MICEB Conference on Mosqueiro Island

MICEB Conference 2007 ended last Sunday near Belem. Was a good week of messages, fellowship, prayer and yes, even tolerable business meetings. Some 55 missionaries from Brazil, U. S., Canada, Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain attended plus visitors. A highlight was the special Sat. PM celebration of 40 years existence with our present name, although the mission's origins in Brazil go back some 40 years before that. Vivian and I with two others organized and led 40 minute prayer groups each morning. We also helped some 20 colleagues rehearse one choir number for the Sat. PM meeting, Filhos da Luz. My most taxing task was to serve as Portuguese minutes secretary for the business meetings. That probably completes my administrative participation in MICEB through the years. First I served as mission treasurer for two years, 1991-93. Second, as MICEB president for seven years, 1993-2000. And now during this conference five days as minutes secretary! Goes to show that God's grace is still varied, abundant and enabling for someone who came to Brazil primarily to serve as a theology teacher! As for that part of our work, first semester ends on Thursday and we are ready for it! Enjoy the photos and enjoy your summer wherever you live. The black & white photo was taken c. 1972!
P. S. One pineapple fell off already and is slowly ripening. Is there hope for the other? (See last blog...)

Computers, Pineapples & Anniversary

Our computer problems continue but at least we were able to send a June update to our 'revised' address list. Our list is probably 75% as complete as it was before our laptop stopped functioning. Let us know if you didn't receive the update, please. Things are beginning to pop around here: entering last three weeks of the semester to teach and receive student papers; visit from our international director this weekend; our annual field conference in Belem next week (students don't particularly like the work we leave them for the week of classes we will miss but that's life!).
On June 5th we celebrated 37 years of happy marriage, evidenced by the photo. Yes, those are roses! And the other photo shows how pineapples really do grow in the tropics. Takes two years, though. They are in a little 'flower bed' out front, by our now paved street. The neighbor boy and I are carefully watching to see that our two pineapples reach a delicious maturity in the next couple weeks. Nice to see something growing like that.