Journal 2004

As we eagerly prepare for our return to Bauru, Brazil we are both excited and anxious to get "home". The goodbyes are always difficult as we prepare for four more years of separation from family and friends.

It may take some time before we have internet service once we get back to Brazil, but as soon as we're able, we will begin our detailed and regular ministry updates. It is a high privilege to be your ambassadors for the sake of the Gospel. We eagerly anticipate what God will continue to do in our church plant through our partnership.

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Hello from the Blazer family!

It is an amazing feeling to be writing a final update to our faithful supporters and prayer partners before we return to Brazil. Once in Brazil, it may be a while before we are back on line and able to write and receive emails or post updates to our web page.

We are so very grateful for all that each of you has done to make God’s ministry in Bauru, Brazil possible; and it is with excitement and an overwhelming feeling that we are so privileged to return and continue with our church planting ministry.

Many of you have been praying for some of our crucial needs in order to return as planned in December. God has been working in miraculous ways to provide for our needs. We have spent much time in prayer and consideration and have now committed to continue with our original plan for departure in 13 days. We are returning with faith that God will provide the needed support within our first few months in Brazil to continue with our church plant. We still lack about 220 a month, but again believe that God has this in the “works” and desires for us to return believing that He will provide. The other area that we’ve prayed a lot about is our outfit and passage. We have received several gifts recently that have drastically reduced that need to a little more than $5,000. Pray with us as 13 days doesn’t seem like much time, but we know that our God is able.

We are working full force to get the family ready to move again and wrapping up all the details here in the United States. The kids are finishing the first semester of school, and Tim is working continually on the end of his Masters degree. Packing up and moving with just suitcases is proving to be a challenging task, but we’ve already started estimating approximate weight of items and possible difficulties with customs in Brazil.

Thank you for your love and support. Thank you for giving so sacrificially in order that we might be used of God as your ambassadors to a needy city. We value our partnership with each of you and celebrate with you as God is using both of us (you here and us there) to magnify Him and bring others from darkness into the light.

Can’t wait to write a note from Brazil sharing all the great things He is doing! We cherish your prayers as we return believing that He will provide for our still outstanding needs.

Your partners for the sake of the Gospel,

Tim and Andrea Blazer

As the angels rejoiced in heaven and our church family in Bauru, Brazil, we, too, joined in thanksgiving and awe as four people came to a personal and saving relationship with Jesus Christ. After last week’s service, our colleagues called us from the church building to tell us of the great things God had been doing in their midst. After the service a family of 3 and another young lady looked to Dave and Val Smallman for spiritual counsel. After recognizing their need for a Savior, all four gave their lives to Christ that evening.

We rejoiced in hearing this great news, and we continue to rejoice and praise God for the team of partners that He has given us to make all this possible (YOU)!

We have started the last three months of our furlough ministry and are now working both to complete our furlough ministries and prepare for a transition back to Brazil. The month of October is very, very, very busy. Most of our distance traveling is complete, and all remaining churches are located in Michigan. We still look forward to being with some of you this fall.

In addition to our furlough travels, Andrea has accepted several opportunities to speak to women in the area. She loves doing this and investing in the lives of other women desiring God’s best for their lives. The children are in school and loving the “American” experience. This will be their first fall with the changing of leaves (at least that they remember), and they are also learning about American government and politics with the election.

Tim is finishing his degree at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and working diligently day and night to get everything done. We are also serving as spiritual mentors and leaders for the Cornerstone University Soccer team. We love this ministry outlet that allows us to be hands on with young adults and impact their lives as they become men of God.

We can’t wait to get back to Bauru and full time into our church planting ministry. Our hearts ache to be with the people there, yet the cross cultural transition will again prove to be somewhat difficult on the children. Pray with us as we prepare.

Please continue to also pray that God will provide the necessary monthly support and Outfit and Passage for us to return to Brazil on time and as planned in December. He is more than able, and we are eager to watch Him work through the lives of His people to help continue His ministry.

Keep praying!

The Blazer 5.

Greetings! Yes, the Blazer family is now located north of the equator. We completed our first term of service in Bauru, Brazil and returned to the United States the beginning of 2004. This furlough year has proven to be just as busy and insane as everyone warned us it would be.

Tim has already completed two sessions of classes at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and will complete the requirements for his Masters degree this fall. We praise God that He has enabled our family to support Tim in this pursuit and also praise Him for this extra opportunity to more fully equip Tim to serve Him.

Our oldest son, Robert, has settled into an American school and learned what “recess” is. He finished his second semester of first grade here in the States. Robert loved his teacher and quickly adapted to the cultural changes with which he was faced. We also took Robert to see a specialist regarding the multiple right arm fractures sustained and treated while in Brazil and rejoiced to find out that his problem was poor treatment related not a genetic or bone deficiency issue.

The two girls have also settled into a normal American life. Moriah quickly learned the name of all the Disney princesses and started her daily tea parties. Julea turned two and shortly thereafter had her first broken arm. She quickly recovered, though, to continue with all the troublesome and joyous activities of a two year old.

The Comunidade Batista continues strong in our absence. We communicate several times a week with our colleagues, Dave and Val Smallman, and several of the members of our church. The separation has been hard, yet we rejoice with their commitment and the victories experienced. In April, the church celebrated its second anniversary with a baptism and special service.

After having been in the States just eleven weeks, we traveled back to Bauru escorting a group of 17 college soccer players. We helped prepare the Cornerstone University soccer team for this missions trip and returned to Bauru with them to chaperone the 10 day ministry opportunity. These young men were an incredible blessing to our church as well as to the missionaries. They served well and gave completely of themselves in order to show Christ to others.

It was wonderful being back with our church family and friends, even if just for a short period of time. A highlight of the trip was the opportunity to see three young ladies come to know Christ. Two of these young ladies, Andrea had been praying for and sharing Christ with for quite some time. While on this short return trip, she had the privilege of praying with them and rejoicing as they gave their lives to Christ accepting his free gift of salvation.

Continue to pray with us for church growth and the salvation of unbelievers attending the Comunidade Batista. Pray specifically for Dave and Val Smallman who carry on in our absence. Pray for spiritual growth amongst the new believers and leadership development of our core members.

Pray for us as we have many weeks of travel still ahead. Please also pray as we have to raise additional support and Outfit and Passage funds in order to return to Brazil as planned in December 2004. God has done amazing things through us, and we continue to trust Him to work miracles both in the U.S. and Brazil—all for His glory.

We have safely arrived in the States and are adjusting to furlough. Our journal updates will be fewer as we are now separated from our ministry in Brazil. However, we will continue to update you on the family and the news we hear from our colleagues in Bauru. We did rejoice as they celebrated the second anniversary of our church plant. The day was filled with activities including a baptism and special celebration service. It was extremely difficult being so far away; however, we wrote a letter conveying our love and a pastoral admonition regarding the church's purpose. Here is a copy of an update we sent to our churches with a little more information:

Greetings from the Blazer family.

We are finally feeling settled here in Grand Rapids and already well into our traveling schedule to visit all of our supporting churches. Since it has been quite some time since our last update, first we will share a basic timeline and update as to what we have been and plan to do during furlough.

We arrived in Grand Rapids the very end of December and quickly settled into a beautiful home that was graciously provided and furnished by a family from Calvary Baptist Church here in Grand Rapids. Tim immediately started at the Seminary working toward completion of his Master’s. He will graduate after this fall semester. Robert was anonymously sponsored by several families to attend a local Christian school, and he, too, pretty much started immediately.

The first 8 weeks of our furlough, we dedicated to being at our home church and re-connecting with our family. It was a very busy time, and the culture change was somewhat overwhelming. Then in February, we began traveling to our supporting churches to share our ministry. What a privilege it has been to be with family in Christ who have given so sacrificially to make our new church plant in Bauru possible. Sharing such an integral part of our life with these churches has been a tremendous privilege. We look forward to our presence at each of our churches. Showing the church families what God has done with their support/gifts has been an encouragement to all.

In March, we returned to Brazil as chaperones for the Cornerstone University Soccer team. We met many times with them while in Michigan and helped prepare them for a missions trip back to Bauru to help in our church. It was an amazing experience to travel with 17 college students and be involved in their lives for those 10 days. God was glorified through their service, and we were thrilled to have been a part.

A definite HIGHLIGHT from this trip was during the last two days Andrea had the privilege of leading three young ladies to Christ. Two of these ladies, we have been praying for for quite some time. Through tears they admitted their sin, asked forgiveness, accepted God’s free gift, and gave their lives to Christ. An emotional roller coaster resulted. Leading them to the Lord, sharing it with their families (who Andrea had also lead to Christ), and then getting on a bus to travel back to the US one hour later……was a hard thing. Andrea just feels so strongly that God gave her that tremendous privilege to be with them on such a life changing day. We have in place several key people from our church to do a weekly discipleship study with each of them.

Furlough for us certainly is not proving to be a “down time” at all. We are eager for Tim to finish his Masters and working full force toward that. We have also been working to resolve some outstanding medical concerns and getting our legal paperwork in order.

All of the traveling has been difficult on the kids, but they are doing well. We frequently call “home” and find out how things are. We have weekly, sometimes daily, contact with our colleague in Bauru regarding the ministry and our families. Separation has been difficult; however, God continues to do great things in the church. They have had two more baptisms, and the recent salvations from our missions trip. Attendance stays steady and continues to increase little by little. Our church, Comunidade Batista, celebrated its 2^nd anniversary this last week with a praise service. Being away was difficult for us on that day as well, but we just focus on what God has called and enabled us to do and pray that we will continue to serve faithfully where He has placed us for this year.

As we sought opportunities for ministry while here in the US, we were asked to be spiritual mentors/chaplain of the soccer team at Cornerstone University. This resulted from our missions trip, and we are so eager to have a part in these young men’s lives.

We will write again. Keep praying for us as we report to those who have so faithfully made this ministry possible, and as we seek to be faithful servants and witnesses while here in the US.

We cherish your support, encouragement, and prayers.

Tim and Andrea Blazer