A team of Arkansas Baptists recently embarked on a Brazil vision tour.
Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Missions Team Leader Dr. Sam Roberts led the group of six pastors – four of whom brought their wives – on the missions trip. They traveled to Assu, Brazil, where they were able to meet, help train, encourage, and build relationships with church planters as well as International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries in the area.
“The whole goal with this [vision tour] is to connect Arkansas Baptist churches with partnerships in Brazil. They knew that up front. We’re going to go and do some teaching, instruction, and encouragement of church planters and as you’re going through this, we want you to be thinking about who could you possibly partner with,” Roberts said.
The group was stationed at the Second Baptist Church of Assu and worked with IMB Missionaries Rick and Jill Thompson. Roberts said in the last 21 years, the Second Baptist Church has planted 42 other churches.
Throughout the week, the group prayer-walked in four different communities where some of the church planters are located and did door-to-door evangelism. Each of the team members had the opportunity of using the EvangeCube or Three Circles to share the Gospel. Roberts said they were invited into 80 homes to share God’s Word with a couple hundred folks and had at least 41 they know that made professions of faith. There were about 50 or so who said they would love for someone from the church to come back into their home and lead a Bible study.
“The individuals from the church plants will go into those homes and begin to lead a Bible study and introduce them more to Jesus and salvation,” Roberts said.
In addition to the prayer walking and door-to-door evangelism, the team led a pastors’ conference and ministers’ wives conference, which he said were both well received. The Arkansas pastors were also given the opportunity to preach at one of the local church plants.
Arkansas Baptists who joined Roberts on the Brazil vision trip include Ricky and Vickie Lee of First Baptist Church in Sherwood, Daniel and Laura Bramlett of First Baptist Church in Hope, Bob and Cheryl Headrick of Black Oak Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Jimmy and Tammy Albrecht of First Baptist Church in DeWitt, Steve Walter of First Baptist Church in Forrest City, and Tad Rogers of First Baptist Church in Mountain Home.
Women’s ministry
The four women who attended had the honor of leading a ministers’ wives conference for their Brazilian counterparts.
For weeks beforehand, the ladies sent texts to each other, planned and made preparations for the conference. They collected supplies and shipped some ahead while the rest of the supplies traveled in their bags. Vickie said they originally planned for 25 ladies but later increased it to 35. Their main goal was to love on the ladies, to encourage them and help them make connections with each other.
“As I have tried to wrap my mind around what God did there, I am amazed. The phrase ‘But only God’ keeps running through my mind,” she said. “This Brazil trip was, I believe, my 14th to the country. However, this trip was a fulfilling one. My God-given gift is to minister to ministers’ wives and God opened the door for us to do it internationally. Thank you to Sam Roberts and the Arkansas Baptist State Convention for inviting me to tag along and serve in Brazil.”
Vickie commented on how God put together four women from different parts of Arkansas with different gifts to serve on the trip.
“Each of our members used our gifts. Only God could know that Laura would be needed to answer deep theological questions. Only God could know that one evening Cheryl would speak on leading children and the craft done with Tammy would all be children related. Only God could know that I would get to encourage a minister’s wife who was brokenhearted over leaving the church where she and her husband served to move to a new area and a new work. I shared that when your heart cries for the church you are leaving it means that you love them that much,” she said.
Cheryl said she saw “God’s hand all over this mission trip.”
“As soon as we returned someone asked me, what was my best memory or what had the most impact on me during this trip. I immediately thought of one thing, but just as quickly had four or five other things pop into my mind because we saw God do so many things, from knitting our team together to stories from the ladies we worked with, to encounters as we went out to do evangelism, to hearing stories from the Brazilians of God’s amazing power,” she said.
Passion for reaching people
Daniel Bramlett said they worked alongside a church that in the last 21 years has planted 42 churches. The passion for reaching people with the Gospel has spread through their people like a wildfire, Daniel said.
“The pastor says we aren’t asking everyone to be pastors. They will come later. We are asking people to plant churches, and everyone can do that,” he said. “We met a 70-year-old lady who said, ‘All I did was invite my neighbors to a Bible study…and they all came!’ Now there is a church meeting in her house. And God is providing pastors for these new churches.”
While there, Daniel taught “The Pastor as a Worshipper” and “The Emotional Health of the Pastor.” Other team members taught on everything from healthy preaching to caring for the family. He said the 30 men who attended the pastors’ conference soaked up their teaching like a sponge. But that was not the most exciting part of their trip.
“Each morning we partnered with one of the pastors we were training to do door-to-door evangelism. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a place more open and ready for the Gospel. Almost everyone we asked wanted to hear more. Many people prayed to receive Christ. Many invited the local church to come back and lead Bible studies in their home. Many would hear the Gospel and then invite their friends or family members to come hear the good news they just heard. It was tremendous,” Daniel said.
Steve Walter said the mission trip was certainly a positive experience, especially since it reacquainted him with the day-to-day operation of their IMB missionaries.
“I found Rick and Jill Thompson to be extremely well-prepared, trustworthy, and overwhelmingly committed to evangelism and church planting. Those areas of ministry are indeed their niche, and it was refreshing and humbling for me as a grassroots pastor to see them in the trenches. It was an honor to provide those church planters with any encouragement they may have received from our efforts. Truly, we were not experts that instructed them, but fellow beggars that shared crumbs from the table of our Master,” he said.
Tad Rogers touted the hospitality and receptivity of the people they worked with in Brazil.
“God is leading there. The love and fellowship those pastors and their wives have for each other in that area, you can tell they enjoy being together and going out and sharing the Gospel,” he said.
Grateful
Cheryl Headrick said missionaries Rick and Jill did a marvelous job of teaching and training the group, caring for them, and making sure that they got to be a part of God’s kingdom work in Brazil.
“My husband and I served with the IMB in three different countries over 22 years and have had a lot of experience being on the receiving end of volunteers. But this was the first time we got to be on the going end. It was an encouraging, humbling, and wonderful experience. We came home with our hearts overflowing and our spirits renewed,” she said.
While reflecting on their time in Brazil, Tammy Albrecht, too, noted how God put this team together.
“Four women from different parts of the state, who didn’t really know each other, yet we fit together and worked together so beautifully,” she said. “We each had a role to play. Vickie was our leader and made sure the women connected and had fun. Laura was the Bible teacher and answered some challenging theological questions. Cheryl equipped the ladies with creative ways to tell a Bible story and to teach Bible verses to children. I taught from 1 Thessalonians 5 and also just shared some important things I have learned from being in ministry for 37 years. Each of us shared part of our own story. It was amazing that we four ladies had so much in common. It was also humbling when Brazilian women shared that something we said was ‘exactly what I needed to hear.’ To God be the glory.”
Tammy said she’s grateful God chose to use her to encourage and help build up her Brazilian sisters in Christ.
“I wish more women from Arkansas would step out of their comfort zone and go. It’s hard, but it is so worth it. You’ll never experience this blessing until you choose to step out in faith,” she said.
Laura Bramlett also said she is thankful the Lord allowed her to go and serve in Assu, Brazil, with three other amazing ladies from the state.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I needed to be obedient and go. The ladies at the conference overwhelmed me with their hospitality and eagerness to grow and learn. We were able to lead a mixture of pastors’ wives, missionaries, and seminary students. Our goal from the beginning was to encourage and love on them, but I believe the Lord used them to teach me far more than I could have ever taught them. They have a very evident love for the Lord and His mission. They were willing to be vulnerable with us, and even though there was a language barrier, the Holy Spirit knit our hearts together as only He can. We laughed, we cried, we rejoiced, and we worshipped. I will never forget my time with these ladies, and I most definitely left a part of my heart in Brazil. To God be the glory for all He did,” she said.
Ricky Lee said he was deeply grateful to Roberts for his invitation and leadership on the Brazil Vision Tour.
“My heart was stirred by the young Brazilian ministers that serve faithfully in remote areas. It was a joy to encourage and teach them in their seminary. I am grateful for my wife, Vickie, and the other wonderful ladies that poured out love to the minister’s wives. The impact was obvious. We saw many come to Christ through our in-home visits, church services, and school visits. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to share in this mission effort,” he said.
Jimmy Albrecht said the vision tour to Brazil was “absolutely amazing.” He said Rick and Jill had everything lined up for them from being picked up at the airport to leaving the airport.
“Working with the churches in Assu was truly a blessing. … We pastors had an opportunity to teach in their seminary. Our wives held the first ever women’s conference there,” he said.
Jimmy noted the group also had the opportunity to visit a middle school one afternoon and share the Gospel with several classes.
“Our translators were second to none. They were very good in helping to engage the people we were communicating with. Having a chance to visit and minister in another culture and making connections that will help open doors for ministry made this a successful mission trip,” he said.
All in all, Roberts said it was an incredible trip.
“My big prayer right now is that as these guys and their wives begin to share these stories with their churches that God calls churches from Arkansas to partner with some of those church planters,” he said.
Roberts also hopes the trip reinforces the importance of cooperative ministry among Southern Baptists.
“I love the Cooperative Program and I believe in the Cooperative Program. When you see Lottie [Lottie Moon Christmas Offering] dollars in action it makes you want to go back and be a cheerleader and champion even more for that cause,” Roberts said.