Frequently Asked Questions, and perhaps some you’ve not yet thought of.
How may you be contacted?
See this page for all the ways you can get in touch.
Do you speak the language?
Fluently. Brazilians sometimes say I speak more correctly than they do. This after years of study.
How long have you lived in Brazil?
Vicki, Micah and I arrived on 28 Nov. 1984. Joel and Leila were born in Belo Horizonte and hold dual citizenship.
How long do you plan to stay in Brazil? Do you think about returning to the U.S.?
Our plans are open-ended, meaning there is no date set for our departure. We’ve always said that if the Lord opens a greater door of opportunity for us, we’ll consider that, but for now we don’t see where we could be more useful than our present location.
What exactly do you do there?
We work with the SJCampos and Taubate congregations, the latter of which we helped begin. That involves personal evangelism, preaching and teaching, training, etc. Then we help with the Mt of Olives Christian Camp and the Lar Cristao Christian Home in Cabreuva (associated with Southern Christian Home). We publish a Gospel-Advocate type magazine, books and studies, maintain the Alcanceweb.com site, do seminars and workshops around the country (including “Total Transformation” and “The Jesus We All Need”), speak pretty much where invited, such as at the National Christian Workers Encounter and the Northeastern Christian Lectureship.
I also speak at lectureships (Cold Harbor Rd., Preachers Files), forums and retreats in the U.S., edit Forthright Magazine, manage Forthright Press with my business associate Barbara Ann Oliver, oversee BrotherhoodNews.com and dabble in a dozen other neglected projects, like serving as webmaster for Bulletin Digest and Maywood Missionary Retreat.
What’s your daily life like?
Vicki has homeschooled our three children (only the youngest left), we’re out some nights for studies and classes, Saturdays are busy with ladies’ and mens’ meetings and studies. Sundays we’re at SJCampos in the mornings, Taubate in the afternoons.
We live simply, are pretty much homebodies when not on errands or at work, eat a modified Brazilian/American/semi-vegetarian diet. We don’t watch TV, but do rent some movies and are voracious readers. We own a small house, a small station wagon, two dogs I’d like to give away and a tank of overfed fish.
How are you supported?
A number of congregations and a couple of families send us donations for living and working expenses. The amount varies from year to year, and the buying power fluctuates depending upon the dollar’s trading rate and inflation on two continents. But we have never lacked for necessities, and the Lord has provided us with sufficient.
In June, 2010, we’ll lose the major part of our personal support, so I’m now inviting churches to participate in our ministry. Your congregation, or you personally, might be interested.
How can I keep up with your work there?
Easily, by subscribing to this website in the left column or signing up to the Brazil list. For the latter, click on the link and send any email to the address, then reply to the confirmation request and it’s done. Or sign up to the RSS feed here on the website.
Why the name GoSpeak?
Earlier, we were using the name “Brazilian Zeal Missions.” But we do much more than the work in Brazil. So with the new oversight by the Somers Avenue congregation, we felt it a good time to shift gears in the way we present ourselves to others.
Have a question? Ask away, and I’ll get to it.
Updated 2010 March 20.
