lockdown highlights

Last update I asked that you all pray that the pandemic would result in greater trust in the Lord and a deeper longing to be with the body. Over the last three weeks, to try to spur on the body and to sow towards a greater desire to live in community, we've recorded a series of interviews. Pray that the videos would not only create a closeness for the body and leadership, but that it would also instigate great conversations and care for one another.

Last Friday Campus Outreach held a day of prayer for all the CO ministries across the globe. Each international ministry was paired up with a U.S. ministry to update and pray for one another. Praying together with the folks from St. Louis was a great blessing. We even had a staff member from Birmingham, England that was on our team in Birmingham, AL show up and pray with us! Thanks, Mitchell! 

We would love to hear from you all. Please reach out to us on WhatsApp (Amy - (31) 9956-60669; Jeff - (31) 9988-53481); that's the easiest way to text and chat. Also, check out our apartment building on Google Maps! 

Love, 

Jeff, Amy, Braden, Simon, Lucy, and Everett 

p.s. Here's an interesting cultural phenomenon, chocolate Easter eggs! All of those colorful things above Lucy, Simon, and Amy's heads are chocolate eggs, full of chocolate. OK! We love chocolate eggs, but we've really loved re-watching season 1 of The Chosen. What a great representation of Jesus! We can wait for season 2 Sunday night! 

summer leadership project

 

More lockdown hightlights (Jeff's update).

my life wouldn't change too drastically

I normally cringe when I hear the comment, "you said..." because I often speak before thinking. This was the case before moving to Brazil, when I remember telling some of you how "my life wouldn't change too drastically" because I would still be cooking and cleaning, teaching the kids, and trying to minister to those around me. Those daily things seemed almost like second nature, but I failed to realize the changes, and many times difficulty, I would face trying to accomplish the smallest of tasks in another country. During this "lockdown" period, I wanted to share a few reflections from the "home front". 

Amy making tapioca crepes.

We have adjusted how we eat to fall more in line with the culture, meaning we eat 4 times a day, with lunch being the one time I cook. Everything else is snack food, but for those who know us, we can easily make a snack into a meal. A friend recently shared some recipes with me (which was super helpful in that I have needed some inspiration). They were quick and simple recipes in the US, but a bit more involved here. A few examples:

• sour cream (don't forget to strain the water out overnight in the fridge before use)
• cream of chicken soup (chicken broth and table cream will work)
• canned beans (they are dried here--so thankful for the Instant Pot!)
• shredded cheese (ask a family member to grate while I cook)
• Jimmy Dean sausage (well, just ask the butcher to grind some pork, twice please, and add the seasoning when you get home)

All fruits and vegetables need to be washed and sanitized too. I have learned so much from the failures and actually enjoyed the many successes!

Thanks to a local friend, I learned which cleaners to use here. We mostly use dish soap for everything except the bathroom, so that is nice. Washing windows with bars on them is no small feat. Finally, I think I've saved up my whole life for the ironing I've done here. So glad my momma taught me how to do it! Without a dryer, and only cold water to wash in, ironing is a good way to sanitize and soften our laundry. 

School has been a good stable part of our days. With everything here being online, I am very thankful that we have the option of homeschooling, and I am so proud of the hard work Lucy and Everett are putting into their studies, especially with most of it being in Portuguese!

I've recently been reading Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie and I was so convicted and encouraged right from the beginning. The following words spoke to me, and I would like to share them with you.

"We are, however, meant to recognize every facet of our day as coming from the hand of God. It all passes through His fingers first, and He uses it to make sure we lean hard on Him." (p 3)

May this Easter season find all of us leaning hard on Him. Love and hugs from afar!

Love, 

Amy

Read Braden's update.

gospel homework

During this lockdown, basically the only contact we've had with the outside world has been in our language-learning classes. Though even still God has provided evident opportunities to share the gospel. For my homework, I was asked by my teacher to explain a chapter or story in the Bible to her in Portuguese! 

"Obrigado por todas as orações e apoio." 

Simon 

Puzzles go fast during lockdowns. Simon knocked it out in two sittings.

Read Amy's update. 

I sound like a 3-year old

So the lockdown has made it more difficult to meet people but thankfully I had already joined a bible study. We have been able to continue doing that online! It has been so great! It is partially in english and partially in portuguese which helps with my language learning and understanding. I also do both my portuguese class and my CC class online. They are both in portuguese as well but I’m glad, because they have really helped me become more comfortable speaking portuguese even though i have a limited vocabulary and probably sound like a three year old when I talk! Praying that lockdown will be over soon! 

Lucy 

We decided to paint our 'sala' to make use of the lockdown. Lucy even scraped and 'mudded.'

 

Read Simon's update. 

 

online basketball is not easy

 Dear Friends

Dad has asked if I could do a little update so here it is. We have been in quarantine for about two weeks. It makes it a little tough for dad to share the gospel to people when we have to stay inside all day. I do online basketball which is not easy. One advantage of online basketball is that when you do situps and pushups they can't see you. I have also started online Classical Conversations class which is hard in general but now it is portugeuse. Yesterday was April Fools day. I did the best tricks. Dad got all of us, he asked us to put on our 247 365 day a year shirts (pictured below) and he said that a picture guy was coming to take our picture and he tricked us!!!!(ask dad for more info) Apparently April Fools Day is not a thing in Brazil it is actually called Lying Day where you just lie. Portuguese class has been great. If we went back to a resort called the Hotel Fazenda when I did not know any portuguess it would be much better. (We went to the Hotel Fazenda for christmas.) Tchau tchau!! Eu gosto muito do Brasil. Bye bye!!! I like brazil very much.

From Everett

PS. I saw two monkeys a few days ago. The popsicles are the best here!!!! Surprisingly kiwi is a great flavor for popsicles. BYE!!!!   

 Read Lucy's update. 

this week in belo

Hi friends, 

We introduced ourselves at church last week. If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I'm not sure what I said. 😂 

Over the past few weeks we've been able to spend great time with many families from the church. These conversations have been crucial for us to better understand how God has been at work among them. Pray with us that we could join in seamlessly. 

In other news, we started Portuguese classes! On Tuesday and Thursday mornings we walk over to the church building (not far from our house) and, first, Amy and I have class, and then the kids all have class together. They manage the walk over and back on their own, which is a cool way for them to grow in their autonomy.

Pray with us for growth in our language abilities and for a great friendship with our instructor, Viviane.

Here are a few recent highlights, at least the ones where we remembered to take a picture:

Top to bottom: the kids with a few of our favorite products, the grape juice, Lucy loves the powdered milk and açaí (not pictured), I love the bananas, and we managed to find semi-sweet chocolate! 2nd row: our pastor Rafael, a typical lunch with rice and beans, farofa and vinagrete, a recent get together with our long-time friends Lorena and Juliano and baby Donata. 3rd row: Amy and I in class, Lucy playing Spikeball with new friends, and Everett buying cheese at our local grocery store. 

We would love to hear from you all!

Jeff, Amy, and family   

yes!

Thank you all for your prayers today! Our visit to the Federal Police went better than expected. I was fully prepared to hear, "come back when you have all your documents." Instead, we were granted the "protocolo," which means it's all in motion now. We will receive our Visas in 20+/- days!

Thank you for praying! Thank you, Father, for providing!

Just before our appointment outside the Federal Police. 

Love, 

Jeff & Amy

afternoon coffee

Hey everyone, 

It's been raining here since last night after days and days of heat. For me, the cooler air has been a welcome change even if it means bringing the clothes inside to dry. 

A couple of busy weeks have launched us into February. Here are a few of the highlights: 

Here's a pic of our visit with Bernardo. Many of you may remember Bernardo from waaaaay back when I met him as a student. Bernardo, his wife Arabela, and their son Ian had us over for café da tarde (afternoon coffee) and it was such a treat. Meeting up with Bernardo and other "old" friends has been such a great reminder of God's continued work in us. 

Speaking of old friends, we've also gotten to meet so many of their children. Here's a pic of Everett at our favorite neighborhood popsicle stand with our friend Mirella's 4 kids. Sometimes the kids are the best language teachers. They often don't care that Simon, Lucy, or Everett may not understand something they've said. They go right on talking! It's been amazing in one week to see how far Simon, Lucy, and Everett have progressed with the language. This week during class they had to go to a local store and make a purchase on their own, while asking specific questions to the shop owner. 

 

We've also made some great new friends since we've arrived. Here's a pic of a Sunday lunch we had recently with Elias and Vitor. Elias and Vitor both got involved with Campus Outreach while students and Vitor started an internship with the campus ministry this January. He's become a quick friend to our family. We just met his friend Elias this past Sunday. It was such a treat having him lead us in worship at the church earlier that day. He's a music student at the local university, UFMG. 

This past Tuesday Everett got to do a "test" with a local basketball team. The coach was fantastic and even spoke English (he lived in Ohio for awhile). Next week Everett will start practice with a group of 10 year olds! The group was all 13 year olds for his test, but he did such a great job keeping up!

 

Thank you for your continued prayers. God has shown great care for us, providing cultural adjustment, friendships, and a great start to the ministry at the church. My feelings of not being enough or worry about the kids still show up. But recently, the Lord has reminded me that even suffering does not undo our great hope! Pray that we could keep close the reminder that we testify to him and not ourselves, and to our eternal hope and not momentary pleasure. 

One last prayer request before signing off: please pray for our documents for our Visas. We submitted one specific document in early December and never received it. I tried calling today and they told me to call back in March. We understand the delay because of COVID-19, but in the meantime please pray that it wouldn't cause complications for our Visa process and that we could even receive them before March.

In his love, 

The Dowdys   

settling in

Hey friends!

Our first days of the year have been full. We are still getting our house in order, so we've had visits from the plumber, pest control, the butcher shop, etc. Part of the adjustment, which won't always be the case, has been all the walking since we don't have a car yet. Fortunately, the bank, the bakery, a small grocery store, and the fruit and vegetable store are all within a half-mile of the house. Unfortunately, I'm out of shape and the hills are getting the best of me. 😰  

We've gotten to visit with many families and friends from the church. I know we were warned before that our capacity would be low, but this weekend it seemed like we were arriving home each night wiped out. Between the long treks across town by taxi, lots of Portuguese (especially for the kids who haven't started classes), and the heat, we are definitely still "adapting." But we are thankful that so many have opened their homes to us and invited us to be a part of the work God is doing in their lives, in the church, and in Belo Horizonte.

1. Lucy visiting with a friend's "hamster" (looks like a mouse to me!), 
2. Lucy, Mary Kelly, and Simon using the public workout equipment scattered across many of the parks, 
3. Braden and Everett with Santa(s) at the airport, 
4. Lucy and Simon picking acerola during a visit with some friends, 
5. Everett meets Angry Bunny (its name in English!), 
6. One of many, many Uber rides after getting caught in the rain, 
7. Amy at the park, look at that amazing tree!, 
8. The family waiting at the airport after Braden's initial flight was canceled (he made it fine eventually), 
9. and Everett in his room having "desk time." 

Not pictured: It's not all fun and games. There is plenty of stress and fear involved in the transition. We are actively trying to battle those fears with truth... the fear of not being enough or up to the task, the fear that the kids may not like it or adjust well or that they may not make friends, the fear today of the unknown as the city shuts down again partially due to COVID, the fear of seeing the scary images from the U.S. from the continuing pandemic and political turmoil and worrying how that may be affecting you all. There's plenty to cause us to be anxious. And we feel it. So, let's pray for one another. That we could renew our trust in our Father daily and that others would know us as Christ's disciples by our love for others, those near and far. 

We miss you all and would love to hear from you,

The Dowdys  

happy new year

Dear family and friends, 

Happy New Year! We've only been in Brazil for 13 days, but our time has been power-packed with delicious food, time with old and new friends, summer heat, language learning and fails, walking, more walking, and now saying good-bye again (Braden leaves tomorrow to start his new semester at Wofford). 😢 

We are so thankful for you all. You all have faithfully stood beside us this past year and supported us as we followed God's call. Thank you for all your messages and prayers as we look ahead to the new year. Specifically, we are so excited to have connected with the pastor and his family. Please pray for our upcoming meetings and that we could come alongside in full support for the church's vision for the new year. Also, pray for us as we continue to get settled, specifically that we could find a car and finish setting up our apartment.

Many of the pictures above are from a trip that Mom and Dad gave us for Christmas. We got to spend 3 days at a hotel on a previous ostrich farm! All the food was included and we got to enjoy the pool and play a little pickleball. Everett got to ride horses and milk a cow. It was a great distraction from missing family over the holiday. 

We'd love to hear from you. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

Jeff, Amy, Braden, Simon, Lucy, and Everett 

p.s. Braden's passport was a wild ride. I'll try to summarize: After turning in the passport and waiting the allotted time, we knew we would be cutting it close if it didn't arrive soon. Instead we heard back that Braden's pictures were no good. He rushed off and took new ones and mailed them in. After waiting a week or so more, we checked in; the pictures still hadn't arrived! Amy suggested that Braden contact his professor, former U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy, to see if he could help. Amazingly, he responded the same day saying he was forwarding on the request. Tim Scott's office contacted Braden and asked that he send a new set of pictures directly to them. Braden rushed off, took 4 sets of pictures to make sure they worked, and sent them off. Later we learned that the pictures had not arrived in time. This was the day before the trip. On top of that, a winter snow storm was blowing in, so any mail was unlikely to make it. Instead they made Braden an appointment in Atlanta for the next day, the day of the trip! And we were flying out of Birmingham! So, Braden and Amy's mom drove over and stayed the night in Atlanta with new pictures in tow. Thankfully, this part went off without a hitch and Braden made it to the airport in time to make the flight. Thank you for your prayers! What an amazing journey! Only later did I learn that Gowdy's newest book is titled, Doesn't Hurt to Ask! 😁 How much better is it to remember that God invites us to ask Him!   

we've arrived

Dear friends, 

We made it to our apartment yesterday late afternoon. Thank you all for your prayers and support to get us here. Braden got his passport literally the day of the trip! It's quite a story that I hope to share soon. 

We are trying to settle in today, unpacking and resting. 

Love, 

The Dowdys in Brazil ;)

10 days

Hi all, 

I'm testing out a new support update method. Hopefully, those of you who were not receiving our updates will now. We are leaving in 10 short days! Unbelievable. Above all I want to thank you and thank our Heavenly Father. You've all been a tremendous encouragement to us through this lengthy process, not only as willing givers but in speaking truth, and expressing excitement over what's to come. Thank you! 

A few prayer requests: 

1. We still haven't received Braden's passport. Please continue to pray for its provision. 
2. We are also waiting on a few documents to arrive that we will need for our visa application. Pray specifically that our FBI background check would arrive and Amy's birth certificate. 
3. Finally, today we are having our final debrief for LEAD U. We realized last week that from our small team we will have someone on each continent next year! Pray that from our debrief today we could remember key lessons God has taught us over the past few months. 

Here's a few highlights of late (top left clockwise): going away party in B'ham, family goodbyes over Thanksgiving, preaching at Grace Church, one of several visits to the storage shed, and our going away party in Bainbridge.

Love, 

Jeff, Amy, Braden, Simon, Lucy, and Everett

p.s. Please reply, we'd love to know that you are receiving our updates! 

if the Lord wills

 

Despite being mostly homebound and experiencing some momentary despair about support raising, we've surged up to 77%! We are once again reminded that the Lord is writing the story and not us.

Pledge today! Shelter in Place. Last month we asked you to join us in praying that we'd see a 15% increase in our support within the month. Little did we know the extent that the pandemic would turn the world upside down. I'd worked it out in my head how the ensuing months would go and how we could leave at the end of July. James 4 says:  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” This verse was meaningful to us when we first started this process and so much more so now. It's as the Lord wills and not how we would do it. With everything that's going on, I (Jeff) was pretty low. It seemed like such a backbreaker. But God has reassured us through conversations with friends and family and times of prayer -- He is in control. So, if we have to shelter in place, let's go to God as our shelter and "abide in the shadow of the Almighty!" (Psalm 91:1) So far we've managed to entertain ourselves during the shelter-in-place order. God is at work globally through the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, he has his eyes on us. What an unexpected blessing it has been to have this time as a family before our move to Brazil!  Thank you for partnering with us. We'd love to know how you are fighting off cabin fever or, more seriously, how we can be praying with you! Please reach out!  Love, the Dowdys

corona update

"You don't wait for grace and then do what God has told you to do. You get enabling grace in motion." Paul Tripp

Quick update on how we've been impacted by COVID-19.

Pledge today!

British Brazilians

 

Just the highlights. Our friends, the Andrionis, visited all the way from Manchester, England.  We've surpassed 65% of our financial support need! We had an encouraging video chat with the new CO director and his wife, Pedro and Priscila.  Cool story: Alan worked with us in Brazil waaaay back when (2006-2007). He and his wife Junia are now ministering with Campus Outreach in Manchester, England. As we hosted them this past week, it was a great reminder of why we are headed back to Brazil - to see more laborers sent out into the harvest: to Brazil, South America, and the world!  To those of you who recently joined our support team - thank you! As Romans 10:15 says, how are they to preach unless they are sent? Thank you for your participation in the mission with us. We literally could not do it without you. For those of you still considering making a pledge, we are asking the Lord for 30-40 more supporters to join our team and finish out our support. Pray with us that we could see an increase of 15% or more this month.   Pledge today! It was great catching up with the Alberquerques! Among the highlights, the staff just spent the past week in prayer before heading back to the college campus for the new semester. The church also just started a pastor search. Please pray for the elders and search committee during this important next step! With love in Christ, Jeff, Amy, Braden, Simon, Lucy, and Everett p.s. We love hearing from you all. What's new in your world and how we can be praying with you?

 

Weekend in Johns Creek. Amy and I just got to our hotel room after an evening at Perimeter Presbyterian Church. We are here for a discipleship clinic - Life on Life - until Saturday. We were graciously invited by Bryan Brown and are excited to soak in the training. Comunidade Horizonte, the church we will co-labor with in Brazil, is already implementing Life on Life discipleship, and we are excited to join them in the work of making disciples who make disciples!  Pray with us this weekend that the clinic could be a meaningful time of training and inspiration. Life on Life discipleship is happening in Brazil. Pray for it produce laborers across the country in every sphere of life. Support Update As of today [2/6] we are at 53.9%! Just this year, we've gained 20 supporters. We are so humbled by the Lord's provision through you! Thank you! We had such an encouraging moment this past Tuesday with the leaders at our church, New City Milledgeville. They spent the first half hour of our meeting hearing from us and praying for us. We are so grateful to have a church praying for us and sending us out!  Pledge today!

flood update

 

Update from Pedro on flooding. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to intercede for Belo Horizonte and our people. Last night's rain (Tuesday) was even worse than the one from Thursday/Friday last week. At least 53 died and thousands lost their houses, cars and many more. Again we are safe and we live in a higher area of the city, outside of the risk area. Here are a few English articles to help you understand our current situation: Powerful Storm Kills 47 in Brazil Heavy rains and floods leave dozens dead in southeastern Brazil Brazilian city experiences deadly flooding after 32 inches of rain falls in just 27 days In Christ,  Pedro Alberquerque It's hard to know how to pray when things seem so desolate. But let's pray the words of Paul to Timothy, "for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able..." (1 Tim. 1:12). God is trustworthy and more than able to fulfill his purposes. Let's pray that God works mightily through the church through this storm.   Let's pray for Pedro and Priscila as well. They've been laboring with Campus Outreach for several years and recently transitioned into leadership for the ministry in Belo Horizonte. Pray that the Alberquerque's would find their strong foundation in the Lord as they lead and care for the CO staff and disciples in Belo Horizonte. We so enjoyed our time with them during our last visit and look forward to joining them, hopefully, in July!  We are at 43% and climbing! Also, thank you to those who reached out after our last update!   Pledge today!

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

 

Flooding in Brazil. This morning we woke up to friends in Belo Horizonte marking themselves safe on Facebook due to flooding in the city. Please pray with us for not only their safety but for the church as it seeks to serve others. Here's a message from the Campus Outreach director, Pedro Alberquerque:

Would you pray for and with us for our city and state?  Exactly one year after the dam rupture in Brumadinho (40 min away from Belo Horizonte), when more than 200 people lost their lives, we have been facing another catastrophe. Over the past 48 hours it has rained more then 190mm (7,5in) in Belo Horizonte. It is the heaviest rain recorded in our city. Several rivers and creeks flooded, lots of areas with landslides and flash floods.  That situation affects mainly people who live in poor and risky areas. Over 2000 people lost their houses and assets and as of right now, 8 people lost their lives and at least 10 people are missing. Everyone on our team and church is safe but we do know some people who were affected.  Our church and community are collecting donations to help those in need.

Please pray:  - For the missing to be found alive; - For the rain to cease and for steady weather over the next few days;  - For God's grace, comfort, and mercy to be with those who lost relatives and possessions;

In Christ,  Pedro Alberquerque

almost halfway there

 

Update Highlights! We have 41% of our support in!  And... 24 degree weather is probably too cold for camping! Oh well, hindsight is 2020.  We (me, Amy, and Everett) took advantage of the long weekend to head up to Spartanburg, SC to visit Braden at college. He got us tickets to a home basketball game on Friday - Wofford vs. Furman, and on Saturday we set out for Keowee-Toxaway State Park in Sunset, SC for some camping. The temperature dropped down to 25 degrees on Sunday night, but we survived and had a great time with him and his girlfriend, Aniah. Everett, however, continues to remind me that I fell on the trail and had a short slide down a hill.  Support raising continues to build our faith. Earlier this week I was reading in Genesis 50 about Joseph's brothers' fear that he would do harm to them after their father died. Joseph replied, "Do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." And I thought, if Joseph makes a promise like this, surely God's promise is much greater. Then today I read, "how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" God is teaching us to trust him and not our own means! It's true in our parenting, in support raising, in our personal transformation. God, teach us to trust you!  In the past month our support has increased by 10%! And we've met with many others who plan to partner with us. And, as if that weren't enough, God has blessed us recently with two supporters joining our monthly support team unprompted by us! As we work toward a July departure, all giving received is counting towards our one-time moving expenses. So, thank you for your generous gifts! Prayer requests:  that we'd walk by faith as we invite the remaining partners God has for us to join our team. that we'd quickly break the 50% threshold!  that the kids (and Amy) could stay strong in school in this transition, for Simon to thrive in his last semester before graduation, for me to finish well at work, and for us as we move toward selling the house and packing up our things!  Pledge Now