionary We've Seen Yet...

2008-01-09T19:59:00.000-03:00

This past Saturday the four of us were able to embark on our first real ministry trip together. We traveled about an hour outside of the city with a group from our new church, Igreja Batista de Pedreida. We went to a community that we would call a shanty town, houses constructed from cardboard, plywood, and tin, but here in Brasil they are referred to as favelas, and unfortunately they are everywhere. We went the the central location in their community which was more or less a shelter house, and we passed out toys to the children and basic food packages to the families there.

Though our Portuguese is extremely limited at this point we did our best to communicate the love of Christ by passing out these gifts to the members of this community. You may think that because Matthew has extensive seminary training that he was at the forefront of the distribution, preaching the gospel. Or you may think that because Tara has been on the mission field before that she was the one communicating effectively to this group, but you would be wrong. Lydia was out in the middle of the heat and the mosquitoes handing out toys, food, and most importantly gospel tracts. She said, "Even though I can't speak Portuguese, I can still tell people about Jesus." She walked up and down the "road" of the community passing out gospel tracts to everyone - absolutely everyone - that she saw (even some of the church members that came with us.)

At times, it is very easy to fall into the trap of self pity because it is incredibly hot here, and the mosquito is the national bird I am sure. Things are very inconvenient here and the pace of life is, at times, way too slow for us impatient Americans. However, at times God chooses a four year old little girl to remind us, again, why we are here. She was, indeed, the best missionary we've seen yet.

A Blessed Holiday Season in Brazil...

2008-01-01T17:09:00.000-03:00

So, here we are…the Gilpin family… living in Belém, Pará, Brazil. Tara and Matthew are currently on a short break from language school and the two little Gilpin’s are getting ready to start a new school year on January 15th. We had a wonderful holiday season. We were able to spend time with friends and mission family for Christmas and New Years, each of these days being both enjoyable and somewhat sad because we miss so many friends and family.

On New Years, we were finally able to have the whole mission family (19 counting the Gilpin clan) over to our apartment for it was finally in order. Those who did not have church commitments stayed till after midnight and watch fireworks from the roof of our building (one of the best site for viewing in the city). Even little Lydia Jane stayed up for the new years. Samuel on the other hand did not make it to all the fanfare. He actually slept through all the commotion. For those of you who have not been in Latin America during a holiday (especially New Years) the fireworks and celebration make the neighborhood sound as if it is in the middle of a warzone. So, the fact that Samuel did not wake was a blessing.

As we begin a new year, we look forward to how the Lord will work in each of your lives and how He will use us to work in the life of others. We expect great things from Him for He is our wonderful Savior who has already given us so much. We are blessed to be called into His service. We have watched our family grows closer to each other and to the Lord. We have been in the presence of many godly men and women who serve our Lord daily. We live in a wonderful mission supplied apartment, drive a wonderful mission supplied truck, and live comfortably in a developing country and for this we thank our Lord and Savior and those who he prompted to give so generously.

Finally, we know that the question has rose in your mind of what has been our experience so far. How does life differ from life in the States? Over the next few weeks, while things are still new to us, we will attempt to clearly communicate what it has been like to transition into a new culture.

Sam crawed into bed with his sister

in the middle of the night...

Have a blessed Christmas...

2007-12-21T08:24:00.000-03:00

We have arrived...

2007-11-16T16:34:00.000-03:00

The Gilpin family is now in Brazil. It has been hot, frustrating, wonderful days. We arrived safe and sound with fourteen suitcases, eight carry-on items, two car seats, a stroller, two wonderful children, and two tired adults on a tuesday less than three weeks ago. After spending a few days in a guest house, we moved in to our spacious apartment. The apartment is in a great location and extremely safe but also noisy due to a main road. With the purchase of a few air conditioners, a number of ceiling fans, and other items, we have made a home for ourselves. The two little ones have settled into a wonderful private Brazilian school and are doing well. The adults start language class on Monday and are anticipating long hours of study.

The past few weeks have been good but hard for the Gilpin Family. Transitioning to a new culture has been difficult, espicailly for Matthew. Continue to pray for good days and for God's peace to be on whole family. Pray in particular for Matthew.

And the Journey begins…

2007-10-19T23:54:00.000-03:00

Packing for a move to Brazil

Our Lord and God is good. As of today, the Gilpin family has been officially ticketed for a one-way trip to Belém, Pará, Brazil. On the morning of 29th of October, the family will load up themselves along with more than a dozen suitcases and carry-on bags as well as passports with visas for a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to load a plane bound for Belém via Miami and Manaus. Upon arrival, the family will either have temporary housing or will have the home which they will be living in for years to come. Other then this, we know little else to tell you…more to come… but next time from Brazil. As we leave, please pray for a save trip, for culture shock that will take place, and for language and cultural acquisition.

A Conclusion In Sight

2007-10-09T23:42:00.000-03:00

Honor and Glory be given to the One who deserves it. Though our visas are not in our hands, we have as of tonight received good news. A short but long sought after email from the Washington, D.C. Brazilian Consulate office arrived at one minute till eight. It simply said, " Very dear Missionary Gilpin , This is to inform you that your Missionary Visa applications have been approved and we will issue your visa during this week." The granting of the visa is a work of our Father in heaven and to Him we give all the glory! Long ago he gave us a heart for the people of Latin America. He narrowed that focus a year ago for the people of northern Brazil. Now, in this moment he has shown His faithfulness and brought us the final piece of paper which will allow us to minister to His people. We are so humbled by His continued faithfulness as well as for His love for us and the people of Brazil.

The Visa Trilogy (our saga continues to continue)

2007-09-15T08:54:00.000-03:00

The saga of visas continues. After a discussion with Brazilian Consulate, Tara and I need to provide a authenticated will-not-evangelize the indigenous population letter (which we were told did not need authentication) along with authenticated proof of one-year Kentucky residence (also provided but not authenticated). For this reason, on Monday for we must travel again to D.C. (two hour plus trip) to get three document notarized, then the notary authenticated, then to the U.S. Department of State for federal authentication, and finally to the Brazilian Consulate to drop off the documents all by 12:30pm. However, we were told if done with proper payment the passports with visas could be sent out on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. Please Pray! The visa process has been long and taxing on Tara and I for this next trip will be our third to D.C. for visa in the last month. Hopefully, I can email you need week to say visas are in hand. However, as we both know, all this is in the hand of one who knows best and He will provide them at the right time. Thank your for your intercession before our Father in Heaven and for your thoughts.

The Saga of the Visas

2007-08-29T22:26:00.000-03:00

For the past 2 days we have driven from Richmond, VA to Washington, DC to hand deliever our Visa paperwork to the Brazilian Consulate. The first day that we went, we got there 1 minute late so we had to come back again today. After we submitted all of our paperwork the consulate worker told us that since our visas were "special" that we should expect to wait 60 days, and then there may be a possibility that we would have to return to Washington, DC to complete more paperwork at some point during that 60 days. This creates a problem for us because our regional office will not purchase plane tickets for us until we have visas in hand. We understand that the 60 day policy is pretty much the company line, and that it could take less or more time than that. This Visa paperwork is a process that we have been working on for approximately 6 months, and the requirements for Brazilian Visas are incredible. This is a way that Satan has used to discourage us in the past, but we KNOW that there is a big work in Brazil that God desires to accomplish through us. We have claimed the verse Habakkuk 1:5 which says, "Look to the nations, watch and be utterly amazed for I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." We KNOW that GOD is in control of this Visa situation, and that He knows the absolute right time that we are to arrive in Brazil. We need your prayers to be for the following things:
1) We have to go to Washington, D.C. in 2 weeks. Please pray that this will be the last trip that we will have to make, and that we will be able to meet with the consular officials at that time.
2) Please pray that GOD will show Himself mightly through this situation, and that the visa applications will be processed quickly.
Thank you for all that you all mean to us - we are uplifted through your support and love.

One-Half way through FPO at the ILC on MLC Lane in VA for an ISC family with the IMB...

2007-08-24T16:59:00.000-03:00

The Gilpin family is current in Rockville, VA (right outside Richmond). We are at a place known as the International Learning Center (ILC) which is located on Missionary Learning Center Lane (MLC Lane). For those of you who may not know, we are International Mission Board (IMB) personel who serve in the International Service Corp (ISC) status. Currently we have numerous singles and families training with us for mission work all over the world. We are almost one half the way through a two months of intense training known as Field Personnel Orientation (FPO). This training will assist us in crossing cultures as well as growing closer to Christ. Our time here will end at the beginning of October. In mid-October (the current tentative date set is the 17th) we will be leaving for Brazil for about 36 months.

As we begin this journey, our family can truly say that we have felt God presence and heard His voice speak to our hearts. This has been in part because of the prayers of the faithful who are bringing intercessions before the Fatherl. Thank you so much for those of you whom have said prayers on our behalf.