July 27, 2010

Dear friends,

We're back in the travel phase again. Looking back and ahead. So much so, that we will have been absent 4 Sundays from the Aratu Church before finally seeing those dear folks again.

It all started the weekend of the 17th, when Dick had a 3-sermon preaching opportunity at Calvary Baptist. This is one of 6 Aratu branch congregations, and was observing its 20th anniversary. That Sunday afternoon, he preached in the Paripe branch work. The past weekend, Dick attended the 3-day annual assembly of the State Association of Regular Baptist Churches. This was at a camp 2 hours away. A rich blessing.

Friday evening, we take a 12-hour bus trip to Barreiras. This will be mainly for Dick to teach a 5-evening journalism module in the Bible College's new branch. There also will be preaching chances this Sunday at 2 churches, one of which is new to us. Its Pastor and wife served several years in Salvador before being called to a ministry in Ceará, 6 states north of here. And recently, to Barreiras.

The following Saturday, we transfer 60 miles west to Luíz Eduardo

Magalhães for a "mini honeymoon" at the 4-star St. Louis Hotel.

Aug. 6 is our 44th anniversary. The visit will include reconnection with Emmanuel Baptist Church, where we served 3 years earlier this decade. Dick has accepted an invitation to preach at Emmanuel.

We're expecting great blessings there. Attendance at the Church was 50 at the most when we left in 2007. Now it's often over 100. God has used the ministry of a young Pastor, Carlos Magno, and others to bring that increase. He spoke at the Association meetings, and was outstanding. We head back to Salvador the evening of Aug. 9. Just in time to watch a Brazil-U.S. soccer game the next evening.

A FAMILY AFFAIR--Travel is the in thing for the Buck Family this week. Ester is getting ready for her annual trek to Barrington, IL, near Chicago. Her functions at the Willow Creek Church Leadership Summit will be different. She normally does simultaneous translating during events. But she'll instead be doing audio-visual prepping to translate messages into various languages.

Debbie and James will follow her parents' example and go west--a lot farther. They fly to Colorado for a cousin's wedding. Then to New Mexico for a visit with James's relatives.

PHYSICAL WOES--Mavis slowly is recovering from a nasty virus, which knocked her down more than a week. It started with several dengue symptoms, but not all. When her fever subsided after 2 days, we knew dengue wasn't the case. That wasn't much of a consolation, considering how weak she was. The only way we were able to get home after the Calvary meetings was through the kindness of an Aratur man who drove us to Salvador.

Praise the Lord, Mavis has progressed to the point where she'll feel ready for the Friday trip. But we've tried to keep her going slowly so this will continue. Thankfully, Dick hasn't been affected.

SPIRITUAL WOES--Satan continues to attack the churches. Calvary and another Aratu branch are causing growing headaches again The deacons plan to meet with Calvary's Pastor and his wife this evening. He charges rebellion by leadership there. But he feels the deacons would be diminishing him by meeting with those leaders, putting them on equal footing with him. We understand that Baptist churches are democracies.

Another congregation, Hope Baptist in Itaberaba, has caused new worries concerning its Pastor. Many oldtimers left that work because of his practices. We visited there in January with a deacon and his wife. Things seemed to get better. Now, the newcomers are appealing for Mother-Church presence. The deacons are trying to schedule a meeting. We'd like to go, but other travels may make that impractical or impossible.

Worst of all, Pituba, a Church we started in the 1970's, is in dire straits. Again, sad to say, the major problems are Pastor-members relationships. As was true of Dick's predecessor in Aratu, this man

uses the pulpit to attack frontally those with whom he disagrees.

Church attendance has collapsed from 70 to 20 or less. Almost all

longtime leaders are gone. The others are hanging on by a thread.

The only deacon left has to take tranquilizers before going to Church.

Fellow Missionary John Baab and Dick will meet with this man Thursday evening. Please pray that we can encourage him. The Pastor has made it clear he's not going to resign. That's a sad echo of the Aratu Pastor's position. It's traumatic to have to fire a Pastor. But if he gives the Church no choice...

We prize your prayers. We thank God for the privilege of serving Him. And we trust that you're enjoying His blessigs in what He is sending your way.

Rejoicing in Christ,

Dick & Mavis Buck