In This Issue

Nosso Primeiro Visitante, Nona Atkisson (Mãe de David)

Caê

Jornal do Ministerio

Prayer Requests

How do you keep in touch with us?
David and Lynn Atkisson
Hilary, Jacob, Taylor

Mailing/Field address:
Rua Serra do Caparaó, 11
Cond. Recanto Ecológico
Jd. Paranapanema
Campinas - SP 13095-500
Brasil

Email Addresses:
datkisson@uol.com.br or
datkisson@mtwla.org

web page:
www.mtwla.org/people/
datkisson.htm

Make support gifts to:
Mission to the World
**P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
Atkisson support acct. #10130

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed...Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:51-52, 55-57

Mãe de Lynn, Betty Wheeler

We learned in April that Lynn's mother Betty would need open-heart surgery to replace a damaged valve. You may recall our requests for prayer for her leading up to this event. Because of a generous gift from one of our supporters, we were all able to travel up to the States just before her surgery. This was a great blessing especially for our kids to see their grandmother as well as stay and be with her for several weeks. She came through the surgery fairly well, and following her recovery period, we all returned to Brazil. Just over one week later, we received a phone call that Betty had collapsed and was in critical condition in the hospital. Lynn left Brazil asap, and upon arrival found her mother in a coma and on life-support with no brain activity. Betty had stated before that she didn't want to continue in this manner, so Lynn made the difficult decision to disconnect the life-support systems. The kids and I arrived the day before the funeral. I was privileged to participate in the service celebrating the life of our mother, grandmother and sister in Christ.

A recent photo of Lynn and her mom

We give praise and thanks to our God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ that He chose Betty in Him before the foundation of the world that she should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined her to be adopted as His daughter through her faith in His Son Jesus Christ according to His perfect and sovereign will. In Christ, she has redemption through His shed blood, and the forgiveness of all her sins according to the riches of God's amazing grace. Because she believed with all her heart the message of the truth of the gospel, she was given the Holy Spirit of promise as a pledge of her inheritance of eternal life in heaven. And even though she has now gone to receive her eternal inheritance and we miss her dearly, our faith has only been strengthened and confirmed by her solid faith in these things. May all praise, glory and honor be given to our God!

Nosso Primeiro Visitante, Nona Atkisson (Mãe de David)

Our family was recently very blessed with our first visitor to Brazil from the States...my mother!

Grandma A and our family

This visit lasted about 5 weeks, and most of that time was during the kids "winter vacation" from school for the month of July. Although she is the spry young age of 79, she was quite the trooper keeping up with our hectic and sometimes frantic schedule. This being her first trip to Brazil, we took her on a short trek up the coast first to the well preserved colonial city of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro. She really enjoyed seeing the architecture, local art galleries, and the beautiful coastline. We then drove on up to the city of Rio de Janeiro for her to see the sights and sounds of this famous city. She walked the Ipanema beach and rode the cable car up to the Pão de Açucar mountain. She also saw the depravity and great need as we drove past large favelas (slums) in the city and prostitutes along the Copacabana. It was so difficult to see her leave, but we count it a tremendous blessing from our Lord and a balm of healing for our frayed emotions.

The image of God invisible, the firstborn of all life
Before and within, He holds it all in
One name, one faith, one Christ

No one is good enough, to save himself
Awake my soul tonight, to boast nothing else

I trust no other source or name, nowhere else can I hide
This grace gives me fear, and this grace draws me near
And all that it asks it provides

No one is good enough, to save himself
Awake my soul tonight, to boast nothing else

No seam in this garment, all my rags to hide
No less than your love, for Jesus is mine

When I stand on the edges of Jordan
With the saints and the angels beside
When my body is healed, and the glory revealed
Still I can boast only Christ

No one is good enough, to save himself
Awake my soul tonight, to boast nothing else

To boast nothing else...

From the CD Back Home by Caedmon'sCall

Pois o que primeiramente Ihes transmiti foi o que recebi: que Cristo morreu pelos nossos pecados, segundo as Escrituras, foi sepultado e ressuscitou no terceiro dia, segundo as Escrituras...
I Corintios 15:3-4

The inspired apostle James once wrote, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." I am here to testify that your prayers continue to make a difference in the life of this young man. And not only Caê (pronounced "Kah-eh"), but also now also another "skatista" named Samuel (Portuguese pronunciation = "Sam-well"). Having been friends for years, Caê invited Samuel to come to our Bible study on the gospel of John, and he is now a regular at our home as well.

In our study of this gospel, we recently talked about Nicodemus' question to Jesus about the new birth. Please specifically pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to effectively work in their hearts through the Word of God and that He would call them to Himself for His glory and honor. I would ask that you also pray that the Lord would enable me as I teach this study in Portuguese. I count it a great privilege to have the opportunity to work with these young men because of your prayers and support.

Caê (left) and Samuel in our Bible study

Jornal do MinistÈrio

We continue to gather information for the soccer project here in Campinas with LPC communications (note our last issue for more on this project), and in the mean time I have begun contacting pastors locally to meet with them for prayer time and discussions about social projects. I was also recently invited to speak on "culture shock" by my friend Dr. Valdeci Santos at the Andrew Jumper post-graduate center at MacKenzie University in São Paulo. His class of Brazilian pastors are taking courses towards earning doctorate of ministry (D.Min) degrees.

Jacob and I are discussing plans for starting a soccer team of his peers (both Christian and non-Christian) that I would coach/train 1-2 days/week. Please pray for the Lord's guidance for us as we pursue this idea.

I would covet your prayers as I travel later in the month of August to visit 1st Presbyterian Church of Goiania in the state of Goias in central Brazil. I will speak with their missions committee, visit several projects they have started, and preach on that Sunday night. I am visiting with the idea that either this could be a possible ministry site for us, or for other MTW missionaries in the future.

Our Prayer Requests

* We praise our Lord for the completion of our language study course. Please pray that we would be lead to use our gifts now even as we wait on the Lord for His work for us.
* Please pray for Lynn and Jacob as they begin homeschooling again. Also pray for Hilary and Taylor as they begin school again at Jaime Kratz. This is Hilary's last semester in the Brazilian system. Please pray for Hilary as she looks into colleges and universities in the States for the fall of 2004.
* Please pray for our family (Lynn in particular) as we continue to mourn over Betty's death. It has been very difficult being away from family and friends during this time.

Soli Deo Gloria,

The Atkissons

P.S. If you have Internet access, please visit our web page for previous updates and a link to a "picture page" that is updated regularly of our life here in Brazil. That address again is: www.mtwla.org/people/datkisson.htm

P.S.S. You can continue to contact us via email at datkisson@mtwla.org or at our new address (effective early Sept.) of datkisson@uol.com.br .

If for some reason you did not receive a note we sent out, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your prayers, cards, flowers and gifts following Betty's death.