Mission Trip Video Drama

A drama was presented in the Sunday morning worship service at ParkwayHills Baptist church the Sunday after the mission team returned from the Brazil Mission Trip 2008. The drama was used to present the gospel during the Brazil P-70 mission trip 2008. The drama was presented at the ParkwayHills Worship Service on July 27, 2008.

Click here to view the drama.

Brasil - Day 14, "Home - to never be the same"

I do not know how this can be so, but it is... for this year's trip to Brasil was - once again - the best mission trip we have taken to this region - EVER. When God puts things together they are something else, and God certainly put this year's mission trip to Minas Gerais together - including the team, the city's we visited, the Brazilians with whom we worked, the funds, your prayers, and... the results, which will last into eternity.

We began the "long journey home" on Sunday morning (07.20.08) by way of visiting one of the city's and churches we will work with next year. The city is named, Indihabira (pronounced as "In Die a Bira"), and there we had a brief but meaningful service and lunch, exploring next year's possibilities. The city sets alongside a range of mountains that slope gently up and away from the town, and are separated by verdant pastures and meadows. Horses and other livestock graze along the hillside, and in this very clean, cozy town we plan to offer next year a VBS, Sport's Activities, a Medical Clinic and evening worship and evangelistic services - just as we did this year.

The most amazing thing about this whole operation (the P70 church planting and strengthening initiative) is what I must call, "God's timing," so evident in every way. For everything about this region and our experience - including the people, economy, pastors, churches, the movement of God's Spirit, and even the municipal and governance structures - are ripe for a great harvest of souls and new churches. It is the most amazing thing I have witnessed in all of my ministry life and a true blessing to be a part of it all.

On Monday we spent a 'relaxing day' at a country retreat center called, Hotel Fazenda Eldorado, where many enjoyed horseback riding, relaxing around a pool, jogging, hiking, and the gorgeous scenery - either from a hammock on the porch or through a walk around the compound. The place, which is set in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, was a far cry from our past 10 days but a blessing for us all. Before loading the bus that evening we sat on a deck overlooking the river and shared about our days. There were tears of joy as we expressed what these days had meant to us all.

Then, the journey home!

Through the night we bused approx. 800 kilometers to Rio de Janeiro, where we enjoyed a bit of 'sight-seeing' and shopping while waiting on our evening flight home. From Rio to Sao Paulo to DFW, we did just that - arriving home this morning (07.23.08) at 6:00 am, exhausted but full from a 'journey' that had meant so much to us all.

So we thank you for your prayers and your support. It was an amazing 14 days, and none of us - neither the team nor the people of the places we visited - will ever be the same.

Deus te Abencoe, indeed

Pastor Sam

Mission Trip Photos

More photos (click here)...

Written by Hannah Lewis

These past few days have been a great experience for me.I have learned so much on this trip.Not only have I learned more about God but I have learned about these kids and how they live.VBS has been going really good. After a long morning of teaching VBS we would go out to other towns and have a miniature VBS with a group of different kids. It was a lot of work but I’m really happy I came to Brazil. This trip has been …words cant describe.These days have really shown me no mater were you are or what language you speak you can always share the love of God-Hannah Lewis

Brasil - Day 10, "Friday in Mato Verde"

The town awakens slowly on Friday's as if anticipating what is soon to come, which is, "Market Time!" This is when all the farmers and vendors from the surrounding areas arrive to market their wares, trade, and talk. For the young, it is a 'festa' (fiesta). For the old, a time to watch and remember.

The weather over the last several days has been perfect. Cool nights and mild days (sorry Texas). I ache to open my windows at night - which is quite a change from Curral de Dentro where I was so very cold - but the mosquitoes will not allow it. It is my sweet Norte Amercano blood, I suppose. Either way, I represent to these pesky things a new opportunity, and they seem to glory in it, so.... I keep my windows closed at night. Daytime? All is fine.

Today is the last day for our Vacation Bible School here and this afternoon we will travel to the surrounding villages for the last time. Tonight, we will hold our final public service in Mato Verde, where we saw God move in a marvelous way last evening. many decisions were made for Christ and the service, itself, was a bit of heaven on earth. Tomorrow we dedicate the new sanctuary of the Baptist Church here with a formal worship service, then, in the afternoon we will travel to a nearby village for a service and meal with another church. We are all tired, but in a good way.

If you are reading this and from the Parkwayhills church family, remember to pray - not only for us - but for our youth, their sponsors, and Jason and Ashley as they travel to Florida for camp. I fully expect God to speak to these young people while away - and can't wait to hear what He will do in this exciting and excellent venue.

I am - and will continue - praying for all of you back home. You remain in my thoughts - and I love you and miss you greatly.

Deus te Abencoe

Pastor Sam

Written by Laura Terrell

Hey everybody! Betcha wish you were here… we just had some seriously good fried chicken. It was probably walking around sometime yesterday. Other than that, there’s an after-lunch push up contest between Jerry Lewis (team USA) and the biggest Brazilian they could conjure up (needless to say, we win). This is a follow up to yesterday’s arm wrestling tournament. But it’s not all fun and games here, except for the VBS recreation team, and we’ve spent the days loving on Brazilians in the way of Christ. I spend the mornings working with the local children in Vacation Bible School then after lunch we are bused to the outer neighborhoods to see many more kids. My days are very busy, but I sleep well for it. I am encouraged when I remember that I too accepted Christ as a child- I know that what we do here is truly God’s work. Pray for us! And… hi mom.

An interview with Priscila

Brian: Ok, today I’d like to introduce a young lady at our church who who has been visiting us from Brazil for the last 11 months. She is on our mission trip and her name is Priscila. Tell us, Priscila, about your experiences thus far on the trip.

Priscila: I have been learning so much, and I’ve been walking with a wise man named Walt. I’ve been learning English and a lot more about the Bible. I have been visiting the people and Walt is beside me all the time as we go door to door.

Brian: So…you are going door to door. What is your objective as you go door to door in the city?

Priscila: We go to visit the people who are new Christians from the service the night before. Sometimes, if they are not Christians, then we talk about the word of God and try to spread the Gospel and we always pray and always ask how we can pray for them. It is funny… they always invite us to come in the house. They want to make coffee and they want us to be comfortable. They love that we have come to visit and understand how far we have travelled. It is so special. Also, I can’t believe our church comes so far to visit Brazil. Even though I am a part of our group, I am a Brazilian, too, and I am very happy and impressed that our large group comes so far to visit my country.

Brian: How long have you been away from Brazil?

Priscila: I have been gone 11 months.

Brian: That is a long time! I see your father has met you here in Mato Verde. Tell us about your dad.

Priscila: Gilberto is my dad…and this is the first time I have seen him in 11 months. Renan is my brother and he is here too. They came from Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is my city. That is a 24 hour trip from here. My uncle is Marcos, and he is here, too. They shared the driving duties for the 24 hour trip.

Brian: So this is a reunion for you?

Priscila: This has become a reunion for my family, and I have everyone here together for the first time in 11 months.

Brian: What team are you a part of here on the trip?

Priscila: I was on the VBS team but now am on the visitation team. That is where I am working closely with Walt. He is so sweet and kind, and I have learned a lot from him.

Brian: Is there anything you would like to say to your friends back at Parkway Hills?

Priscila: To my friends at church…I want to thank the whole church…everyone is so sweet and loving and I can see how God opened that door at Parkway Hills. I was asking God to open a door for a church. I just love Parkway Hills and I know God took me there to learn more about P-70. I know I will come back on this trip for sure. It is amazing that God took me all the way to Texas to bring me back to my country as a part of this ministry.

Brasil Day 9 - " A Beautiful City"

It amazes me that God has created a world that is so beautiful - both in nature and in the ways of man. This morning I sat on a bench in the town square and observed the universality of this. For as I have had the joy of being in many of the world's places, and to sit on the benches of many a town square, it is wonderfully comforting to observe the same things each time. In each place young people still gather and old men still sit and talk; and, today, I joined them both. Language knows no boundaries when greetings and smiles are the fare, and I delight in being able, always, to do that.

Aside from just people, Mato Verde (pronounced verge) is a beautiful place. It sits at the foot of a mountain range, so that each morning I am greeted by the majesty of God's creation. The town holds a population of approximately 10,000 people (a guess) and serves as a kind of 'county seat' for this area, or municipality. People are very aware of our presence, and seem genuinely enthused about us being here. Each morning I go to the local radio station and am interviewed by a local DJ named, Serginho. Today, I wanted to tell folks the story of my falling on the motorcycle, thinking it might be fun for the radio audience to hear it, but Chris assured me this was not necessary as the whole town already had 'heard,' and were having a 'good laugh.' Ummmm?????

Each morning following breakfast, as well as each afternoon following our lunch, I bring the mission team of about 100 a 'pastoral word'. We have focused on Romans 12 this week. I also travel each afternoon into the rural areas, to smaller villages, and preach and lead in services held in each town square. In the evening, I bring a message to between 200 to 400 persons, at what we call, "evangelistic services.' My text's are always from the gospel's and tell the story of Jesus' actions, ministry, and purpose - with a call for people to receive Him as their Saviour. There are decisions every night, which thrills me. Indeed, the gospel is a powerful thing.

Please pray for us. Our American team, made up of ParkwayHills members, is a testimony to the providence and provision of God. Debbie Lewis leads our VBS, which touches hundreds of children each day. Doctors Jerry Lewis and Sue Benton, along with nurses Marty Murph and Karen Davenport, operate a clinic that brings both care, medicine, and the love of Jesus Christ. And our youth are amazing examples of God's work n their 'everyday' lives, as the children of this place pull and tug at them constantly to play and be noticed. This they do, making their pastor very proud of them.

Deus te Abencoe -

Pastor Sam

Brasil - Day 8 - Things not to do

Today I experienced bruises in the first person - to my body and my ego. How? Well, your pastor rented a Mortorcycle. Not a scooter, which is what I wanted, but a motorcycle. A Honda, tightly geared, able to do wheelies, etc. etc. etc.

The last thing I remember is letting out the clutch and seeing the front wheel raise its head - and, from there- the rest is history. Luckily, I had only traveled 15 feet, which is good, because my speed was the level of only bruising not breaking the bones. To say the least, I have retired the machine, this beast of errant ways, and have resolved to not try this again. Thank goodness Belinda does not read my blogs.

P.S. This whole episode was Chris Davenport´s fault :)

Last evening I experienced a most serendiptous event, truly orchestrated from God. There is a class meeting in our hotel of young Brasilians, who are learning to speak English. Their teacher and I met in the hotel lobby and he asked if I had a moment to speak to his class. He said they would take great delight in hearing someone from the U.S. actually speak. "Of course," I said. What happened from there could only be explained by God. A student asked, "why are you here?" And, once again, I found an opening for the gospel that was God-sent. As I sat there explaining to this towns´young, it´s rightest and best, I was amazed at the providence of our Lord in orchestrating His work for the Kingdom. He is, truly, an amazing God.

I am working on my Portuguese each day and have made a pact with the class to coninue with them, bruses and all. The whole town is talking about the "crazy" pastor who takes literally the call to "take it to the streets." From now on, though, I plan to keep it so by standing and not falling beneath a motorcycle. Amen!

Deus te Abencoe

Pastor Sam

Brasil - Day Seven

It is hard to explain my feelings about being cut off from the world as I know it, yet being totally at peace and satisfied at the same time. For aside from missing the voice of my precious wife and children, and of course all of you, I was resigned upon arriving in Curral de Dentro that my life would just be that way. And... it was! For Six wonderful days.

Of course I went about the town, nestled into the mountains of North Minas Gerais, and found what I could to survive. For me that meant finding a bicycle. And because making friends with these people is so easy - they are so pleased to know you and to help - a gentleman right next to my hotel, when I asked in broken Portuguese where I might rent such transport, said, 'take mine.'

The town of Curral de Dentro is small but the people there possessed large hearts, made only larger by the love we brought them in Christ. The weather each day was cool, and the nights, at times very chilly - without aid of heaters. So that I slept very bundled, even with my hat pulled down over my face - finding the morning temp in my room in the low 50s. BRRRRR! Yes, showering, which I stepped into by stepping outside, was accomplished in 'parts' - if you know what I mean.

The city we are in today is larger, and we will be here for 5 days. As you can see, I have internet. Check out our church blog for more information and pictures.

In short, you all would be very proud of the ParkwayHills Missionaries. They are unbelievable. We have seen many professions of faith. At each service in which I preach people come forward, and this is the direct result of the work of our team. I bring 2 pastoral messages per day, plus preach to large crowds each night. I have preached in city squares, called 'Prasas' and have seen the power of God each time. Our guitarist traveling with us is perhaps the best I have ever workd with. He can play it all - and for me to say I am impressed with someone's guitar playing, well... you can trust me that he it is good.

Continue to pray for us. And especially tonight as I preach in the square of the city of Mato Verde - (Green Grass) .

Deus te Abencoe

Pastor Sam

On the road again...

Well, we are finally back on the road again! The first 3 days of our mission trip to Brazil in Curral de Dentro have to be considered an unqualified success. As a member of the construction team, I am amazed by the organization and ingenuity of Craig Davenport, David Davenport, and Danny Hobson. These three guys paved the way last year in designing and building 20 benches for the church in Espinoza, and they did all of this in 4 days. This year, we finished 20 benches in two days, which gave us lots of time to build other things! All one has to do is describe a project to Craig, David and Danny...moments later it is actually coming to life before my very eyes! We made microphone stands, small tables, foot stools, and other things for the church in Curral de Dentro. It will be interesting to see if we break our bench construction record in Mato Verde, which is our next stop! Brian Terrell

Written by Jordan Davenport

I have had an incredible time in Brasil thus far. The past three days have been incredible and I can only imagine what the rest of the trip has in store for us. I was a part of the recreation team for Vacation Bible School. For the past three days, Brian Davenport, Mike Mowrey, and I played with the children of Curral De Dentro. We played soccer, football, dodgeball, frisbee, relay races, and even some Duck, Duck, Goose. I cant tell you how much I enjoy spending time with these kids. For the first time I have realized just how much potential there is in Brasil. Such a large percentage of the people here have never heard of Jesus’s love. Please continue you prayer as we begin our ministry in Mato Verde. In Him, Jordan Davenport.

Written by Brandon Benton

Those were some exiting three days, I can’t list everything that happened, but I’ll do my best. For three amazing days I worked with children of ages 3-14 in VBS. My Dad and I worked with puppets to teach bible stories to the children. On the last day we used an evangecube to show the children the coice they could make with christ. That day I saw about 45 children accept christ, and was great to see all those children committed to Christ. Every night we would hold a service for all the people in Curral de Dentro. They were all into the service and many adults gave themselves to Christ. All the kids there were kind and were always very interested in the frisbees we brought. Whenever I tried to play soccer with them, even the five year old would completely win. Although we couldn’t understand their language well, and they led a completely different liflestlye, the Brasillian people were the probably the greatest joy in Curral de Dentro. If your reading Parkway Hills, please pray for our crew, the safety of us, and especialy the people of Brasil. –Brandon Benton

Written by Sam Lewis

We are on the road again and it has been a great first 3 days. I am a part of vbs vacation bible school which is very fun because I get to work with all the cool kids and see how much I can learn about them. I got to be with the 7 and 8 year olds and they were a blast, we got to play a lot of games and learn a alot about god with crafts and puppett shows about the miracles the jesus would do back then like when there was a crowd of people that were starving he got two little fish and five loaves of barley bread and feed the whole crowd with left overs. Also when he raised lazaurous from the dead, and when Brandon and Doug Benton talked about how to get to heaven by using the evange cube to help explain. Written by: sam lewis

On the Road from Rio de Janeiro

On the road from Rio de Janeiro to Curral de Dentro, Minas Gerais, Brazil - It is Friday morning at noon, and our team is still on the road but greatly refreshed after a wonderful night's sleep in what most of us recognize as the best accommodations we have ever enjoyed in this country. It could not have come quickly enough, as we left Dallas for Miami on Wednesday afternoon at 6:20 PM, which was about 50 minutes behind schedule. From there, we made our connection in Miami at 11:10 ET with probably 20 minutes to spare. The 8 hour and 30 minute flight was uneventful, and we landed in Rio at 8:40 AM, Atlantic Time. Everyone made it through customs without incident, and the construction team loaded all of the luggage onto the bus. Then, we readied ourselves for an estimated 8 hour trip north to those fine accommodations I've referenced above. Unfortunately, the air conditioning on that bus could not pass muster, so we took an unscheduled 90 minute brunch at the airport while the bus company called in the reserves. Luckily for the construction team, the bus company moved our luggage to the new bus, and we were on our way by 12:30 PM on Thursday.

Well, there are two entirely different ways to measure time and distance: our way and the mission trip way. I'm not complaining, but the mission trip way is really a guesstimate which rarely ever seems to be on the low side. That's just one way of saying that we finally arrived around midnight and, after unpacking and a late night supper, got to bed between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning.

However, we have much for which to be thankful. First, our entire group is both in excellent spirits and in excellent health. Our bus driver is careful, and we have been well fed. Our teams are ready, and we believe God has prepared our way. Our first activity this evening in Cural will be to draw attention to the activities of the next three days by inviting the entire town to a service featuring singing, slide shows, and a guitar concert. Oh...and we are under the bluest sky we have ever seen!

We hope you'll check back often to see what we are doing. And please remember us (and the friends we are about to make) in your prayers. We will be remembering you in ours!

Brian Terrell

Brazil Day One

In just a few hours our Missionary Team to Brazil will leave DFW for an evening flight to Florida that will connect us with an all-night flight to Rio De Janeiro. Arriving early on Thursday, we will use a very nice 'travel bus' for a two day road trip to our first village. On Friday afternoon, January 11, we will arrive in Curral de Dentro and start quickly with an evening service that the people there have been planing for months. Our group of 30 will be joined by about 50 other Brazilian volunteer missionaries who will be with us for the entire 2 weeks. Mostly young people in their late teens and early 20s, they - along with their sponsors and leaders - will help us with our efforts in Vacation Bible School, evangelism, sport camp, and evening worship and singing. It is all very exciting as these people know how and 'love' to worship. I will preach in this service and plan to speak of the 'Light that will not go out' Jesus, the Light of the World - for, when there 2 years ago the lights of the city went out and we held our service by flashlight and candle light. God's Spirit was evident then and I pray will be evident on this Friday, as well.

This mission trip is a highlight of my year, though it is very, very tiring. Pray that I and the others will be refreshed in our spirits, and ready 'physically' for the schedule, duties, and opportunities at hand.

I will keep you 'posted' (pun intended)

Pastor Sam